Dear Parents,

I hope this email finds you safe and well.

I want to keep you updated with the situation at St John's this week.

Unfortunately, this morning we have had to close the Year 2 bubble and the Nursery. The staff are very upset to be sent home, particularly from Year 2, having only just joined us again last week. I know how difficult this is for you and for your children, and I can only apologise for the inconvenience caused by the shutdowns. However, we must be vigilant so that we can stop the spread of the virus.

The doorstep tests in Sparkhill are obviously working, as some of the positive cases we have been told about today have been identified through these. Once again, I would encourage you to book a test as soon as your child develops one of the three main symptoms listed below. The idea is to catch the infected person as fast as possible so that we limit the number of people they can infect.

If you or your child has ANY ONE of the following, book a test:

- a new, continuous cough

- a temperature

- a change/loss to their sense of taste or smell

If your child tests positive, they should isolate for 10 days since their symptoms began. Everybody else in the household should isolate for 14 days.

If your child's bubble has been sent home, this is because they have had close contact with an infected person. They should isolate at home for 14 days because this is how long it may take for them to show symptoms. The rest of the household does not need to isolate unless one of them begins to show symptoms.

A household is all the people that live together in a house.

Due to the restrictions in Birmingham, you should not be visiting another household, or having visitors coming to see you. This means that at the moment, you shouldn't be visiting another house- even your relatives.

Best wishes,

Mrs Seymour