LATEST: We recognise the disappointment of our Year 10 students that it was necessary to take the decision to postpone Work Experience. We have been discussing alternatives with Project Trident and hope that it will be possible to rearrange Work experience for early September. Further details will be available when school resumes.

11:45am Wednesday July 1st 2009

Special Announcement

This is following guidance from Dr English of the Health Protection Agency (HPA), as follows:

"As you know, we originally hoped that the illness would remain largely confined to the year 8 pupils who went on the school trip to Germany, returning last week. It is now clear that the disease has spread outside this group. With such a high proportion of the school unwell now, and the prospect that others will develop symptoms over the next few days, it is clearly not practicable to keep the school open. I have therefore recommended that when the school closes this evening, it should remain closed for the time being. I think we can expect and plan to reopen the school next Monday (6 July). (Depending on the course of events in the school population, and new guidance issued from the government, we may need to reconsider this reopening date.) With luck, by then, many of the school population will have recovered from, and be immune to swine flu."

To reduce unnecessary contact we have decided to postpone or cancel the following events:

• The Music Trip to Italy due to depart on Thursday July 2nd
• The Year 6 Induction morning scheduled for Wednesday July 1st and the Year 6 Parent evening scheduled for Thursday July 2nd
• The Design and Technology exhibition
• The Duke of Edinburgh expedition scheduled for Thursday July 2nd
• Visits to school by any of our 'feeder schools' in connection with our TCI outreach work
  
• We have also taken the decision that Year 10 work experience due to start on Monday July 7th will not take place, as we are not able to predict what the level of illness among Year 10 students may be in a week's time.

  We are in constant dialogue with Surrey LA and the HPA and all decisions are taken in the light of the advice received and our own assessment of risk to members of our school community and the wider community.
  
  PLEASE CHECK THE WEBSITE FREQUENTLY FOR UPDATED INFORMATION AND/OR THE RECORDED MESSAGE ON THE SCHOOL PHONE LINE (01252 319211)

  IF YOUR CHILD DISPLAYS ANY FLU-LIKE SYMPTOMS SUCH AS HEADACHE, SORE THROAT, RAISED TEMPERATURE, SICKNESS
  SEEK ADVICE PROMPTLY
  FROM YOUR GP OR NHSDIRECT 08454647

  THEY SHOULD REMAIN HOME UNTIL 7 DAYS AFTER THE ONSET OF SYMPTOMS.

  See the detailed advice below

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1 For pupils in year 8 who have had flu-like symptoms since 22 June.

1.1 If there is no member of an ‘at risk group’ in the pupil’s household (or if the pupil’s symptoms started more than 7 days ago).

If neither the pupil, nor any member of their close household contacts is in an ‘at risk’ group for flu, they should stay at home, avoid contact with others until 7 days from the onset of symptoms, and self-medicate with paracetamol as with normal flu-like illness. They do not need to be swabbed, or to contact their doctor, any more than with ordinary seasonal flu, unless they become seriously ill.

1.2 If somebody in the pupil’s household is in an ‘at risk’ group.

If a member of the pupil’s household is in an ‘at risk’ group for flu, all the household contacts should be given a preventive dose of antiviral medication (or a treatment dose if they have become ill, and if this can be done within 48 hours of the onset of their symptoms)*.

Similarly, if the pupil’s symptoms came on less than 48 hours previously*, they should be started on antiviral treatment.

* The evidence shows that treatment is most effective the sooner it is started, and that there is little benefit if it is started after 48 hours. If a patient’s symptoms started more than 48 hours previously, however, and they remain seriously ill, or are deteriorating, antiviral treatment may be considered.

2 For pupils in year 8 who have NOT had flu-like symptoms since 22 June, and staff who went on the school trip to Germany 19-23 June.

2.1 If the pupil is not a member of an ‘at risk group’.

They should be aware that they may have been exposed to swine flu, and that if they develop flu-like symptoms, they be treated as in section1.1 above.

2.2 If the pupil is a member of an ‘at risk group’.

Pupils in year 8 who are in one of the ‘at risk groups’ but who have not developed symptoms should be offered a preventive dose of antivirals, as in section 1.2 above.

3 Pupils in other school years, and other staff

The risk is considerably lower than for these individuals. Any who develop flu-like symptoms should be treated as pupils who develop symptoms (see section 1.1 above), and should inform the school, so that we can monitor the situation.

4 Summary of guidance in algorithm format

5 ‘At risk’ groups and background information

For the purpose of this guidance, people ‘at risk’ are defined as those who have one of more of the following:

• chronic respiratory disease (including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
• chronic heart disease
• chronic renal disease
• chronic liver disease
• chronic neurological conditions
• diabetes mellitus.

For more information see NICE guidance on the use of antivirals for the treatment¹ and prevention² of influenza.

6 References

1. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. Amantadine, oseltamivir and zanamivir for the treatment of influenza (review of NICE technology appraisal guidance 58). London: National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, 2009 (February 2009); 1-2.

2. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. Oseltamivir, amantadine and zanamivir for the prophylaxis of influenza (including a review of NICE technology appraisal guidance 67). London: National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, 2009 (February 2009); 1-2.