Letter to Parents and Carers: Common Seasonal Colds

Dear Parents and Carers,

As we move further into the academic year, we want to acknowledge that we are now fully in the season for common seasonal colds and flu. While this is a normal part of the year, it is vitally important that we work collaboratively to ensure we do all we can to maintain high levels of attendance at the academy, which is crucial for student progress and well-being.

Attendance and Parental Judgement

We understand that making the decision about whether or not to send your child to school when they feel unwell can be challenging. We rely heavily on your parental judgment, consideration and understanding to decide whether your child is genuinely ill enough to miss valuable learning time. While we must protect the health of the wider school community, unnecessary absence can severely disrupt a student’s education. We ask that you weigh the necessity of absence carefully against the impact of missing class time.

Academy Hygiene and Cleaning Protocols

To mitigate the spread of seasonal viruses within the academy, we are reinforcing our existing high standards of hygiene and cleaning. Our intentions, as always, are to routinely conduct daily deep cleans across the academy. These efforts focus specifically on frequently touched points, such as door handles, railings, and shared surfaces.

Furthermore, all soap dispensers in toilets are fully stocked to encourage regular, thorough hand washing among all students and staff. We are also increasing the number of hand sanitising stations available across the site. Students will also be provided with specific details on managing good personal hygiene to effectively mitigate the spread of seasonal colds and flu. For your reference, the UK Health Security Agency states ‘coughs and sneezes spread diseases’. Covering the nose and mouth when sneezing and coughing can reduce the spread of infections. They also suggest the following as the best practice for doing this: 

Reporting Illness: The Importance of Detail

When reporting your child's illness, we ask for your cooperation in providing specific details of their symptoms, rather than simply stating they are "feeling unwell" or "sick."

We fully acknowledge that parents and carers are unlikely to be medical or health care professionals. However, providing additional detail—such as "high temperature and persistent cough," or "severe headache and vomiting"—significantly supports our administrative and record-keeping processes. This detail allows us to keep accurate, helpful records and will likely prevent a follow-up phone call from the academy to further investigate the nature of the illness. To report an absence, please email attendance@shafton.outwood.com 

Thank you for your ongoing support in prioritising your child’s attendance and helping us maintain a healthy and clean learning environment for everyone.

Yours sincerely,