News

 

 

Monday 12th December

 

Dear Parents, Carers and Students,

Welcome to our newsletter for the fourteenth, and final, week of the Autumn Term 2022. It’s Week A and I will be leading our whole school assemblies this week - focusing on the Christmas theme of light over darkness, a theme that resonates with many other world religions. 

Y10 PPEs begin in earnest today and last until Friday. When students are not in examinations, they will be revising. If your son or daughter is in Y10, please ensure that they are bringing in revision materials to use in these study lessons. 

A reminder that school ends for all students at 12.30pm on Friday 16th December with the work programme continuing right up until that point.

We wish you and your family a happy holiday break, and look forward to welcoming students back on Tuesday 3rd January. 

Kind regards

Stephen Davis

 

Reminder :Y13 Exams - January

From Tuesday 3rd January to Tuesday 10th January inclusive, Y13 students will be attending only for their exams, which will take place upstairs in the Study Suite in the atrium.  Students must take care to observe the exam timings which do NOT follow the timings of the day.  Students have had their timetables emailed to their school email - but an overview can be found here. Please note Y12 students will have their end of year exams in May - dates will be confirmed early next term.

 

Reminder from LB Hounslow: E-scooters

In the run up to the holidays, please can families be reminded that electric scooters remain illegal to ride in public spaces (on roads and pavements) despite being available to purchase in many well-known retailers. They are still an unregulated vehicle so should not be used for the journey to school or be ridden with children in tow. For this reason, we also ask that parents and guardians are warned against purchasing electric scooters over the Christmas period as they run the risk of being fined and the vehicle being seized by the police. The only legal e-scooters in London are available to hire as part of Transport for London’s trial in participating boroughs, operated by Dott, Lime and Tier as these adhere to stringent safety requirements.

 

 

Safeguarding briefing - preventing children from being groomed into extremism / radicalisation

Messages of hate can take many forms. Extremist groups use them to recruit young people. There are many ways in which young people can be ‘groomed’ into extremism or radicalisation. Young people are potentially vulnerable to being exploited by those who wish to spread hate and violence. In recent years, there has been a growth in the range of extremist ideologies to which young people may be exposed to, especially if they spend large amounts of time online. This resource from Educate Against Hate is a useful guide for parents and carers to help safeguard their children. If you have any concerns or questions, please do contact the safeguarding team safeguarding@lampton.org.uk.

 

 Medical -  Increase in scarlet fever

There is a recent national increase in notifications of scarlet fever to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), above seasonal expected levels. We would like to take this opportunity to remind you of the signs, symptoms and the actions to be taken if you think that you or your child might have scarlet fever. 

Signs and symptoms of scarlet fever 

Scarlet fever is a common childhood infection caused by Streptococcus pyogenes, or group A Streptococcus (GAS). It is not usually serious, but should be treated with antibiotics to reduce the risk of complications (such as pneumonia) and spread to others. The early symptoms of scarlet fever include sore throat, headache, fever, nausea and vomiting. 

After 12 to 48 hours, the characteristic red, pinhead rash develops, typically first appearing on the chest and stomach, then rapidly spreading to other parts of the body, and giving the skin a sandpaper-like texture. The scarlet rash may be harder to spot on darker skin, although the 'sandpaper' feel should be present. Patients typically have flushed cheeks and be pale around the mouth. This may be accompanied by a bright red red ‘strawberry’ tongue.

 If you think you, or your child, might have scarlet fever: 

• contact your GP or NHS 111 as soon as possible 

• make sure that you or your child take(s) the full course of any antibiotics prescribed. Although you or your child will feel better soon after starting the course of antibiotics, you must complete the course to ensure that you do not carry the bacteria in your throat after you have recovered.

 • stay at home, away from nursery, school or work for at least 24 hours after starting the antibiotic treatment, to avoid spreading the infection.

You can help stop the spread of infection through frequent hand washing and by not sharing eating utensils, clothes, bedding and towels. All contaminated tissues should be disposed of immediately. 

Invasive Group A Strep (iGAS) 

The same bacteria which cause scarlet fever can also cause a range of other types of infection such as skin infections (impetigo) and sore throat. In very rare cases, the bacteria can get into the bloodstream and cause an illness called invasive group A strep (iGAS). Whilst still very uncommon, there has been an increase in iGAS cases this year, particularly in children under 10 years old. It is very rare for children with scarlet fever to develop iGAS infection. As a parent, you should trust your own judgement. 

Contact NHS 111 or your GP if: 

• your child is getting worse

 • your child is feeding or eating much less than normal

 • your child has had a dry nappy for 12 hours or more or shows other signs of dehydration 

• your baby is under 3 months and has a temperature of 38C, or is older than 3 months and has a temperature of 39C or higher 

• your baby feels hotter than usual when you touch their back or chest, or feels sweaty 

• your child is very tired or irritable

 Call 999 or go to A&E if: 

• your child is having difficulty breathing – you may notice grunting noises or their tummy sucking under their ribs 

• there are pauses when your child breathes 

• your child’s skin, tongue or lips are blue

 • your child is floppy and will not wake up or stay awake 

Stop the spread

During periods of high incidence of scarlet fever, there may also be an increase in outbreaks in schools, nurseries and other childcare settings. Children and adults with suspected scarlet fever should stay off nursery / school / work until 24 hours after the start of appropriate antibiotic treatment. Good hygiene practice such as hand washing remains the most important step in preventing and controlling spread of infection.