02 Feb 2022
Term 1 settings for 2022 were developed in close consultation with NSW Health.
From the beginning of Term 1 2022, your child’s school will operate with a number of COVID-smart measures that have been developed with NSW Health to minimise transmission and keep schools open.
These key measures include:
use of rapid antigen tests by students and staff
ensuring all staff on school sites are fully vaccinated against COVID-19
wearing surgical masks indoors
using cohort arrangements
maximising ventilation
encouraging regular hand washing and continuing enhanced cleaning of schools
strictly limiting visitors on school sites
assessing high risk activities and applying appropriate safeguards
learning from home where face-to-face learning is not possible
.Testing
- Rapid antigen tests (RATs) will be provided to all students and staff by their schools.
- Before the start of Term 1, it is highly recommended all students undertake a RAT and confirm a negative result before attending school.
- For the first 4 weeks of Term 1, we recommend students take a RAT twice a week on mornings before attending school.
If your child has even mild COVID-19 symptoms, get them tested with a RAT or PCR (nose and throat swab) test.
They must isolate until they receive a negative test result, in line with health protocols.
- If symptoms continue, they should stay at home and take another RAT in 24 hours or have a PCR test. If the second RAT or initial PCR test result is negative, or another diagnosis is confirmed such as hay fever, they can return to school.
- It is recommended that staff and students that return to school after recovering from COVID-19 do not participate in rapid antigen test surveillance for 28 days (four weeks after recovery) following release from self-isolation. This is due to NSW Health advice that people who have recovered from COVID-19 have a low risk of contracting it again in the following 28 days. After 28 days (from week five after recovery) staff and students may resume participation in RAT surveillance.
- For positive COVID-19 cases
- If there is a positive case in your child’s class, year or other grouping, your child can continue to attend school in line with NSW Health advice.
- If a student or staff member receives a positive RAT test, they need to:
record the positive RAT result through the Service NSW websiteExternal link or Service NSW appExternal link
notify the school of the positive RAT or PCR test result as soon as possible
follow NSW Health adviceExternal link to isolate for 7 days.
- Negative results do not need to be reported to Service NSW or to the school.
- Visitors on school grounds
- No parents, carers or visitors will be allowed on school sites until further notice with the following exceptions:
- Up to two parents or carers will be allowed to accompany their child into school on their first day of Kindergarten, Year 7 or students starting at a new school.
- Parents and carers are able to attend school when:
- picking up a sick child
- attending the front office when required (e.g. to drop off materials or to conduct financial transactions)
- making a purchase at the uniform shop
- attending a critical meeting with the principal or other staff member when invited.
- Note that parents and carers do not need to be vaccinated to visit a school for the reasons mentioned above.
- Fully vaccinated essential non-school-based staff members and third-party providers may visit a school to support school operations (such as canteen or uniform shop), curriculum delivery and wellbeing. This includes allied health services, SRE/SEE and VSA providers, music and sports tutors, and curriculum-based incursion facilitators or educators.
- Fully vaccinated university and TAFE students coming on to school sites to undertake their practicum or teacher training.