Despite the numbers of cases of Covid-19 rising across the local and national landscape, increasingly beyond the control of Headteachers and the relatively safe controlled environments of our schools, we were awarded a Gold Star by the Local Hertfordshire Infection Prevention Control Team for the work we are all doing at Bushey Meads to keep the school clean and put in place as many measures as possible to prevent the spread of the virus.

Parents will no doubt be aware of schools in the county having to close completely for deep cleaning purposes due to the rising number of infections and other schools in local London boroughs needing to send whole year group cohorts home to self isolate for similar reasons. All Headteachers are facing increased challenges as more and more families and their children become infected with the virus.

The latest report from Michaelene Holder-March – Infection Protection Control Nurse at Hertfordshire County Council, praised the school for the many and varied steps already taken to implement all the recommendations from Public Health England and the IPC Team. Her latest detailed report noted lots of positives including:

• Improvements in the school library services based in the Learning Resource Area with rigorous quarantining of books, enabling large number of students to access the area and the use of perspex protective panels to separate and protect the library staff
• well planned and modified layouts implemented in all classrooms with space for teachers and seating and desks at least 6 feet apart
• carefully planned seating arrangements in both staff and student communal areas
• outside washing areas were visibly clean and had excellent availability of disposable paper towels
• zoning for all Year groups was defined across the school site
• PE equipment (rackets and balls) are cleaned before and after use
• thorough Infection Protection Control measures are in place, most notably in the school reception and key administrative areas
• the school kitchen and restaurant areas are notably compliant
• there are visible coronavirus signs for improving personal hygiene practices
• some sidewalks and fences had additional signs to encourage social distancing
• staff engagement and student participation was evident across the school

The report also made some helpful recommendations which we will be implementing over the next few days and weeks to ensure that we are doing all we can to keep all staff and students safe in these challenging times.