In the event of a national pandemic, the school has a plan in place to ensure the safety of students and staff.  There are special precautions we need to take to ensure the risk of cross infection is minimised.  These are described below for your assistance should a pandemic eventuate.

Protocols associated with outbreak of pandemic at school

1 Staff sick with influenza.  Staff to make their way home ASAP.  This must be done immediately there is realisation of their sickness.  Always ensure safety first. They need to ensure they have as little contact with others as possible.  Staff who think they may be sick are not to use the phone.

2 When sick staff leave, office will arrange a reliever to come to school to provide relief for that class.  Principal or other staff to cover between sick staff leaving and relief staff arriving.

3  Emphasis on the need to wash and dry hands thoroughly and regularly while threat of pandemic remains.  This applies to both students and adults.

4 If 1 above occurs, it is probably just a matter of time before the school is closed, especially if the flu is among the community.  Safe distances between children, and between children and staff, must be maintained.  At least 1 metre spacing should be kept as much as possible.  This will mean class will be spread out – every 2^nd office with a student, with the other students spread around classroom as best as possible.  Good ventilation in classrooms is essential.

5 Classroom doors to be latched back by teachers using rubber gloves.  Surfaces that have been recently touched are to be sprayed with antiseptic spray by teacher.

6  One student to be sent with rubber gloves on to toilets to collect sufficient paper towels for one for each student.  These are to be given to them so that if they cough or sneeze, they can absorb material and prevent it going near others.

7 If a student shows signs of sickness, teacher to ring office.  Office to phone parent and arrange for them to come and be picked up and taken home immediately. Student then to go to office via outside door to front of school (except room 1 students) and enter via foyer then to office.  Student to be isolated in sick room until parent arrives.  Office staff to put on face mask and gloves before student arrives.  

8  If more than one student is required to be isolated, to relocate sick room to The Library.  Students to be sent there via foyer main entrance and around outside to enter the Library.  Children to be accommodated in the Library well spaced, and parents to collect their children from here.  An adult to be in the Library to supervise students.  All children with possible infections and the supervising adult to wear face masks.  

9 If flue epidemic is suspected in school, the class priorities are to:

·  Isolate suspected sick individual and get them sent out of classroom and home immediately.  It is important for parents to be told to take child home and make an appointment with doctor as soon as possible.  Doctors must be pre-warned the infected people may be coming to surgery so they can take appropriate precautions.

·  Separate remaining students as per 3 above

·  Change lesson into a health and safety one, where the possibility of pandemic flu is discussed.  We must remind children of the importance of personal hygiene, especially washing hands, safe spacings and sensible precautions.

·  Prepare children to operate effectively while at school. 

·  Ensure common surfaces wiped down/sprayed with antiseptic spray (door handles, classroom tables etc)

·  Computers not to be used during pandemic scare to minimise transfer of virus.

10  Contact DHB and inform them of our situation (office responsibility)

11  Contact Ministry of Education contact and inform them of our situation (office responsibility)

12  All phones to be used by only one individual user for duration of pandemic threat. Phones in teachers room only to be used by them and not by students.

13 If school is closed by Medical Officer of Health, ensure safe collection of children from school and await notification of requirements from Ministry of Education.

14 Defer always to Medical Officer of Health and other government authorities in our operations.

15  School community will be contacted by the school staff by phone initially in the event of a pandemic.  Updates will be posted on the school answer phone and web site.

End of Protocol.