PT ENGLAND SCHOOL POLICY 2008
NAG 5.26
PANDEMIC PROCEDURE
Rationale:
To ensure the school has an agreed procedure to follow if ever a pandemic alert occurred.
Goals:
To ensure that as a community we have a pandemic plan in place as a component of our emergency planning.
To ensure that we maintain as full a service as possible for as long as possible during a pandemic emergency (consistent with State Services Commission Guidelines).
To considering alternative means of delivering education to their students (for example, distance learning options) during such an event.
To ensure that Pt England is part of New Zealand's National Health Emergency Plan to help prevent the influenza spreading. School closures aim to reduce close contact between children (children have been known to remain infectious for up to 21 days whereas the risk period is only eight days for adults).
Closures do not necessarily mean that facilities would be closed for quarantine. Staff may still go to work, work remotely, or carry out additional or alternative duties for their employer or another agency. Education facilities may be used for alternative purposes such as Community Based Assessment Centres (CBACs) . The guidelines for staff activity will be as directed by the Directors of Health & Education
To understand that a pandemic may come in several waves over a 6-8 month period. At the peak of the worst pandemic wave, up to 50% of the workforce may be sick, looking after sick dependents, or carrying out 'alternative duties' in priority areas for their employer or another agency
(such as health or welfare roles).
Background Information:
It is not possible to predict how long a pandemic may last.
State sector employees will be paid their normal salary during a pandemic, provided, with their employer’s pre-approval, they: come to work in their usual workplace (with rigorous personal hygiene, social distancing and cleaning regimes in place); work remotely (for example from home); carry out additional or alternative duties for their employer or another agency.
State sector employees will be expected to use their leave entitlements (sick, domestic, annual or other, with ability to anticipate some sick leave) if they are sick or looking after sick dependents during a pandemic emergency. An employee who contracts pandemic influenza may be sick for up to two weeks. When sick leave entitlements and advances are exhausted, State Services employers may provide additional paid special leave during Stages 2 and 3 of a pandemic but only where this will contribute to preventing the arrival or spread of a pandemic. For an approach to leave usage during a pandemic see the State Services Commission .
In the event of a pandemic or the possibility of a pandemic the principal (or her delegate) supported by the Senior leadership team and the BOT staff representative will manage the pandemic or likelihood of a pandemic. The Pandemic Management Team (PMT) will:
1. Monitor staff and students who are ill or suspected of being ill, including contacting staff who are unexpectedly absent from work: Has their doctor been notified of their illness? Have they been in contact with anyone?
2. Ensure that Pt England School has adequate supplies of tissues, medical and hygiene products, cleaning supplies and masks.
3. In the event of a pandemic or probability of a pandemic the school will liaise closely with the Public Health Nurse and will take direction from the Area Health Board, Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education.
Communication with the school community
It is likely there will be anxiety during a pandemic and this is likely to contribute to increased absence and/or increased stress to the board of trustees, staff, parents/whanau and students. Accordingly we will:
• Communicate early the possibility of a pandemic and Pt England School preparedness to manage it – to board, staff, students, parents and whanau. Ministry of Health COVID 19 & influenza advice will be useful.
• Discuss with staff possible health and safety issues, and leave arrangements for them if they are ill or need to look after dependents.
• Use Newsletters, our SchoolTV broadcast, phone-calls, web to text messaging and the internet to ensure that there is clear communication with our school community using a variety of media
• We will provide clear, timely and pro-active communications to our board, staff, students, parents and whanau explaining how our school is handling the situation.
• We have considered how we will maintain communication with:
board, staff, student, parents and whanau
other schools in the area/cluster
relevant agencies and community support networks
key suppliers and contractors.
Formulated 2008
Reviewed 2009
2013
2015
2018
2020
2025