Council working with schools as term begins
Swansea Council is continuing to work with all of its schools to ensure pupils and staff are as safe as possible as they return after the summer holidays.
Extra cleaning will continue and other precautions will remain in place but there will be some changes compared to the previous term.
Since August 7 Wales has been at Alert Level Zero which means that contacts of confirmed cases of Covid-19 no longer have to isolate if they are asymptomatic and double vaccinated or if they are under the age of 18.
But all pupils and staff who have symptoms or test positive must continue to isolate immediately.
Other changes recommended by Welsh Government mean that no later than September 20:
- There will not be a requirement for face masks to be worn by pupils in schools, but they are required to be worn on school transport for secondary aged pupils.
- There will be no requirement for contact bubbles in schools.
- There will be no need for staggered start and finish times.
Each school is managing these changes and they will communicate with parents directly as to what their rules are and if or when they change.
Swansea Council's Director of Education, Helen Morgan-Rees, has written to parents outlining the position and explaining how they can play their part in helping schools to run as normally as possible while safely managing any risks.
She said: "We are now working with all our schools and settings to enable education to operate as 'business as usual' as far as possible, secure the best outcomes for all learners by considering both their educational needs and wellbeing, while managing the ongoing risks of COVID-19 as safely as possible.
"Throughout the pandemic all our schools have worked exceptionally hard to make their premises as safe as possible in very difficult and changing circumstances.
"Coronavirus has not gone away and rates are rising across Wales although unfortunately they are currently highest in Swansea.
"We all need to play our part in helping schools to remain safe and minimise disruption.
"Fresh air is important in the fight against the virus, so if you are out socialising, please consider meeting outdoors if you can.
"Please continue to encourage your children to wash their hands regularly and remember that even though the rules have relaxed, they still have a personal choice to wear a face-covering if they want to.
"Vaccination is extremely important and drop-in vaccination sessions are running regularly in Swansea Bay for anyone over the age of 16.
"As always, we will continue to work with our schools to ensure that you and your children get the support that you need when we return to school."