The Wessex Learning Trust, which runs a number of schools in the Cheddar area, is implementing extra safety precautions from tomorrow (November 9) to help reduce the spread of coronavirus.

In a letter to parents, chief executive Gavin Ball has set out a number of new guidelines including no physical nativity plays being held this year, and has clarified when and where pupils and parents are expected to wear face masks.

The new rules are due to be in place from November 9 to December 7 and Mr Ball said they might be extended following a review at the start of December.

He said: "It is crucial that in my role I continue to steer us on a course where we systematically safeguard our learners, our staff and indeed our families as your children return home to you from being in our schools.

"To keep our schools open and everyone safe, we have instigated further mandated action to prevent the transmission of the virus.

"It is paramount that every member of the community must be on the same rule book if we are to protect each other.

"For the sake of transparency and for your confidence in how the schools within our trust are operating, I wish to outline below the direction that we have communicated to school staff.

"I kindly ask for your support with these measures during this period. While it isn't pleasant to be around young people with our face masks and visors on, we must protect each other from the increased risks that we all now face again.

"I ask for your understanding for the need to be pro-active, definite and to show leadership in our response to the pandemic.

"I also kindly ask as parents, carers and community partners for your co-operation in wearing face masks and social distancing when on school sites and to promote the wearing of face masks for children in cars when sharing lifts to and from school. Children may not always show symptoms of Covid, but they can transmit the virus all the same."

The trust runs a number of schools including Kings Academy in Cheddar, Hugh Sexey Middle School in Blackford, Fairlands Middle School in Cheddar, Axbridge Academy, Cheddar First School, Draycott and Rodney Stoke First School, Mark First and Pre-School Academy, Shipham First School, Weare Academy and Wedmore First School.

The following guidelines will apply to all of these schools:

1. Face masks must be worn by all learners in middle schools, upper schools and secondary schools when moving around the school – discretion is given for learners to wear face coverings in lessons.

1. All learners must wear face masks when travelling on school transport (coaches, etc).

1. All staff (teaching and support) must wear face masks/coverings/visors during school hours when moving around their schools, conducting their duties, walking around school corridors and in confined spaces.

1. Teachers in classrooms are required to keep within their two-metre zone at the front of their classrooms. It is understood that teachers with younger learners will need to move more than those involved with older learners.

1. Staff conducting 1:1 work must protect themselves with a visor and/or face covering.

1. Staff involved in toileting children must wear full PPE.

1. Staff in pre-school settings must wear a face covering/visor at all times.

1. Staff involved in 'wrap around care' must wear face coverings and if possible separate out year groups/keep bubbles. It is understood that this is not always possible but there may be solutions to seek out.

1. Tables and equipment must be wiped down with sanitised cloths/spray in between classroom usage by previous or future classroom users.

1. Any parent, carer, contractor or visitor to a Wessex school site must wear a face mask to ensure Covid transmission does not take place. This includes parents and carers picking up children in playgrounds and school car parks. Such groups must adhere to social distancing regulations.

1. School leaders will revisit Covid risk assessments and remind themselves on live action points, including: a) Regularly wiping down high-touch areas, such as door panels and door handles, b) Refreshing classroom, office space and communal space regularly to flush through fresh air. As the days get colder this becomes even more important as windows cannot be left as open as they have been, so regular air flushes are important. If this happens periodically through the day windows can be left ajar or top-openers used if available rather than main windows remaining wide open.

1. Schools have track and trace systems in place.

1. Classrooms continue to follow seating plans so learners can be tracked if Public Health England discuss the need to send learners home.

1. School systems for the movement of learners around school sites are being reviewed.

1. Learners in middle, upper and secondary will be reminded on their responsibilities to themselves and to others in their schools and communities. This will focus on the need for social distancing, regularly washing hands/hand gel, wearing face masks.

1. All learners will be reminded of the mantra 'Hands-Face-Space'.

1. Staff will be reminded on the safety measures.

1. There are support processes in place for anxious learners and staff. Some staff will need to shield due to medical reasons in this new lockdown period, but the government guidance says that children no longer need to shield. The impact of staff shielding due to being extremely clinically vulnerable added to the numbers of staff isolating due to track and trace, positive test results, family positive results or self-isolation due to symptoms is already having an impact on staffing levels in the schools this week. Schools may need to go to rotation systems for learners attending school if this situation gets worse as there simply won't be the staff to be in front of the learners.

1. All meetings in school will be reduced as far as possible to minimise staff interaction.

1. External visitors are discouraged to reduce the risk of transmission. This will include not

1. All learners are expected to be in school, unless told otherwise by track and trace/family member testing positive, being sent home by the school with a 'bubble closure' or have tested positive themselves. Schools will of course support learners who meet these criteria.

1. There will be no physical nativity plays this year.

1. All schools have been asked to be ready for home learning. There will be a blend of live lessons by the class teacher, pre-recorded lessons by the class teacher, resource lessons from other sources and teacher assessments. Strict safeguarding measures will be in place and the trust asks parents/carers to ensure that their home situation is safe and free from any inappropriate back ground activity, if virtual lessons are instigated.

1. Learners who are scheduled to be taking external exams (particularly Year 11 and Year 13) will be strongly advised that their pre-public examinations (mocks) and other assessments could be taken into account if the government asks for centre-assessed grades again this summer.