Face Coverings
A face covering can help to prevent your respiratory droplets from reaching others. No one likes wearing a face covering but we wear them to protect others. There is strong agreement amongst public health officials, health and safety experts and the department for education that wearing a face covering is an important part of continuing to tackle the coronavirus pandemic in our communities. Visors or shields should not be worn as an alternative to face coverings. Face coverings should be replaced when they become damp or if they are broken. We recommend that students carry spare re-usable masks so that they can change them when required. Where students do not have means to provide a replacement, the school will provide one.
At Grace College face coverings should be worn:
- In indoor areas at all times, apart from when eating or drinking or participating in physical activity.
- In classrooms, unless a distance of at least 2m can be maintained.
- Onsite in outdoor areas, unless a distance of at least 2m can be maintained.
- On the bus on the way to and from school or in cars where car sharing is unavoidable.
- By parents/carers or other visitors to the College unless a distance of at least 2m can be maintained.
Some individuals are exempt from wearing face coverings. Where a student is exempt and not wearing a face covering, they should maintain at least a 2m distance from other students and staff when inside and outside the building. In a classroom, effort should be made to ensure a distance of 2m from others.
We accept that wearing a mask for a long period of time can be uncomfortable. We have therefore relaxed our rule on wearing masks outside. If students wish to remove their mask outside, they must keep 2m away from other staff and students. If they wish to be closer than this, they must put their mask on. We would encourage students to use this opportunity at breaktime and lunchtime to remove their masks. We would also like to make it clear that these arrangements will be reviewed at Easter and we hope that we will be able to remove the need to wear masks in lessons if infection, death rates and admissions to hospitals continue to drop. We will continue to follow health and government advice.
