I was very disappointed at certain aspects of Tuesday’s story regarding flu at Myland Primary school – as were a lot of people in the wider school community.

Hearing on Monday morning that there were confirmed cases of the current flu virus in school, we rang all those families where we knew either the child or someone in the immediate family was in a much “higher risk” group due to specific health issues, to give them the option of taking their children out.

To ensure that all parents were able to make an informed decision about their own circumstance, a clearly worded letter went home from the school that evening. As under fives are in the NHS “higher risk”

category, we recommended to parents of our four and five year old children (not five to seven-year-olds as reported) that they stayed away, if that was easy for the parents.

Being the last week of the school year, I made it quite clear to all parents that I was comfortable with whatever decision they made about their family’s needs.

As a result of national media coverage of swine flu, some of our young children were quite worried by this outbreak and my assembly that morning was carefully worded so as to combat any potential fear among the children in our care.

Assembly was used very much as a vehicle to strengthen the ongoing message in school at all times about good personal hygiene habits.

Most key stage two children did not interpret what I said in assembly as “you don’t have to go to school if you don’t want to” – incidentally, most of our children like being here most of the time!

I am grateful to be given this opportunity to clarify that we tried to do our best for all our families, whatever their situation, as is normally the case with all primary schools.

David Young
Headteacher
Myland Primary School
Colchester