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Dear parents / guardians,

Health issues related to the current warm weather are causing our A&Es to be busier than usual, with waits of up to 11 hours in A&Es at the moment. A&E is for life threatening emergencies.  There are lots of NHS services that can help you. Knowing where to go, and when, will help you get the right care when you need it.

Your local high street pharmacy can provide advice and over the counter medication to help with hayfever.  You can also contact your GP surgery or call 111 when your GP is closed.

In this warm weather, when we also have a very high pollen count at the moment, make sure you follow our top tips to prevent yourself becoming unwell.

Year 10 students at Parkside have been working on building and flying a kite as part of the STEM Club Challenge. Over the past few weeks, students have been trying out shop bought kites to get a feel for flying and also to determine the best dimensions, weight and design.

On Thursday 11th May, students in Year 9 at Parkside participated in a STEM competition workshop at Brunel University, based on the theme ‘The Race to Mars’. It featured ideas from different companies and countries as to who would get to Mars first, and how. The different technological breakthroughs used thus far were explored and those in the pipelines. The possibilities and theories to be used were explored in different interactive sessions based on what was already known about data on Mars gained by robots.

Exam season can be a challenging time for young people. Many feel stressed in the lead-up to their exams and worried in anticipation of their results. 

As adults, it can be difficult to know what we can do to support children and young people during this time. Place 2 Be have created some tip sheets full of practical advice to help young people, schools and families manage stress during exam season.

The local Public Health team has informed us that there has been a recent increase in the number of cases of Measles in Hillingdon. The cases all children aged 1 to 16, and all are unvaccinated.

The current MMR vaccination uptake in Hillingdon is less than 75%, which means that 1 in every 4 children in the borough has not had the two doses of MMR vaccination that provides safe, effective protection against measles. There is variation in uptake across areas of the borough, which means that is some areas a greater number of children have not been vaccinated. This increases the risk of measles transmission in schools.

Measles is a highly infectious respiratory virus that transmits through respiratory droplets from an infected person when they cough and sneeze which is then inhaled by another person. If that person is not fully vaccinated the risk of getting measles is high.

The signs and symptoms of measles to be aware of are:

• Cold-like symptoms, such as a runny nose, sneezing, and a cough
• Sore red eyes that may be sensitive to light
• A high temperature (fever), which may reach around 40°C
• Small greyish-white spots on the inside of the cheeks
• A few days later, a red-brown blotchy rash will appear, usually starting on the head or upper neck, before spreading outwards to the rest of the body.

It is important that if a child is suspected of having measles, they do not attend school. They must telephone their GP or NHS 111. Measles is a notifiable disease which means all cases must be followed up, and contacts identified and given advice on what action they need to take.

For more information contact your GP or an visit the NHS information website: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/measles/

Please be aware there is an Ofsted Inspection at the college on Thursday 4th and Friday 5th May.