To ask if the school are following the guidance?

[Icepops]

Namechanged as I know other school mums use MN and don’t want to be outed.

I am not sure if the primary school are following the Covid guidance properly (although I am equally happy to accept that this may be fine and I’m over reacting).

If a child presents with symptoms, the school are happy to let the child come back as long as they have a 30 minute LFT and it’s negative. (Children from nursery age up to year 6). All the guidance I have read indicates they are for over 11s and only when no symptoms are present.

I don’t feel the school are safeguarding our children by allowing children to do this and return without a proper test. I don’t understand how it benefits the school either? Is it to do with attendance data? Keeping parents happy so they don’t have to isolate?

Would an LFT still show as positive if used on someone with symptoms?

If the school are not following guidance properly, who do I report it to?

YABU: it’s fine for children with symptoms to do an LFT and return to school

YANBU: the sxh

YANBU: the school are not following the guidance properly.

That’s not the guidelines at all.

The exact guidelines are on gov.uk, but someone with symptoms should be isolating and getting a PCR test

Definitely not following guidance.

My job involves risks assessments in primary and symptomatic children (or adults or anyone in general life!) need a PCR test

YANBU. If a child (or anyone) has symptoms, they should have a PCR test not lateral flow, which is for picking up asymptotic cases.
All schools have to have completed a covid risk assessment. It may be on their website but you can ask to see it.

Lateral flow tests are for people who are asymptomatic. Anyone displaying symptoms needs a PCR test and the whole household must isolate whilst waiting for the result (and obviously continue to isolate if the result is positive).

Start with a conversation with the head op and then escalate to the Governors and the local authority.

Im a teacher. Lateral flow tests are for asymptomatic detection of possible cases and must be followed up with a PCR test. Only PCR tests can be used to decide if children or staff should isolate.

I would point this out to the head first of all, give them an opportunity to go oh shit this isn't the right approach. Beyond that I'd go to the local authority. That can't continue, not if the symptoms are the actual Covid ones at least.

I dont think they are following the guidance.

But as a wider discussion - I will say its getting really hard to get parents to pcr test now. A lot argue for lateral flow tests being fine (even medical parents) and there is a lot of hiding children have had symptoms so they have a couple of day off for being 'under the weather' and return but let slip thry had a temperature. There isnt much isolating if someone else in the household is ill either.

We arent allowed to ask for test results so we have conversations where we ask directly did you pcr test and they say 'we did a test'

I think public williness to keep testing and isolating is evaporating.

That's not the guidance.

Our (very small village primary) school won't accept LFT and if parents ask about they they're told by the dragon school secretary that they're not supposed to be used on children.

Child gets symptom/s, child is sent home/stays home, child gets PCR test and result is sent to school before they're allowed back. I know they aren't allowed to insist on being shown the result, but ours ask to and as far as I know no one had objected (and why would you, I'm unless you were lying?!). That's how our lot are doing it and I'm glad.

They're also hot on sending home or turning away if there are symptoms as one child who was coughing repeatedly in our Reception queue was earlier in the week. Teacher came out, told parent to take child home and get a test.

Ours are very lax I’m afraid. I am glad other schools are being more careful.

Depends if they are actually covid symptoms or just cold symptoms. If it's fever, continuous cough, or loss of sense of taste and smell then the rules should be followed. Some schools and workplaces might want a negative LFT for cold symptoms, occasional cough, sore throat and so on just in case. I think that's fine.