How many cases in a school until they are advised to close?

[Hoeexotic]

Have namechanged incase anybody else is in our school.

We're in a high risk area. Already on local lockdown, cannot visit any other homes (although lots still are). Our school is in the localised area that has the highest rate in our county that's on lockdown. If that makes sense.

Primary school has 800 pupils. At the mo we have 2 confirmed cases of a student in year 6 and a member of staff in year 2.

If the R no here is higher than elsewhere then potentially within a week or two this could be much much higher.

At the moment I feel very uncomfortable about sending my young children into school but we don't have a choice as they have made clear they will fine us if we don't send them in.

At what stage will they close? Surely after 5-10 cases it becomes a matter of common sense?

They say they go off phe guidance but nobody seems to know what that is? Can anybody shed any light?

[Barbie222]

It will vary depending on the layout of the school and the number of students in proximity. You will be advised. I would imagine pressure is on to avoid mass isolations.

[hedgehogger1]

I don't think they will PHE is only saying kids sat in 2m of infected students need to isolate

[DianaT1969]

I doubt they'll close the whole school. Students with symptoms will be expected to isolate. If 3 people have tested positive, that might mean that only 40-60 out of 800 have been in fairly close proximity to them while contagious. Half term will create a short break in transmission.

[Keepdistance]

I saw one that closed several adults infected and included the HT.
Could your child have a temp etc. They cant make you test. It is wrong but so is the gov for enforcing attendance.
We are in a lower but growing area. I dont want to send dc back after already needing 1 test but theyve already missed 10d of school.

Depending on age of your child could you enforce them wearing a mask. They cant exactly argue it's safe when they already hsve cases/outbreak and in a lockdown area

[WhyNotMe40]

They don't want schools to close.
I think schools will only close when they run out of enough staff to keep it open.

[MJMG2015]

Schools will be pushed into 'staying open' far past when it's sensible to do so

I imagine there will be some pretty diabolical situations going on before HT's go against PHE & just close.

Although it's very sad, I wouldn't blame any teacher for handing in their notice. Not one bit.

I think fines for parents will be very hard to enforce tbh so if I was in that position, I'd take the risk personally.

[mightyducks]

There is no set criteria for a school to close, we’ve got schools with 20 plus cases that are still open, it depends if they decide there is transmission in the school environment. If there is no evidence of transmission at school, the school will stay open, if they think there is transmission they’ll do a a risk assessment and may but in requirements such a ps close for deep cleaning and the like but they won’t just close the school down

[Shieldingending]

I’m a teacher, we are being strongly encouraged to stay open. My school has had several confirmed cases and because we have staff in other classes who are self isolating because of contacts they have outside of school we are extremely short staffed

[BreathlessCommotion]

It would only close if there weren't enough staff to open safely. And that is the right attitude really. Our children need us to keep schools open as much as possible.

Young children are very unlikely to catch it, transmit it or be seriously ill from it unless they underlying conditions.

My friend is sending his teenager to school happily, and teenager is in remission from leukemia.

[BettyOBarley]

Our infant school has 3 year group bubbles of 2 classes (60 kids in each bubble). They've only been back 2 weeks and 2 of the 3 year groups are isolating for a single case in each bubble, including DDs. There's only 1 year group left at school currently.

[CamelotSweetheart]

Year groups / bubbles have to close once a third concurrent case occurs, I think. The school itself won't close unless it becomes unsafe to keep it open.

[mammato5]

The kitchen staff at our school are all isolating after a confirmed case. No hot meals available for the children for 2 weeks.