Is school allowed to just close?

[MinecraftMother]

Morning gang,

My kid's primary has decided to close because there's "only a few kids in because the other bubbles are off".

There is a whole year of kids willing and able to go to school, but they've decided to close Friday and Monday to do a deep clean - of a tiny country primary school.

Do schools have this power, on an individual level to just decide to close?

As a bit of context, we've not been very happy with the school's handling of itself over the crisis.

There's also the worry involved in finding childcare etc - absolutely impossible at the moment.

I feel like lying down in a dark room for a while... 😆

I believe that the head can do whatever they decide.
We had a situation where the brand new head decided to change the uniform for no reason whatsoever. I rang the council to enquire and was told that yes, they can do whatever they see fit.

It will be happening in most schools sooner or later.

It is done to keep the children and staff as safe as they possibly can at this very difficult time. they are not doing it just because they fancy a couple of days off. They have not closed because it's just not worth ot for a few kids. If there are multiple bubbles bursting then this is a chance to do a circuit break (albeit a very time limited one) and get the school clean. A deep clean takes a very long time. It's not something you can just tag on to the end of the working day. It will mean a major clean of all communal areas - toilets, dining areas, corridor, hall, library, IT spaces etc, so no they cannot have some students in if the school is small as they will have no access to these facilities at this time.

Ours is just coming to the end of a two week closure because they had one positive case which led to a raft of staff having to isolate as contacts, leaving them too short-staffed to open safely. We got an email at about 9pm the evening before it happened...! DS has additional needs and it’s been a tough couple of weeks for us.

Everyone is doing the best they can with what they’ve got, it’s not easy for anyone but we just have to muddle through as best we can and hope these vaccines do the job. Hope you get sorted with childcare.

Just a couple of days? Count yourself lucky. We've had an outbreak and at 8am Monday school was cancelled for the day. By the end of Monday a follow up message came round to say school would be remaining closed for the rest of the week and the following week due to too much staff sickness/staff isolation. We have 4 out of 7 year groups isolating with cases. I fully support the head's decision and hope the 2 week closure of the whole school will have broken the chain of infection for when the children return.

It’s possibly down to a shortage of staff as well. At the school I work at if one more staff member has to isolate or tests positive then we will have to close as there won’t be enough members of staff to open safely.

@AButterflyLightsBesideUs

Just a couple of days? Count yourself lucky. We've had an outbreak and at 8am Monday school was cancelled for the day. By the end of Monday a follow up message came round to say school would be remaining closed for the rest of the week and the following week due to too much staff sickness/staff isolation. We have 4 out of 7 year groups isolating with cases. I fully support the head's decision and hope the 2 week closure of the whole school will have broken the chain of infection for when the children return.

I have a feeling this is what will happen at DD’s school, we have been told ‘closed until Tuesday’ but I’m guessing there could be more cases over the weekend and possibly staff down with it. Most kids at DD’s school have a higher level of care, a lot have 1:1 care so staff can not keep their distance. Cases are rising fast 🙁.

Yes they can.

Genuinely just lolled at they can do a deep clean at 3pm after the kids have gone home though.

Yes, school can close in this situation for deep clean and I personally think it was a right decision. Schools are also advised by PHE what to do and whom to sent home so it could be that they were told to do this. Maybe the person who was talking to you was a bit vague because he/she didn’t want to explain the details. they are probably not keeping bubbles isolated as they should but don’t want parents to know.

Turgha "I’d be pissed off with the way they’ve handled it too. To be told at pickup on Thursday is crap."

Ridiculous response. Would it be better to postpone for another day allowing there to be potentially further spread? Schools need to act fast when they get notification of cases.

@RafaIsTheKingOfClay

Yes they can.

Genuinely just lolled at they can do a deep clean at 3pm after the kids have gone home though.

Especially as OP wanted them to stay open until 6pm for after school club.

Yup, really possible to do a deep clean in such a short time!

One reason for those who can afford it private schools may be a bit better. My grandchild started school in September and I was pleased it is a fee paying primary school because I do feel there is less chance of parents, many of whom work full time, of being messed around and private sector organisation can be better (although I appreciate most parents cannot afford it).

@MinecraftMother

There's not a big outbreak, but a one person X-contamination. The year group my child is in is the only one which didn't have close contact with her.

Why on earth is almost the entire school in close contact with each other? What's the point of having bubbles if nearly all the kids interacted with this one student?

@RafaIsTheKingOfClay

Yes they can.

Genuinely just lolled at they can do a deep clean at 3pm after the kids have gone home though.

Same here. I can only imagine the complaints if they claimed to have done a deep clean in such a short amount of time.

Are you new to this kids going to school lark OP? What did you do on all the snow days?

Your outrage is funny if impotant. Tiny rural primary school? They can do whatever they like and it would be months probably years at the moment before you could hold them to account over anything.

Luckily for you, they seem to be managing this situation very well. Yes they need to shut and review their risk assessment. With so many bubbles out id be amazed if there are enough staff not self isolating to safely have your child’s bubble in.

My son's special needs school closed for 2 days for a deep clean when they had 1 case in a school of 50 pupils. I was just relieved it did not spead further.

I do take your point though especially now it is known surface transmission is limited and the vast majority of spread is aerosol. It will take government and schools a long while to catch up with the evidence as was the case for masks etc and I don't blame them for being precautious at this stage.

One reason for those who can afford it private schools may be a bit better. My grandchild started school in September and I was pleased it is a fee paying primary school because I do feel there is less chance of parents, many of whom work full time, of being messed around and private sector organisation can be better

by far the majority of parents work at state schools, full time as well. No, there isn't less chance of being messed around. Much of what is going on in schools is driven by parents - so many are having parties and sleep overs, even now in lockdown. One child infected in the middle of that infects the whole class and then sooner or later, it will make it's way to the teachers and staff. There is no protection from that in the private schools. They too are governed by public health concerns and will close if told to or if they consider they need to.

Bubbles can burst in private schools too @Xenia.

If a deep clean is required at a private school I assume they would close the school too, not work round the kids

They have a duty if care so, yes they can. Also, a few days break from the school will hopefully bring down any transmission rates within it.

Sadly, I fear we'll find some schools shutting or years off, as I know two schools locally where they're struggling with lack of staff, even with many of them missing their breaks and having to eat stood up. We were originally in a tier 1 area

Your anger is misplaced. It sounds like the school closing for two days deep cleaning is a good idea. Two days inconvenience is far better than 2 weeks of isolation . Schools are dammed if they do and dammed if they don't!!!!

I think the school is taking decisive action to break the chain of transmission. That is a good thing. Unfortunately, this means that parents aren’t getting much notice of closure. Far better to close for a couple of days for a deep clean than carry on and have the whole school closing for several weeks.

@Xenia the public health England guidance and local public health guidance applies to Indies as well. Staffing levels also apply and the need to clean will also apply. If they can't safely staff they can't open.

Yes. A number of schools round here have closed, a couple until the end of November, mainly due to staffing.

@Xenia the main advantage of private schools is they have much smaller class sizes and often better facilities so at least there is some chance of distancing children. Not possible in the average state primary with shared toilets and 30 in a class. If there is an outbreak in a private school they will still have to follow PHE advice regarding deep cleaning and sending pupils home just like the state sector.