All London schools now closed.

[stayingaliveisawayoflife]

Emergency meeting today agreed it. All boroughs left off now included.

I live in one of the boroughs that were left off the original list. Within 2 hours our MP and the head of council had written to Gav with statistics and numbers of infected.

Me too, I wrote to my MP immediately that that I heard the news as it was extremely worrying. I'm a single parent who works full time and I'm the last person to say close the schools but circumstances warrant this right now. The juggle will continue from Monday!

The original list was completely irrational.
I can't fathom the thinking behind it.
It really was just ... logic-defying.

@sassbott I absolutely don’t believe you. Particularly when you folllow up BBC sources with the anonymous ICU Dr you ‘pinged’

I in the meantime have pinged some friends. One ICU dr responded. He has seen absolutely no evidence that this is in any way impacting children any more than the first wave. I heard the matron talking about the ward full of children, she didn't say the children were in ICU, well not what I heard. So there could be more children in hospital but not in ICU or maybe different hospitals are seeing different demographics.

@CabinClose zero concern given that you don’t believe me. You do you boo, I’ll do me. And me is sending my kids to school.

I just had a look at the gov coronavirus website and looked at some London boroughs. Looking at the heatmap the numbers for children with the virus are certainly high, over 500 per 100,000 in several. I suppose if you are getting higher numbers of children with the virus that is likely to translate into more children in hospital at some point.

Yes, ancientgran.

But the main risk isn't to children. The risk is that schools appear to be a major factor in the high rates of transmission and infection, leading to hospitals in some areas being unable to cope.

Which is really scary.

Why are the threads relating to children and the new variant getting zapped when similar discussion points are taking place on this thread? I don't get it?

@Tonkerbea

Why are the threads relating to children and the new variant getting zapped when similar discussion points are taking place on this thread? I don't get it?

I don’t get it either?

Because this is a fact based thread. London primary schools have been closed.
The other threads were scaremongering (as was evidenced by responses) and the news that wards are filling with children in direct relation to covid cannot be verified accurately with data that supports it.

Everyone has to make their own decisions. I've shared some stuff ive seen...but as others have said as the cases rise then of course more children will get sick if you have 1000 cases and 1 sick child then of course when you get 50,000 cases you might end up with 50 sick children and hopefully that is the scenario and the vast majority in the increasing cases are asymptomatic or mild, and i've found some reassurance in that on this thread.

I'm very cautious because of vunerable DC so i like to keep an eye on stuff like this and i just hope beyond hope the situation hasn't changed with regards to children, I was just starting to feel more positive about the situation and now i'm back to feeling worried about how it will impact on us if ours got covid.
We haven't had ours in school anyway so the schools closing doesnt impact us but a balance needs to be found where people can feel safe sending their children or choosing not to send them for now if thats what they feel is best for their own circumstances but schools still being as covid safe as possible for those who do need to absolutely need to attend as keyworkers, vunerable children etc

@sassbott I’m sending my children to school too, with extreme concerns about whether it’s the right decision. I just think it’s absolute bollocks that you know no one is having any doubts about it and have ICU advisors on tap

I also have barristers. Dentists. Opticians. Tree surgeons. Geologist. Music therapist. (And believe it or not). One of the scientists who worked on the vaccine that helped eradicate a unique strain of meningitis in Africa. She was in the room next to mine at uni. They are all in my phone. When the MMR vaccine furore kicked off - she was who I messaged to cut through the rubbish being touted (tons of it on here).

Do you not think that people who work in these sorts of professionals have friends from uni? Or are they magical unicorns that appear at the end of a rainbow? And disappear just as fast?

And I don’t have an ICU ‘advisor’. I have a friend who has worked the worst hours I have ever seen (like many working frontline in the NHs) and is now an ICU doctor. I’ve known him since he was 18. So yeah, I get to ping him at times like this and ask questions.

An appalling decision. I do not trust the government to reopen them this year even.

No idea how I'm going to get my DD who has sn to engage with home schooling...she hates it.

Are Special schools closed too?

@sassbott

Another thread has just spun up citing these links. I in the meantime have pinged some friends. One ICU dr responded. He has seen absolutely no evidence that this is in any way impacting children any more than the first wave.

That's reassuring. I am sending my dc back (tier 4) on Monday but have to admit, for the first time, I am worried.

@Alwaysready

Are Special schools closed too?

The local one in my borough is staying open. I don't know if that is the case for all.

@Babito

Everyone has to make their own decisions. I've shared some stuff ive seen...but as others have said as the cases rise then of course more children will get sick if you have 1000 cases and 1 sick child then of course when you get 50,000 cases you might end up with 50 sick children and hopefully that is the scenario and the vast majority in the increasing cases are asymptomatic or mild, and i've found some reassurance in that on this thread.

I'm very cautious because of vunerable DC so i like to keep an eye on stuff like this and i just hope beyond hope the situation hasn't changed with regards to children, I was just starting to feel more positive about the situation and now i'm back to feeling worried about how it will impact on us if ours got covid.
We haven't had ours in school anyway so the schools closing doesnt impact us but a balance needs to be found where people can feel safe sending their children or choosing not to send them for now if thats what they feel is best for their own circumstances but schools still being as covid safe as possible for those who do need to absolutely need to attend as keyworkers, vunerable children etc

Great another Oak

And still no one is bothered about the risks to teachers and TAs.

Foxinascarf, I'm not sure that's true. I don't think anyone here is ignoring teachers and TAs.

There is a lot of pressure on the government to collect data on how this is affecting adults in schools - amazingly, there is no data on that at the moment!

There is also pressure building for vaccination of all those in schools, including adults.

Obviously, the case for that relies on data. At the moment, we have no idea if adults (& which adults) are at greater risk than the general population. Or even if they are a factor in spread. Scandalous, really.

We also don't know (I believe) if vaccination would reduce infection, rather than just severity of illness/immunity to illness. That, obviously, makes a difference to the priority of vaccination.

But as for not caring about the adults in school - I just don't think that's true.

@truelymadlydeeplysomeonesmum what exactly does that mean ?
I don't think there's anything wrong with people making their own decisions in life appropriate to their own circumstances....open schools with the covid safe measures as before and let parents make their own decisions on whether their children attend or not ? What's wrong with that idea ?

@Babito in principle its an ok idea but what about teachers of 30 all turn up your making that risk assessment for them as well
Or what if 15 turn up 15 stay home how does teacher keep them all on trAck
It would be fine if people accepted staying home means you are responsible for your childs education in that time and getting them up to speed when they can go back

@sassbott your one icu friend can't speak for all icu across the ujk bit it does appear to be spreading in children more and as children generally live with adults and live in communities its where it then spreads too
Also find it hard that you do not know a single person who isn't concerned with sending their dc back , you must not know any vuneravle people or gp's that have their gc, I also have friends who were not concerned before whi have more reservations now , myself included

The education union leader interviewed on the BBC news had it spot on when contrasting the notice and approach given in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, compared to that by the UK government for English schools.