To be shocked at yet another last minute gov announcement.

[wantmorenow]

New guidance for schools just announced on a Friday night before schools return. Breathtaking incompetence.

I'm going to have to make sure my kids can go in as keyworker kids. They both have SEN are starting secondary school at reading level Y3 and cannot afford to miss more school. I'm working full time and husband is extremely dyslexic, while he tries it's just not going to be good enough.

On a purely personal level, while I'm not surprised I'm really really worried now.

The more you read the guidance, the more insane it is. The belief that older children will inevitably socially distance is blatantly naive. You only have to have siblings in a school for bubbles to break down, and of course every child in a bubble is coming into it having potentially had contact with a very wide network of family, childminders, friends, neighbours, people from after school clubs and activities, etc etc.

I'm sure we're going to see many, many more U turns in the weeks ahead.

@ChloeCrocodile

But either way, the children attending these schools are some of the most vulnerable children in society, why are they excluded from this bit of the guidance?

Because whilst they (as a group) are more vulnerable to COVID, they are also (as a group) more vulnerable for other reasons and more in need of the structure and routine of school.

Whilst I agree with you to some degree here, I also know my DC who attends a special school would not understand why it's classed safe for him to go to school but not for his siblings. He'd also be the one most likely to be affected if his teachers/friends got extremely ill with it as I'd have a job on my hands explaining why.

I know it's not the same situation for everyone who attends a special school though.

Ok so on the tier 2 thing it doesn’t always kick in with a local lock down but only when specified. So masks outside classroom first, as for the areas where this is mandated atm.

@ittooshallpass I assume they have different teachers and won't they be mixing with other children at break time, lunch etc. That will probably expand the bubble.

shitfuckoh, I completely agree. I was absolutely talking in generalisations rather than trying to suggest that would be the case for every child. One would hope that parents would be allowed to make their own decision about whether to send a clinically vulnerable child in, and that the guidance simply means that school must remain an option for children in AP or SS.

And ‘bubbles’ get sent home after two positive tests.

I'd assume if an other schools were closed except special schools and for vulnerable/key worker kids that there would have to be a no penalty option of not sending those kids in. I have quite a few friends whose children are in survival school. One is absolutely medically at risk, he will not be going back until after all the other kids have had their fly jab, at least. Another one has been sending in one of her children with sn because he needs to be in and is now at risk with the routine disruption then the health issues. It can't be a blanket "were closing schools but you HAVE too send yours in".

Surely?

That's not new.
That was happening the whole summer in schools where they was open for keyworkers

So dd's bubble is > 400 children. If one child tests +ve she's isolating. Are we supposed to isolate too? Do I keep her sibling off school too?

@PastMyBestBeforeDate

So dd's bubble is > 400 children. If one child tests +ve she's isolating. Are we supposed to isolate too? Do I keep her sibling off school too?

No you isolate her and only do something else if she's symptomatic/positive. Like ATM if Mary in the office gets Corona virus, it's only you that needs to isolate

Past I think it’s two children testing positive

@wantmorenow

My partner teaches sixth form. A bubble will be all 300 students and staff. I teach in a college and across campuses. Previous guidance suggested two confirmed cases I believe. To be honest I haven't a clue any more. I have no idea what's going on.

I teach in a college too. Thousands of students moving between buildings. I'm timetabled for 4 different rooms in 3 buildings. Rooms haven't been set out, no decision made on masks... it's very worrying

sleepingstandingup I do honestly think that is what would happen. During the initial lockdown less than half of our potential key worker/vulnerable kids came in, but we had to be open in case they needed or wanted to. That would simply have to be the case for AP and SS children in the event of all other schools closing.

@AlwaysLatte

I think it's totally right that whole bubbles are sent home with a case within it, but what I can't understand is why the bubbles are going to be so big. Whole year groups!!

From year 10 (9 in some schools) pupils do different combinations of subjects.

There aren’t enough pupils doing each combination to create a bubble of just those pupils, and you can’t suddenly change pupils’ options when they’re half way through the GCSE or A-level.

Op this has been the guidance for sometime....what rock have you been under

DD may have to isolate if she is a contact with the person who has tested positive @PastMyBestBeforeDate. All schools will have seating plans, so if your DD sits next to an infected child she will have to isolate.

@Morfin

Fuck me, each school will have TEN, yes that's right 10 covid test kits.

Well, that's more than how many laptops they sent us.

Totally agree with you though, whole thing is a shitshow.

@TheEC you may not have noticed the guidance changed quite drastically in the space of 2 hours tonight. When it was first published tonight it stated only one positive test was needed to isolate the whole bubble/year group. 2 hours later it was changed back to 2 positive tests.

There are also other bit of the guidance that has changed.

Also guidance on tiers for schools in local lockdown.

pastmybestbeforedate, the government has (tonight) removed the plan of isolating a whole bubble if one child tests positive (hours after publishing it). So if another pupil tests positive in her bubble your DD might not have to isolate. The rest of the household would not need to isolate anyway.

@ineedaholidaynow

DD may have to isolate if she is a contact with the person who has tested positive *@PastMyBestBeforeDate*. All schools will have seating plans, so if your DD sits next to an infected child she will have to isolate.

The whole bubble bursts, they all have to isolate. They're not going to send home 30 kids for 14 days but say only the two kids say either side bed to isolate, the rest can go and hang out at Maccies

@underneaththeash

I think that sounds sensible. DS2 had a drive through test a few weeks ago. Test 11am result back 6am next morning. I think the issue is the postal ones.

I think it might vary from area, we had a drive through one at 11am on Monday and still haven't heard.

@SleepingStandingUp that isn't how it is per the guidance. One positive test, test and trace in effect comes into play. That is what has happened in Scottish schools where only a handful of teachers/pupils have had to isolate. Where more positive tests arise then a decision can be made to burst the bubble.

As far as I can see nothing has actually changed though? This has been up for weeks

[quote ineedaholidaynow]@SleepingStandingUp that isn't how it is per the guidance. One positive test, test and trace in effect comes into play. That is what has happened in Scottish schools where only a handful of teachers/pupils have had to isolate. Where more positive tests arise then a decision can be made to burst the bubble.[/quote]
Yeah I saw the cross post said it's gone back to 2 cases