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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Not getting symptomatic school child tested...

82 replies

Stuckhereagain · 07/10/2020 12:40

Is unreasonable?

I appreciate there will be children with SEN who won't tolerate the testing and I mean won't tolerate not just find it unpleasant but assuming this isn't the case, in a mainstream primary class with no students with diagnosed SEN , I find it baffling to refuse testing.

So now the whole class is off for two weeks, parents forced to take unpaid leave, go back to not taking the kids to see vulnerable grandparents etc.
Issues getting siblings in too as kids are meant to be isolating not going on the school run.

Just annoyed it's causing chaos when it might be a negative test but we don't know because the parents are refusing to test!!

OP posts:

UtterlyDone · 07/10/2020 13:15

Our schools the same. They also close bubbles if they have more than 2 children off waiting for results.

It's ridiculous.

Bramblespoint · 07/10/2020 13:18

@Stuckhereagain

The child hasn't been actively confirmed as negative, they aren't awaiting a test result so maybe have to be cautious and isolate the class since the symptomatic child could be positive. If a child calls in with suspected Corona virus but won't get a test, officially it's treated as a positive. Not our schools decisions, whoever above them deal with all this. Schools choice to burst whole bubbles, that's been their call from the start so we have 3 classes in put of 8. Other 4 have been die to teachers being positive

That's not PHE guidance. So either school have got it wrong or you are not being told the whole story.

There's been students off having tests in every bubble in my school but no bubbles have shut - that would only happen if 2 or more confirmed cases.

Even if there's 1 positive case it doesn't necessarily shut the bubble - they may just tell close contacts to isolate

CaveMum · 07/10/2020 13:31

Our school have explicitly said that if there is a symptomatic child in the bubble, that child must isolate for 14 days but the rest of the bubble only have to isolate if there is a positive test. The families of those within the bubble do not need to isolate unless their child becomes symptomatic.

The school reiterated that they can’t force anyone to take a test, and can not force anyone to divulge the result of a test, though you’d assume that a positive would trigger Track and Trace to contact the school.

AvoidingRealHumans · 07/10/2020 13:36

I think your school have got their wires crossed somewhere, if every school went on this then none would be open.
I wouldn't be happy with this and would take it higher, the school shouldn't be telling you all that a parent is refusing to test either which makes me think they have made a mistake with the procedure, they don't come across professional.

slidingdrawers · 07/10/2020 13:40

I wonder if the advice they received may be in light of the current positive cases thus they have to assume suspected are +ve. Perhaps tracing has not been particularly rigorous at the school and they cannot rule out close contact. Doesn't really help you though.

halcyondays · 07/10/2020 13:51

You don’t know that they don’t have SEN or have a valid reason not to test.

Quartz2208 · 07/10/2020 13:51

Whereabouts are you?

Yes it is odd the parents wont test but it should be their choice.

It is an odd policy from the school - has it always been this way or since (as I think you said) 4 teachers gone down

In DS class at least 4 (including him) have been tested (all negative) and none caused this.

In DD class (high school) again 3 or 4 have been tested (again all negative) and this hasnt happened

ekidmxcl · 07/10/2020 13:53

Maybe they are afraid of catching corona at the test centre?

Fink · 07/10/2020 13:57

Either the school's got it wrong or you've misunderstood the communication. No one needs to self isolate unless a) they personally have symptoms, b) there is a confirmed case in a contact, or c) someone they live with (or are in a support bubble with) has symptoms or a confirmed case. The whole class does not need to self isolate unless and until there's a positive test result.

PatriciaPerch · 07/10/2020 13:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

HamsterHolder · 07/10/2020 13:58

As others have said PHE guidance states only the symptomatic child and household must isolate. Contact tracing/bubble isolation only occurs on a positive result. I understand that schools and businesses are allowed to give above (i.e. more careful) then the guidelines just not below them, so it's possible the school may have decided to be overly cautious...

A common reason to not be tested is to avoid track and trace/causing disruption to schools and workplaces. Not a practice I would recommend of course!

SoUtterlyGroundDown · 07/10/2020 14:01

That’s certainly not the policy at our school. Only a confirmed positive pops the bubble.
We had to test my 5 year old a few weeks ago as he had a cough. It was fucking grim to be honest, but not as grim as us all having to isolate for 14 days would have been.
It was negative, thankfully.

Crunchymum · 07/10/2020 14:06

If the school are following these ludicrous guidelines (and I cannot believe they are!!) then they should be closing bubbles whilst they await any test results. Because no test result = inability to confirm a negative case.

We had a terrible fuck up with our test (took 2 days to get one, test eventually arrived after last post on a Saturday, last day we could do it was on a Sunday and there is no post, courier 119 handler arranged never arrived to take our test, test was ruined and we were off for 14 days).

This was not a refusal to get a test, this was a fuck up with the system. This scenario has been suffered, in many incantations, by many other people.

CruzControl · 07/10/2020 14:06

It's absolutely not true that refusing to test means it's treated as a positive. That is completely, totally and entirely the decision of your school. There is absolutely no guideline whatsoever to state that as the case.
In some respect, I agree with you. If a parent refuses to test their symptomatic child then they must be prepared to isolate for the full 10/14 days. However, in this case, it's the school demanding the whole bubble isolate, not those parents. The school is the problem here.

Devlesko · 07/10/2020 14:08

Not signed up to any tracking, not that it works here anyway.
Won't have any tests, none of us. You either have it or not and we aren't going anywhere.
Still have one at school but she's Gillick capable and has decided she won't have one. Not sure what they'll do in her case, maybe isolate her in medical or send home.

CruzControl · 07/10/2020 14:08

@Bupkis

When we had ds tested, we were told children could just be swabbed up the nose. It would be impossible to test ds down the throat.

We had the same. The first time we tested (months ago) they wanted both nose and throat. Given that our 14 month old did nothing but suck on the swab, I'm not surprised that when we next tested, they said just the nose for children.

Crunchymum · 07/10/2020 14:09

@Stuckhereagain

HOW do you know the parents refused to get their kids tested?

Original poster

Stuckhereagain · 07/10/2020 14:14

@Crunchymum If the school are following these ludicrous guidelines (and I cannot believe they are!!) then they should be closing bubbles whilst they await any test results
You're welcome to report me for trolling of you wish.
And it's different to a pending result because that'll come out one way or the other. I assume it's because they won't ever know. And school are doing what they've been instructed to do

OP posts:

Original poster

Stuckhereagain · 07/10/2020 14:15

There's been students off having tests in every bubble in my school but no bubbles have shut - that would only happen if 2 or more confirmed cases. We haven't closed for PENDING results, just when it's can't be confirmed because they WONT TEST

OP posts:

MummyOfZog · 07/10/2020 14:15

Certainly not the guidance, and not in line with what we have been told from PHE for DH's school (and also my DC's school).

Guidance is now that parents do not get notified of a child being off with 'possible covid symptoms' unless, or until, said child has a positive test. Only at the point a parent reports a positive test to the school does the bubble burst and the class have to stay home and isolate.

SoUtterlyGroundDown · 07/10/2020 14:15

[quote Stuckhereagain]**@Crunchymum* If the school are following these ludicrous guidelines (and I cannot believe they are!!) then they should be closing bubbles whilst they await any test results*
You're welcome to report me for trolling of you wish.
And it's different to a pending result because that'll come out one way or the other. I assume it's because they won't ever know. And school are doing what they've been instructed to do[/quote]
It just seems weird that your school has been instructed to do something different to other schools. Not accusing you of trolling, just seems like there has been a misinterpretation of the rules somewhere.

BuggerOffAndGoodDayToYou · 07/10/2020 14:15

OPs school has not understood the PHE guidance.

We have sent many symptomatic children home (primary school). Some have had tests, some have either not wanted to test or been unable to get tests. A negative test means they come back straight away. No test means they isolate for 14 days. The only time anybody else in their bubble would be asked to isolate would be if there was a positive test.

We have had symptomatic children in EVERY year group since term started but, so far, all tests have been negative.

Original poster

Stuckhereagain · 07/10/2020 14:17

I think your school have got their wires crossed somewhere, if every school went on this then none would be open. How many parents are refusing testing? I have 3 kids in school and haven't heard of anyone else refusing a test. Were up North bit not locked down so don't know if that makes any difference

OP posts:

MummyOfZog · 07/10/2020 14:17

To add to that... in some schools (depending on age of pupils and other info relating to the site of the school) the threshold can be even 2-3 positive tests before a bubble closes.

DragonPie · 07/10/2020 14:20

Your school have got it wrong as everyone else has said. You don’t need to all isolate.

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