Not getting symptomatic school child tested...

[Stuckhereagain]

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!!

We haven't closed for PENDING results, just when it's can't be confirmed because they WONT TEST

Still incorrect procedure from the school. We’ve had children who couldn’t or wouldn’t test but THEY (and their household) have to isolate NOT their bubble.

I wasn't accusing you of trolling @Stuckhereagain, I'm simply astounded that your school have taken this option.

Did they publicise this to the parents?

I am intrigued as to how you know the parents have refused to test? As I did, I did everything in my power to get my 5yo tested and the system is a mess. I'm not the only one who has had such issues.

There may not be parents refusing testing, but there are plenty who can't get a test, or can't get to a test station.

A friend of mine who has a child in the same year as one of my DC, had to wait 2 days to get a test for her child, none of the year bubble isolated apart from her family at home.

One of my DC has just had almost 2 weeks off school along with their whole year group (less than 50 children). A child in the year tested positive so they had to isolate for 14 days from last contact with them.

The sibling of the positive child tested negative and returned to school 2 days before the siblings year group was allowed. None of it makes sense, very few children (age 12) had contact with the child but everyone incl teachers were sent home., I dont understand why the sibling was allowed to return, surely even though they tested negative they could still catch it at any point from their sibling?

Anyway, if that child had refused to be tested then they wouldn't have sent the children home, the child would still be positive for CV and everyone would be at the same risk so it does make sense to treat it in the same way.

Are you sure they're refusing? When I needed a test, I was told I had to go to a drive through test centre. That was my only option. I had nobody to take me, and it's not like I could've gone through in a taxi whilst having symptoms, so I had no way to get there.

I have no intention of booking tests if any of us develop symptoms, more than happy to isolate for 14 days. If we're sick there is no way I'm going to drive miles, queue with a bunch of potentially infected people for a stupid swab that I know full well I wont be able to tolerate if past experiences at the ENT clinic are anything to go by and I very much doubt my children would tolerate it either.

How have the School communicated this 'refusal by parents to get their child tested' to you?

@slidingdrawers

How have the School communicated this 'refusal by parents to get their child tested' to you?

Surely they legally can't divulge anything of this nature - precisely because people like the OP will get their pitchforks out...

@ImFree2doasiwant

There may not be parents refusing testing, but there are plenty who can't get a test, or can't get to a test station.

Maybe that's the point then, rather than a refusal to comply.

School have said 2 weeks from today, unconfirmed test, someone else has called PHE re it as he does childcare for some of the children and one of the parents have confirmed they've been told by the parent they aren't getting them tested, although perhaps as pp said now that they can't

So this is via the grapevine?

As others have pointed out, it’s not always as simple as “refusing” a test. When 7 yo DD needed testing we were only offered a drive in centre 3 miles away. We don’t have a car, and obviously couldn’t take public transport. Fortunately it was a nice day, DD and I are able bodied and used to walking everywhere, we had no younger siblings to drag along and DD was feeling well enough (she just had a cough, no other symptoms) so we set off and did the 6 mile round trip. I can think of so many reasons why this might not be possible for many people, and our only other option would have been to pay £150 for a private test (which other families at school have resorted to, unable to get postal tests).

Be annoyed at the school and their odd policy OP, not the family!

School have said 2 weeks from today, unconfirmed test, someone else has called PHE re it as he does childcare for some of the children and one of the parents have confirmed they've been told by the parent they aren't getting them tested, although perhaps as pp said now that they can't

So my aunt's dog's best mate's frog told you.

Yeah fine.

Totally believe that shit.

You are only suppose to test should you develop symptoms. NOT because you’ve been in close contact with someone.
If you’ve been in close contact, including the bubble - Then yes you have to SI if there is a case. But your not suppose to get a test until you get symptoms!
If you get just get a test because you We’re in close contact, that doesn't really prove anything. Yes you might be neg today, but you could develop it anytime over the next 14 days! Hence 14 days SI needed.

Out of interest, OP, how do you know the parents are refusing to have the child tested? Have they told you directly? Or are you basing this on parents' Whats App gossip?

And when you say refusing to get tested, do you mean "won't get tested" or "can't find a test centre with any available appointments"?

My DS was off for the full 10 days recently because the NHS website was only showing tests available in S Wales (200 mile round trip), then when I thought "well, 200 mile round trip it is then" it turned out there weren't any test slots available anyway.

School sent him home again on Friday (he has asthma, so a persistent cough is pretty much his default state over the winter) - this time I did manage to get a test slot a mere 100 miles round trip away, so got him back into school on the Monday.

I hate curtain-twitching threads like this, started by someone who has clearly never tried to get a test, and doesn't realise what a complete cluster-fuck our joke of a national testing system is.

I wouldn't necessarily trust the school grapevine which appears to be where there is coming from.

Its a bit of a tangent but statistically speaking it would be unusual to have a primary school class where no child has an SEN diagnosis. It may be that there are children with SEN but their parents have chosen not to share this with you or other parents. It could also be that there are children going through the process of getting a diagnosis. I would be cautious about making assumptions about SEN regardless of the circumstance.

It is not unreasonable to parent differently to you. If they feel that putting very long cotton buds into their children's noses and mouths is not something they wish for their child, that is their choice.
It could be because the process of stabbing is not something they want their child to go through. It could be that they do not feel the tests are reliable.
It is refreshing to hear parents saying no to something and questioning a process.

It may be just the rubbish T&T/test availability. We don't have a car, so if we couldn't get a home test, we'd be unable to test. It may be they don't drive/can't drive long distance and there's no close by testing.

I don't know about whether the school is in the wrong or not, but inability to travel may be the reason for being unable to test.

You don’t know a child doesn’t have medical or SEN needs just because it hasn’t been disclosed to you. I understand it’s annoying, but people are still allowed to decide if they want this test and if they don’t that is entirely there prerogative.

@CaveMum

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.

Yes this is ours too.

Assuming no test = positive and thus sending all kids home sounds really odd. At present, there are 4 kids between DD/DS bubbles off waiting for test results. By that I would assume its likely one a week is testing in each, at least (couple of weeks back it seemed a cold was doing the rounds and some kids must have got one+ covid symptoms too and got tests, that week 4 in her bubble alone were off and waiting). Which by the OP school policy, would be potentially constant isolation for the kids. None were positive, of those 4, happily.

@OwlBeThere

You don’t know a child doesn’t have medical or SEN needs just because it hasn’t been disclosed to you. I understand it’s annoying, but people are still allowed to decide if they want this test and if they don’t that is entirely there prerogative.

You don’t know a child doesn’t have medical or SEN needs just because it hasn’t been disclosed to you. YY at this too.

DSS is autistic. As far as I know, noone outside immediate famly, caregivers and the school know this. But I doubt the school tell other parents? Wouldn't have thought so.

OK two circumstances here

1. DC is positive but doesnt take a test - so bubble dont isolate
2. DC is positive and takes a test confirming this so bubble isolate

I can see the rationalle behind why they are isolating the bubble as a precaution if the family are refusing a test as this is potentially the same scenario and risks for th bubble, just in the first one the bubble will carry on at school and potentially spreading it.

@Jenasaurus

OK two circumstances here

1. DC is positive but doesnt take a test - so bubble dont isolate
2. DC is positive and takes a test confirming this so bubble isolate

I can see the rationalle behind why they are isolating the bubble as a precaution if the family are refusing a test as this is potentially the same scenario and risks for th bubble, just in the first one the bubble will carry on at school and potentially spreading it.

I can definitely see the rationale*. It just does not appear to align with official guidance, and sounds quite unworkable in practise. I suspect the guidance is based on how many people geting tests for symptoms are actually positive, and risk asessing on an average type basis or something?

*When talking guidance, I don't see where the rule of 'DD has to isolate as a potential contact, but not DS who shares a room and has as of yet shared every illness she has had besides asthma related stuff. To me it would make sense for both to, both in terms of risk whle potentially dangerous, and ease for the parent (especially if a single parent) given you cannot take isolating child to on school run, which would massively fuck a lot of parents, especially single parents. Got caught out by this recently, as (stupidly, according to receptionist who rang to shout at me) I assumed it made sense for DS to isolate at same time DD was asked to.

You're welcome to report me for trolling of you wish.

Wow. Sensitive much?

I can’t believe your school are going against the PHE guidance either. Doesn’t mean that they aren’t just that I’m incredulous that a school would do that. Especially as the number of coughs and colds going about means, if my school had taken that approach they’d have had everyone at home after a week of being back.

Your school have got it wrong.

Theres no requirement for bubbles to isolate until there's a positive test. The government aren't stupid, there's an obvious reason for this. Many people will choose not to test to avoid disruption to school. This is good in terms of testing capacity not being overwhelmed by high numbers of negative tests.