COVID at school

[Bee6969]

So my children school is seeing massive spike in Covid cases. Apparently Schol policy is that even if one child is sick and staying at home the siblings are still ok to attend school. No social distancing or face mask required. Parents also even so they looking after sick child are allowed on school grounds no mask no social distancing. The opposite they spending time chatting to other unaware parents. I find this shocking the school but also the behaviour of the parents. What do you think? What is your children school policy ?

Well it's not just school policy, it is the case everywhere if double jabbed or under 18.5 years old.

It is shocking but it's government policy.

Our school "invites" close contacts to wear a mask but they can't enforce it.

It's ridiculous but blame the government, not the school.

@AlexaShutUp

It is shocking but it's government policy.

Our school "invites" close contacts to wear a mask but they can't enforce it.

It's ridiculous but blame the government, not the school.

This!

As others have said, this is government policy and not something that the school can override.

Policy at our preschool is if there's covid in the house the child doesn't come. It's not the guidelines but I agree it's extremely sensible. They've avoided covid so far in the preschool and they want to keep it that way

As others have said, it's not school policy, it's government policy. Absences due to being what used to be termed as a close contact are no longer allowed to be authorised. Schools can't force people to distance/wear masks. We are restricting visits and parents on site even though they are "allowed". Apart from that, not much else schools can do!

Is it a school policy or a government policy issue? Now people living with someone with covid don't have to isolate if double jabbed or under 18 (I think that's the age). I can't say I exactly understand it because people on the whole are still getting covid but just not becoming so ill. Having said that, no 10 year old son has it (about to come out of isolation) and both myself and my husband and not got it and have both carried on working. It is really sweeping through my son's school at speed. I'm not sure a school could stop siblings coming to to school if legally they are allowed.

Individuals are not required to self-isolate if they live in the same household as someone with COVID-19, or are a close contact of someone with COVID-19, and any of the following apply:

they are fully vaccinated
they are below the age of 18 years and 6 months
they have taken part in or are currently part of an approved COVID-19 vaccine trial
they are not able to get vaccinated for medical reasons
Instead, they will be contacted by NHS Test and Trace, informed they have been in close contact with a positive case and advised to take a PCR test. We would encourage all individuals to take a PCR test if advised to do so.

Staff who do not need to isolate, and children and young people aged under 18 years 6 months who usually attend school, and have been identified as a close contact, should continue to attend school as normal. They do not need to wear a face covering within the school, but it is expected and recommended that these are worn when travelling on public or dedicated transport.

From here:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/schools-covid-19-operational-guidance

Time to move on with life

Yep gov policy - I assume they are quietly pushing for herd immunity as at least half our school have now had it this term (in one class 20 out if 30 were off at one point). I’m actually relieved my two have now had it (this term, from school no doubt) so we can stop worrying about catching it.

It’s government policy. The school have no choice in the matter at all-please don’t blame them!

This is not a school policy. This is a government policy. We have no say in any of this. And yes, in my experience, siblings of a positive child test positive themselves 4-8 days after initial positive in the family and they’re been in school the whole time it’s brewing. Cases go up, often spiralling and staff and kids drop like flies. I have to leave my details with a restaurant so I can be contact traced if necessary but I was not a close contact in my own classroom, where there have been two positive cases and no social distancing, this week.

We have over 20 children in one class off with covid and many many more at the school siblings are coming down within days of each other but until they test positive they must go in under risk of fines its a poor area no one can afford the fines so they go in

Our county council has issued guidance that siblings of positive cases should now stay off school and gave a PCR test on day 3, if this is negative they can return to school. Seems very sensible to me as cases are rocketing here in schools. Child in DS primary class tested positive and highly likely to have caught it from their sibling that attends high school

I work in a school. On Friday I did an intervention with a child that tested positive the next day. No SI for me. 🤷‍♀️

Blame the government. This is the reality in all schools.

Our school is the opposite.
Putting pressure on parents to keep contacts at home. Emailing the entire school population every time there is a positive case. Asking for PCR tests for a runny nose. They are doing parents evening remotely, keeping one way system etc etc
It’s still ripping through the school with one class alone having 11 positive cases.

I mean, I don’t know what the answer is.

This is government policy.

My DC tested positive earlier this week.

Today I went to work as a teacher having had a negative PCR and negative LFT this morning.

The LFT I took tonight is positive.

All I did was follow policy / the rules. But wow do I feel guilty and anxious tonight.

My LEA (Cumbria) have in the last week issued guidance to all the schools, due to rising cases in Cumbrian Schools, that children living in the same household as a positive case should stay away from school.

Great! Bubbles in particular meant that millions of healthy DC missed school unnecessarily.

I know a head near me got a swift dressing down from the schools commissioner when they tried to reintroduce contact isolation and masks in corridors.

It’s not a sensible approach at all. Covid isn’t going anywhere- we have to live with it.

We cannot have healthy DC missing school indefinitely. Our young people have already sacrificed so much- it’s time that their needs were put first now that the vast majority of people are vaccinated.

It's government policy, not school policy and I think all schools are seeing a spike.

A spike in cases doesn't worry me but a spike in deaths would (well deaths in vaccinated people).

We do have to learn to live with this disease.

I posted a couple of days ago because school want my child to attend with symptoms if he does a negative lateral flow. I’m kept him home and do pcr as per government guidelines.
This morning they’re reintroducing face masks due to lots of cases. I wanted to reply saying no wonder when kids are being encouraged to be at school with symptoms.
They don’t do temperature checks or anything now. Like nothing has ever happened.

We are back to masks in my DS's school as of tomorrow as coronavirus is ripping through it.

It’s ridiculous government policy, not down to the school. Totally insane to expose healthy children to an illness that could be avoided, but Us4Them would get upset if any mitigation to protect children and their families were to be put in place. We have to pretend that it’s gone away and there’s no danger anymore. But not the fault of schools.

The government also said to use common sense. As a parent I would never send my child to school if one of us is sick. We would all self isolate. It’s easy to say let’s all get it it’s just a matter of time. But if you live with older parents or partner who is at risk or going through cancer treatment you have so much to loose.