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 ?

A friend had a PCR test the other day - both her and her daughter (11) - both have exactly the same symptoms

Hers came back positive, her daughters negative

School told her to send her daughter in because her PCR is negative

(BTW friend has decided to keep her home for the 10 days and work on the assumption that it's a false negative)

@Bee6969

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.

The government will also instruct the school to count your child's absence as unauthorised.

It's a total mess and you're wrong to blame the school and you're wrong to blame other parents for sending their child in. Personally I'd be reluctant to, as well. But the mixed messaging is terrible.

They should at least respect social distancing and use face mask. It doesn’t hurt them but it could protect someone else even if it’s just for a little longer.

Schools can encourage others to use common sense, but legally they cannot refuse a student access to education if they are negative and wanting to attend school.

We had this at my children's school - lots of parents unhappy but the schools hands are tied. It is down to parental common sense. The preschool example is different as that is a private company so no legal right to attend.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.tes.com/news/dfe-hires-attendance-advisers-cut-school-absence-covid%3famp

This is what schools are up against. Extra officers to come and sort out any low attendance. If it’s low, there are consequences for the school.

@Bee6969

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.

Is that just for covid though? did you do it when (presumably) your kids had chickenpox or colds flu? (genuinely curious not being goady)

I think there is some balance to be struck between not keeping healthy people locked up for weeks on end v protecting the vulnerable like you say. I'm not sure what it is - we've gone from one extreme (sending entire classes home for 10 days in the event of one case) to no isolation of household contacts. There has to be something in the middle of those two?!

Our school is ‘gently encouraging’ people to keep children at home if there is a positive case within the household. Not sure how they’re recording the absences to get away with it though. They’re providing home learning for children isolating for any reason.

@siestalady

Personally I’d have no issue with household contacts doing daily LFTs to attend school.

But what we can’t have is millions of DC who are not and will not be ill to be out of school again unnecessarily.

That is the general thing around the whole country right now. Only those with who have tested positive have to isolate. Might be crazy but it's not the only school - the same in most places. Schools can set their own rules to some extent!

[quote GreenLakes]@siestalady

Personally I’d have no issue with household contacts doing daily LFTs to attend school.

But what we can’t have is millions of DC who are not and will not be ill to be out of school again unnecessarily.[/quote]
Agree 100% with this

Our Junior school has behaved as if Covid doesn't exist since the beginning of Autumn term. Whole school assemblies ( 400 pupils ), a catch up plan that involves moving all the year classes into other classrooms and mixing children, choir and orchestra at lunchtimes and afterschool clubs, all at a time when community spread is worse than it's ever been. The Head now seems genuinely surprised that there isn't enough staff to supervise classes, so TAs are mixing a whole yr group in the hall, and there has never been more absences among the children. Lots of us are and annoyed. Perversely, the Parent Teacher consultations will be by phonecall.

I have covid at the moment and so does my partner. DC testing negative every day and no symptoms so far. School say children need to be in school if have not tested positive and if we have no one else who can take them in then we can drive to drop them off/collect if we stay in the car and if the children test negative every morning before school. So that’s what we are having to do.

@CarrieBlue

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.

But COVID can’t be avoided. There are steps you can take to minimise your risk of catching it, but there isn’t really much point now. It’s so widely out there it would be like trying to avoid the common cold.

@Paddingtonthebear

I have covid at the moment and so does my partner. DC testing negative every day and no symptoms so far. School say children need to be in school if have not tested positive and if we have no one else who can take them in then we can drive to drop them off/collect if we stay in the car and if the children test negative every morning before school. So that’s what we are having to do.

Whilst the school have told you it’s fine you do this you are actually breaking the law and could be given a £1000 fine. Are school going to pay this for you?

But COVID can’t be avoided. There are steps you can take to minimise your risk of catching it, but there isn’t really much point now. It’s so widely out there it would be like trying to avoid the common cold

Totally agree. Now that nearly everyone is vaccinated it's time to stop hiding from it!

Schools won’t be decided what to do themselves. They will be in regular contact with PHE and DfE as to whether masks, bubbles and contact isolation needs to be reintroduced.
One local school may be closing for an extra half term break due to the numbers of teachers now away from school with Covid.

I’m pleased isolation has stopped except for positive but what you outline is same across all

It doesn’t hurt them but it could protect someone else even if it’s just for a little longer.

You are forgetting all the downsides of social distancing and mask wearing. We've all done "a little bit longer" and it's enough now. We're just going to have to live with Covid, in the same way that we all live with other diseases that can harm people that are vulnerable. I am not advocating throwing the vulnerable under the bus, but the balance has now shifted into people needing to get back to normal life for the sake of all things non-Covid.

Contact isolation has been reintroduced in schools with high cases numbers with approval of PHE to try and reduce case numbers.

We had a spike but really down the other side now. The graph hits a high point for 0-59 then hugely reduces.

@siestalady I would say they should of said if household all isolate as you have multiple days of getting it
A 1 hr lunch with a friend who tests positive prob less likely that a household, that being said I know of some who have had positive household cases and no one else has got it . And others that got from a 10 minute meeting ??
But i still think if its a household member all isolate
My ds possibly has it now and i just don't want yo go out just incase , dh is wfh and myself and ds start new jobs just outside the isolation zone so we can stay home , but appreciate others can't
Its especially hard isolating from a young child , mines a teenager so he pretty much isolates anyway

Totally agree. Now that nearly everyone is vaccinated it's time to stop hiding from it!

I spend all day with several hundred unvaccinated people who won’t be fully vaccinated at all. I am unable to ‘hide from it’. Always easy to tell other people to put up with things when you don’t have to.

@CarrieBlue

Totally agree. Now that nearly everyone is vaccinated it's time to stop hiding from it!

I spend all day with several hundred unvaccinated people who won’t be fully vaccinated at all. I am unable to ‘hide from it’. Always easy to tell other people to put up with things when you don’t have to.

Me too. Hence I caught it last week from one of the 20 students in the same class who tested positive within a week of each other.

I don’t blame them or the system. They are entitled to an education and we can’t hide from COVID.

I don’t blame them or the system. They are entitled to an education and we can’t hide from COVID.

I don’t blame any student but I very much blame the system and the government. Putting mitigation in place is not hiding.

@Parker231

Schools won’t be decided what to do themselves. They will be in regular contact with PHE and DfE as to whether masks, bubbles and contact isolation needs to be reintroduced. One local school may be closing for an extra half term break due to the numbers of teachers now away from school with Covid.

Ours is requesting contact isolation… we’ve only had 1 case since the start of term so doubt that’s on PHE advice.