School want to see covid result

[Poolhater]

I’m just after a bit of perspective as not sure that I’m just being a bit blaze about it!

I’ve kids at three different schools. Neither of the senior schools want to see (PCR) covid result if the kids have to have a test but the primary school always asks.

To put this into context, the primary school has also said kids with cold symptoms must be tested and receive negative results before return to School. Whereas neither of the senior schools have said that - they only want covid tests if displaying the covid symptoms as set out by NHS (cough, high temp, change in smell/taste).

My sister, (a teacher at a different primary) also has children in the same primary school as my kids. She thinks that they are wrong to ask for us to email in the test results (to be clear, they aren’t asking for us to email in “Little Miss Poolhater has tested negative” but actually want us to forward on the test result that we receive). She thinks this breaches confidentiality. I’m of the view, if it keeps the cogs turning, I will do it.

So who is being unreasonable here, me - I will happily send it in, or my sister - why should they have it and not just take our word for it?

I should add, I think my sister is frustrated by their requirement to keep kids off with cold symptoms (who are otherwise well) but their refusal to provide any work for those same kids on day one of that absence.

Can I ask you about the work being set?

When you say if kids are unwell work doesn’t need to be set; are you talking about kids who are so unwell they wouldn’t be in school anyway, or are you talking about kids who literally have a sniffle and have to be off until proof of negative result comes through (but pre covid times, would absolutely have been in School).

Poolhater
The specific section of the guidance says:
"Where appropriate, you should support those who need to self-isolate to work or learn from home if they are well enough to do so."

Schools may interpret this in different ways depending on how they are running the online provision. For those putting up some tasks that don't directly correspond to what's happening in class, whether a child is well enough to complete them all in the day won't really matter because it's disconnected from classroom coverage. However, this doesn't meet the part of the guidance which says that the work set should roughly equal in time to the learning that would happen in school and be similar in content.

Some schools are like mine, offering a full day digital provision (the child joins the class as a virtual student via Zoom/Teams and completes a normal school day with their normal lessons). This means we do offer a full day's learning and it is the same learning as would happen in the classroom. However, if the child is not well enough for a full day's school then they will fall behind and not be able to access the next day's lessons so it should only be set if a child can do a full school day.

@brittanyfairies

I live in France, my DCs are not allowed through the door without showing their negative result. The first time DC1 was made to wait for 2 hours in the playground until he could get in touch with me for me to email his result to him and school. They also ask that we test for any symptoms, including cold symptoms and not allowed back at school until they show their negative result. I don't have a problem with it.

The thing is if that is the rule everywhere as it is in France I don’t think people would mind so much. It’s the inconsistency. I can see why your sis in law is annoyed about having to keep kids off awaiting test results whilst in the school she works at she is expected to go in at that school is following gov guidelines. It must be causing her massive issues with her own employer if she is having to take days off when the kids could be going to school under guidelines

Our school wants the actual result and I agree they aren’t ‘entitled’ to this. I send it though because it doesn’t cause me a problem to do so.

A PCR test taken within 90 days of a previous positive test is likely to come back positive as it will detect the dead virus in the body. The government advice is not to take PCR tests within 90 days. The school should accept a lateral flow.

Nursery requires a copy of all PCR results, positive and negative. I don’t have an issue with it, they aren’t storing the data or doing anything with it. They’ve been quite explicit from a GDPR point of view. But they have had outbreaks and are trying to remain open safely.

@rose69 that's no longer the guidance. The NHS website now says that a PCR should be done if someone develops new symptoms within 90 days of having Covid.

With DfE, the guidance is clear that schools can't request the PCR result - they certainly can't insist on it. Personally I would have no problem sending it, but I think if your sister wanted to refuse she could quote the guidance and do so. At our school we don't ask for proof (though yes, I'm sure some parents do lie about it). We're still insisting on PCRs for the three main symptoms, but we're now also politely requesting LFTs for basically any symptom (we've had several Covid positive kids with only D&V or just a headache, for example).

As others have said, this is because people lie. The school is helping to protect the health and education of your children by insisting that they see evidence of the test.

I think you’re being unreasonable to be honest. All my kids schools ask for a photo of the test stick. I don’t see how that’s breaching confidentiality and it’s a reach to be using that argument. They’re not asking for dick pics are they? At my kids school some of the TAs have had chemo and have low immune systems. I think it’s reasonable to ask everyone to be reasonable. You’re just being difficult. Please stop. If your kid is negative and has a negative test strip just send them a photo.

DD2’s bubble burst in the summer and was sent home. When1 case became 3 we were asked to PCR all the kids, which we did. We never received any result, which I followed up, by this time DD2 had completed the 10 days isolation but I was told we had to do a missed results report and give them a further 48 hours, so I did.

Still no results, so I returned her to school for the last half day of the year. School demanded her results, so I pointed out that legally they are not allowed to ask for them, and since we had never received them, I couldn’t give them anyway. School did not challenge my assertion.

Either way, I pointed out that some of the kids hadn’t been tested but had gone back after 10 days, whilst DD2 had no symptoms but had been off for 12 days

Oh and as for symptoms we’ve got lots of kids off school this week with positive PCRs after going down with migraine and vomiting as symptoms. The Covid helpline said that Covid can develop as that so please stop thinking you know everything unless you’ve actually rung experts and spoken to them. It’s getting boring now everyone thinking they are scientists and experts. You’re not. Just do as you’re asked please

Goodness that’s nothing our last school demanded to see bottles of antibiotics and for us to take dc in to the school for them t do temperature if we said they had one (we refused that as was ridiculous)

They even asked us to sign over permissions for then to talk to the go whenever they wanted they had an agenda trying to say I had Munchausens by proxy the HT kept calling social services saying that she ‘had a bad feeling she wouldn’t put her finger on ‘ and wanted that recorded as I fussed over ss too much and she didn’t believe he had allergies (luckily he had had them confirmed by bloods and skin test)

I think the guidance was thatschools don’t ask but that was before covid maybe it’s changed now , I can see why they would ask and I tbh would show it as it doesn’t seem intrusive like all the above was

I just don't see why there is any issue in providing it? Why he so evasive?

Sorry all the typos it’s still dark here !!

@nocnoc

I think you’re being unreasonable to be honest. All my kids schools ask for a photo of the test stick. I don’t see how that’s breaching confidentiality and it’s a reach to be using that argument. They’re not asking for dick pics are they? At my kids school some of the TAs have had chemo and have low immune systems. I think it’s reasonable to ask everyone to be reasonable. You’re just being difficult. Please stop. If your kid is negative and has a negative test strip just send them a photo.

Your child's school ask you to send photos of negative LFTs? That's a ridiculous waste of time. I understand asking for negative PCR results, but photos of negative LFTs is pointless, there's no way a school has the time to look through hundreds of photos of LFTs.

So, by forcing parents to test their kids for generic (non-COVID) cold symptoms, the school is requiring

• parents to lie to the NHS (the form for booking free PCRs clearly says you must have "official" COVID symptoms)
• young children to undergo distressing invasive tests they don't need
• the NHS to waste testing resources that could be better used elsewhere

Completely unreasonable. I would whistle blow.
(note: requesting test results... A bit nosy, but not so blatantly wrong)

By the way, odds are a lot of parents will be testing themselves, and not the kids, if they're determined to cheat (and/or not to subject their child to useless painful tests)

@nocnoc

Oh and as for symptoms we’ve got lots of kids off school this week with positive PCRs after going down with migraine and vomiting as symptoms. The Covid helpline said that Covid can develop as that so please stop thinking you know everything unless you’ve actually rung experts and spoken to them. It’s getting boring now everyone thinking they are scientists and experts. You’re not. Just do as you’re asked please

To be fair though the official advice is still the main symptoms, any local guidance or requirements for testing aren't in line with government guidance, can schools really deny a child who hasn't had a test in those cases? I agree that the government should be adapting and expanding them as new things come to light, but seen as though accessing education is a fundamental right in this country curious as to how much power schools have to ask that.

Schools also can't enforce 10 days isolation for kids who can't tolerate testing

@RobotValkyrie

So, by forcing parents to test their kids for generic (non-COVID) cold symptoms, the school is requiring

• parents to lie to the NHS (the form for booking free PCRs clearly says you must have "official" COVID symptoms)
• young children to undergo distressing invasive tests they don't need
• the NHS to waste testing resources that could be better used elsewhere

Completely unreasonable. I would whistle blow.
(note: requesting test results... A bit nosy, but not so blatantly wrong)

By the way, odds are a lot of parents will be testing themselves, and not the kids, if they're determined to cheat (and/or not to subject their child to useless painful tests)

I think the booking bit has a section for school requested test

They are 💯 right to ask to see proof. The number of people who lie about results or frankly don’t even test means they need to.

If you don't mind, just do it. Also, be glad your DC is at a school that are doing their best to protect everyone and hopefully keep quality in face quality education - on more than one occasion we've had a put what's left of a whole year together in the hall (due to lack of staff) and come up with art or studying music on the screen and writing about it. Whilst they're still be educational things, it's not their scheduled subjects.

@nocnoc

I think you’re being unreasonable to be honest. All my kids schools ask for a photo of the test stick. I don’t see how that’s breaching confidentiality and it’s a reach to be using that argument. They’re not asking for dick pics are they? At my kids school some of the TAs have had chemo and have low immune systems. I think it’s reasonable to ask everyone to be reasonable. You’re just being difficult. Please stop. If your kid is negative and has a negative test strip just send them a photo.

I agree. My DS currently has covid and there’s a big outbreak in his school. Most kids are testing positive with headaches, cold symptoms and sore throats. Some go on to develop fevers/coughs, but that’s days later. DS’s school are now asking everyone to LFT daily, instead of 2 times per week as many kids are developing these early symptoms within 24 hours of a negative LFT.

People lie and will want to send children in anyway so they don’t have to take time off work. Schools have a duty of care to do their best to protect the staff.
The other option in is your child isn’t allowed in school with any cold symptoms and has to SI 10 days each time they get a cold …

@nocnoc

I think you’re being unreasonable to be honest. All my kids schools ask for a photo of the test stick. I don’t see how that’s breaching confidentiality and it’s a reach to be using that argument. They’re not asking for dick pics are they? At my kids school some of the TAs have had chemo and have low immune systems. I think it’s reasonable to ask everyone to be reasonable. You’re just being difficult. Please stop. If your kid is negative and has a negative test strip just send them a photo.

Please re read my OP and you will see I don’t have a problem with supplying the result.

I wouldn’t be sending in evidence of LFTs though (by photo). I do however record all the LFTs we do as a family via the NHS reporting site.

I don’t mind the showing of the test but testing ever cold and sniffle in primary age children is ridiculous!

I also don’t see how forwarding the result is any more confidential than informing them.

The only time you would have a problem is if you were lying.