Should school have shut? Sickness bug

[Candy2019]

a sickness bug is spreading like crazy throughout the school. Loads of children are off with it, including a number of teachers. Kids are apparently being sick in the toilets and leaving it, some are being sick at their desks and throwing up in the corridors. School have just put a notice saying 48 hours off from the last bout of sickness but nothing else. Should the school have shut for a deep clean with it spreading this much and this fast? I reckon mine will be down with it over half term now.

I don't think so, it's close to half term like you say so there's a natural "firebreak" coming up where sick children will be at home anyway and the school can be cleaned when it's scheduled to be empty.

I suppose they're thinking they can limp through to half term and do the deep clean then.

It does sound pretty grim though. I'd have been tempted to just call in sick for my kids for the last few days.

If loads of staff are off, it may be that. If there aren't enough teacher in, you cannot run the school.

I vaguely remember this going round our county when I was a junior teacher and schools closing for specialist deep cleaning teams to go in. There may be a threshold based on how many are off sick before closing but I could have imagined that! As Goslings says, you can't run a school with no staff.

I hope yours avoid it and half term gives time for a decent clean in school and for the cycle to be broken.

I agree if I was that worried I’d keep them off them off - some people get sick bugs much worse than others. Why do you need a whole school closed?

Schools aren't allowed to just shut. The Local authority has to give permission and it's unlikely they would. We had a member of staff die and they wouldn't approve a school closure so staff could attend the funeral. They'd look at how close it is to half term and require them to limp along.

Is it primary or secondary? You’d struggle to shut a secondary at the moment as there’s exams going on.

I think there’s a tipping point when they have to close.
Too many staff sick. Too much vomit to clean up.
If lots of kids are vomiting it’s spreading rapidly. Better to divide and conquer by sending everyone home.

Thanks everyone. I couldn’t keep my DC off or I would have. Apparently some parents are sending their children in being sick. It’s primary

There’s about 5/6 staff off with it at the moment

My DC said they went to the toilet yesterday and there was just sick on the floor that was left and had to be stepped over

Why can’t you keep them off? I’d be keeping them off I wouldn’t be sending them to school to step over piles of sick 🤢

I mean you’d need childcare for them if the school closed anyway

Yes that doesn’t make sense - you need childcare but you want the school to close?

don’t forget kids exaggerate too…

good for you that you can afford to do it but it doesn't take a huge stretch if imagination why some families absolutely don't have that choice. I would not send mine in either but I totally get it's not an easy option for everyone.

Yes, it should if it is that bad. Shut for 48 hours to deep clean and then have a fire break over half term. Similar happened at DS school last year. Sure it was a pain, but better than a load more spread.

If there are a number of staff off sick, and they cannot find enough supply staff to cover, then it's possible there may have to be a whole or partial closure because they cannot operate safely.

But as it's now Friday, and they haven't closed yet, they'll limp through

If yours come down with it (which is likely) I hope they don't get it too badly and perk up quickly. But even though, during half term, there will be no-one telling you to keep them at home for 48 hours, that's still a precaution worth taking. No-one wants to catch it

Ok but what’s her plan if the school shuts? She should do that.

But you want the school to have closed? Then you'd have had the children home with you anyway?