If keeping kids off school what are you telling school?

[Namechanger0800]

I've made the decision to keep mine off from today - we don't have symptoms but as a family have taken decision to social distance as much as possible. 3 of them going to a large secondary school doesn't not seem sensible at all.

Need to ring in but what to say??? Don't want any arsing around about fines and attendance as one of mine has had x2 letters about attendance already (currently at 91%) for legitimate reasons.

We are from today too. Will tell them he has a cough and will be isolating for 14 days. He coughed a few times yesterday so not a lie (but we were planning to take him out regardless).

There is a new code for exceptional circumstances so you shouldn’t be fined.

Iv kept my 5 year old off. The older 2 who bus & taxi in have gone. We leave a message on an answering machine, all I said is my child won't be in as I'm now in the at risk group - 29 weeks pregnant. Not sure what I would have said otherwise!

Tell them one has a cough. No one is going to fine you at this point.

I think we’re going to tell them that we’re taking the dds out as we are vulnerable because of health conditions.

I just emailed yesterday and said we were self isolating and the D.C. wouldn't be in this week. I will now extend that over next week due to the change to 14 days. It's buying some time. The situation is fast moving and rapidly changing so I think by the end of next week this won't even be a question anymore.

Same position here two. I'm keeping the kids home now and one of their school mates mums has been diagnosed with it. The kids both have sore throats and stuffy noses as it is. I haven't rung school yet but I'm wondering what to say

It’s probably better if people tell the truth as heads can then say that lots of parents are taking their children out. I think a lot of people are only sending them because they’re worried about getting into trouble.
They could then say that you are free to keep your child at home unless they need to send them in for childcare reasons.

'D.C. will be self isolating'. Is all you need to say.

They don't need an explanation for the decision or a run down of symptoms, just keep it basic and truthful.

I work in a school - we still need to code why children are off. If they have a cough, then please say that. If you are simply self isolating say that. At the moment noone is going to question motives, but Heads need to know how serious the spread of illness actually is in their schools atm.

We have told them we are self isolating.

I’ll say “We’re having to self isolate” Simple as that.

Whole family are meant to stay in for 14 days if any symptoms from any of them.

Thanks - have gone with the we are all self isolating . Is an answer machine so we shall see.

Self-isolating. They have accepted that. Either the schools close soon or attitudes about blindly following orders are going to change. GCSE year for us but what are those exams worth compared to staying alive?

Well our youngest has a bit of a cough - although I'm 99% sure it's just an ordinary bug. DC1 also coughed a few times this morning and is a bit sniffly.

We've been planning to keep them off asap as well so we will tell the school as above.

At this point it feels like the government is keeping schools open to help the virus spread some more (herd immunity?) before they can try to shut everything to "flatten the peak" or whatever it is they are trying to do at this point.

Either way I'm looking at what all the other countries have done and listening to the WHO advice.

I’m not sure the government knows it’s own strategy. Letting everyone catch it was just going to cause carnage.

My son (almost 13) has brittle asthma which is probably copd, this is different to regular asthma. He takes 3 inhalers, montelukast and azythromycin long term. He also takes steroid tablets twice a month on average. I can't let my other children go to school because I can't risk him getting unwell. We are completely isolating, no contact with anyone. We live rural in pembrokeshire, we have enough food but we won't be going anywhere at all and having no contact for as long as we can.

I've been honest with them. I have an underlying health condition and ds is SEN and has epilepsy. It seems crazy to continue to send him in to a school with 1700 plus students and no soap in the toilets ..
With everything that lies ahead I find it incredibly hard to believe that they will have the time and resources to start fining everyone who has withdrawn children for perfectly legitimate reasons. This is an exceptional situation not seen in our lifetimes.

My conversation went like this:

"Hello it's regarding XX in year 8. We are self isolating as a family.

Does anyone have any symptoms?

No we don't but there are 3 of us and 2 of us fall into the vulnerable category so I've taken the decision to self isolate for now.

Ok that's fine. It will be for 14 days and will be recorded as SI."

To be honest, I think it's schools interests to record it as such. They want any unauthorised absences in their records if they can help it for OFSTED reasons.

My school told me that anyone keeping their kids home won't be fined or marked as unauthorised, so that's a great relief.

My oldest's year group is closed today due to staff absences. But my youngest one has gone in. Nobody at home here is vulnerable, but I still was tempted to keep him home.

My issue is, if you tell the school you are self-isolating, doesn't that mean the whole family has to then stay home? My DH is still going to work, and I work part-time in retail so I have to go in too.

I work in adult learning and we have had a code added to our register for self isolation that will be authorised absence. My DS1 has a cough so I rang his school. There is a message saying they have had lots of calls re covid 19 so just to say they are self isolating and they will be authorised absence.

Paddy's day, all of us off today. Ill be ringing tomorrow for ds. Will simply be telling them that as he has asthma, falls under the vulnerable group and I will not be sending him in. There are sounds of them moving to online anyway. Can't see me getting much questioning about it.

Smallest goes to primary and told me loads were off in her class yesterday. Really unsure what to do about her. Will probably send her in tomorrow so I can go to work as I know as I was leaving yesterday we got an email after the speech about hours changing, arrangements to wfh (I can't) will be discussed with us on Wednesday. See where I stand after that. If my hours are changed so I can keep her off, I will. I won't be giving excuses. Think the EA has bigger fish to fry at present.

Our eldest has lowered immunity after an illness (yr 12) so hasn't been at school for weeks; DC2 has decided to stay home to be on the safe side and I've explained this on school answer phone. It is nonsensical to 'advise' people avoid pubs, cinema etc. but keep schools of 1000's of children open, with the pupils all using public transport etc.
If we needed DCs to go to school so we could do our jobs I might see things differently, of course.
I have so much respect and gratitude for all the teachers, nurses and doctors doing their best for society as a whole. I sincerely hope that if lots of people decide to self isolate, it will lighten the burden.