School have put my child at increased risk and I am livid. Head will call tomorrow morning. Any advice on what to say?

[Hmpher]

My son has been picked to help at reception today. This involves sending messages and collecting children for pick up.

As a part of this, he has been sent around the school to collect children who have a family member who has begun to display symptoms, so that they can go home to self isolate for fourteen days. So he has been in contact with every child in school now in self isolation.

I called school and three people tried to fob me off. They told me that they have no confirmed cases (when they haven’t been tested so cannot definitively say one way or another). They told me that they are adhering to guidelines and any of these symptoms could also be a common cold. I’m not a hysterical parent and am fully aware of that, but they are also the symptoms of a current global pandemic. They told me he hasn’t been in contact with children who are displaying symptoms at school because they are placed into isolation. I’ve since found out that he was sent to collect a child who had a continuous cough which was reported to staff but the child herself didn’t want to leave so had to be collected by him when her parent came. He was also told to collect the belongings of a girl who came to reception complaining of feeling unwell, had her temperature taken and was running a fever. She went to collect her things and staff told her not to and sent my son instead. At no point was he reminded of hand washing so he didn’t wash his hands at all. The other girl doing collections with him was displaying symptoms from the morning and told staff three times before she was collected. Upon hearing her coughing, she was told to drink water and see how she felt because she was having fun and felt ok.

Staff told me that he could have come into contact with those children anyway, during lessons and in corridors. I was aware of that when I sent him to school. I didn’t expect them to engineer a situation in which he was guaranteed to come into contact with every potential case.

I feel this a huge oversight and no thought has been given to the safety of my son. It is entirely inappropriate for a child to be sent to do this. Absolutely no common sense or basic infection control at all. I was quite offended when a staff member told me that children don’t tend to succumb to the illness or aren’t badly affected. She is not a scientist or a doctor. It is not ok for them to decide increase the risk of exposure for my child because he’ll probably be fine.

I am expecting the head to try to fob me off tomorrow and I get quite nervous during confrontation so would like to be prepared. I trusted the school to keep my son safe as they have reassured us they will to the best of their ability, whilst accepting that there will be a risk. They have now increased that risk. How would you deal with this?

Unbelievable! I would submit a written complaint to the head and governors. And would consider reporting to ofsted.

Irresponsible twats.

I would be absolutely apoplectic with rage, OP - how DARE they be so irresponsible - but you must stay calm, at least outwardly. Calm and logical. Get hold of the school's complaints procedure and follow it to the letter. Everything in writing. Face to face meeting with the Head, take a witness if you feel you need to, and take notes.

...because you will need to go further than the Head, and you need to show that you've done it properly.

I would ask them not to use a pupil for this again and leave it at that. The schools are just trying to cope the same as everyone else. Everyone complaining and moaning doesn't help them. They won't use a pupil as a messenger during the pandemic again now you have pointed your concerns out and if you ask them not to tomorrow when you speak to them. You don't need to increase their stress.

Yes, I was quite forceful but polite on the phone. I originally spoke to two receptionists and then the headteacher’s PA as the head isn’t available. I’m not sure of the correct way of dealing with this. Do I need to wait to speak to the head first before filing written complaints/contacting governors etc?

The receptionists I spoke to were the people who oversaw this ridiculous operation today. They were breezy about it and acted as though it’s no big deal. I can’t believe anybody thought this setup was appropriate during a pandemic. I’m not accusing them of giving him the virus but I am pointing out that they’ve knowingly increased his risk of exposure.

Unless my kid were vulnerable, say with asthma or diabetes, I’d not be too concerned. He had less contact with these children than the children who were in lessons with them or playing with them during breaks. It’s the parents of these children who put everyone else’s children at risk by not keeping them at home per the government guidance.

I’d be furious- but it’s indicative of a wider problem which is people not taking this seriously. Which they won’t until the death rate rises.

I actually wouldn’t bother with the head. I’d go straight to the local authority - Health and education departments, and make sure you frame this as grave concerns about messaging from the top down, about the seriousness of this virus.

There are children displaying symptoms in every class. We have tried to send kids home and the parents are refusing.

There is no point kicking off at the school, teachers have been begging for schools to shut.

I honestly think you're over reacting. If you were not happy with him potentially coming into contact with anyone at school who may be infected, then keeping him at home should have been your decision. Keeping children isolated in a school is nigh on impossible. The school have no confirmed cases somits more than likely that he hasn't actually come into contact with the infection at all.
I do understand your concern, but I'd make an educated guess that he's not been placed at any more risk that he was already at just by attending school anyway. You've already spoken to 3 staff about this, and the Head is phoning you tomorrow. Please don't take up vital time from staff any more as the stress all schools are facing at the moment is exceptionally challenging. You've made your point, there's nothing they can do to change what's happened and I doubt they'll do the same again.

" I was quite offended when a staff member told me that children don’t tend to succumb to the illness or aren’t badly affected. "

!!!!!!!!!!!!

Children can still go home and pass virus to a family member who might be at far higher risk from covid than the child himself .

I’m not accusing them of giving him the virus but I am pointing out that they’ve knowingly increased his risk of exposure.

No, your decision to send him to school knowingly increased his risk of exposure. What is it you want to happen now? Do you want them sacked? The Head sacked? as I said, you've made your point.

Yes, he had less contact with a child than he would’ve if it was his best friend or the child he sits next to in class. But it would have likely been only that child. It is also unavoidable because at that point staff wouldn’t know. They did know by this point and was intentionally placed in direct contact with each of these children. That’s aside from the fact that the other child collecting children with him was displaying symptoms from the morning. She told staff three times before being collected at lunchtime.

The receptionist taking temperatures was wearing gloves. My son didn’t have that luxury and wasn’t reminded to wash hands. At one point they were handing out masks to some teachers. He asked if he could have one and was told no.

I understand that the school is under stress. Their plan for dealing with it shouldn’t place my son at increased risk. I don’t trust them to keep him safe. I know they cannot protect him from all risk but they shouldn’t be increasing it. Do you think that a staff member would have collected these children all day without following hand washing procedures at the very least? He is twelve years old and was instructed to do this with no protection, not even hand washing reminders. He’s a bloody child, he doesn’t fully get it and didn’t realise that he would need to wash his hands more frequently at the least, especially since the adults around him acted like it was fine. He shouldn’t have to take steps to keep himself safe from a situation they have put him in.

I’d be furious. While schools are still open, which is madness imo, we keep being told they’re getting all the kids to wash their hands and keep them safe.

I would take him out of school now if you are able to.

I collected two of my children today from different schools as DD1(college student and no lessons today) had a fever when she woke up at 10.30.
When I collected DS a student helping in reception collected him, I wasn’t even asked to wait outside (staff had a glass window they could close, student at desk had no protection). I did wait outside for him as it took nearly 15 mins in total until he was ready to leave.
DD2 - called the school (tried to do the same for DS but couldn’t get through), staff member fetched DD and sent her outside to me. Seemed the right way to do things.

Seemed very inappropriate to carry on using students to run errands today.

I removed my child from school today referring to the 14 day isolation rule though we don’t have symptoms I feel this is the opt out card to parents who want to remove their children from school given by the government. I feel so much better for my decision.

We didn’t do this at my school today ( although some helper children were helping in the office) and I agree it is stupid- but I’d just say that my school had half the staff out today and everyone was under an awful lot of pressure. I imagine it’s the same in lots of schools and will just get worse. As a pp says, do say something to them but please be calm and point it out rather than being overtly hostile to people who are working very hard in completely unprecedented circumstances. Again, I agree with you it was stupid of them, just to underline that!

I think you're overreacting.

I sent him to school knowing he might mix with children, not that they would ensure it! I was going to review how comfortable I was with him being there after every day. I don’t agree that it is my fault for sending him. I sent him with a risk level in mind I was comfortable with. I didn’t even know that this system was a possibility.

What I want them to do is reassure me that they are capable of making sensible decisions which prioritise the safety of their pupils. I can’t believe that any adult there thought this was sensible. They pride themselves on their pastoral care and reports state how well cared for the children are.

He has no serious underlying conditions. He has been tested for asthma a few times as he sometimes seems to display symptoms. He has an inhaler which he hasn’t had to use for some time. He has a condition which affects his growth. Effectively means his cells can’t regenerate as quickly so can take longer to recover. I’ve never had any particular concerns regarding recovery. I weighed up the risks of possible contact with a friend who doesn’t yet know or a child near to him in class. I didn’t expect the school to put him in this position. He’s a child ffs, I expect the adults around him to minimise risk as much as they realistically can.

That's absolutely appalling.

I bet the receptionists are shitting themselves now and the head will apologise tomorrow

That is shocking! And while your son was doing all this he wasn't actually in class learning!?

I think you're over reacting too.

I haven’t really taken up much time or made my point at all. I had a fifteen minute phone call with administrative staff and haven’t spoken to any senior leaders. They keep telling us that we should send children in and are still talking about attendance figures. We’ve had an email reassuring us that our children’s safety is their priority. I don’t really trust their judgement now. I doubt any of the staff would have happily rounded up children for isolation without even washing their hands. It’s not appropriate to put that responsibility onto a child. I am obviously aware of the current unprecedented circumstances but it’s so clearly stupid. I don’t know what I want the outcome to be. Obviously to not do this anymore but also to prove that they’re able to spot glaring safety problems while my son is in their care. There is a part of me not wanting to put on even more pressure while they’re in this situation but I don’t think it’s acceptable.