Do you have to let school know if you've been to a quarantine country?

[gignaticboxofcrafts]

Just that really. Are there measures for stopping dc Returning to school if they only just got back from a country where quarantine is necessary?
My dc is at an international school and I know parents will do this if they can get away with it.

I assume if they check up on your whereabouts and discover you have sent your children to school when you are supposed to be quarantining then you'd get fined. If any children tell me they have just got back from holiday from a quarantine destination I'd be letting someone senior in school know and I'm sure they would follow it up. Children are not great at keeping stuff like that quiet...

A.) school has no means of tracking. And teachers will have enough on their plates to not notice a kid slipping up and saying something incriminating

B.) This is the exact reason why I think it's utterly unsafe to let secondary kids back. Just the fact that this question gets asked on a forum signifies people's attitude and level of responsibility,

Staff at our school are very aware of children saying where they have been and are following it up. There is very much a collective responsibility within the school to keep everyone safe and the school open.

Thanks I was asking if there are any policies at schools in place to prevent dc returning to school when they should be in quarantine. The answer appears to be no.
Bit silly to even both having quarantine isn't it if no infrastructure is in place to support it!

bother* not both

Infrastructure would have to be at a higher level. Some government department has a list of arrivals in the country, should be able to sort these by age. Also there'd be a list of who goes to which school. Guess if they wanted to they could match these up and check if students were attending when they should be quarantining by contacting schools, would be a simple admin check on attendance. I don't think there is anyway for a school to check though as we wouldn't have the information if who is in quarantine.

The guidance for parents and schools says that parents should inform schools of anything which means a child should be quarantining, but also that schools should not be requiring proof from parents. So yes, it all relies on honesty I think.

There shouldn't be a need for a system in the school, it would be against the law to send your child to school, that should be enough.

I too thought that it was against the law, and not just guidance? So the schools policy would be to flag up what is actually a crime, to the authorities?

My DC’s school have had strict rules regarding travel since before February half term. However, it’s a private school with a number of international students.

Just had email from DCs school. We have to confirm that we haven't been to a quarantined country or been in contact with anyone who has been to a quarantined country within 2 weeks of return to school on 7th. Prep school. I presume there will be consequences for any that lie and it proves to be a vector for transmission into the school.

We will have to rely on parents telling us the truth and following the rules.

@unchienandalusia

Just had email from DCs school. We have to confirm that we haven't been to a quarantined country or been in contact with anyone who has been to a quarantined country within 2 weeks of return to school on 7th. Prep school. I presume there will be consequences for any that lie and it proves to be a vector for transmission into the school.

How does the contact with a person who has been to a quarantine country work? Do you have to report if you've come into contact with them after they've finished their quarantine or only if they refused to quarantine, if the latter why would you knowing by having contact with them and if you don't care you're hardly going to be telling the school.

I'm missing the point of that requirement I think

We haven't had anything to suggest we need to email the school before we arrive. I wish we had tbh. It is a private international school so we start 7th.
I didn't realise it would also include those quarantined and meeting up here as well.

So many people I've spoken to are booked to fly into the U.K. day before school starts from quarantine countries. Hopefully no one will be ill. School have said they will be taking temperatures on the door but I'm not sure that is enough.

Lifesalongsong- the contact could be someone who lives in their home. If one member of a household travels abroad and needs to quarantine, only they have to. The rest of the household doesn't. Whilst it's recommended they keep their distance and use separate facilities where possible, in many homes that won't be possible.

I can picture a few households I know,where this could happen due to a parent working away, older siblings who might be travelling without parents/family, households with more than one family living in the same house, etc.

@lifesalongsong the school require us to confirm in writing that we aren't supposed to be quarantining and that we haven't been in contact with someone who is supposed to be quarantining. I imagine it's for insurance and to put the onus on us to be responsible.

If one member of a household travels abroad and needs to quarantine, only they have to.

Yep..that's the extent of the UK gov guidance.

Anything beyond that AFAIK is the school's choice...

No communication from our school regarding quarantine. I know families coming back next week who I believe won't be quarantining. I feel so anxious and annoyed. I should not have to deal with having to make a decision based on another families blatant disregard to the rules that are in place.
So; do I send my child in and hope the children who are supposed to quarantining are; or keep my child off school.

Peacockfeather11 I know what you mean about other families breaking the rules - my family are currently quarantining and two of my DCs will miss the first day of school as they will be completing quarantine. Meanwhile DS1’s mate who is currently in Austria is busy telling DS1 what muppets we all our for following the rules because his parents have told him they won’t need to quarantine because there’s no way they will get caught! Tempted to dob them in myself!

@myfriendflicka9

Peacockfeather11 I know what you mean about other families breaking the rules - my family are currently quarantining and two of my DCs will miss the first day of school as they will be completing quarantine. Meanwhile DS1’s mate who is currently in Austria is busy telling DS1 what muppets we all our for following the rules because his parents have told him they won’t need to quarantine because there’s no way they will get caught! Tempted to dob them in myself!

I would be inclined to do the exact same. It's not right or fair.

Our school has sent an email (one several about arrangements for September) in which it says that DC still in quarantine must not attend

Yes, it does depend on people doing the right thing. As does the 14 days isolation of you are a close contact of a confirmed case.

Holidays are however a bit easier to spot - teachers might not be able to earwig every conversation, but it's likely that some will be spotted.

Mentioning the needs of the vulnerable (especially if there are any newly deshielded children or staff at the school) at assembly, and fostering a responsible environment, might encourage older DC to do the right thing themselves too.

But ultimately, those who choose to lie to avoid quarantine/isolation are putting everyone else at risk. And I don't think schools can cure monumental selfishness amongst the parent body. All they can do is their bit to produce he standards they want to see amongst their pupils