Confused about self isolation requirements - schools

[Anniemabel]

I get that if you’ve been in close contact with someone who tests positive for covid-19 you have to self isolate for 14 days. But how does this work for schools? Say a child in my child’s class tests positive, does the whole class and the teacher get sent home to isolate for 14 days?

A friend has said they don’t so if that’s true can someone point me to the guidance that says the close contact thing doesn’t apply to school children?

The test and protect team have very clear parameters as to what constitutes close contact and who needs to isolate for how long etc
If someone was identified in your child's class you would be told but then advised by them about isolation etc

@frasersmummy

The test and protect team have very clear parameters as to what constitutes close contact and who needs to isolate for how long etc If someone was identified in your child's class you would be told but then advised by them about isolation etc

1 of our schools is saying we won't be told unless theres 2 cases in the bubble

No, the whole class will not need to isolate, just close contacts. The class / school may be asked to isolate if there's an outbreak, In some cases, health protection teams may recommend that a larger number of other pupils self-isolate at home as a precautionary measure – perhaps the whole site or year group.

Based on the advice from the health protection team, schools must send home those people who have been in close contact with the person who has tested positive, advising them to self-isolate for 14 days since they were last in close contact with that person when they were infectious. Close contact means:

direct close contacts - face to face contact with an infected individual for any length of time, within 1 metre, including being coughed on, a face to face conversation, or unprotected physical contact (skin-to-skin)

proximity contacts - extended close contact (within 1 to 2 metres for more than 15 minutes) with an infected individual

travelling in a small vehicle, like a car, with an infected person

The guidance can be found here:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools

Our school are saying that they will take advice from PHE and advise us accordingly. So for instance, if the child my child is sharing a table with tests positive, then I imagine my child (and therefore I to look after her) will have to self isolate, and possibly the children sat at the next table to the other side of the infected child, but not the ones two or three tables away at the other side of the room.