So has your DCs school closed again due to positive tests?

[LynetteScavo]

I live in a area with a low-ish infection rate, but two local schools announced today they are closing year groups for the next two weeks due to staff testing positive.

Is this happening nationally?

All good here so far. Don’t think any have closed locally

Very much on the increase. Staffing was always going to be an issue.

Not my kids school... yet. But aware of two localish primaries and 3 secondaries with bubbles closing already... everyone relaxed last few weeks I feel, knowing kids would be mixing come this week for school and with activities opening up and so it's inevitable cases will return.

Not yet but I can’t see us getting to half term without this happening!!

DS's school hasn't. We're East mids.

No... London schools x 2
Been told if there is a posit test onky the form will need to quarentine not the whole Yr group.

I'm in Bolton Ds1 only went back on Friday and Ds2 goes back tomorrow , considering we have the highest rates of infection in the country I'm anticipating it's only a matter of time.

Think we are up at 4 schools with years closed, according to the local Facebook group. We are right next to an area that has just been put on the national watch list, but only one of the schools is in the area. The rest are outside.

I distinctly remember me and other teachers saying this would happen and being told we were lazy arses who just wanted to stay home on full pay. It was always inevitable since the government won’t allow any sort of social distancing or any other mitigation.

My DDs school hasn’t had anything yet, but my old school has just totally closed due to 5 teachers testing positive.

Schools here haven’t gone back yet - DS does on Wednesday and DD on Thursday. Hopefully they will manage to be back for a while at least.

The local secondary have advised Y11 to isolate. How is this fair to Y11 pupils at that school? I can't see how GCSE exams can go ahead as normal next year. There will have to be elements of teacher assessment, surely.

No closures here (I think).

It’s only a matter of time. Staff isolating waiting for a test or actually off sick is going to be a huge problem.

The straw that will break the camel's back on that OP is when areas of high deprivation suffer from repeated school closures, even if partial, and leafy and/or rural areas are barely affected.. Access to IT is a problem and remote earning is not a full substitute in year 11 and 13. This government claims to be concerned with 'levelling up'. Proof of that pudding will be in the eating soon.

when areas of high deprivation suffer from repeated school closures

This is a real worry piggy some schools near me started to close before lockdown. This was due to staffing issues - it was the schools in the most deprived areas that closed.
Leafy suburbs were fine (I was a trainee teacher last academic year, so had lots of trainee friends in various schools).

when areas of high deprivation suffer from repeated school closures
Is that rather than more affluent areas?

Does data show this is the case? Does COVID choose areas of high dep? Is that possible, what is the reasoning?

2 more on facebook since my post at 21.21.
And actually, with one exception, all are in the more deprived areas . I hadnt actually made that connection.

Because, at present, Covid is more prevalent in the community in areas of high social deprivation?

One of mine goes back tomorrow.

The other went back last weej but we are in a high risk area, a deprived area, inner city, old building, 95 per cent BAME teaching staff and students, so it is a worry.

Yes one high school in the city has sent some forms into isolation because a teacher tested positive

About seven schools here just this evening - in Northern Ireland.
Our positive cases are rising fast here too.

@TenhillPlace there were lots of theories earlier in the pandemic about more deprived areas suffering more. Higher density housing - both in terms of number of houses per area, and people per house; more likely to be in a job that involves going to work rather than wfh; less likely to be able to afford to isolate, so go out in possibly covid situations; less likely to have the money to ho shopping once every 10 days, and avoid the shops the rest of the time; less gardens. The list went on.

The numbers are pretty undisputed, the reasons are less clear. Nearly twice as likely to die from Covid in deprived areas.

More likely in less affluent areas partly because lower income workers are more likely to be going to a workplace, using public transport etc. People working from home and therefore in contact with fewer people are more likely to be higher earners.

Multi generational households too.

Ours haven’t gone back yet.
They start tomorrow.