How many cases before a school shuts?

[Newstart20]

Just as the title says really, how many cases within a school before the whole school needs to shut? Or does it really only have to be the bubbles?

[sarahC40]

We’ve got two cases (in two different years) only found out by accident as we are just told kids are self isolating. As far as I know, no one has been talked to in order to check contacts and no kids have been sent home. Think that we are pretending it’s not happening.

[monkeytennis97]

@sarahC40

We’ve got two cases (in two different years) only found out by accident as we are just told kids are self isolating. As far as I know, no one has been talked to in order to check contacts and no kids have been sent home. Think that we are pretending it’s not happening.

Yup definitely sounds familiar.

[3littlewords]

In my ds high school only close contacts (ie those sat nearest to the positive child) are sent home rather than the whole year. Theres minimal movement in classrooms my DS has most of his lessons within the same 3/4 classrooms. They are all required to wear masks in the corridors and canteen when not eating, and wearing masks in the classroom is optional for both pupils and teachers. I can only assume all teachers use the same seating plan method. Theres only been 2 confirmed cases in his school and we are in a v high risk area we've been lucky so far. Im glad his school has taken this approach rather than send whole year groups home, I'd be pretty narked if my ds was told to isolate because of a positive case he has no classes with.

[Willyoujustbequiet]

Bubbles arent isolating here

20+ cases at dc and still open atm

[ThankyouPeter]

There is a tier system for schools but I really don't know what triggers each level. The news are reporting this morning that there will be general tiered responses to local lockdowns but I don't know whether a tier 3 response in the NE for example triggers a tier 3 response from schools? www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-schools-can-plan-for-tier-2-local-restrictions/how-schools-can-plan-for-tier-2-local-restrictions

[colourofblue]

It’s a miserable system. I’m signed off at the moment, and I’m glad, to be honest.

[Freshprincess]

My local school one person (not confirmed child or adult) tested positive and the whole year group isolated. But a week later a student tested positive and only a handful had to isolate. No explanation why it was different.

In my LEA all teachers are allowed to wear masks or visors if they want to. Maybe because one of the first deaths here was a local high school teacher. We are also one of the hotspots in local lockdown looking at extra levels.

[notevenat20]

In France they just send the poorly child home. This is something we may have to copy here.

[TheFormidableMrsC]

A secondary close to me shut the whole school with 2 cases.

[ForthPlace]

Very much bespoke advice by PH via the DfE to each school, based on the guidance but dependent on every individual school circumstance.

I've had some schools close with relatively small numbers of positives cases but closed because this has affected key senior leaders which includes the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and deputy DSL meaning no child is safe and legalities are not covered.

[redvest]

I doubt there will be a schools closure as there seems minimal transmission or illness in younger children. Not so sure about universities

[notevenat20]

Very much bespoke advice by PH via the DfE to each school, based on the guidance but dependent on every individual school circumstance.

I also wonder if it depends on who from PHE happens to be dealing with your school.

[MrsHerculePoirot]

@DailyLotion

I work in school too. Obviously I don't know what other schools are like but I genuinely think we have done what can be done to keep people safe. Other than let staff stay at home, I don't know what else schools could have done.

I was going to list all the things that COULD be implemented to minimise risk in schools for teachers, but see @monkeytennis97 has beaten me to it.

[MrsHerculePoirot]

@redvest

I doubt there will be a schools closure as there seems minimal transmission or illness in younger children. Not so sure about universities

What about Y11, 12 and 13? Or does corona know not to infect them until the leave for uni?

Most of my friends who teach and are reporting cases are finding they are in Y11 and 6th form. Not all but definitely the majority I'd say at the moment....

We've all be fully fed the narrative that primary aged students don't get and spread it. Even if that is completely true fact it is different in secondaries. That is why Tier 2 is rota learning for secondary pupils and primary pupils ONLY don't attend school on tier 4. They know that, just keep repeating 'schools are safe'.

They could be made so much bloody safer for everyone in the community if they wanted to.

[MrsHerculePoirot]

@notevenat20

Very much bespoke advice by PH via the DfE to each school, based on the guidance but dependent on every individual school circumstance.

I also wonder if it depends on who from PHE happens to be dealing with your school.

I think it also depends on schools, I know one school where they suggested closing the whole year group and the school argued the case for only sending home those sat nearby.

This now seems to be the default setting according to the DfE hotline for eduction/schools. Seating plans and then ask the students who they spent time with at lunch/break/etc... to identify others.

[Sb2012]

@GravityFalls

Bubbles aren’t automatically closing now, let alone whole schools. It’s very common recently for a handful of students to be sent home, and no staff.

This is happening in my area. Is it normal now for just the students who have been sat closest to the positive case to be sent home only. Even staff are not being sent home now only if they themselves are positive.

[Friendsoftheearth]

Schools won't shut, everything else might have to in the end - but not schools because this does not affect young people op. Additionally we need to give our children an education, for the sake of the future.

I do hope they will take out vulnerable teachers though, if things get really bad. Anyone with severe underlying health conditions should be offered the choice of wfh in some capacity.

I think universities may have to close/go online though, due to students drinking and partying (as students do, so no judgement)

[Friendsoftheearth]

I would be considering a two week half term break with pubs and restaurants/gyms etc closing for that period though if I were PM, even if just did a little to slow the spread it might be enough to get us to the christmas holidays.

[MrsHerculePoirot]

@Friendsoftheearth
"this does not affect young people"

Well apart from all those that have it and cause bubbles, parts of bubbles to shut/isolate of course.. and all the parents, grandparents etc. they may live with...

[notevenat20]

This now seems to be the default setting according to the DfE hotline for eduction/schools. Seating plans and then ask the students who they spent time with at lunch/break/etc... to identify others.

That's a big change and very interesting.

[IloveJKRowling]

Seems they're saying anything to keep schools open, no matter the costs.

This is such a short term strategy.

Masks would not only reduce infection levels but also would ensure that teachers who caught it from their students had milder illness (been proven that wearing a mask might not prevent you catching it but you'll get a milder case).

We are risking the lives of vulnerable teachers just because we're too precious to get our kids to wear a thin piece of fabric over nose and mouth for one winter, which children in other countries are doing from the age of 6, and which long term would keep schools open for longer.

You couldn't make it up.

[IloveJKRowling]

Well apart from all those that have it and cause bubbles, parts of bubbles to shut/isolate of course.. and all the parents, grandparents etc. they may live with...

This - there's lots of evidence now that kids do spread it. The studies showing they didn't were done during lockdown and/or socially distanced school in the summer (or in other countries). There have been NO studies showing they don't spread it under current UK school conditions. If kids are anything like university students for every 1 symptomatic case there will be 9 asymptomatic (Northumbria Uni - 770 positive cases of which only 78 symptomatic). We're not testing asymptomatic close contacts in schools so we'll never know.

Part of the reason coronavirus became a global pandemic is because it could spread when the carrier was asymptomatic.

If people could only spread it when ill, it wouldn't have got out of China.

[notevenat20]

This - there's lots of evidence now that kids do spread it. The studies showing they didn't were done during lockdown and/or socially distanced school in the summer (or in other countries). There have been NO studies showing they don't spread it under current UK school conditions.

There have been studies suggesting that children get increasingly less infectious as they get younger.

[Friendsoftheearth]

Well apart from all those that have it and cause bubbles, parts of bubbles to shut/isolate of course.. and all the parents, grandparents etc. they may live with..

Children that live with elderly grandparents are few and far between, and always have the option of living with other relatives OR home schooling. We can't keep millions of children at home for such tiny percentage of children living with the elderly! Most children of the vulnerable are already at home. So what we have left is the majority - which is normal families with parents that are extremely low risk!

So there is no need whatsoever to close schools, we would be better focusing on how to support the old and the vulnerable.

[Mistlewoeandwhine]

I tutor a child at a private secondary school where currently year 10 is the only year left actually in school.