Track and trace told not to bother reporting cases amongst staff or pupils in schools

[NebularNerd]

This is a scandal. School staff are being thrown to the wolves. Remarkably short sighted given that students and staff will spread the virus in the community. The virus does not stop at the school gates.

twitter.com/parents_utd/status/1314972457888030721?s=21

I don't think they can win right now, it's an impossible situation for all. If they close off year groups every time someone coughs they won't be back this side of next year. If they don't and someone gets incredibly ill or worse, they'll be for it in the press and local area.
I wonder do they really have any real support from the DofE? It feels like they are being fed to the lions here.

What about the teachers that are in the at risk groups?

I wonder do they really have any real support from the DofE?

Gav tweeted at 4pm on International Teachers Day to say thanks to teachers. Or at least the intern remembered at 4pm that they were supposed to tweet.

Think that’s it for support. He’s done a few articles slating teachers for various things.

Teachers tend to be female, of working age and relatively well off (compared to the groups dying). So they aren’t in the most at risk group

However among my closest colleagues, more than half are over 50, more than half are male, 3 are male and over 60, and some of us were considered clinically vulnerable.

We’re all in - big classes, small classrooms, no masks, no SD.

@Cocklepops the clinical staff employed to contact trace were brought on via NHS Professionals for the employment checks, shift allocation and pay aspects only. Presumably the quickest and easiest way to do it. All Tier 2 tracers had to be clinical and registered with a regulatory body so the majority also have jobs elsewhere so couldn’t commit to a contract.

A few of the siblings of the year that are now isolating were in school ; that appears to make a mockery of the whole thing doesn't it? I know they have their rules and regs to follow but you can understand why people are also skeptical that it can work. It was ok during lockdown as there was plenty of space and only a few children in each day. Now they are all in , it's become impossible to keep the virus circulation out completely , despite the best efforts of everyone to do the impossible!
People I know with underlying health concerns are still working too.

Manchester here. I work in a small primary school in a deprived area. We had our first confirmed positive case on Friday and sent a year group home.

Mitigation measures:
Hand washing when leaving or entering the classroom or before and after eating.

Children sitting in rows.

Doors and windows open.

Toilets, sinks and touch points cleaned every hour.

Tables cleaned in the morning, before and after lunch and at the end of the day.

Lunch in the classroom.

Staggered play times as well as staggered pick ups and drop offs at school with one way systems.

Parents to wear face coverings at drop off and pick ups.

Staff to wear a mask or visor when not in their classroom - no mixing of bubbles though.

Children to be isolated and sent home if presenting symptoms - only allowed to return with proof of confirmed negative test.

Despite all this now we have 1 confirmed case I suspect it will spread across the school like wildfire with siblings in different bubbles. In fact, it wouldn't at all surprise me if it was already endemic but we just don't know it.

Occupational risk report for first wave is here

www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/causesofdeath/bulletins/coronaviruscovid19relateddeathsbyoccupationenglandandwales/deathsregisteredbetween9marchand25may2020

I need to some advice on a similar matter. Member of staff tested positive. Was in the company of at least 3 other teachers for more than 15 mins and working a meter or 2. Positive teacher sent home and the rest not sent despite speaking to the head about their concerns.
What should actually happen? Is anyone familiar with the correct protocol. School is in England and in an area with extra restrictions in place due to high number of cases.

Sorry forgot to mention one of the teachers was contacted by the nhs app to isolate
Still ignored by head

Well close contact is defined as being face to face with someone within 2 metres for longer than 15 minutes so yes they should isolate. Were staff told to stay more than 2 metres away from each other? The head will probably report to DFE that all staff keep more than 2 metres away from each other but if this hasn't happened it should be reported. Can they speak to Union as there may have been justified reason to be closer. PS Personally I don't really think the 2 metre rule makes much difference in enclosed rooms and all contacts should isolate.

Random, you have 1 case, that could be zero to do with the school but infection outside the school.
Whats interesting is how many others test positive now!

I worry so much about schools closing, I worry about my kids education and I worry about those kids where school is the only safe place.

I’m so angry at how the government has done F all to help schools, they should have been moving heaven and earth to find ways to keep teachers and children safe. Instead they have done nothing.

I worry about the mental health of our teachers. I worry next year there will be many teachers deciding it’s
time for a career change.

For all those teachers reading,

A pathetic gesture I know but you are appreciated!

@Ouchy Children desperately need to be in school no they need to be educated. The only children actually who need to be in school are the children of single parents years 5 and below and vulnerable children. All other children should be at home.

[quote AldiAisleofCrap]**@Ouchy* Children desperately need to be in school* no they need to be educated. The only children actually who need to be in school are the children of single parents years 5 and below and vulnerable children. All other children should be at home.[/quote]
Ummm what about those of us that work???

@AldiAisleofCrap you must be right. Of course there is no need for children to be in school. Of course, today’s children are no different to yesterday’s or previous or future generations. They clearly never needed to be in school in the first place! 🙄😂 In fact, what is the point of school?! Why do basically all nations expend national budgets on educational institutions, curricula, teachers/staff etc? Was never even necessary in the first place!

What an interesting assertion.

School is not just about academic education. Socialising, independence, routine, safety net - the list is endless. Funny how a pandemic that doesn’t affect children’s health is suddenly an excuse to lock them away in their homes and proclaim school to be an unnecessary expense. Of course children shouldn’t just be at home! 🙄

Just to spice it all up a report on the BBC on Monday suggests stopping all testing of children because they get 1/3 of cases and it's assumed they hardly transmit so in the uk we should stop testing then 🤔😳.
I agree it is a response of what we don't know we can ignore so schools won't close etc.

Each , So if they hadn't tested the one case we have had that child would have been in school ! What will this achieve if they stop testing children?
How does this protect the adults in school ? ..

@HipTightOnions

Teachers tend to be female, of working age and relatively well off (compared to the groups dying). So they aren’t in the most at risk group

However among my closest colleagues, more than half are over 50, more than half are male, 3 are male and over 60, and some of us were considered clinically vulnerable.

We’re all in - big classes, small classrooms, no masks, no SD.

Thanks ! I'm glad to know I don't fit the stats that you'd like to see in schools whoever wrote the original quote (can't find it to quote it myself)

I fit your description but I AM in the most at risk group.

Yet here I am at work

@noblegiraffe

I wonder do they really have any real support from the DofE?

Gav tweeted at 4pm on International Teachers Day to say thanks to teachers. Or at least the intern remembered at 4pm that they were supposed to tweet.

Think that’s it for support. He’s done a few articles slating teachers for various things.

That one tweet. Makes it all worthwhile 🤣

It is appalling if testing children stops.
Doesn't surprise me: I guess one adult being off can be sorted out. 30 plus children being off is going to disrupt too many other people and schools can stay open. It's turning a blind eye isn't it? Then they can blame the adults for going out ( for food / shopping
etc) and pass the buck!

@OhDear2200 thank you x

My mental health is absolutely shot to pieces. I'm just about holding it together at school.

I don't think there's any job apart from teaching where an extremely clinically vulnerable adult is working in a small room with 30 faces looking up at them with no PPE whatsoever. Some are in rooms with windows that cannot be opened. The heating is on full and can't be turned down locally. They are told it must stay on as children are complaining about being cold. They are in the same room, together for hours at a time. Plus, it's often kept a secret if a colleague or a child or someone in a child's family has tested positive.
Most teachers I know say that children in their class have symptoms, have had symptoms but returned to school after a day or two, or have said someone in their family has tested positive.
Many are also being told they cannot be off work even with symptoms unless they have proof of a positive test.

Children's sore throats, loss of taste and smell, coughs and even temperatures are ignored when they go and see the nurse and they're being sent back to class. If they're off school with these symptoms, families do not have to provide proof of testing positive on their return.

I wish the media would report on this. I am worried for close friends with health conditions who were shielding before and who are now having to work in these circumstances

Reading this thread it now feels as if the government is treating schools the same as they did care homes back in March.
By putting their head in the sand they can pretend it's all fine and dandy to keep them open and holding SLTs to ransom to keep quiet somehow.
They will limp on till half term and then Christmas , holding their breath all the way and keeping their fingers crossed.