Covid in schools

[Feckers2018]

Am in NW. Family of teachers throughout the area. Schools seemed safe when numbers were low....gradually got worse....in fact am now scared to death. Bubbles bursting every week.... management only tell you on a need to know basis if anyone has tested positive. Staff now getting it....children falling ill in class. Trying to social distance but you can’t and no masks yet you know Covid is in school. I hope it doesn’t get worse for everyone’s mental health.

I teach in Midlands. All seems okay at present - think we may have been lulled into a false sense of security as we've only had one case. Fair few kids off as parents/family members have it. Goodness knows how many asymptomatic. No staff off as yet. Not sure if it's a matter of time and will turn into a house of cards or if the magic fairy dust protecting schools is actually real.

I am very worried. First case in school today. Noone informed me but heard through other teachers. Close contacts not told immediately.

So basically just left to go home at the end of school

what would happen if you just started wearing a mask?

won't take the problem away entirely but may help? what could/would they do?

I work in a school. We’ve had 3 bubbles burst so far with 3 children testing positive and an additional 3 members of staff testing positive.
It’s really scary and I do not feel safe at work at all. Neither do my colleagues. No masks and it’s near on impossible to social distance.
I don’t know what the answer is because I want children to be in school receiving an education, yet I fear for a lot of people’s mental and physical health.
It’s a horrible feeling having to be hyper alert all day every day while knowing that there is nothing you can really do to protect yourself apart from washing hands as much as possible.

Both my children in different schools have most of their year off isolating. I'm so grateful we aren't over half term.

We're still tier 1 but schools were dropping like flies. It seems to be the transmition route here and thats just the one they pick up.

I cant see what keep closing businesses will do if they keep schools open.

what would happen if you just started wearing a mask?
It’s very difficult to teach while wearing a mask all day and there are also some children with speech and language needs that rely on facial expressions and a certain amount of lip reading to understand.
Also, the mask protects the wearer from spreading the virus, it does not stop the wearer from catching it from others.. and we can’t expect primary children to wear masks at school all day.

As a parent with health issues , I worry my kids will get it and pass it on - I can’t imagine how worrying it must be for teachers.

we have all had to work round that....its difficult yes, its difficult for all of us but needs must. lots of people i come into contact with rely on facial expressions and some are completely deaf but we just have to manage that best we can. not sure why primary children cant trial masks at least......quite a few people are angry that schools are setting us back

the mask makes you feel a bit more protected. will help with those worried

no reason why you can't all wear one in staff rooms, etc

Well we are a low incidence area. Yet secondary, bubbles popped. Massive outbreak in another secondary.

Primary bubble burst at the start of half term and that was after close contacts had broken up, gone home and started holidays. Another bubble popped, this time with staff. It took the best part of a week to get the result. Meaning close contacts have been out and about, travelling from Tier 1 all over the place. Days out, meals, hair salons, visits, holidays, having the best half term etc, etc.

We may have a little dip for a while, due to the staggered holidays. I fear we are in huge trouble in November.

So do I. Am dreading it it’s ridiculous.

I'm in south Yorkshire, infant school.

Last 3 weeks we have had 10 members of staff across school test positive. Tested due to symptoms. As of this weekend 8 out of 9 classes had closed.

We've also had some parents test positive.
As yet no children have tested positive that I'm aware of. However few have been tested as not showing symptoms. Many have colds and bugs, but not testable symptoms.

The staff are spread across classes and tear groups, and include non teaching staff too. For most of those people the only close contact they have outside their own household is the children at school, myself included.

I'm in south Yorkshire, infant school.

Last 3 weeks we have had 10 members of staff across school test positive. Tested due to symptoms. As of this weekend 8 out of 9 classes had closed.

We've also had some parents test positive.
As yet no children have tested positive that I'm aware of. However few have been tested as not showing symptoms. Many have colds and bugs, but not testable symptoms.

The staff are spread across classes and tear groups, and include non teaching staff too. For most of those people the only close contact they have outside their own household is the children at school, myself included.

Oh and the parents don't know who or how many staff are included. They just know that there has been at least one positive case in their class bubble.

Are you in a union?

we have all had to work round that....its difficult yes, its difficult for all of us but needs must. lots of people i come into contact with rely on facial expressions and some are completely deaf but we just have to manage that best we can. not sure why primary children cant trial masks at least..

Do you work in a school GirlCrush?
Children with SEN/SLCN cannot always understand teachers in masks which can make them anxious and sometimes disruptive. This then affects the whole class and becomes unmanageable. The learning would be massively affected, so then it negates the whole point of being there in the first place!
Primary children also cannot be expected to wear masks all day.. a lot of adults struggle with this so asking 5,6,7,8 year olds to do it is not an option. Besides, they would be constantly fiddling and touching their faces which would be counterproductive.

no i dont work in a school anymore

but not every school or every classroom is the same and SOME attempt at getting kids to wear masks could be attempted. Through my work i see kids with masks. my own kids wear them too and the lack of moaning puts some adults to shame, they accept it and get on with it

so it could be trialled....attempted...and as for fiddling and touching, thats what every other mask wearer is doing anyway! it won't ever be perfect but people are going to be getting really pissed off that schools being open no matter what is leading to further lockdowns and businesses being closed and sacrificed like it currently is

When my child’s teacher can get them all to successfully manage their own flipping jumpers without wearing them backwards/ losing them/wearing each others then I might think about believing it would be safe and sensible to expect them to manage putting on, wearing and removing masks for six hours a day. Until then....

@Triangularbubble

When my child’s teacher can get them all to successfully manage their own flipping jumpers without wearing them backwards/ losing them/wearing each others then I might think about believing it would be safe and sensible to expect them to manage putting on, wearing and removing masks for six hours a day. Until then....

Is that not your job?

I'm only part time in school but worried, four burst bubbles so far, three caused by positive children, one of those more than one child positive in that class. At the moment window open a bit and we go out for a time, but as weather gets worse not sure what will happen then.
I'm in my 50s diabetic and not sure I'd do well fighting off Covid, not sure if I should resign but feeling sad I may have to. Thinking I may not get another job at my age. So many worries including bringing it home to my husband.
There's no real answers, as children do need school.

I knew someone would say that. I’m not in the classroom. I unfortunately cannot influence how teachers, for example, tell them all to take off their jumpers and put them in a pile in the corner, or how they allocate storage space or if/how they use the many many strategies I have tried to install in my child to help them manage their stuff. Nor can I magically cure my small child of his SEN. Given the class WhatsApp group is 99% lost stuff, I’m confident it’s not just me. The teacher is actually excellent, kids losing stuff is par for the course and I’m not moaning about the jumpers really, more frustrated that people think small children who can’t manage that can manage masks. Because DC coming home wearing Sam’s jumper or Jake’s coat is one thing. Them handling or worse wearing Jack’s used mask is just yuck.

Well if we don’t at least try to mitigate risk instead of writing off our kids as stupid then expect your schools to close fairly soon

Kids can keep their jumpers on....classroom windows are open for ventilation

It’s just excuses..

Not really sure about the relevance of jumpers... mine hardly ever get mixed up. We are super organised and as safe as we can be in the given rules.... yet Covid is coming in from the community. I don’t know what the answer is. Yes most staff are in unions.

It’s absolutely right that heads are limiting access to information. We cannot have a situation where unions are kicking off and pulling teachers out of schools and parents are hysterical and not debido their D.C.

Secondary kids aren’t wearing masks either and they can manage to put their jumpers on the right way round.

There are lots of things that could be done to make schools safer without closing them but the government doesn’t because they don’t want to spend any money on education.