Bubble closed, child wasn't in school

[Treaclepie19]

Our DS developed symptoms on Saturday, we booked him a test and isolated. His results came through Monday but too late to send him to school. His dad and I developed symptoms on the monday evening and tested Tuesday morning which came back negative overnight.
He went back to school Wednesday.
Just had a letter to say his bubble is closed until 24th November, meaning contact with someone on Monday or Tuesday if I've worked it out right (14 days) when he wasn't in.
Obviously he can't go to school but does this mean he has hopefully missed contact with whoever tested positive?
I've emailed them but I'm expecting a standard "he is part of the bubble so needs to isolate".
We have a 7 week old so just really wanting to reassure myself rather than anything else. He wouldn't be going out either way.

Take the baby for her injections. Let dad do a bit of work from home parenting for a bit. Plonk child in front of telly and leave them to it, plenty of other parents managed it for months so I am sure he can cope for an hour.

We almost never use supply in primary these days as there is zilch money (I'm a fairly small school though, there might be more money in bigger ones). Any TA is moved from what they should be doing o cover a class in case of absence. Pre-pandemic, classes would be split with groups of 4 or 5 given work to do in the corner of another classroom.

There is absolutely no way we would get a supply teacher in for one child who doesn't have to isolate. We couldn't move a TA for one child either as we are so short-staffed there wouldn't be anyone spare. I guess at a push they could sit in the school office but they wouldn't get taught anything there.

Agree with other posters. I would clarify with school to see if he has to isolate or not first. Assuming he does I think I’d probably post pone jabs if new date not too far away but if it was far off I’d reluctantly opt for the tv baby sitter. Just to clarify your ds got a negative test and then you both did as well? I assume you all are no longer displaying symptoms? Tests can give false negatives (as well as false positives)

@MarjorytheTrashHeap that’s really interesting, because we’ve got supply teachers coming out of our ears at the minute. And overwhelmingly that’s to cover staff who don’t, themselves, have to self isolate.

I will just cross my fingers that the not isolating but can’t go to school scenario not a conversation I ever have with either my head or the head of my DC’s school!

I wish my school would use supply but they won't as we are in quite a lot of trouble financially. They did actually use one when I had to take time off for my own DC's isolation but it was only a couple of days as I split with DH and the rest was luckily over half term. Since then they have actually closed a class in my school because of no staff when the teacher had to isolate (we have a lot of staff off at the moment either with Covid, post-Covid, self-isolating or ECV). I'm sure it's been a headache for our parents so I don't think my head would have a leg to stand on if she made a fuss if I have to go off again because my DC's school do the same as her.

Thanks all, I've contacted the school to clarify. Its not about him going to school really, its about being able to go for walks or whatever.
They've definitely closed the school bubble, no supply. So if he is isolating I'll contact the doctors and see whats best about her jabs. If they still say it's OK to go ahead then DH is going to tv parent like you say and if not I'll rearrange them.
@CKBJ we did all get tested and all got negatives. Still have the cough and taste/smell is up and down.

I work in primary, if a bubble has closed, all members of that bubble will need to stay away from school. Children cannot mix bubbles, even at playtime they are separated.

I'm not wondering if he can go to school, I know he can't. I'm wondering if he needs to isolate or if he can go for walks/come with me to appointments if needed.

Op if I were you I’d be discussing the possible symptoms and negative test results with medical professionals (Nhs 111). As I said there are false negatives and at one point (not sure if it’s changed now) the advice was to isolate if you had symptoms even if test was negative.

@Treaclepie19

Our DS developed symptoms on Saturday, we booked him a test and isolated. His results came through Monday but too late to send him to school. His dad and I developed symptoms on the monday evening and tested Tuesday morning which came back negative overnight. He went back to school Wednesday. Just had a letter to say his bubble is closed until 24th November, meaning contact with someone on Monday or Tuesday if I've worked it out right (14 days) when he wasn't in. Obviously he can't go to school but does this mean he has hopefully missed contact with whoever tested positive? I've emailed them but I'm expecting a standard "he is part of the bubble so needs to isolate". We have a 7 week old so just really wanting to reassure myself rather than anything else. He wouldn't be going out either way.

AFIAK, the 14 days starts from the day the test result comes in, but the test (and therefore symptoms) could have been taken at the end of the previous week.

If the bubble is closed but a handful of kids are eligible to go in, it may still not be practical for the school to have them in - particular if teachers also need to isolate (usually they aren't told to, but sometimes they can be).

@PotteringAlong

I would assume they would get supply staff in to cover absent staff. I’m a secondary teacher so a different scenario I know but, for example, my eldest was contacted in the middle of half term and told to self isolate due to a case at wrap around care. He was isolating for half term and the first week back after the holiday. But, if they had sent his class home that week I would have expected him (and the 3 other from wrap around who were isolating) to return when their time was up because they had had no contact.

It’s an interesting scenario though. We had lots more staff off in school last week because they were at home with primary aged children who were isolating than were isolating themselves.

In some areas, there are not enough supply teachers available to cover for all the absent staff, though.

If you think about it logically, how many short term supply teachers does your school normally have in? Maybe one or two? But in some areas most schools have 10 + staff off at any one time. There simply isn't the supply available to cover that level of absence in many areas, so the only option is a partial closure.

Please please please get your DH to be upfront and say to his fellow meeting-people that he is keeping an eye on his isolating DS. For every dad that makes this a normal thing to do, it makes life that bit more equal for women. Men who are juggling family life during covid times go up in most clients estimation so its unlikely to do him any harm.

@MoiraNotRuby dh is very hands on so he will definitely be doing that. He's already had to do similar with other occasions during all of this. He drops off and collects ds from school most of the time too so it won't be a surprise to them.

@Treaclepie19

I'm not wondering if he can go to school, I know he can't. I'm wondering if he needs to isolate or if he can go for walks/come with me to appointments if needed.

I know. You did make that clear, but there are other posters declaring that they would send their kids in regardless, which is not allowed, I don't think.

[quote Treaclepie19]@MoiraNotRuby dh is very hands on so he will definitely be doing that. He's already had to do similar with other occasions during all of this. He drops off and collects ds from school most of the time too so it won't be a surprise to them.[/quote]
That is very cheering to read!!

My dc was in the same position and he was off school but I didn't make him isolate.

I definitely picked a good one 😊
I should have just properly talked to him about it rather than trying to juggle everything because straight away he said work would understand and its extenuating circumstances.