Attending school whilst awaiting test!!

[chocolateisbest]

Do any schools have any consequences for attending school whilst awaiting a test?

Dd had to isolate due to close contact as the boy she was sat next to was awaiting test results. Other kids in the class knew he was awaiting tests but unfortunately DD didnt and had close contact. I am in shielding group and DD had to miss 2 weeks of GCSE mocks so it has huge implications.

Should school have a disciplinary policy on this?

We can't discipline parents sadly. We have had it repeatedly, exposing students and staff unnecessarily (including pregnant and previously shielding staff). We inform PHE and have, for a family who have done it twice, informed the police on their advisement.

Thankfully our head has a set of balls and isn't terrified of parents (like some), so he is very forceful when explaining the consequences of the actions of parents like this.

Year 11 so does the child not have some responsibility??

Nope and if a child has symptoms (such as fever) and the parents declare it’s just a cold and the child doesn’t need a test there is nothing schools can do and we have to just accept the child in.
But, sometimes there are many reasons for having a test for other then the 3 main. I use the Zoe app and it invited me for a test for a snotty nose, sore throat, and brain fog, none of which require me to isolate. So I’m still working whilst awaiting test results too. Maybe the student was the same?

We had 3 siblings in school ( 2 sixth form) who were waiting for tests but still in school. Caused absolute chaos as they were positive. How ignorant were the parents and sixthformers. Idiots.

DS (teacher) had a Y11 boy who came into school when both his parents were positive. He got swiftly sent home but should never have set foot in school. Presumably they wanted him out of the way.

This has happened a few times in each of my DCs' secondaries (Y10) resulting in one DS contracting Covid and his brother missing even more school.

The schools have written to parents urging them not to send in students who have tested positive or whose families have tested positive.

The cases are out of control at their schools, with three in one form alone.

Did the child test positive in the end OP?

My post was not very clear. Yes the child was positive and Dd missed her 2 weeks of GCSE mocks.

First day of mocks here. Had a group of children literally about to start the first mock exam and whole year sent home. A pupil in the year had been into school despite sibling tested positive. The whole year missed eight days. It's just so irresponsible and selfish.

Yes the child was positive and Dd missed her 2 weeks of GCSE mocks

As presumably did many others who had contact with him in each of the subject classes, and best friends at break times.

Yes he should have been off from as soon as he was symptomatic, and the chances of him passing it on would have been sharply reduced. But it would only have shortened SI for your DD and others by the time between onset of symptoms and test results.

The boy did not choose when he fell ill

I do agree with your however that it's utterly wrong to send DC - particualary older teens who are approaching adult pattern of the disease - into school when symptomatic. They risk spread to more people and with a higher viral load every hour they are there.

DC who are 15/16 or so have some responsibility for this too - they don't need supervising at home and will be held to be medically competent in most circumstances

"I do agree with your however that it's utterly wrong to send DC - particualary older teens who are approaching adult pattern of the disease - into school when symptomatic. They risk spread to more people and with a higher viral load every hour they are there."

Not particularly older teens, but any child. Younger children can still pass it on to staff who will get the adult pattern of the disease.

We have had this at least 4 times that we know of. Parents sending their children in whilst waiting for a test because “they didn’t know they shouldn’t” and also parents refusing to give us the results of a test and sending in/ refusing to collect their sick child day after day. This last child alone has meant we’ve lost two more staff (off sick) who have contracted Covid.
Our school is on its knees. Not enough staff in. Year groups self isolating. New cases daily. And despite being in close contact with more than one case, I’m apparently not required to self isolate, so day after day I just bring this risk home to my family.

We have just had another message saying the school had to send 150 home instead of 6 due to children coming into school after positive tests 😒

We had a kid attend whilst both parents were really ill with covid but tried to keep it quiet. The Teacher of the kid was 5 months pregnant. It has caused so much distress in the school community.

Auntie Stella - the boys wasnt ill as was never off school until he got the test results. Presumably he got test due to being in contact with someone with covid. Every day counts with the mocks as they have 3 or 4 exams a day. All now need to be made up during lesson time in January so Dd will miss the lessons and presumably going over the papers so even just 2 extra days could be 8 exams to reschedule and 10 lessons to catch up on in free time.