School now saying you need to keep isolating if a test comes back negative?

[cansomebodyputthetreeupplease]

I've contacted them to clarify and ask why they have stated this. Has anyone else's school had the same rule?

It goes against NHS advice (assuming the child isn't SI because of a household member testing positive in which case a negative test result is meaningless). I am not happy about the prospect of my DC's losing more time in school because of a random temp or a typical winter cough. My employer won't be happy either!

It the school insists is it worth challenging?

Thanks everyone. I possibly wasn't clear in my original post.
This isn't about my child in particular, it's what the school have sent out to parents.
It's not about bubbles/ contracts - a negative test on this scenario is meaningless as the full 14day SI must be completed.
It's about kids (or household members I guess) with symptoms who have taken a test, and the test has come back negative. A PCR test, not a lateral flow test as they are not meant to be taken when you are symptomatic.
So for example; my child wakes up with a temp. I book them a test. Test comes back negative, temp has gone. The rules say they no longer have to SI because the negative test shows the temp isn't due to Covid. If the temp persists then no school because they are ill, but not because of Covid.
The school is saying that no, in this scenario the child must continue isolating as per Covid rules. Which is wrong!

And to those saying that following a covid result you cannot stop self isolating after 10 days if you still have a cough, that is wrong. You need to be 48hrs clear of a fever. Cough, lack of taste etc, all good to go. Because they can continue for months post-covid, and are not indicators that you are still infectious (as a temp is)

I would be worried that the policy will lead to cases being missed. The test itself is horrible for kids and difficult for the parent to administer. The main reason most parents get the test done is to get themselves back to work and kids back to school because chances are it's some winter bug not covid. Will parents bother if they have to stay off anyway?

I know I won't test again after the no results shambles that has seen me miss 10 days of my essential work, I was very likely negative seeing dd was and she had far more pronounced symptoms than me. Can't take that risk again!

@CoronaBollox

My local secondary school is doing this too. My sibling has just gone back after self isolating due to contact with a positive case. Our DF asked if after a negative test can she return they said no, once her results came back negative he rang to tell them and asked again, they said she must complete her isolation period.

But that is COMPLETELY CORRECT.

If you are isolating due to contact with a positive case, you have to isolate - no 'get out of jail free' card for a negative test.

However, if you are isolating due to having symptoms of Covid yourself and have had no contact with a different positive case, then you can return as soon as you are well and have had a negative result.

DO NOT CONFLATE THE TWO - these are different scenarios.

cant I KNOW IT IS THANK YOU.

None of you seem to realise that the government has tasked schools to deal with the track and trace within schools themselves. Hence the following of government guidance, as opposed to the NHS track and trace. Schools have been advised to not have the app on in school etc. and is why senior teachers will have to be on call until Christmas Eve to administer the track and trace procedures set by the government in their school.
Feel free to disagree with this (teachers are bloody angry about this themselves) but that’s why there’s discrepancy.

@ChloeDecker but that doesn't explain my school sending out incorrect info. I would hate to be in education right now and have full respect for teachers.

So sorry, I assumed still with symptoms. Yes, feeling well plus negative test, should be able to return to school. Contacting the school would be useful. Hope all is ok!

@ChloeDecker I know exactly what schools are tasked with as I work in one. I sit with several kids in the covid isolation room each week and am the one that hands them over to the parents and explains the rules/options to them. (FWIW we were not responsible for the track and trace for our one positive case but that's Scotland, England could be different)

The school have now said that it was incorrect info and they rectify it. So all good.

[quote midnightstar66]@ChloeDecker I know exactly what schools are tasked with as I work in one. I sit with several kids in the covid isolation room each week and am the one that hands them over to the parents and explains the rules/options to them. (FWIW we were not responsible for the track and trace for our one positive case but that's Scotland, England could be different) [/quote]
This would explain it, I am in England. The guidance between the two is very different in a lot of the areas.

It really isn't - the guidance is identical. We follow the NHS and gov.uk and does the whole of the UK. The info I posted was from the uk sore not from NHS Scotland. The test centres etc are run the same nationally. The only difference is possibly the responsibility of schools. Obviously we notified our own pupils but there was no responsibility outside of that to do a full contact trace. I can't imagine any school have the resources to do that, as from this site, I've seen contact tracers is an actual full time role and have experience in particular areas and that it's pretty complex, but obviously I can't know for sure that's the case everywhere.

Good news @cansomebodyputthetreeupplease . I hope the National covid call centre staff that told me the same has now been better informed too.

My ds was a close contact at school and whole class has to self isolate to December 18th they send no online work to replace school.
I got him tested to make sure rest off family where ok to not isolate

@Andi2020 as contacts of a contact, your family don't need to isolate. But if he's asymtomatic then a negative test result is meaningless as he could still be incubating the virus.