Out of interest, how many schools have had 0 confirmed covid cases yet?

[Zara50]

We are tier 4 (midlands). My dc primary school has still yet to have a confirmed covid case, which is obviously great for us but I think is purely down to luck as opposed to safety measures.

Just curious as to how many other schools in high tier areas are similar... I guess primary age children are often asymptomatic and therefore go undiagnosed?

My area’s per 100,000 rate is at its peak now, which is still only equivalent to 0.14% of the population testing positive. It doesn’t seem that extraordinary to me that we’ve not had any cases at school.

@HollyGenneroMcClane

I think it is really odd parents think they can be sure of the health status if everyone in their child’s school. Why do you think you would know? Are you basing your ‘our school has had no cases’ on playground gossip?

No, newsletters from the Head Teacher.

@HollyGenneroMcClane

I think it is really odd parents think they can be sure of the health status if everyone in their child’s school. Why do you think you would know? Are you basing your ‘our school has had no cases’ on playground gossip?

I’m basing on the fact that I also work there, and am the person who writes the email to parents every time we have a positive case. So far, none in prep, several in senior school.

I do find it odd when many of the teachers and parents I have spoken to in surrounding areas have reported similar cases in their schools. I have only heard of one school in the area which had just one reported case. I also wonder how many are keeping their children off with symptoms but not getting tested thus skewing figures.

@Understandingnotignorance

I do find it odd when many of the teachers and parents I have spoken to in surrounding areas have reported similar cases in their schools. I have only heard of one school in the area which had just one reported case. I also wonder how many are keeping their children off with symptoms but not getting tested thus skewing figures.

It entirely depends on your area I suppose. My stepmother teaches at the other primary in our village, they’ve had one case (we’ve had two in ours). The school I’m chair of governors at in the next village along hasn’t had any. We have been tier 3 for months (now tier 4) due to our proximity to a very hard hit city, but our local cases are low and have remained low throughout. Currently 67 per 100k. Low community cases tends to equal low cases in schools too.

What is interesting is that the school i have only heard of one case in is literally 5 mins from one where there have been a huge number of cases. Yet both schools have similar Safeguarding procedures in place so is it luck, lack of testing who knows.

Probably a combination of things. I don’t think it’s down to lack of testing in our school, everyone I know is keeping their kids off and testing when they’re ill. Mine have been tested 6 times between them... both prone to coughs whenever they get any sort of illness so we’ve had to test. All negative. I think in our case it mainly boils down to a low number of community cases. Despite being tier 3 (now 4) the highest incidence we’ve had was around 190 per 100k.

Even staff are not told exact details of cases, it most certainly doesn't go out in a letter to parents.

In our local nursery we've had a a few cases confirmed but one case only affected one bubble due to timings etc. I agree with many others though and recon children aren't being tested and there's probably been many more cases going un noticed.

@RedskyAtnight

I'd imagine there are quite a lot of (particularly small) primary schools that don't. We're in a Tier 4 area where schools are shut next week, and yet there are plenty of primary schools which haven't recorded any cases (the secondary schools on the other hand ...).

Our secondary school sends home a letter every time there is a positive case notified to them - is this not the case everywhere?

I wonder if we are in the same area. None in the primaries and letters for every case in the high school (that were then in the local paper due to the amount of cases).

I'm in a tier 4 area (we haven't been lower than tier 3 since the tier system came in) in Scotland.
My DC are at an average size primary school, around 250-300 pupils and there have been no confirmed cases among staff or pupils.
The school have been extremely strict with staggered start/finish times, numerous assigned entrances and exits and staggered breaks abs lunch.
The kids all do PE outside regardless of weather and all kids that take a packed lunch eat at their desk. Social distancing is being enforced between children who aren't in a bubble, staff wear masks and all parents to wear masks at drop off and pick up. Seems to be working so far.

My dd school, small, private, boarding.