Primary schools back sooner than expected?

[deeplybaffled]

It’s hard to know what to believe, but PHE now seem to be suggesting that primary schools can safely return after half term - which seems to contradict all other recent reports and government comments
focussing around Easter!

apple.news/AXTZtb_51Q7u9N6phfABWOg

I've just seen that in the Times, too. Good news if so.
Not so great for those of us with secondary school/sixth form college age kids, but still a massive step forward.

Personally I think that would be a monumental mistake at this stage.

Let's hope so!!!

But of course there will be mumsnetters on here who know more than the scientists disagreeing 🙄

I hope they don’t. We’ll just be back in this same mess again in a couple of months. It’s stupid.

Not as stupid as people going on holiday at Easter, which a lot of dds friends are doing.

It's so tiring all this briefing and counter briefing to the press. It's so fucking stressful. I wish everyone would shut up until they had something concrete to report and then publish the decision in full with evidence and giving a week's notice.

PHE seem to be ignoring the data from primary schools at the very end of last term. I thought there was growing evidence that the new strain was more transmissible among young children?

Anecdotally, a lot of primary schools seem to have had bubbles close during lockdown compared to last term in my local area (but cases have skyrocketed locally too).

Primary schools opening involves lots of adults interacting too, which they don't seem to have taken into account?

My concern is that if they just reopen primary schools as normal after half term, then we'll end up with lots of bubble closures, people relying on the childcare will be screwed and vulnerable young children will end up stuck at home. As well as the risk to wider society, of course.

I thought there was growing evidence that the new strain was more transmissible among young children?

I think it's more transmissible full stop, not particularly targeted at young children

@Remmy123

Let's hope so!!!

But of course there will be mumsnetters on here who know more than the scientists disagreeing 🙄

This is new research out from PHE based on looking at infections in primary school last term. I'm not sure any scientists have "disagreed" with these research findings yet. Will be interesting to see the discussion.

Sorry @Remmy123 I misunderstood your post.

But I dont think anything has been done to make classrooms safer has it?

Ok this sounds better than no option to do it

God I hope so. I’ll happily accept just one of my kids going back if they prioritise year groups.

Kids need education. It's going to be time to suck it up. They will vaccinate who they can and rely on the normal improvement in hospital admissions that comes with spring. However any nhs bid would tell them that happens April onwards, not in March so March will probably be a rocky month but still.

@SansaSnark

PHE seem to be ignoring the data from primary schools at the very end of last term. I thought there was growing evidence that the new strain was more transmissible among young children?

Anecdotally, a lot of primary schools seem to have had bubbles close during lockdown compared to last term in my local area (but cases have skyrocketed locally too).

Primary schools opening involves lots of adults interacting too, which they don't seem to have taken into account?

My concern is that if they just reopen primary schools as normal after half term, then we'll end up with lots of bubble closures, people relying on the childcare will be screwed and vulnerable young children will end up stuck at home. As well as the risk to wider society, of course.

The research says it recorded outbreaks in 3% of primary schools and included last term.

Anecdotally not a single one of the 15 primary schools in my town and my brothers town had any cases.

I’d love my year 1 dd to go back before my year 5 if they end up staggering it. She’s definitely missing out more than her sister.

The sooner, the better for the children, and I say that as a member of school staff. BUT they should leave that decision-making up to individual schools themselves, instead.

I know cases have fallen in general (but that is because of lockdown), and there has been very little impact of the virus on certain areas, but I know from my own school"s experience, we have 5 bubbles out at the moment. We have lateral flow testing measures in place now (ha! 🙄) so unless every single bubble is impacted, we'll keep going.

After half term is too soon for the first 4 vaccination groups to have had their first jab and a few weeks form the immune response to kick in. Group 4 of those, 70-75 and working age clinically extremely vulnerable are the vulnerable demographic most likely to mix with primary aged children. This seems unwise to say the least.

I really hope so.

And I work in a school

Well, arent you a bit of a dick. Its unhelpful as everyone then gears up for feb, the government realises it has long since completely lost sight of the science, and they dont. Then everyone is angry again

Charming. It's a suggestion by PHE. Sorry if you can't handle even debating anything other than schools closing until there isn't one single case of CV anywhere.

My kids village primary school had had no cases til mid December. Then a kid tested positive. Then another one. Then someone got their kid tested who was symptom free. Came back positive. So other people started doing it. Then teachers and support staff started getting sick. In the end over 30 cases and everyone who could was pulling their kids out. At least 6 members of staff had it. It put our village COVID rate up 660%, but I'm expected to believe primary schools are totally safe