School still requiring masks in communal areas

[TheFuckThatIGave]

We've just had letters today from both ds's schools saying that following discussions amongst area heads, all secondaries in the area will still be requiring students to wear face masks in communal areas from Monday, exempt students aside. This is directly contrary to the DfE guidance this week. Anyone else had similar?

Yes ours has just texted the same.

Same at my school.

Yes, same in our school. Not only communal areas, they are keeping things as they are until half term to begin with.

Agree with them, sadly.

This is a sensible move from schools, especially in areas with rising cases. Utter madness that the DfE issued the ditching mask advice.
Sadly the local secondary will be making masks optional for now.

It sounds sensible. Wearing a mask in crowded corridord isn't difficult and should limit spread if anyone is infected.

Same

Same. Masks to be worn apart from in classrooms. I don't mind tbh.

Yes.

I wonder what the legal basis is for the decision making. The guidance to schools from DfE says that reintroduction of masks must be by the Local Action Committee structure, only a temporary measure, and in response to local outbreaks (pg10). None of which was referenced in either schools letter...

Same.

Did the DfE suggest just flinging them aside completely?

Our school said this was because "bubbles may cross" in corridors (what they mean is, hundreds of teenagers cram into the corridor as the building holds many more than it was designed for). I think that's fair enough and offspring are happy to wear them during lesson changeover.

They also said that if any students still wanted to wear them in lessons they could. I can't imagine they'll have a big take-up on that one.

I'm not particularly bothered by the requirement in and of itself, but having worked in compliance structures and retaining an interest, they need to be damn sure they've covered themselves legally. And most organisations hey that really wrong...

Yes we got a letter today, but to be fair there has been a covid outbreak that seems to have transmitted in school.

Interesting, our secondary are making them optional which means pretty much no one will wear them, although they have said they will reintroduce if local outbreaks get severe again.

Ours is advising that they be worn at all times even in classrooms.

@EndoplasmicReticulum

Yes, students are not required to wear masks at all on secondary school premises as if Monday 17th. According to DfE and the Secretary of State for Education's publications anyway.

Adding to that though, bubbles aren't changing so kids will still only be in contact with those in their bubble.

I wonder what the legal basis is for the decision making

How about common sense ?

There are all sorts of rules in schools that pupils are asked to comply with, that aren't the law of the land.
This can just be another school rule.

Sounds far more sensible to me than the suggestion of everyone mingling in a confined space without them.

I’d imagine most of the teachers haven’t been vaccinated yet. So I can see the logic

"kids will still only be in contact with those in their bubble."

That was never a thing, was it.
Apart from the crossing in the corridors, lots of students get buses with other year groups, or have siblings in other year groups. My sons are in 2 different years, they used to eat packed lunch together. They are not allowed to eat packed lunch together at school though "because bubbles". Hmmm.

Very sensible and I’m impressed with heads who are making the decision to keep them.

It’s ridiculous to shove hundreds of people in buildings for hours together at close range and tell them not to wear masks, when you still have to wear one to stand 2m away from someone in a shop for 10 minutes. Particularly when so few of the people in schools have been vaccinated!

@EndoplasmicReticulum
Completely agree. Chuck in a few different schools for siblings and step siblings and bubbles are huge.
That’s before they’ve been to football / guides / scouts.

@BackforGood

Like I say, I'm not particularly bothered by the requirement, and nor are my kids, but regulatory compliance was my career and most organisations get it really wrong, including the public sector and schools. It's a mostly a curiosity of mine, nothing more.

Ours is the same, they have reverted back to how it was before the masks in classrooms. So corridors, and buses.

Had an email saying masks still in classroom and corridors, as local outbreak of Indian varient and three positive LFT last week in pupils at school.

Very sensible.
In Erewash in the age 10-14yos the rate got up to over 2000/100k.