School changing policy!?

[workeatsleeprepeatwork]

I've dropped my child (reception) off at school this morning and the teacher announced to the waiting parents that they are now sending the children home for a PCR test if they have any cold or hay fever symptoms what so ever. A sniffle, sneeze etc = home.

Apparently this is new guidance from the LA.

Completely understand cough, fever or change to taste and smell (and no one should be sending them with those anyway of course) but a sneeze?! In five year olds?

Has anyone else had this?

Ridiculous.

They'd better not bring that in here as DS will never be in school. He has allergies year round and is permanently sneezing and full of snot!

It'sbecause the Deltavaroant tens to present first more like hayfever or a common cold.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-57467051

The Delta variant has all these symptoms. The virus is spreading in schools. They are just doing what they can to reduce the spread

[quote Scarby9]It'sbecause the Deltavaroant tens to present first more like hayfever or a common cold.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-57467051[/quote]
I know, but there has been no change to guidance at all.

We are also in an area of low cases, and the school have not had one case so far. Not even in the winter when it was really bad.

We are in an area of low cases and a local Primary School has just had to close. So maybe not so low now!

Are they offering remote provision to children who have to isolate then, seeing as it will be substantially more than with the 3 main symptoms? Hopefully they apply some logic at least so those with hay-fever and allergies aren't stuck in a loop of testing and isolating.

Well, the WHO yesterday said that the cases in the UK are rising rapidly, a cause for concern and the variant is hitting predominantly young people.
So it's good that schools are taking pre-emptive action while Boris gets over the Hancock-arse scandal.

Yes, we are in an area of low cases too, but two local secondaries and a primary are fully closed, and yeargroups / bubbles out in others.
Remote learning is available / compulsory to any pupils self isolating.

@Geamhradh

Well, the WHO yesterday said that the cases in the UK are rising rapidly, a cause for concern and the variant is hitting predominantly young people. So it's good that schools are taking pre-emptive action while Boris gets over the Hancock-arse scandal.

Of course it is, as young people are not vaccinated plus they are doing asymptomatic LFT testing on a much larger scale than others. The important thing is that thankfully young people aren't being massively affected.

I taught in an area of low cases and no cases in school. Until May. When we suddenly had a few cases that grew so quickly the whole school had to shut 3 weeks later. Be glad they’re looking to change policy instead of just saying ’it’ll be fine’.

No remote learning for the children AFAIK, mine was off for the day 2 weeks ago (because he had a cough so we tested him, negative) nothing was offered. He just had a day off! I got him to do some writing practice 'just for fun' because I'm mean

I mean one day off in reception for a test isn't going to ruin their education, and they are only off for a day because they're coming back quickly. As no ones had to isolate because no ones been positive (half the class have been tested in the last two weeks!) I don't know what would happen then. I assume if the class got sent home they would move to remote learning again.

It can’t be more ridiculous than the testing criteria still only reflecting symptoms we know aren’t the main symptoms anymore. It’s an overdue change if we want to get on top of Covid and stop more frequent closures in the long term.

In the long run, children with those symptoms being off school will likely lead to fewer colds circulating so it might be less time than you think. The allergies is tricker, but if you know a child has allergies, if they’ve been tested once and their symptoms are relieved by antihistamines then they shouldn’t need further testing unless their symptoms get significantly worse.

We are also in an area of low cases, and the school have not had one case so far.

So are we. One positive case just took out 2 classes and the ASC.

I'm not concerned about children being off school now. Certainly in my school they are all exhausted - little of the learning is going in, and the afternoons are spent mostly dealing with the fallout from friendship issues. They've had enough of their 'bubble mates'. Think half of my own class would be happier at home right now just doing the basic English and maths every day. My own child did her own maths in half an hour this morning and is now listening to an audio book and drawing. Think that's about the right level of challenge frankly.

Not saying I'm not sympathetic, but last week it was reported that runny noses, sore throat and headache are becoming more common symptoms of covid. Just wondering if they're trying to reduce the need for bubbles breaking and many children being off that don't need to be, whereas it takes 24 hours to get a child tested and result here, if negative, they're back in school.

@workeatsleeprepeatwork

We are also in an area of low cases, and the school have not had one case so far. Not even in the winter when it was really bad.

Where I am was in an area with low cases 2 weeks ago. We had not had a single confirmed positive case within a school setting since this all began. There were literally no cases / showing as suppressed for weeks.

We now have the secondary schools closed. Teachers and pupiles testing positive. Several primary schools with various year groups isolating. Nurseries closed and lots of local business affected with staff shortages and having to shut due to people being positive and isolating.

The majority of those testing positive where we are report cold symptoms or no symptoms.

@ifonly4

Not saying I'm not sympathetic, but last week it was reported that runny noses, sore throat and headache are becoming more common symptoms of covid. Just wondering if they're trying to reduce the need for bubbles breaking and many children being off that don't need to be, whereas it takes 24 hours to get a child tested and result here, if negative, they're back in school.

Not ideal for parents to keep regularly taking time off work to await multiple PCR tests if their dc has hay-fever though is it

Would this mean the whole household has to isolate whilst awaiting results? That is ridiculous in peak hayfever season. Is there a box to tick to say you don’t have main symptoms but have been asked to take a test. I believe there is one for the Zoe app and you don’t have to isolate whilst awaiting results.

I know it is spreading in schools but it is going to once restrictions are relaxed as children are unvaccinated. If they want to keep cases down whilst vaccinating more people they should have thought of that when they relaxed lockdown restrictions. I have willing kept my child at home in all lockdowns but there is no end in sight for children and I’m not sure how long this can continue.

I can understand why they are now being more careful about these symptoms but presumably they won't send a child home for having hayfever symptoms if they've had the same symptoms for weeks and/or have no NEW symptoms since getting a PCR? Otherwise in your school my DC would probably be sent home for the whole summer term

Sounds sensible to me

We had an isolation period due to LFT test for staff

But not had any of this

Dc rarely has colds etc anyway

I assume after negative PCR you go back?

This has been the advice in the area I work since March