Schools won’t pop bubbles from Monday

[Yellowmellow2]

Not sure if this has already been covered, apologies if it has! From Monday, schools no longer have responsibility for track and trace. If there’s a positive case, NHS Track and Trace are responsible and will just contact close contacts who will have to isolate. Trying to get primary children to identify close contacts will be interesting!

Because of the difficulties in identifying close contacts of the younger kids it's likely a high proportion of a class may still isolate.
And they will be asking for schools to help them identify contacts
Might not be as good as it sounds

No, I know! It’s only for this week though in theory as the next change in August means children don’t need to isolate at all. Mind you, it could all have changed again by September!

Presumably teachers will be close contacts so will have to isolate and classes will be closed anyway?!?

Will this be the same in nurseries?

Are you sure? I thought it was 16th of August that isolation changes.

Not sure how many schools are still in next week. I think the majority have finished now. Sounds like chaos for those who haven't. 🙄

@VanGoSunflowers

Will this be the same in nurseries?

Yes, all educational settings.

Local authorities can choose to still adhere to the idea of bubbles, burst bubbles and self-isolation:
www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/bubbles-wont-scrapped-greater-manchester-21048308

No, not all schools. Some have decided to follow the rules until the end of term.

@blameitonthecaffeine

Are you sure? I thought it was 16th of August that isolation changes.

Not sure how many schools are still in next week. I think the majority have finished now. Sounds like chaos for those who haven't. 🙄

Yes. Stage 4 starts Monday. NHS take over from schools with test and trace and will directly contact children who need to isolate. After 16th of August, under 18s (and double vaccinated) don’t have to isolate if they’re a close contact, just take a PCR.

@Nix32

No, not all schools. Some have decided to follow the rules until the end of term.

They may not have the authority to close bubbles though, if it goes against the DfE and PHE guidance.

We still have another week and the school is maintaining the bubble system for the final week.

@PiffleWiffleWoozle

Presumably teachers will be close contacts so will have to isolate and classes will be closed anyway?!?

Not necessarily. A class doesn’t have to close just because a teacher is absent?

I think that some local authorities in areas with high numbers of cases will advise their schools to keep the rules for a few more days. Why on earth the government themselves couldn't wait a few more days I have no idea. Or schools just all close on Friday......

I work in a primary and I'm expecting all sorts of messages from parents on Monday as to why children won't be in.

@Himawarigirl

We still have another week and the school is maintaining the bubble system for the final week.

We are too, ie, keeping children in bubbles. However, if there’s a positive case, it’s not up to the school to track and trace from Monday. It’s NHS Track and Trace who decide who isolates. They will only isolate close contact. May be whole bubble, may not?

'Maintaining the bubble system' just means the in school arrangements that prevent different year groups mixing. Staggered starts, one way systems and so on. Trying to change those back to normal in the last week of term would be mad.

Ah ok, thanks yellow. Seems totally bizarre to change things for just a few days and a (small?) number of schools. A test for Sept, maybe?

And holiday clubs? I’m agonising over sending DC to a holiday club the week before we go away on a (UK) holiday

My kids school are keeping the same system for the last week- seems sensible.

The headteacher is the person responsible for the decision to close a school or not, phe, local authority and DofE provide guidance but the head carries the can I think.

Closures can still be due to safeguarding reasons I.e.not enough teachers, rather than purely positive covid cases.

@Timeforabiscuit

The headteacher is the person responsible for the decision to close a school or not, phe, local authority and DofE provide guidance but the head carries the can I think.

Closures can still be due to safeguarding reasons I.e.not enough teachers, rather than purely positive covid cases.

Not sure about that in this case. Heads have been responsible for track and trace and the guidance in most cases was that, if there was a positive case, the bubble closed. However, if NHS track and trace are saying only a few children have to isolate, I’m not sure if a head can override that?

@grafittiartist

My kids school are keeping the same system for the last week- seems sensible.

Yes, schools are keeping the same systems, but the responsibility for track and trace is changing on Monday so it’s less likely that large numbers of children will have to isolate.

Not necessarily. A class doesn’t have to close just because a teacher is absent?

But the minute the teacher finds out they are a contact they will have to isolate. My primary school had 12 staff isolating on Friday. Head, deputy, teachers and TAs are only having a 15 min lunch break so we can have enough staff to supervise the children. Severs classes are being taught by TAs, it's almost impossible to get supply teachers.
Classes don't need teachers, but they do need someone. If the three classes we currently had isolating cam back, we wouldn't have enough staff to cover them.

Heads have been responsible for track and trace and the guidance in most cases was that, if there was a positive case, the bubble closed

Not in secondary schools since the end of last September. Usually only a handful of kids sat around a positive case have been sent home.

Reports of hundreds of kids being regularly sent home for a single case have been wildly exaggerated.

@PiffleWiffleWoozle

Presumably teachers will be close contacts so will have to isolate and classes will be closed anyway?!?

No, I've had several classes with cases, including one yesterday, and have never been asked to SI.

@noblegiraffe

Heads have been responsible for track and trace and the guidance in most cases was that, if there was a positive case, the bubble closed

Not in secondary schools since the end of last September. Usually only a handful of kids sat around a positive case have been sent home.

Reports of hundreds of kids being regularly sent home for a single case have been wildly exaggerated.

This, unless it's my DC's school which closed entirely for one case. Massive inconsistencies.