I thought whole years weren’t getting sent home anymore?!

[Bubblesareannoying]

My daughter’s (reception) school year has just been sent home from school due to a positive case in the bubble (of 60 kids plus staff). I thought this wasn’t happening from 19th July- that it was no longer necessary to send home the whole bubble, only the close contacts of the positive case, who would have to work with t&t to identify them? The school aren’t sending the bubble home due to staffing issues, it’s because of the positive case. I’m not questioning them, I’m just wondering, and I’m not sure if I’m actually supposed to isolate her?!

Is the positive case in your child's classroom? If that is the case I would imagine they will all be close contacts, Reception kids won't be distancing from one another within the same room.

Could be in her class, could be in the other class, could be one of the staff

How,do you judge who,is a close contact if a child or teacher in a reception class?

If they are anything like ours the classes are interlinked with no doors between the rooms and shared outdoor spaces. The children don't sit at desks all day - they are in and out of the different work and play stations, mixing with everyone all day. Not a chance we'd be able to identify which children didn't get within 2m of another one.

In reception and primary social distancing just isn't a thing in most cases, so all children remain close contacts.

As the children get older then social distancing and seating plans are far more likely and you can then start doing the 2m radius.

Also if you got the notice today the case will have been from before 19 July.

Also, many LEAs have asked schools to continue doing the T&T for them until the end of this term, rather than it switching over for 1-5 days max. Many schools have broken up but some break up this week. If schools have been asked to continue they will apply their bubble rules that are already in place.

From 16 August children don't have to isolate unless it is they who test positive, so unless there is a u turn, it won't affect children from the autumn term, but still might this term.

Some local authorities with high case rates have agreed with Public Health England and T&T that the school will still have responsibility to isolate whole bubbles, particularly if there are two connected cases - we received an email from school with a letter from our LEA about this today.

Bubble guidelines change on August 16th, not today. So yes, whole bubbles will still be sent home if PHE say so. My ds finished on Friday but there is still a chance for the next few days that he might get the call.

Our local secondary school put out a message last night to say no Yr 7s were to come into school this week and has to isolate as they have had a number of Covid Positive cases in Y7.

Everyone in a bubble is classed as close contact. They can’t control ‘who contacts who’ within the bubble.
No change on school bubbles from today - that’s the august change.

There is a change on school bubbles from today which is that responsibility for contact tracking passes to T&T - but understandably T&T and PHE have decided to pass it back to the LEA in lots of cases! Which they absolutely can do and makes complete sense with rising cases.

Thanks all. Understood. I am feeling pretty fucking angry right now, especially after seeing all those nightclub pictures. This government is a shitshow.

It's not the fault of those young people off, legally, to a night club though. They're doing nothing wrong in going.

The government have made many a mistake I agree.
And yes, isolation is rubbish, especially with children.

But it's not the fault of those who are legally enjoying a night out, or the venues who are finally allowed to open and make some money after being closed for well over a year. Your anger is misplaced.

I’m not angry at them at all! We’ve been doing absolutely everything we possibly can when it is allowed, because who knows when It’ll be closed again! I absolutely do not blame them. I blame the government 100%. NOT people going about their legal business.

Yeah there is a strong whiff from the government of “if some of the little people have to die to save business, so be it”. But they’re Tories - that’s who they are. What’s more inexplicable is how many average members of the public are keen to go along with it!

Internationally we’re regarded as a complete embarrassment.

my sons yr group has jist been sent home on Thursday last week, my whole household have done 2 tests, we are all negative, but the school still said they can come in, my son is special needs and spends most of his time at school in the learning support department, now hes off until September, after all the time they have had off school already i think this is unfair, hes yr 9 so has gcse learning coming up, weve been told hes assessed as needing 25% extra time and help but it wouldnt surprise me if more lockdowns and school isolation happens. i dont see a problem if the children have lots of tests to prove they dont have covid.

@Bubblesareannoying

Thanks all. Understood. I am feeling pretty fucking angry right now, especially after seeing all those nightclub pictures. This government is a shitshow.

The people at the nightclub didn't cause the class bubble to isolate though. Why be angry at them.

The school manages isolations up until
Sunday which includes any tests taken. Kids sent home yesterday were probably due to test taken at the weekend as they take at least 24hrs to come back. Any tests taken from Monday should in most cases be managed by t&t unless your LEA/DFE states otherwise (usually due to high infection rates in the area).

Our school also keeps sending bubbles back for early primary years. A close contact is someone who stayed within 2m for 15 mins or more - which is everyone in reception during the "carpet time".

@TheTallOakTrees I phrased that badly - I’m not mad at them. See previous reply.

Thanks all for the info.

started another thread about this. Officially bubbles don't have to continue after yesterday though most schools are continuing until the end of term.
Our head is adamant that he won't be sending any more bubbles home if a positive test as of yesterday as it's the responsibility of t&t.

Even if they do end up sending whole classes home, I don't think it will be a legal obligation anymore to isolate unless you are actually contacted by t&t. Willing to be corrected.

It was just media friendly / populist messaging from the government. People were getting increasingly frustrated with their dc having to isolate, so they said bubbles would go. Yet isolation still remains and in a primary class at least everyone is a close contact. Therefore bubbles still get sent home.

In reality if we got rid of bubbles completely it would mean more potential close contacts not fewer.

Yes they are and yes you do, 10 days

Of course It's completely up to you if you isolate her or not

@Frazzled2207

started another thread about this. Officially bubbles don't have to continue after yesterday though most schools are continuing until the end of term. Our head is adamant that he won't be sending any more bubbles home if a positive test as of yesterday as it's the responsibility of t&t.

Even if they do end up sending whole classes home, I don't think it will be a legal obligation anymore to isolate unless you are actually contacted by t&t. Willing to be corrected.

If the LEA have asked the school to continue with T&T on their behalf, and the school has agreed, it is my understanding (from my school's paperwork which I have been uploading to our systems) that it remains a legal requirement, just as it did up until 18 July. Your school will most likely have let you know the procedures if that's the case, though May only do so if and when there is a positive case. The letter/text/email to tell you to isolate will confirm this.

And the no isolation of under 18s doesn't come in until 16 August. I believe the government really muddled things up when they decided to have to different dates relating to school aged children: 19 July for bubbles to end (though not in all schools) and 16 August for no more isolation for under 18s (and double vax people.)

BoJo only knows about private schools, which broke up a few weeks ago. He has no idea about the real world where schools are crawling along, hanging on in this hot weather by their fingertips.

Since March my DS' secondary school (plus the other 5 secondaries in their academy group) have only sent close contacts home after a positive case.

They define close contact as sitting together. They keep seating plans to facilitate this.

I'm not sure what is right or wrong, but I wanted to add their set up to the thread as it spends like there is a lot on inconsistency.