Bit pissed off with ds's school

[thelastgoldeneagle]

Ds tested positive for Covid on Saturday. I reported the LFT to school and booked a PCR. That was positive. Emailed ds's form teacher to tell her, and rang the school to tell them.

And nothing. None of ds's close contacts have been informed, school hasn't contacted me to ask how ds is, firm teacher hasn't replied to my email.

AIBU to think this is rude and concerning? Ds caught bloody Covid from school - we hadn't been told about any cases at all - and now it looks like his close contacts aren't being told either. Bonkers.

Thems the rules.

The advice is for close contacts to get a PCR tests if they developed symptoms, which any child in school would be advised to do anyway. I don't think she has got time to be chasing around checking on every child to go off with covid at the moment..

Schools are not involved in the tracing of close contacts now; it is all test and trace. We absolutely do not contact other students and we would not contact home to ask how your child is.

What are you expecting? Have you followed any of the government updates? Schools are just operating as normal with the windows open....

The schools no longer do the contact tracing. You should receive a call from NHS test and trace shortly so good to prepare a list of close contacts over the last two days including contact details. They will also ask about places the child has been so good to have a list ready including post codes. You might also want to inform some of the close contacts yourself to give them the heads up as they might want to get tested asap.

Schools aren't involved with informing close contacts any more.

We also don't usually call parents when their child is off school sick - teachers don't have time to call to see how you are. When have schools ever done this? You report the absence and it's duly logged, that's it.

My children's school did start phoning all the parents in the class if a child tested positive just a courtesy warning that a child has tested positive, but after ringing 7 times in a week I think they've given up on that now

Personally, if I was friends with any of the parents of the close contacts I would let them know myself. You never know when people might be planning to meet up with someone vulnerable and might be grateful of a warning in time to alter their plans.

That's the rules.

What else do you want? He's off ill.

Your school is doing well exactly what is required of them with the new rules

"AIBU to think this is rude and concerning? Ds caught bloody Covid from school - we hadn't been told about any cases at all - and now it looks like his close contacts aren't being told either. Bonkers."

You can't know for sure where he caught it from. But we are no longer advised to inform close contacts. It sounds as if your school are following the rules. We get enough criticism without folk whining when we're doing exactly what we're supposed to be doing.

You want the school to phone you to see how he is?

Our school has about 30 kids off with covid. And now we're supposed to start phoning home to see how they all are? Good grief.

On the flip side if my child was in school and the teacher was ringing or emailing checking on a child who is off, I would be highly pissed off

The schools no longer have responsibility for identifying close contacts, that’s down to Test and Trace. Have they phoned you?
Do your school normally do a welfare phone call when I child is off sick?

I'd expect the teacher to reply to an email - that's just polite.

And ds definitely caught Covid at school; he hasn't been anywhere else.

Test and Trace rang yesterday. I said the school would identify close contacts - because I thought they did- and the T&T woman agreed! Ds has contacted his close friends to let them know.

@thelastgoldeneagle

I'd expect the teacher to reply to an email - that's just polite.

And ds definitely caught Covid at school; he hasn't been anywhere else.

Test and Trace rang yesterday. I said the school would identify close contacts - because I thought they did- and the T&T woman agreed! Ds has contacted his close friends to let them know.

Yes agreed a reply to the email would be good. Test and Trace should be well aware that the school no longer identify close contacts. Our school are still informing parents about every case and if your child sits within 1.5m of the positive child are letting you know individually and recommending a PCR. They are not obliged to do so though.

Why are you blaming the school? And so what if your son caught it at school. Did you not think that was a possibility?

Schools are getting on with the business of education now, they haven’t got time for test, trace and public health duties.

Most of that is exactly what should happen. Schools don't do contact tracing anymore. We wouldn't usually ring if a child is off and a parent has let us know. The only thing that I would expect is a reply to the email, but there is always a possibility that the member of staff you emailed is off ill. If it is something you need a response to urgently ring school again in the morning and I'm sure they will get someone to answer your query.

She has only had one day to reply, give her chance! Teachers don’t necessarily check emails as often as people in other jobs perhaps do because urgent stuff tends to come over the phone instead

Echoing that it's not in the school's remit now to do that. Guidance has changed

The school is following the rules. Not sure why they should ring up and ask how he is when there is probably a lot of other students with covid if it's anything like some of the threads I've seen on here.

I'm guessing this is your first experience of secondary school. What do you want from the form tutor? The admin staff know he's off.

There are no mitigations in schools at all. I'm surprised that you're surprised.

Test and Trace rang yesterday. I said the school would identify close contacts - because I thought they did- and the T&T woman agreed!

Test and Trace woman was probably relieved you ‘left her off the hook’ of having to do the Test and Trace calling round but no, schools are not required to identify close contacts anymore. That is the job of Test and Trace when they called you.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/schools-covid-19-operational-guidance

Settings only needed to do contact tracing up to and including 18 July. Close contacts will now be identified via NHS Test and Trace and education settings will no longer be expected to undertake contact tracing.
As with positive cases in any other setting, NHS Test and Trace will work with the positive case and/or their parent to identify close contacts.

Teacher probably forwarded your email to the attendance officer assuming they would reply to you but if it is anything like what my attendance officer was faced with (upwards of 55 emails today from parents with positive or waiting for PCR results plus all the normal attendance issues) and I can see why they haven’t yet.

I hope your DS is okay and not suffering too much and recovers soon.

I checked my emails today for the first time, at 4.45pm - just before I left for the day. I had no time to ring the parent who had emailed me.

Just for context.

What do you want the form teacher to reply? “Thanks for letting me know?” Form teachers don’t usually deal with absence notifications, I’d have just forwarded it onto the office.

There should be work set if he is well enough to do it. That’s the only obligation the school has around covid now.