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Original poster

To think I should have a right to know how many cases at school?

215 replies

Workinghardeveryday · 21/09/2021 12:14

I have 3 kids, 2 at Primary and 1 at High School.

I have asked this morning if I can be informed of any cases in my children’s classes and been told no.

I am CEV and there is a good chance the vaccine didn’t work. I homeschooled up until March, realised I need to let my kids get a proper education, after all I am no teacher!

I would however like to be able to weigh up the pros and cons of sending them if a child has tested positive!!

OP posts:
Year2Parent · 21/09/2021 19:53

I am also CEV and I'm sat here trying to work out whether to send DD Confused School won't tell me how many!

Porridgealert · 21/09/2021 19:59

"Both schools said they have had confirmed cases but it is government policy now that they cannot disclose how many or which classes.
Again the government going out of their way to make life more difficult - well for people like me anyway!!"

But is that true if so many people on here are saying their schools do inform them. Sounds like it's more of a LEA decision.

PrivateHall · 21/09/2021 20:13

Our school send a 'warn and inform' letter each time there is a positive. I have three children and have been told of close contacts for one of them 7 times in the last 2 weeks.... Covid is everywhere and it is going to keep being around DC for the forseeable. I actually find the notifications stressful and would prefer to not constantly receive these notifications, given that I am being told to not take any action each time.

OliveTree75 · 21/09/2021 20:18

I also get a warn and inform text off my kids primary school with a link to a letter. It just says case in school and that close contacts will be informed and advised to test. I also work in a primary and have no idea if we have cases or not.

PastMyBestBeforeDate · 21/09/2021 20:23

@Year2Parent it will almost certainly be unauthorised if you don't send her in.

duffeldaisy · 21/09/2021 20:24

"I actually find the notifications stressful and would prefer to not constantly receive these notifications, given that I am being told to not take any action each time."

I feel the same. We haven't had as much info as you - just a general email saying there are cases - but it's made me really anxious since we got it because there's nothing we can do about it, just keep testing and waiting for them to get it, and hoping they won't, which is stressful.

MilesJuppIsMyBitch · 21/09/2021 20:25

My school have said they will support me if I decide to take my child out. I really don't want to.

Why are some posters so determined to discourage CEV people? So odd.

MythicalBiologicalFennel · 21/09/2021 20:28

@Wellbythebloodyhell

Did you previously get to know how many chicken pox,norovirus, hand foot and mouth, measles, flu or any other virus that circulates in school cases there were? If not why would now be any different? Presumably you are and always were potentially vulnerable to any virus not just specifically covid?
Are you serious? Measles is a notifiable disease; it can be serious and is incredibly contagious should you for whatever reason not be vaccinated. Chicken pox can have serious consequences for some people so it is pretty normal to let parents know there have been cases - certainly that's what our school does. Flu is serious but nowhere near as contagious.

The OP is NBU at all. Ill pupils need not be identified or identifiable.

PastMyBestBeforeDate · 21/09/2021 20:29

I'm not trying to discourage Miles but it is what I was told by my youngest's primary. As I say, I'm CEV and immunosuppressed.

MilesJuppIsMyBitch · 21/09/2021 20:36

Fair enough, @PastMyBestBeforeDate .

I think I've been really lucky with my DC's schools, and I think it's very wrong that it should be down to luck.

We should have solid policy safeguarding vulnerable families, so that families like yours don't have to make these tough choices unsupported.

PastMyBestBeforeDate · 21/09/2021 20:41

It is down to luck, you're right Miles. Both schools are letting them stay out of assemblies but it's really hard to be sending the youngest in unvaccinated. My 15 year old was vaccinated in August at least.

TheFormidableMrsC · 21/09/2021 20:42

@Shellfishblastard

We get a letter home via email if there is a confirmed case within school and are notified separately if the child is a close contact.
Same for our school.
beentoldcomputersaysno · 21/09/2021 20:46

@Wellbythebloodyhell

I have asked this morning if I can be informed of any cases in my children’s classes and been told no.

Also I assume you aren't the only CEV family within the school so if they do this for you they'll have to do it for them all. School staff have enough to do already without informing individual families about information that's not being shared to the school as a whole. It might be a 2 minute job to you, but it's a 2 minute job for every CEV family and them 2 minutes inevitably add up.

Then tell everyone. It's a notifiable disease. Heads are allowed to tell people.
Wellbythebloodyhell · 21/09/2021 21:03

Are you serious? Measles is a notifiable disease; it can be serious and is incredibly contagious should you for whatever reason not be vaccinated. Chicken pox can have serious consequences for some people so it is pretty normal to let parents know there have been cases - certainly that's what our school does. Flu is serious but nowhere near as contagious.

Yes I'm serious. That's why I specifically asked was you previously notified of other viruses circulating around school? Genuinely wanted to know the answer, that's why I asked? Confused

Wellbythebloodyhell · 21/09/2021 21:07

Then tell everyone. It's a notifiable disease. Heads are allowed to tell people.

I agree they can but I'm wondering if the powers that be have told schools they no longer need to do so and therefore that's why they aren't. I know there's positive cases in my dc class that would have previously resulted in them isolating, I only know through word of mouth through parents not through school.
If schools have been told they don't need to/or shouldn't share this info, it's not the fault of the school it's the fault of those above dictating too them.

MrsHamlet · 21/09/2021 21:11

I'm a teacher in a school and I'm not told. It's now impossible to tell from the register. A colleague whose husband is having treatment for cancer doesn't know either.
We are not involved in contact tracing.

TheSunIsStillShining · 21/09/2021 21:45

"We are also requesting that Sixth Form (in addition to the Third Year in the Junior School) conduct a daily lateral flow test in the short term and we will be supplying them with more tests for this purpose. This is due to the fact that these year groups have had more new cases than others in the school."

Great. How are we supposed to mean that this means 1% or 50% of the yeargroup?
eff.. them. Without actual data and numbers it is scaremongering or downplaying. I - as a parent - am ultimately responsible for my child's health. But I have no choice, no information. More than pissed off....

worriedatthemoment · 21/09/2021 23:35

Children could have it and not even know anywhere , unfortunately we all have a risk of coming into contact at any time

motherrunner · 22/09/2021 06:16

DD has 8 positive cases in her class and at my own school a letter has been sent to parents as PHE have identified ‘in school transmission’. Letters have only my been sent in both cases as the quote for mitigation measures have been met so the letters stated masks to be worn in class of affected years, back to bubbles for those years, advised to get PCR. You won’t hear anything until PHE has decided schools should make parents aware.

Silkiescatz · 22/09/2021 06:28

I have a 15 year old and we are being told how many are testing positive in each year group, in her year its a lot of them and a rural school which normally has below national average. I think there were 8 in her year this weekend and more are coming in. A lot of those will have siblings still in school under the new rules. There will also be teachers whose partners have tested positive in schools so I would assume there will be covid in schools now and consider your options.

Watapalava · 22/09/2021 07:12

Under GDPR who has covid shouldnt be shared.

Even for case numbers you are involving potentially others in accessing that information. Really noone other than those who took the call should be sharing medical information without permission so the idea of teachers knowing about the cases within a school is wrong too

noblegiraffe · 22/09/2021 07:35

the idea of teachers knowing about the cases within a school is wrong too

🤦‍♀️ who do you think is setting work for the kids who are off with covid?

Rosesareyellow · 22/09/2021 07:41

If there is a significant amount of cases the school would let you know as they’d want parents to be more vigilant about testing when their child has symptoms. You’d be surprised how many come in with ‘little Tommy had a cough last night but he’s perfectly fine now - we did a lateral flow to check’ ‘Er no that’s not fine, please take him home and book a PCR…’
At our school 5 or more cases in a year means they have to go in a bubble - you’d definitely be aware then.

BananaPB · 22/09/2021 08:08

I think this is why schools don't track and trace anymore. They prefer parents and schools to be unaware of how many cases because they policy is clearly to let covid rip in schools.

We've been told there are cases and have a mobile testing unit visiting our school for a few days so I think it's probably sky high. Kids LFT twice a week during form time and PHE "strongly recommended" the whole school do pcr last weekend (1500 pupils)

Frazzled2207 · 22/09/2021 08:13

I think class whatsapp is your friend here. We have agreed between each other to let each other know if there are any covid positive children. One of the children is CEV and school have said they can’t keep them in the loop. Bloody ridiculous. We don’t need names we just want to be kept in the loop.