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Original poster

When do schools take action?

84 replies

Tenpintonpin · 16/01/2022 16:10

My kids' primary is currently swamped with Covid - rough estimate is that at least 25% of pupils have tested positive over the last week. The message we received from the school (before the weekend) is that Public Health England have advised them to carry on as normal for the time being. Is there a point at which they actually will be advised to do something? Not necessarily home learning, but at least trying to keep year groups separated etc...

OP posts:
OnceuponaRainbow18 · 16/01/2022 16:11

They do what public health advises, which seems to be jack shit at the mo

Fallagain · 16/01/2022 16:13

When DDs school was at 20% of the class positive the school moved to bubbles and told the class to do LFT for 7 days. We are now at 75% positive cases

Mumdiva99 · 16/01/2022 16:16

We were advised for impacted year groups to do LFT on day 1, 4 and 7. Then a blanket message that all children need to do them on Sunday night. The schools are also given operational advice which they may or may not share e.g. restrict all external visitors - peripatetic music lessons cancelled this week, we've had no school clubs since before Xmas as they were run as mixed year groups etc etc.

icklekid · 16/01/2022 16:18

The problem with suggesting bubbles etc again is their answer to staff shortage is to combine classes…!

CA0932017 · 16/01/2022 16:20

Nearly all of the kids and the teacher in my youngest class have it. They have remained open and the two teaching assistants have done w fabulous job teaching the kids who haven't got it - yet!

The school have brought back bubbles, eating in classrooms etc.

A lot of the kids are back tomorrow that tested positive last week.. but a few have only just tested positive inc Dd. She's just had covid a month ago though...

There's quite a few cases in other classes too!

The only thing they are doing as above is back to bubbles, staggered drop offs and pick ups which don't work well when you have kids of varying ages and eating in the canteen. Plus extra cleaning and more lft testing. The school have not told us to test if they don't have symptoms... only if they do!

Howshouldibehave · 16/01/2022 16:26

@icklekid

The problem with suggesting bubbles etc again is their answer to staff shortage is to combine classes…!
Exactly!
RocketFire7 · 16/01/2022 16:53

Why would they ‘do something’? Would you have expected the school to be closed for a flu or RSV outbreak, as that is now effectively what we’re dealing with.

Covid isn’t going anywhere but will soon be treated just as the flu is. It’s clearly going to take time for some people to accept that.

DoubleDeckerSwimmer · 16/01/2022 17:03

@RocketFire7

Why would they ‘do something’? Would you have expected the school to be closed for a flu or RSV outbreak, as that is now effectively what we’re dealing with.

Covid isn’t going anywhere but will soon be treated just as the flu is. It’s clearly going to take time for some people to accept that.

Schools have been closed for swine flu: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/south_yorkshire/8100012.stm

Schools have been closed for flu:
www.thewestonmercury.co.uk/news/education/when-will-king-alfreds-highbrige-reopen-4551570

Schools have been closed for norovirus:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-46343630

Schools have been closed for black widow spiders (!!):
www.northantslive.news/news/northamptonshire-news/suspected-false-widow-spider-outbreak-5984992

Schools have been closed for scarlet fever:
www.shieldsgazette.com/education/cleadon-primary-school-closed-after-scarlet-fever-outbreak-2441315

Even if we accept that Covid isn't going anywhere, it is not unreasonable to wonder at what point a similar choice might be made that a particular facility needs to close briefly.

DoubleDeckerSwimmer · 16/01/2022 17:04

(Sorry, false widow spiders)

Original poster
Tenpintonpin · 16/01/2022 17:05

No, I absolutely wouldn't expect schools to close, but the school has sent a letter home on a weekly basis informing parents that mitigation measures would be put in place - such as keeping year groups separate - when a 'threshold' was reached. Given that 1/4 of the kids are currently positive (and no extra measured are in place) I was just wondering whether this threshold actually exists...

OP posts:
Blubells · 16/01/2022 17:05

Is there a point at which they actually will be advised to do something?

Why do they need to do anything? If the kids get Covid mildly of asymptomaticaly and if the teachers are vaccinated. what's the problem?

Hospitals are coping at the moment so no need to slow down the spread.

Original poster
Tenpintonpin · 16/01/2022 17:06

Omg at the false widow spiders!

OP posts:
meditrina · 16/01/2022 17:09

English guidance here

www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-local-restrictions-in-education-and-childcare-settings/contingency-framework-education-and-childcare-settings

Basically if the number of cases exceeds certain thresholds, the school has to seek PHE advice, who will decide from a range of possible measures what the school should do and for how long.

If so many staff are affected that the school cannot open safely, and no supply staff can be found in time, then the school has tomclise in part or totally

Blubells · 16/01/2022 17:12

Hopefully the reduction in isolation to 5 days will help a little.

Svara · 16/01/2022 17:13

Our secondary closed to year 8 to 10 on one day last year as there were 20 teachers and 100 students off. That's understandable. If there are the same or a smaller proportion of teachers off compared with students then a primary can just combine classes surely?

Pootle40 · 16/01/2022 17:14

Not aware of any cases at either school here. Sure they must be but boys are not reporting absences etc.

rrhuth · 16/01/2022 17:15

@Fallagain

When DDs school was at 20% of the class positive the school moved to bubbles and told the class to do LFT for 7 days. We are now at 75% positive cases
Shock that is awful
Onionpatch · 16/01/2022 17:20

When you reach the threshold you ring the new name for public health england and they tell you what to do. This is normally what you are already doing like washing hands - but they might add in, try not to mix groups if it doesnt impact on education. They say if there are any concerns about your numbers you local authority director of public health, which is something different to public health england (which has a new name), will contact you with further advice as part of a local response.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 16/01/2022 17:29

DS's primary school has been doing bubbles since they reopened to try and keep on top of it. Seems to be working so far.

Moonflower12 · 16/01/2022 17:43

I'm sure the threshold is a third of the school testing positive.
But as a Head you can risk assess what to do, depending on your own individual circumstances.

cherin · 16/01/2022 18:11

In DS’s primary the threshold is 6new cases in 7 days, but as said the reaction is just to liaise with PHE and introduce measures such as restricting visitors, activities, reintroduce bubbles. In extreme cases they can do homeschool for 5 days.

cherin · 16/01/2022 18:14

(Currently we have 8 cases in one class - but the school does not know all of them yet. I feel for the poor admin who will have to call back dozens of families. It was apparently a very nice assembly, they did on Friday….mine was already off positive. Otherwise I’d guess he’d be positive by tomorrow…)

Shieldingending · 16/01/2022 18:28

Teacher here in a covid ridden school. All we are ever advised is keep school as open as possible !! And to do that by moving staff, combining classes etc. In other words take measures which are likely to spread COVID further !!

55mirabeau · 16/01/2022 18:30

We have 50% pupils and 60% staff off in one section of our school. PHE advice was to carry on.

DeckTheHallsWithGin · 16/01/2022 19:23

Friend got 17/35 with it across two classes plus both teachers and one of the TAs and the rest are carrying on regardless.