How are schools doing?

[Januarypip]

I know news is cases are falling but at DS school it's gone CRAZY.

Basically half the school are positive, including kids and teachers previously infected. Bubbles are shut as there aren't enough staff. It's a Primary school.

Is this the same for others or just here?

They don't give much info but 2 of Dds A level Teachers are off. One definitely has COVID. Not sure about other one
In Primary I think there are cases in most years but not huge numbers.

So vbck to work set online in two subjects as no cover for sixth form . Yet will still have to sit ALevels with tougher grade boundaries than last two years.

My year seven form is having a mini outbreak atm, with a third off positive and more each day. Think a couple more and phe will step in to advise testing the year group. Other year groups are faring a bit better but the numbers are going up every day atm. Staff are doing better than in November, when we had a third off with it. It’s a depressing place to be: freezing cold all the time; monosyllabic students when asked to work (ks4); excitable ks3 who are finding it hard to settle down at any point.

Primary gone through threshold - back in bubbles in affected years, daily LFTs. Know it's mild for lots, but obviously given high number of cases, that's a lot of organ damage (unless omicron is different in that respect) and long covid for kids.

Loads of kids (and parents) had it over Xmas but haven’t heard much since they have been back . Primary school in Hertfordshire .

Smallish West Midlands town and haven't really been affected by previous covid strains. However with omicron lots of people I know have it or have had it. My DS's primary class last week had a quarter of children off plus the teacher. Other years groups also affected. My DD's nursery closed one age group's room and reduced the opening hours due to staff shortages. I'm a teacher and currently have covid for the first time. Lots of our teachers off and relying on TAs. No supply available. Seems to be calming down in London so that may account for the drop in numbers, but really bad here at the moment

In my daughters school they have cases in every class. Her class has 9 kids out of 17 off currently and year 5 has 31 out of 41 off with it! My daughter has avoided it so far but I'm sure it will be her turn any day now!

Tiny school. 3/4 of KS1 out. Including their teacher.
Bubbles etc for the rest of us.
A couple of cases higher up the school.
Just waiting for it to spread more due to siblings, birthday parties 🙄 etc.

My DD's primary school had an outbreak in November which meant that at one point 11 staff members, plus around 45 children, were off ill. The school has to reintroduce covid measures (bubbles etc), close certain year groups down due to lack of staff, and they basically limped up until the Christmas holidays. Of the 11 staff taken ill, two are yet to return to the school.

Today we've got a letter saying there have been a flurry of positive results over the weekend, so I'm basically envisaging this term being as difficult for the staff and kids as last term.

Half my class off today. Numbers creeping up in other classes. 4 teachers and at least 4 tas off too. I feel the most exposed I ever have.

Very little in our one form entry village primary so far .. I’m sure it’ll come. We had a huge delta outbreak in October.

So our numbers dropped w/c 3rd jan, doubled the next week and doubled again last week. This is, according to la data happening all over the county and today we were one teacher absence away from having to collapse classes (secondary school). Couldn’t get supply in as our main agency had 15 teachers off ill and two more booked called in sick this am.

Had an email tonight: 60+ cases since the weekend across all secondary year groups so they are keeping masks on in corridors (though not classrooms as covid doesn’t infect classrooms)*

• the last bit was not in email!

Schools aren't really giving g us much information but clearly staff are off in Primary as not seen our HLTA for 2 weeks now. She usually covers PPA time so either must be off or covering another class. Also most classes at about 80% attendance.
Secondary again radio silence but atheist one teacher has COVID.

Absolutely rife in our primary.

Bubbled classes. Some sent home for home learning.

A third of our primary are off sick with it. Nearly half the staff. It’s chaos.

At least 3 schools in our area are close to melt down the numbers are so bad. Some classes over half the pupils off with covid.

Never known it so bad as now. Is this now The Plan? Secondary child has "subs" most days for some subjects. Primary child has increasingly less people in their class. Had letter to lft but no details. One yr 2 class had 10 people the other day.

More worringly hearing of primary kids on their second round of covid since beforr xmas. Are we just not fussed about kids? If this was the case last year reporting would be very different!

My TA and five kids are off with covid in my primary class and I’ve had to help cover other classes as well as my own because my colleagues are off sick with it. Most of the kids in my son’s primary class caught it last term now some are starting again with new infections. My daughter’s primary teacher is also off as are most of her friends. The figures certainly don’t reflect our experience but:

A) lots of people still can’t get tests
B) lots aren’t reporting positive test results if using LFTs
C) the figures don’t include reinfections and
D) some aren’t bothering to test at all.

45 kids and 5 teaching staff alone in our reception year. 2 form intake. Small pockets in other years but i expect with siblings it will filter through. My year 5 daughter was kept off however has not caught 🤷🏼‍♀️

Avoided it until now but passed onto me by my asymptomatic year 1 son 🤪. On day 4 and still have a bad head.

Worse than its ever been and so disruptive for kids they can't get enough supply staff

Primary is riddled. But the children all have mild illness, not even an illness. A bit of a runny nose and that’s it. Some children have had it twice.

I hope this builds up immunity. I think it’s lucky omicron came along. A less severe form of the virus to unleash on the youngsters.

3 kids off in DS's class. No idea about other classes or staff, I only know about DS's class because we get messages telling us.

We have been so so lucky, no (reported!!) Cases in either schools but everyone I know has had to take time off or their kids are home, and I mean everyone, it's like a daily topic between my friends and relatives.

Our primary is riddled. One year group has shut and clubs, some lessons and planned events are being cancelled due to staff absence. The playground is much quieter in the mornings. We've had an email to warn us that they're close to closing more year groups.

OP, don't forget that although cases are falling they don't include reinfections at present.

@Januarypip

I know news is cases are falling but at DS school it's gone CRAZY.

Basically half the school are positive, including kids and teachers previously infected. Bubbles are shut as there aren't enough staff. It's a Primary school.

Is this the same for others or just here?

Yep. Dropping like flies apparently. 1 in 3 children missing from my dc year 10 classes so about 10 missing a class.