School run when parents are positive & DC recovered

[Startingtomoveon]

DS(7) tested positive several days before DH and I so he will probably end up out of isolation before us and need to return to school.

We don’t have anyone we can ask who could take him for us, the school has a large catchment and I don’t know anyone who lives in our direction. I will not hand my child over to a parent I don’t know so I am not prepared to ask on the class and year group WhatsApp. The nearest parent I know is a 20 min walk away and is undergoing IVF so I don’t want to expose her to us.

I don’t drive so there is no possibility of dropping off to the school and another parent taking him in from the road.

I’ve asked the school what we can do in this situation but they won’t give me an answer and just referred me to the updated Covid guidance that they issued yesterday. It has absolutely nothing in it other than a brief re-hash of the DfE guidance.

I can only think of going as late as possible (have to drop off/collect at the classroom) to avoid the crowds as much as possible, and wear a mask, not talk to anyone and walk quickly. Due to the one-way system I have to walk past 6 classrooms and the crowds of parents and pupils.

I know many people don’t care anymore but I’m just trying to do while I feel Is the right thing.

My dcs school sent out a letter not long ago with the updated guidance. It did say if you have covid you're not allowed on their school grounds. But they're teens so it's a bit different. Ring the school and ask them.

@CadvanTheBard I have already asked them but they won’t give me a direct answer and just say look at the guidance - which doesn’t say anything about this. DH thinks they don’t want any liability so don’t want to say either way.

I think its really shit of them to not have a policy on this! Maybe email them (so it's in writing and copy the head teacher in) asking them again what their policy is around this and do they wish for you to enter the building and go past the different classrooms to drop your dc off, or do they want to collect dc from the car park or do they wish for you to keep dc off.

DoE guidance is that dc with covid don't go to school. Like I said my dcs school state you aren't allowed on site if infectious as its still public health guidance that you isolate for 10 days or 2 consecutive negative LFT. It's not law anymore but still guidance.

Well if they're not going to take a position on it then I'd take them in as you suggest. Mask on, don't linger, it's perfectly legal and you can bet your bottom dollar they wouldn't authorise the absence of you kept them home, so in they go.

@ColettesEarrings

Well if they're not going to take a position on it then I'd take them in as you suggest. Mask on, don't linger, it's perfectly legal and you can bet your bottom dollar they wouldn't authorise the absence of you kept them home, so in they go.

I'm doing this atm

I did the school run today - day 7 since testing positive and still testing positive. DD (who tested positive first) is now negative and has finished her isolation. I wore an FFP2 mask and stayed well away from anyone else - we're fortunate though that our school is in the middle of a big green expanse and we don't have to go onto school grounds to drop off.

Its really not a drama any more is it as the law has changed. Though obviously I have different standards to you as I was happy to palm off my child to a random mum I had never met before when the rules were tighter.

Why would the school ‘give you an answer’ on this? The answer is take your kids to school or make arrangements for them to be taken by someone else. I cannot think why you’d expect the school to be involved in this conversation.