DS (3) sent home from school nursery with a runny nose

[ConfusedcomMum]

My 3yr old DS was fine at home this morning but started to get a runny nose at his school linked nursery. They called us to take him home. He has no other symptoms and his temperature was normal. I know kids that age frequently have runny noses in winter and am worried he'll be missing much of nursery this winter. If you have a DC at a school linked nursery, is this the policy at your DC's nursery too?

That's ridiculous! It's winter! The whole nursery of my youngest came down with an awful cold but no one was sent home! My eldest school sent a child home with a headache and made them get covid tested!

Do you have to do a test or is your child allowed back in ?

Thats crazy. You cant send every kid home because they have a sniffle! My nursery's policy is if they have a cough or a temperature then they are sent home to get a test, which I think is reasonable. My DD went in with a runny nose for 2 solid weeks a few weeks ago. She gets them with teething. Nobody said a word to us.

No hardyloveit apparently runny noses aren't one of the symptoms that qualify children for a test. We've been told to keep him away from nursery until he no longer has a runny nose. A teacher friend of mine thinks it extreme too. I'm trying to find guidance online that I can show to the school. SqidgeBum that sounds like a common sense policy. I kind of wish I left him in the day nursery he used to attend now 🙈.

My nursery has created an entire policy for absences based on what they say is 'government guidance', so there must be guidance for nurseries and preschools out there. I hope you find it!

Dd is home from nursery today. She has a cold (but has had one all week) and overnight developed some spots. Not many. But enough to make me think it’s a bit wierd. So she’s home today.

Nursery’s policy is they aren’t allowed in if their temp is over 37.5 she picked up the cold from nursery. Ds has it too. No spots for him though so he’s gone in. I’m home with a sore back and a sore throat (thanks kids....)

Well the school is shit anyway because the PHE guidance is 48 hours exclusion after D&V www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-protection-in-schools-and-other-childcare-facilities/chapter-9-managing-specific-infectious-diseases#diarrhoea-and-vomiting-gastroenteritis

Regardless of it being a school nursery, all ofsted registered early years providers have to follow the EYFS, which says something along the lines of promoting the good health of all children and take necessary steps to prevent the spread of infection. So if a child is ill, they shouldn’t be at nursery. But if all that is the matter is a runny nose, as the form suggests, I think they are being too strict. As a childminder if I excluded every child who has a runny nose, I think the parents would get quite frustrated quite quickly and I would find myself with no children within a few weeks. (2 out of 3 have runny noses today). I would raise this with them as an issue. Most childcare settings have colds circulating for the whole of winter, this year is obviously a bit strange, but as they haven’t excluded for covid symptoms and advised you to get a test, it seems extremely over cautious.

Wet symptoms are to be ignored 🙄 jesus we may as well lock down now....

It's going to be a complete nightmare over winter if children are being sent home for a runny nose.

I get a runny nose sometimes if the central heating is on!

Eh MagicalThinking? He has a runny nose not a runny bottom! 🤣. But I see what you mean, 48 hours for something as infectious as D&V and probably a week for something minor as a runny nose(!).

ememem84 his temperature was normal when they checked it, that's the thing. SqidgeBum I checked the guidance from Royal College of Paediactric Health and it does say in there that children should not be asked to do a test due to a runny nose. But then it says "it is also important that parents keep children at home when they are unwell" so I'm guessing the school will use a runny nose as evidence the child isn't 100% well (he's not unwell at all btw and running about as I type!).

www.rcpch.ac.uk/resources/covid-19-talking-children-families-about-returning-school-guiding-principles

I think many pupils are going to be needlessly missing education at this school this winter 🤦‍♀️.

LindaEllen exactly, I suffer from various allergies so I get a runny nose throughout the year!

Maryann1975 I think that is why this particular school sent him home - because they can be overly cautious without being affected unlike childminders & day nurseries.

Oh MagicalThinking I just figured out what you meant with the D&V sorry, yes you're right it should be 48 hours on the form! . combatbarbie exactly.

There is guidance to parents on when children should be off school.
We got a letter last week that basically says colds and runny noses are fine.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-parents-and-guardians-when-you-should-book-a-coronavirus-test-for-your-child/letter-to-parents-and-guardians-when-you-should-book-a-coronavirus-test-for-your-child