Shielded child returning to school

[16fairies]

Does anyone else have a shielded child due to return to secondary in Sept?

My ds consultant has said he can return but we need to monitor the R rate in the area, he must wear a mask, ideally not travel on public transport, strictly socially distance. He attends a massive school 2000+ children, 240 in his year.

Masks will not be mandatory, feels like he will certainly be at risk after months of being so careful.

Wondered how other parents are feeling?

I'm really sorry it's a shit show, sending the shielded into school as the rates are rising is akin to sending untested patients into nursing homes. I really feel for you.

You need to talk to the school about social distancing - I’m a secondary teacher and, although we are doing split lunchtimes etc we are only separating by key stage and we have all but accepted that we will be basically abandoning social distancing within school.

Why does the consultant recommend he wears a mask? It won't do anything to protect him unless I guess if it's one of those N95 ones which I don't think would be possible to wear all day?

I think practical measures you can take would be to really drum in the message about hand washing and face touching.

I have asked the school for information but not heard back yet. It’s such a big school, I can’t see how any sort of social distancing will work.

Ds also does not want to wear a mask if his mates aren’t.

I did query the face mask, consultant is hoping that despite not being mandatory, other parents will want their children to wear masks too, not sure that will happen though.

You need to talk to the school

And be quite insistent!

Because I was a bit robbed off early on (beforehand the start if shielding, but with someone with a condition that was obviously going to be in the highest risk category), and the school started off by being a bit 'hmm yes, noted that' but became a bit more aware of what needed to be done when I discovered (parents WhatsApp group) that a classmate was off in symptomatic isolation, and I asked them why they had asked who was vulnerable if they were apparently going to do nothing with the info. They did not need to disclose to me who was off with what, but they absolutely did need to tell me when my DC had been close to someone (anonymous) who becaome symptomatic. Like in-school contact tracing - not for every pupil, just the formally shielded

With hindsight, I'm not sure how useful that info was, but it did get the school thinking more about vulnerable and exceptionally vulnerable pupils as well as staff.

We have yet to hear about autumn term arrangements, but i'm asking for

• DC to sit in corner of classroom (ie not surrounded) and ideally by door or window (open unless weather truly foul)
• arrangements for lunch (these may change completely, don't know yet, but if they haven't) to reduce contact, such as permanent early pass to reduce time in queue
• permission to use visitor (not staff!) loo (to avoid congestion)
• let her wear a mask if she wants to, but unless we got a N95 or similar, it wouldn't be protecting her, so not really asking for thus. But if the school does bring in masks, then could classes with my DC be amongst the first to trial their use (and the best policed)

DC's mates all know what's up, and have been utterly lovely, even though there's been so much stuff unavailable to us. So no problems about letting all and sundry know at school too.

It might be rather harder to get classmates to work together to help the one at more risk, if they do not know there is one at more risk amongst them

other parents will want their children to wear masks too

But once those DC are out of their parents' sight and inside the school gates that will count for nothing - sorry! Secondary school DC will only wear masks if their mates wear them and if anyone makes fun of them for wearing one, they'll ditch it as soon as they're out of their parents' sight.

strictly socially distance

How does he think that can possibly be achieved in a school?

It concerns me that an intelligent highly-trained person thinks this can happen.

Thanks Nether, some great advice there, will definitely make those suggestions to school.

Ds is very private, his friends know he has loads of time off but he’s never told them why. I’ve encouraged him to confide in one particular friend who is very perceptive and sweet as I think he would offer support but ds not ready.

Xafferana - agree with you about the masks, just wishful thinking on my part. Quite sure ds would ditch his mask anyway to not be different to others.

Our school will (currently due to govt guidelines) not allow masks. So even if they agreed to allow the shielded to wear one it would be pointless.

My son is going back but he is in year 6 with a 1-1 already in place and in a primary school I trust. We have already had a meeting to discuss how things will work.

Let’s eat grandma - consultant doesn’t think for one minute that it’s achievable, just giving us the best possible scenario for my ds to keep him safe. That’s why i’m so nervous about him going back.

Following with interest. My DD isn't a shielder but due to her anxiety might need similar measures to coax her back into the classroom.

My sons school could not less as long as he goes back, trying to dismiss my concerns over the guidelines, then arguing over the rates for the area. I am keeping my cool and will decide myself if it is safe for him to return.

I was surprised how little my DH's consultant knew about Covid, about schools and really about anything outside his specialism.
It sounds like yours is parroting out an almost scripted response from the guidelines. He won't have read the schools' guidelines which run contrary to gov and PHE advice.

Go back to consultant and tell him stringent social distancing and mask wearing will not be possible.

If I were you OP I'd want a meeting with the school to discuss this (even if it's done over Zoom) and them to commit in writing to what the consultant says your DS needs and if they cannot do that I'd seriously consider not sending him back.

I just don't see how it can be safe for people who have been told to stay within their own home and garden for the past four months can suddenly be 'safe' to return to school with so many DC and adults, none of them wearing masks, before a vaccine is available. For most DC that's going to be fine, but the shielding group is the most vulnerable of all. My 77-year-old dad who has heart disease and four stents fitted wasn't considered high enough risk to be in the shielding group FGS, so those that are in that group surely aren't safe to just be sent back into school with no special measures in place.

It's madness.

School's hands are somewhat tied. They've been told they must have all year groups back in September.

So we have teachers who have been shielding moving around school between 6 classes of 30 kids a day, no masks. Rooms can't give us 2m of teaching space at the front, they're often too small. Ventilation is awful as windows only open small distances (safeguarding) so it's basically germ soup.

Any vulnerable child or adult shouldn't be exposed to it.

You are right zafferana, I need to have conversations with both school and consultant.

I understand it is an almost impossible situation for schools to handle but it’s equally impossible for parents!

My ds needs his education, he hasn’t coped well with home learning (various reasons, laptop sharing and his own stubbornness part of them) but if it comes down to an education or his life, which feels really dramatic to say but is potentially what it boils down to were he to catch it, there is obviously no contest!

Not really holding out any hope for sensible guidelines from the government either.

"I'm really sorry it's a shit show, sending the shielded into school as the rates are rising"
Actually according to King College rates aren't rising in fact they've been "levelling off" since early June. I'm not trying to say OP you're wrong to be worried but I just think there is so much scare mongering around Covid19 that it's important that we get our facts correct.

@happpygardening

"I'm really sorry it's a shit show, sending the shielded into school as the rates are rising" Actually according to King College rates aren't rising in fact they've been "levelling off" since early June. I'm not trying to say OP you're wrong to be worried but I just think there is so much scare mongering around Covid19 that it's important that we get our facts correct.

Facts correct??? Yes I'd imagine the reason they have increased lockdown in the North East is because rates of transmission are "leveling"

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51768274

Rates are rising @happygardeining its not scare mongering to report what is happening.

In your shoes a definite thing I would consider is keeping your son off the first two weeks to let the school troubleshoot their arrangements and refine them. Thereafter He would wear a mask, be in an isolation room or not go. Safety always first.

Thanks winewolfhowls, think that is a good suggestion. School is staggering starts for all years and ds year is the last to go back.

A couple of weeks to see how it all goes might give me more confidence in what they intend to implement.

I would discuss with school and consultant - under current plans social distancng between children isn't happening nor is mask wearing in schools. You could ask the school if he could wear a mask but that would protect others rather than him I think. I can't see many children wearing masks unless its made compulsory. Only teachers are supposed to social distance where possible.

In our sceondary both mine are in whole year bubbles and teachers go between bubbles. Y7 and Y8 are class bubbles. But its basically the whole school together with a few measures to reduce contact. I would let consultant know mask wearing and social distancing aren't happening so what is his view now. If yes go to school still then I would message school to make them aware and see if they can put additional measures in place - my school will let kids take own hand gel, if he can do that and use it would help, could they let him wear a mask? Could he sit at the back in a corner so less breathing over. Could he be exempt from handing things in / getting worksheets other than electronically or could he gel them?

I would make friend group aware. If there's children you know have also been very careful - both mine have but it will vary a lot maybe ask for him to be by them.

Ask to be informed of any cases in school. We've also asked for no blazers and school have agreed to that.

I would also look up all the data you can on his risk and risk in your area. It seems very harsh you have to send a shielding child back or give up place / risk being fined. Both mine are normal risk and we are rural so no cases at school yet so mine will be going back but if I had a shielding child in y7-9 in an inner city school I would be keeping them home I think. Maybe worth asking school if they would fine in your situation, ours is saying they would.

I sympathise
Ds will be going back into year 6
He is in a resource base in a mainstream school. There is no social distancing, ds would not be able to wear a mask.
Ds has complex needs and is going to struggle on return.
School have told us we will be fined if we decide to delay return, or stagger return - unless we have a letter from a medical professional to say it is necessary.
Ds's paed was keen for him to continue shielding at the last review, but we are now waiting to speak to him about September. I'd just like the option to keep ds off it feels as though local figures are rising. It is an enormous worry.