How are your DC's boarding schools managing with COVID?

[Revengeofthepangolins]

Curious to hear how things are panning out in boarding schools, now that the children are heading back.

DS1 went yesterday. His school are taking a year at a time so it will take until Sunday to get them all back, and all boys are being tested on arrival.

Am I right in thinking that some schools have rearranged all their houses so that there is only one year group in each building? Make sense, but gosh what a big change.

DS's isn't able to really bubble in house as there are five years on three floors, with only 3 loos (not sets of loos, actually bits of porcelain), and 3 sets each of 3 showers and urinals, so they can't group year groups around bathrooms (I had no idea how few they had until this came up - the things ones learns). But they will have only 2 year groups at a time in the house dining room to help distancing. Masks in public areas.

Yesterday's cohort tested clear, but it was the baby year 9s - I suspect the older boys may be more likely to be exposed. Still, with 1,000 boys it still seems quite likely that all will be clear

My eldest is bubbling with her house. No testing on arrival, all back last weekend on staggered entry times. No parents allowed at all into any building at any time. Separation between day and each boarding house in lessons. Staggered lunch times eating in house. Very clear one way system around school. Masks worn. One completely empty en-suite boarding house for any cases to isolate.

Look on your your school website/ISI and check the last inspection report and see if bathrooms are mentioned. There are very strict national minimum standards around number of loos and sinks.

Check and see if your school have signed up for the BSA Covid Charter. Check they are following it. Ask why they are not if they aren't.

Mine's at a boarding school doing much the same as yours, revengeofthepangolins, and with results in for only two years so far, we have just been told that they have 13 positives already!!! I imagine this will hit the press given the all parent letter that's gone out. Wonder how many more they'll have once the other three years get their results? Even more, I wonder how many test negative on arrival but are in the latent phase and will be busily spreading infection round the school...

I wonder whether results are skewed by groups of boys having been at the same party or holidaying together, causing a cluster

London day schools not doing much better. Year 8 is home for two weeks at city of London girls and year 10 at north London collegiate. I guess this will be the way of it.

Would be very interesting to know if there were links between the cases, yes. Hopefully so; if not, even more worrying.

I see the Telegraph wrote about it - but it's a bit mangled, as the Year 13s weren't the last to go back as it says here. Another big batch of boys going back and being tested today. Fingers crossed for no more cases!

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/09/11/eton-college-faces-coronavirus-outbreak-students-test-positive/

No wonder all the tests are running out!!!!

There is very little point testing symptomless people. They could still be incubating the virus and be positive the day later. It gives a huge sense of false security.

We are following the BSA civic guidelines, year group bubbles in house - so no shared bathrooms etc... right down to year group allocated sofas in the TV room. The games room is on a rotary.

Around school keep drilling in the message, stick to the 1 way system, hand washing, wiping down desks and sanitizing hands, masks in corridors and observe space.

Houses been re arranged so each Yr group has own house.
Around school each Yr group has own entrance and stairs, and form rooms.
Teachers and girls move within their Yr group rooms only.
Dining room tables allocated to Yr group, same seat each meal... Wipe down chairs, places, desks everyone you move.

Only shared bits are labs and art block.
All pe outdoors, change in house in the morning, stay in kit... My d likes this bit!

OverTheRainbow88 they're not using NHS tests or labs - private provider (they're insistent they've thought this through and are not imposing extra burden on that system). As I understand it the problem in the NHS testing process is throughput in their labs, so Eton (and Cambridge University, and others) private test providers will not affect the NHS problems. Now you could ask why the NHS system is not contracting for extra lab throughput if they're running out, but possibly that is what they are organising now, I don't know.

TheLetterZ not sure I agree there's no point: after all, this is now 13 fewer boys to spread it to anyone else, which must reduce the risk of an outbreak a bit. Certainly agree about the false sense of security though. Some of what the school writes gives the impression that they think tests negative means not infected, which as you say is absolutely not the case: it's worrying.

@OverTheRainbow88

No wonder all the tests are running out!!!!

These aren't NHS tests - private ones, so no adding to the shortage as the government decided to centralised all testing in their own hands

DD's school have two confirmed cases.

I am increasingly concerned about this.