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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

I think DD has covid.... she has 'that cough'... GCSEs start Monday.....

33 replies

Lessofallthisunpleasantness · 11/05/2022 23:25

I can hear it through the floorboards. I thought it was probably tonsillitis - again as she gets that every couple of months. What to do ..... just press on? Are we sposed to do anything? I don't really want to ask the school.... incase I don't like the answer. She has had it before at Christmas and wasn't too ill with it then, just a couple of days.

OP posts:
VanillaImpulse · 11/05/2022 23:27

If you have no tests then how would you know? You would just have to treat how you would've treated a cough in the past. Our school guidelines say to go if you feel well enough.

Threetulips · 11/05/2022 23:27

So potentially ruining GCSEs for all the other students?

There are guidelines - separate exam halls, and if really I’ll TAG can be given.

Speak to school so they are prepared. They would’ve thought this through.

Original poster
Lessofallthisunpleasantness · 11/05/2022 23:29

We don't have tests. I mean she must have caught it at school as that is the only place she has been other than at home with only me.

OP posts:
Original poster
Lessofallthisunpleasantness · 11/05/2022 23:30

What is TAG?

OP posts:
Original poster
Lessofallthisunpleasantness · 11/05/2022 23:34

If they miss an exam do they look at the mock result? I think there is one exam she wouldn't mind missing as she did brilliantly in the mock and probably won't do as well in the real one. I don't know when that one is though. I think she would like to do the exams in the main though. She has been working pretty solidly.

OP posts:
Threetulips · 11/05/2022 23:35

Teacher Assessed Grades - so yes mocks amongst other things

Exams have verbally been placed more than 10 days apart so if they would only miss one out of two exams.

noblegiraffe · 11/05/2022 23:53

There are guidelines - separate exam halls, and if really I’ll TAG can be given.

This is not true.

If a child has a positive covid test then they should isolate for 3 days per guidelines and miss the exams on those days.

If they are too unwell to sit the exams, they should stay at home till well.

A form should be filled out confirming the reason for absence.

TAGs are not given. Mock results are not used. If the student sits at least 25% of the assessment for that subject (including coursework), then the grade given will be based on that and the exams actually sat.

TeenPlusCat · 12/05/2022 07:09

To add to what noble has written. Subjects have been more spread out this year than previously to limit the chance of being ill for all the exams of a subject and thus being unable to be graded. So if for example she is ill on 18th May and misses Eng Lang 1 she'll be better by 10th June for Eng Lang 2.

Lougle · 12/05/2022 07:13

The exams are 5 days away so she should be fine by then. They are only saying 3 days for school children now.

AnIckabog · 12/05/2022 07:23

Going against the grain, I would get a test and test her. She is going to be sitting in an exam hall with dozens of other children, and invigilators who are often retirement age.
Just because she isn't very ill doesn't mean that others won't be, and at the very least spreading it around her year group will mean lots of them then miss exams.
Our school has an arrangement that covid positive but well pupils sit the exam in a separate room. I don't agree with that really either because it puts the teacher invigilating at so much risk (we aren't allowed to say no), but it is better than having a super spreader exam and at least forewarned the staff can wear PPE.
The 3 day thing from the government is based on no scientific evidence. Most children and teens are infectious for a good week, they just thought people wouldn't test if they made the isolation too long now. Legally, you can send her in without testing but morally you can't.

Regulus · 12/05/2022 07:28

Legally, you can send her in without testing but morally you can't.

The morality of the decision is placed firmly at the governments door.

ChateauMargaux · 12/05/2022 07:35

Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Zinc, Quercetin, NAC, bone broth, honey and lemon. Throw the kitchen sink at her and hope she is better by Monday.

(I have just had covid and it took a week but I was much improved after 3 days.)

OnTheBenchOfDoom · 12/05/2022 07:39

Have you not had any guidance from school? Ours states if you are unwell or have a high temp and you show up for an exam you will be sent home immediately . UKHSA (Uk Health Security Agency) guidance advises you to stay at home and avoid contact with others until you no longer have a high temperature and are well enough to attend your examinations.

Exams are spaced out this year to allow for the possibility of illness so that if they miss one set of exams they should be well enough for another paper. This is why Ds2's last exam is 27th June whereas Ds1 was finished by 15th June.

wateraddict · 12/05/2022 07:44

Pop to the pharmacy for an LFT? Boots sell them in singles...

Looneytune253 · 12/05/2022 07:45

Just crack on if she's well enough. Even if you tested her and she tested positive exclusion is only 3 days for kids now so she'd be back by Monday anyway. As it stands tho she's untested so you just return when you're feeling well.

FindingMeno · 12/05/2022 07:46

Regulus · 12/05/2022 07:28

Legally, you can send her in without testing but morally you can't.

The morality of the decision is placed firmly at the governments door.

Agreed.

MrsWooster · 12/05/2022 07:47

Buy a test?

You absolutely shouldn’t have to but realistically there is no moral option.
School may well have some if the cost is a significant factor.

Lougle · 12/05/2022 07:56

@Lessofallthisunpleasantness if you want a test I could send you one in the post. I have some spare.

NerrSnerr · 12/05/2022 08:14

I'd go to a pharmacy or Tesco and buy an LFT. I know some younger people who have been really unwell with covid in recent weeks and I don't think it's fair to the other students to be sat in a room for hours with someone who has a cough who hasn't bothered testing.

TheDoveFromAboveCooCoo · 12/05/2022 08:16

Difficult one.

Our school have advised that unless they have a high temperature or feel too unwell to attend then they should still go to school even if they have tested positive.

As a PP said throw all the vitamins, honey, lemon, Beechams etc etc at it and hope she is well enough!

And I would speak to school too and check their stance on it.

oyatra · 12/05/2022 08:19

My ds has a horrible cold and cough, it's not covid. There are plenty other bugs going round.

BotCrossHuns · 12/05/2022 08:36

I suspect a lot of people will go in without testing even if they feel unwell, and I know some schools have advised people not to test and only stay away if they're too ill to sit the test. You'd think they might have arranged smaller classrooms for those people to write the exams in etc, given that they know it will happen and it's probably better to have a process where they can at least say they feel unwell and be separated from the main body of students, rather than have to hide it a bit and potentially infect everyone. Or even try to split the whole year group over smaller rooms. Seems a more pragmatic solution given that people are going to be coming in with covid. But I guess cost of invigilators- and just finding them, and the spare rooms - would be a big hurdle. Government might have been able to help with the cost bit, if not the space issue.

Butterfly44 · 12/05/2022 08:45

All schools have guidance in place. Asking on mumsnet it not the answer. Follow school guidance. Covid has been thought about as previous posters said. All exams taken at least 10 days apart so grade based on the one sat.

lanthanum · 12/05/2022 10:28

It might just be hayfever. Even if not, she'll probably be fine by Monday. If it was mine, I'd keep her off this week, though, to avoid spreading it to others.

fizzyfood · 12/05/2022 10:47

My children and I have all had covid in January. Two weeks ago we had a terrible cough that has only just gone and I was convinced we had covid, I got some tests from Tesco and all negative, get some tests, then you'll know for sure.