The Return to School

[Bantamzen]

Certainly the schools I'm aware of have already plans for a complete shutdown...in the hope that they won't have to use them...



Because I don't think that's what all the measures to reduce transmission are about.

If a child brings it home and infects their parents it's not likely to stop there. They infect more people, and they infect more, and....

And once again, becoming infection is not a guarantee of becoming ill, or even passing it on. We have got to get out of this mindset that we can somehow hide from the virus by running away at first sight. The only people that should be considering staying at home are those with the symptoms, which frankly we have done for many years with other illnesses, and those that test positive. Beyond that there is no need for all this hysterical response, because that is now seriously messing with their futures. The young are now being made to pay a price that is way too high.

 

[Scrotnig]

ll this talk about another national lockdown. I see Boris saying it's not going to happen, which more than likely means it is on the cards. If that happens, we've completely and utterly lost the plot and I will be thinking very seriously if this is actually where I want to bring my kids up.

My gut instinct is, they won't, because they simply can't afford to. They'd be expected to extend fulough and all the other support schemes, there is no way we can go down that road again.

 

[AdamWW]

But the response should be more proportionate than sending entire year groups home for two weeks. If a child tests positive, then yes they stay at home. Deep clean school if necessary and carry on, same as workplaces.

Well I believe in workplaces you ask 'contacts' of the infectee to isolate - which is what appears to be the requirement for schools in Wales. This seems entirely reasonable to me.

For a primary school I think the whole class will be considered contacts, which seems reasonable because so far as I know they aren't asking primary school children to socially distance in class.

 

[birchesgreen]

My gut instinct is, they won't, because they simply can't afford to. They'd be expected to extend fulough and all the other support schemes, there is no way we can go down that road again.

I was thinking the same until the last day or so, i think it could indeed happen again now. And if it does it will be catastrophic.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I was thinking the same until the last day or so, i think it could indeed happen again now. And if it does it will be catastrophic.

I think it is now near certain. October half term looks a likely time.

 

[MikeWM]

Well, I'm supposed to be going on holiday a week on Sunday. Last time I went on holiday the lockdown was announced the following day. I apologise in advance if the same thing happens again

 

[Yew]

it could perhaps be argued that this is a little over the top.

Have you seen the Government over the last six months?

 

[david1212]

One local secondary school has all year 13 ( Upper sixth to me .... ) staying at home this week and until further notice after just one full week and a couple of days following a pupil testing Covid-19 positive.

Year 3 of the adjacent primary school are also staying at home, reason unknown but staffing a possibility.

 

[brad465]

It’s certainly possible, which is arguably worse than all schools being closed because it means that children at different schools will be receiving different qualities/amounts of education (to prepare for the same qualifications), it’s really not sustainable doing this

But the response should be more proportionate than sending entire year groups home for two weeks. If a child tests positive, then yes they stay at home. Deep clean school if necessary and carry on, same as workplaces.
If pupils are suspected to be infected then stay home until either the 14 day period ends or they manage to get tested negative.

All this talk about another national lockdown. I see Boris saying it's not going to happen, which more than likely means it is on the cards. If that happens, we've completely and utterly lost the plot and I will be thinking very seriously if this is actually where I want to bring my kids up.

Tonight's Question Time had the following question as it happens: "I am aware of local schools sending whole year groups home to quarantine. Is there a less disruptive way to manage outbreaks in schools?"

It led to epidemiologist Sunetra Gupta from Oxford University talk about the need to aggressively protect the vulnerable to allow education among other things to resume.

 

[yorkie]

some schools will isolate an entire yeargroup (or entire "sixth form" comprising 2 yeargroups) if there is just one case...

York school's sixth form closes after student contracts coronavirus

A YORK school's sixth form has been closed - and students told to self-isolate - after a student caught coronavirus.

www.yorkpress.co.uk

A YORK school's sixth form has been closed - and students told to self-isolate - after a student caught coronavirus.

Fulford School head Steve Lewis has written to parents to say Public Health England had advised that there had been a confirmed case of Covid-19 within the school.

Meanwhile....

York primary school confirms positive coronavirus case

ANOTHER York school has confirmed a positive case of coronavirus.

www.yorkpress.co.uk

Acomb Primary School has sent a letter to parents, saying: "We have been advised by Public Health England that there has been a confirmed case of COVID-19 within the school.

"The small number of children who have been in direct prolonged contact with the confirmed case will have received an individual letter and will be staying at home for 14 days.

...only those who have been in prolonged direct contact will be required to stay at home at another school.

Is this a differing of approach based on the ages of students? Or based on individual circumstances; at the schools discretion? Or is it down to different policies at different schools?

 

[LOL The Irony]

some schools will isolate an entire yeargroup (or entire "sixth form" comprising 2 yeargroups) if there is just one case...

That happened to Year 8 and Sith Form at a feeder school for my college on Monday. On the subject of my college, it goes like this:

Per class:
1 confirmed case: Nothing happens (although they'd probably want you to self isolate if you or a family member is at risk)
2 confirmed cases: Whole class self isolates
4 confirmed cases: Whole department self isolates

 

[yorkie]

That happened to Year 8 and Sith Form at a feeder school for my college on Monday. On the subject of my college, it goes like this:

Per class:
1 confirmed case: Nothing happens (although they'd probably want you to self isolate if you or a family member is at risk)
2 confirmed cases: Whole class self isolates
4 confirmed cases: Whole department self isolates

That sounds reasonably sensible (except with 1 case, it wouldn't entirely be nothing, as anyone who had prolonged close contact would surely isolate, right?)

But if we go back to the Fulford 6th form issue, let's say the student is in Year 12 and you are in Year 13 and you don't think you have been particularly near that student. Are you then obliged to isolate in your social life on the school's say-so, or is it just a case of the school not being open to you for the duration?

 

[LOL The Irony]

except with 1 case, it wouldn't entirely be nothing, as anyone who had prolonged close contact would surely isolate, right?

Yeah.

Are you then obliged to isolate in your social life on the school's say-so, or is it just a case of the school not being open to you for the duration?

I have no idea, but I doubt they'll self isolate, just not turn up to school as they're told.

 

[birchesgreen]

Interesting bit of farce involving one of my cousin's kids oop North.

The lad was sent home because he coughed ONCE (and hasn't coughed since). His dad had to take him to be tested. The test was negative. But if the school is going to sent kids home who cough once then the classrooms are going to be pretty empty soon.

 

[adc82140]

Said school is therefore in breach of guidance about when to test. The Department of Education should be informed. Ignorant rubbish like this is what is causing the testing system to collapse. This situation is drawing attention to how thick some people are who are actually responsible for educating our kids.

 

[Scrotnig]

The lad was sent home because he coughed ONCE

More disgraceful child abuse.

 

[scotrail158713]

Interesting bit of farce involving one of my cousin's kids oop North.

The lad was sent home because he coughed ONCE (and hasn't coughed since). His dad had to take him to be tested. The test was negative. But if the school is going to sent kids home who cough once then the classrooms are going to be pretty empty soon.

Wow - that’s shocking. I wouldn’t want to be at that school.
If I was I’d have been sent home five minutes into the day. I’ve only really noticed it during this time, but I tend to cough a lot just before talking, purely to clear my throat, as otherwise I’m often quite unclear/hard to hear. It’s made me really aware of it and when I do it the next thing I usually say is “No - I don’t [have Covid]”.

 

[birchesgreen]

Indeed, i think everyone will cough at least once or twice a day.

 

[Jamiescott1]

A school I know of had one case of covid.
They contacted phe, I'm not sure of the advice but the outcome was 48 kids sent home to self isolate. Not the entire year group bubble of 180

 

[johnnychips]

I didn’t want to open a new thread, but has anybody been inconvenienced by the new restrictions on school buses? I have to get a bus in Doncaster and I used to be able to get on schoolchildren’s buses. Evidently, you can’t now, but some children still take normal ‘service’ buses and very rapidly they become ‘bus full’.

I am fortunate to have a choice of buses as Stagecoach are not as strict as First, so I can usually get on one of their buses when First is full, but I wondered if any other forum members had had difficulties?

 

[Bikeman78]

My children returned to school mid September. The north entrance to the grounds has been closed since March 20. Anyone who lives that side has a five minute detour to reach the south gate. Inside the school grounds is a one way system to collect the children. Outside it's a free for all.

With the north gate shut, the narrow road at the south side is busier than ever. People trying to park all over the place and pedestrians walking along a narrow pavement that is just wide enough for one adult and one child to walk side by side, made worse by a hawthorn hedge that needs cutting back. If you meet an oncoming pedestrian you either have to brush past them or step onto the road. Yesterday I saw a kid on his scooter bounce off the side of a passing car as he tried to squeeze past other people.

As I've mentioned in another thread, both my children have caught a cold. If colds can spread then so can Covid. So what have all the one way systems and locked gates achieved?

 

[Bayum]

My niece was back at school on Wednesday. Her first lesson of the day was P.E., and the school instructed all students taking P.E. must go to school in their P.E. kits as the changing rooms are closed. So she had to travel for 40 minutes each way, on a day when the weather was quite poor, then spend the rest of her school day in P.E. kit. I am fuming.

We’ve just taken the decision to do so as well. The information we’ve had is to reduce the number of clothing and items being brought into school and to change clothes regularly - bring a different set of uniform on the second day and rotate throughout the week. Asking children to arrive in their PE kits reduces the different clothes brought into school, but for us it’s also given us an additional twenty minutes of PE per session, so we’ve had forty minutes extra this week. In younger classes, and the class I teach, there are a large number of pupils unable to dress and undress themselves meaning close physical contact is needed for groups of children and doesn’t allow for separation of space between adult and child.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 1 Oct 2020 ==

some schools will isolate an entire yeargroup (or entire "sixth form" comprising 2 yeargroups) if there is just one case...

York school's sixth form closes after student contracts coronavirus

A YORK school's sixth form has been closed - and students told to self-isolate - after a student caught coronavirus.

www.yorkpress.co.uk

Meanwhile....

York primary school confirms positive coronavirus case

ANOTHER York school has confirmed a positive case of coronavirus.

www.yorkpress.co.uk

...only those who have been in prolonged direct contact will be required to stay at home at another school.

Is this a differing of approach based on the ages of students? Or based on individual circumstances; at the schools discretion? Or is it down to different policies at different schools?

Depends on the person you speak to at PHE. I’ve known of schools only being told to isolate classes if the child was symptomatic in the previous 48hrs before symptoms began - if they became ill on Saturday coughing and spluttering, then that 48hr period means they don’t need to isolate. Other schools have been told to isolate in similar situations, whereas some schools have been told to identify those sitting with the child for longer than fifteen minutes.

 

[Bletchleyite]

My niece was back at school on Wednesday. Her first lesson of the day was P.E., and the school instructed all students taking P.E. must go to school in their P.E. kits as the changing rooms are closed. So she had to travel for 40 minutes each way, on a day when the weather was quite poor, then spend the rest of her school day in P.E. kit. I am fuming.

I'm going to bet the kid didn't care. T-shirt and shorts is more comfortable than school uniform; something not overly dissimilar to PE kit (OK, more likely to be a band T-shirt and a paid of Adidas shorts or similar, but it's basically the same idea) is what I choose to wear pretty much all the time when not in the public eye.

There are things to fume about. Kids having to wear T-shirts and shorts, which are what they wear most of the time they have a choice about it, is not one of them.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 1 Oct 2020 ==

So they had to go to school in just a T shirt/polo shirt and shorts/skorts? Nothing else? No wonder you are fuming.

Were they not allowed their outdoor coat over the top? If they were, where's the problem? School uniforms used to *be* shorts - all year. None of us died of hypothermia.

 

[Bantamzen]

I'm going to bet the kid didn't care. T-shirt and shorts is more comfortable than school uniform; something not overly dissimilar to PE kit (OK, more likely to be a band T-shirt and a paid of Adidas shorts or similar, but it's basically the same idea) is what I choose to wear pretty much all the time when not in the public eye.

There are things to fume about. Kids having to wear T-shirts and shorts, which are what they wear most of the time they have a choice about it, is not one of them.

Then once again you'd bet wrong, "the kid" aka my niece and many of her fellow schoolchildren were quite unhappy to have to travel in & wear the kits all day, and that's in summer. Winter is now not far away, and there's no sign of these measures being reviewed.

 

[Howardh]

Then once again you'd bet wrong, "the kid" aka my niece and many of her fellow schoolchildren were quite unhappy to have to travel in & wear the kits all day, and that's in summer. Winter is now not far away, and there's no sign of these measures being reviewed.

In winter I travel to hockey games with my kit on underneath, and my pants and top over the top. At the game the pants etc are removed, put back on afterwards for the trip into the pub back home.
I expect pupils could do exactly the same at school if there are no changing facilities and they have pe/games that day. What a non-issue.

 

[Bantamzen]

In winter I travel to hockey games with my kit on underneath, and my pants and top over the top. At the game the pants etc are removed, put back on afterwards for the trip into the pub back home.
I expect pupils could do exactly the same at school if there are no changing facilities and they have pe/games that day. What a non-issue.

For the kids it is an issue, just because you are happy to do something doesn't mean everyone should.

 

[Howardh]

For the kids it is an issue, just because you are happy to do something doesn't mean everyone should.

How on earth is wearing a pair of pants on top of your kit an issue??

 

[Bantamzen]

How on earth is wearing a pair of pants on top of your kit an issue??

Because they have PE first thing then have to sit in their kits all day, then travel home (in my niece's case a 40 minute bus rid). Would you play hockey then go to the office and sit in your kit all day?

 

[Howardh]

Because they have PE first thing then have to sit in their kits all day, then travel home (in my niece's case a 40 minute bus rid). Would you play hockey then go to the office and sit in your kit all day?

Too right I would. Played at Saturday lunchtime, legged it to work and put a late afternoon shift in many a time when i had to go in on Saturdays.

50k dead, thousands with covid, millions on furlough, hundreds of thousands paniking about their jobs/businesses and you're worried about little Banta because she's a bit sweaty in maths? If you're warm, sit in your kit, if cold then put your pants on over the top. In all my years at school I never, ever met another pupil who was bothered about being sweaty after lunchtime football - which we played in our uniform, not even PE kit.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Because they have PE first thing then have to sit in their kits all day, then travel home (in my niece's case a 40 minute bus rid). Would you play hockey then go to the office and sit in your kit all day?

Kids usually run round in uniform on breaks. PE lessons tend to be no more intensive than that. They're not doing hour-long HIIT sessions.

I'd expect the dislike is more about things being uncomfortably different. I'm sat here now in what is basically the same as school PE kit bar what's printed on it. It's what I wear every day pretty much.