Covid impact on Scools
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Posts
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Well done to Wrexham.com and other media outlets for sharing the information from the Freedom of Information on impact on schools.
Appreciate the figures reflect people isolating and not necessarily actual cases but it does show the impact of the spread across families. Let us hope that most in isolation do not convert to actual cases.
It looks like there is going to be significant disruption for the whole of this academic year that will impact on children and young people unless there is a stronger at home education package available and support.
It would be even more interesting to know how many actually test positive.
Many of these particularly in primary schools will be children self isolating waiting on parents, teachers or older siblings test results. It emphasizes the importance for quicker test results.
I’ve learnt that a spelling mistake shows lack of attention to detail and makes you look lazy and stupid.
3 outbreaks at my children’s school over the weekend in quick succession. First came on Friday (an adult) and they had to shut down and put into self isolation until half term a special learning unit and those who had attended breakfast club on certain days when the affected member of staff had been supervising.
Sunday night, a notification that all of Year 3 had to go into self isolation because a member of staff had tested positive there. School assures us all steps had been taken within Government and local authority guidelines to keep school safe and that the incidents were separate and no evidence to suggest there was community spread in between bubbles despite multiple outbreaks and use of certain shared areas between year groups, such as the hall. Again, they reassure us that no kids have been infected. They also stated they don’t need to do a deep clean as they regularly do cleaning.
At this point I decide I’m not taking any risks until I know if this outbreak is going to get any worse and keep my kids off today. My paranoia paid off as this afternoon they notify us that a child in my youngest’s class has tested positive and that the whole year group and adjoining year group must self isolate for 2 weeks and parents can come and pick their children up immediately.
I’m now waiting to see if they will just be honest and declare that there is a community outbreak in the school and it needs closing, to reduce any further risk of spread. 4 year groups out of 8 have now been directly affected.
A large number of families in the area have children attending the school, but only children from affected year groups have to self isolate, siblings can continue to attend school or other schools. It just seems like Government guidelines on dealing with an outbreak in an education setting are not fit for purpose as it seems like there are lots of leaky holes in terms of stopping an outbreak directly in its tracks.
Am I allowed to ask which school this is Matt? I genuinely don’t feel that we have enough information given to us. For example cases in Brymbo are a fair way from Penley.
It’s Penycae Primary school and initially I withheld the school name, because someone completely unattached from the school accused me of criticising the school and the teachers just because I asked if they thought that repeat cases might mean there is a bubble to bubble outbreak within the school?
I was merely asking important questions everyone wants to know the answer to. People are too defensive over everything. In my opinion and this is for any affected schools, it is neither the school’s fault or those infected that an outbreak has occurred. The virus is that infectious, that people need to stop either finger pointing or being overly defensive about the cause of these outbreaks and instead focus on the important matter in hand, which is taking the important and correct steps in terms of safeguarding everyone within a community to stop outbreaks getting worse.
The school’s letter responding to the third outbreak is here, it’s going to be published on the school website, so I see no problem in circulating it.
As you can see, they state that they believe that the 3 cases are not linked, but I think that’s too much of a coincidence if you ask me. I respect that their remit is keep schools open at all costs and have to take the concession for now that they will permit any concerned parents to keep their children at home for the time being and do home learning if they do not wish to send them in.
Also of note, is that Grango school up the road has also suffered from an outbreak with whole year groups having to self isolate for 2 weeks as well.
Well latest update on Wrexham. Com states the new infections in schools but not all of those with staff and pupils already isolating. It looks like there now must be well over 1000 looking at reports last week.
It’s only a few weeks ago that we were being told children didn’t get Covid. Time is now saying this is not the case.
Difficult choice for council to close all schools as most pupils wouldn’t isolate but carry on mixing and spreading.Appreciate there are all types of reasons why a school may have infections but we now have the first school in North Wales to close until after Christmas – Chirk CP – wonder how many more will follow. https://www.olddailypostlink.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/school-becomes-one-first-wales-19412556
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