This article was first published on 14 December 2022 and
continues to reflect the latest guidance.
Respiratory infections, including the
common cold and COVID-19, are common in children and young
people, particularly during the winter months. For most children
and young people, these illnesses will not be serious, and they
will soon recover following rest and plenty of
fluids.
Routine testing for Covid-19 ended in April 2022
and UK Health and Security
Agency (UKHSA) guidance says that
it is not recommended that children and young people are tested
for COVID-19 unless directed to by a health
professional.
But as the winter months kick in, your
child may be showing symptoms that leave you wondering whether
they can go to school.
Attending school and
college is hugely important for children and young people’s
health, wellbeing and their future. Here’s what you need to know.
Can my child go to school if
they have Covid-19 symptoms?
As COVID-19 presents a low risk to
children and young people, combined with high vaccination rates
in the population, there are no longer specific rules relating to
it in schools, colleges, childcare and other
education settings.
Children and young people with mild
symptoms such as a runny nose, sore throat, or slight cough, who
are otherwise well, can continue to go to school, college or
childcare.
However, those who are unwell and have
a high temperature should stay at home and avoid contact with
other people where they can. They can go back to school, college
or childcare, and resume normal activities when they no longer
have a high temperature, and they are well enough to
attend.
All children and young people with
respiratory symptoms should be encouraged to cover their mouth
and nose with a disposable tissue when coughing and/or sneezing
and to wash their hands after using or disposing of
tissues.
It can be difficult to know when to
seek help if your child is unwell. If you are worried about your
child, especially if they are aged under 2 years old, then you
should seek medical help.
What happens if a staff member
or my child tests positive for
COVID-19?
UKHSA
guidance says that it is
not recommended that children and young people are tested for
COVID-19 unless directed to by a health
professional.
For children and young people aged 18
and under who are recommended to take a COVID-19 test by a health
professional and test positive, the advice is to try to stay at
home and avoid contact with other people for three days. This is
because children and young people tend to be infectious to other
people for less time than adults.
Adults with a positive COVID-19 test
result are advised to try to stay at home and avoid contact with
other people for five days, which is when they are most
infectious.
The UKHSA has also published public
health guidance on living safely with respiratory infections, including
COVID-19.
What measures should schools
be taking to stop the spread?
As well as following the UKHSA
guidance signposted, all settings should have in place baseline
infection prevention and control measures that will help to
manage the spread of infection:
Should schools provide remote
education for pupils who have
COVID-19?
Schools should consider remote
learning for pupils who have been advised to test for COVID-19 by
a health professional and have tested positive, but feel well
enough to learn and are following advice to stay at home to avoid
contact with other people for three
days.
What is in place to help
children catch up if they miss school?
We’ve made nearly £5 billion available
to help children and young people to recover from the impact of
the pandemic, including over £1 billion for the National Tutoring
Programme, which has revolutionised the way targeted support is
provided for the children and young people who need it the
most.
Over two million courses have started
through the programme, including in areas with high proportions
of children in receipt of pupil premium funding, such as parts of
Yorkshire & the Humber and the North
West.
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