What will be different in September (school environment)?

[Hadenoughfornow]

this is a question about a Reception age child in school.

This is NOT a teacher baahing post and I do not want it to turn it into one. I admire and respect my kids teachers and all the staff at their school who go above and beyond. If that does happen I will ask to delete and if I am not online at the time please can people report and #MNHQ please delete.

My DS can return to school possibly from 1st June.

We now have some details from the school about how this will happen. Obviously like every other school it will be a different experience to what he's used to.

I am happy with the approach the school is taking and I do think my child will be as safe as possible. School is going beyond what the government recommend (in positive ways).

So my main concern is how my child will react to the new environment.

Do you think the same guidelines will still be in place in Sept? (Although even I can't see how that works with everyone.)

It's fair to say I'm conflicted. I could keep child home until September and he would not suffer educationally. He has an older sibling so he is not alone.

But if the school environment is the same in September, I wonder if sending him in June will be better for him? Give him the chance to get used to it before there are lots more children back.

As said above, I don't want this to about the rights/ wrongs of schools reopening. I am just trying to understand if we think the school environment will be significantly different in Setpember to now?

If schools would reopen in Sept as normal (how they were in March) then I would not hesitate and keep him off.

[Qasd]

Yes guidance now will be used to inform what happens in September. There may be tweaks as Schools learn what works but no school will be social distanced for a long time yet.

[Hadenoughfornow]

Thanks for your reply.

Yeah I agree with long term social distancing. I was so certain on my decision before but now that it's reality its not as easy.

[Spinakker]

For my son's school they will only return for 2 days a week in june before the end of term. I think the environment will be quite different from usual but I'm also looking at it in a positive light that he may get more attention from the teacher with smaller class sizes and also some may not choose to send their kids so the class will be really small. The environment does concern me a bit but I think because he would only be there 2 days a week it should not really damage him in anyway. I think in September things may still be "socially distanced" in the schools so id rather he get a bit of a taste of it now rather than have such a long period off school and then thrown in the deep end in September. I'd like him to see other children again too. He has 2 brothers but it's not the same as kids the same age. The good thing is you have the option of not sending him so presumably if you send him and he really hates it you can withdraw him until September. I'm going to give it a try.

[headachehenry]

Yes I think measures now will be used in September. How can they change? As long as covid is a risk, social distancing and infection prevention measures will need to be used. School will be a version of this for 18 months - 2 years possibly.

[Barbie222]

Yes I think so, but as you say there will be tweaks as teachers find out what works, etc. As infection rates decrease the bubbles may grow so as to allow more children to come up school more of the time.

[The80sweregreat]

Has anyone heard if wrap around care will be opening up for the children in a school setting ? I work in a breakfast club and not heard a word if they are planning on being open. SD in our school hall will be hard going and some days we get 70 or 80 children!

[Hadenoughfornow]

The80s I don't know. Nothing has been mentioned at our school.

I am making the assumption that it won't be. Although I do hope my work are amenable to me leaving to pick DS up.

From September who knows but surely parents can't manage long term without before / after school care?

[irwellmummy]

In my school breakfast and Afterschool club will be open BUT those children accessing this provision will have to be in their own bubble and therefore kept separate from the rest of their classmates. Everything is being done to keep all the bubbles as isolated as possible.

[SleepymummyZzz]

Reception teacher here, obviously we don’t know how things will change between now and September but I imagine most of the measures we have put in place for the next few months will need to remain for the foreseeable future. In my school they include the following:

• little to no transition experiences (ie. home visits, visits to school before term starts, teachers visiting nurseries etc)
  
• increased focus on outdoor learning (in all weathers as opposed to nice days )
  
• less continuous provision (ie free access to toys)
  
• removal of items that can’t be cleaned easily (ie natural and objects and materials - there has been a big shift towards this type of environment in most Reception classes and this now accounts for 85% of my resources) and reliance on plastic resources.
  
• small group teaching, no whole class carpet or circle times
  

- staggered lunch and break times

• no parents in school
  
• if children can not be left independently (ie not needing comfort from an adult) they will need to be taken home again
  
• more formal teaching at desks (not best practice in Reception classrooms for many years)
  
• teacher staff may not be EYFS experienced due to staff sickness/shielding.
  

It is going to look very very different. I am genuinely broken hearted that the experience will be so different for our new cohort but Teachers will make it the very best it can be because your children are our priority 😊

[Dougt]

SleepymummyZzz my daughter’s nursery is re-opening in June and they will be comforting the children as normal, and wouldn’t expect them NOT to need this of course (even if they are fine at drop off what happens if they hurt themselves or they feel sad for whatever reason throughout the day). How is this different for a reception child in a school setting? And how can this be a long term strategy in a school setting if we don’t have a vaccine?

[SleepymummyZzz]

I’m not SLT I’m afraid so I can’t answer this question. I agree it will be very hard not to comfort a crying child (I’ll be changing lots of them anyway multiple times a day when they have toilet accidents) The cynic in me suspects this was put in place in some risk assessment as clearly it is a risk factor for the teaching staff. When we do it anyway (as any kind caring person would!) it’s our own fault if we put ourselves in danger.

[Concerned7777]

I dont think much will be different from June to September in terms of the safety provisions they have in place. Yes it will be different from when they left but it's still a familiar environment with familiar teachers (maybe not the one they had before but certainly someone they have met/seen before) familiar peers (although not all of them) , children are resilient and do adapt well to different environments.
My dc school haven't given final details but it definitely won't be like the photos we are seeing in the media with children made to stay in a spray painted square. They won't be expected to fully socially distance but they will have a smaller group they'll mix with.

[Dougt]

Thank you for answering my question. I’m glad my daughter is not starting school this year, but a lot of her friends are and I’m generally worried for this children, and those who have been off for weeks who won’t settle back in straightaway. I hope by then we all realise that children will need to be comforted at school.

[Hadenoughfornow]

Sleepy thanks for your reply.

The teachers and other school staff have made my boys Reception experience so special. He wants to go back it seems even though we have explained it will be very different. We will make the decision though and we are feeling OK about it tonight. Although some further information to come from school.

I do really feel for the preschoolers. Reception is the best year and they are not going to get to experience the best of it.

But you and all the other Reception staff will make a difference and make it as good as you can and they will thrive I'm sure. And hopefully progress will be made and they will have a normal experience as soon as possible.

[Saladmakesmesad]

Nobody really knows, OP. Part of the problem is that we don't have enough information yet. It might be that by September schools are normal as we're confident children really don't spread it. Or it might be that the long-term effects on children are really bad, or the Kowasaki-like disease becomes more widespread than we imagined at this stage, and it's not safe for ANY kids to go back. We just don't know at this stage. And that's why this is experimental. They'll learn and gather data from how this first batch goes.

Most schools won't be able to send kids back in the same way as these selective year groups are being sent back as they won't have the space or the staff, so I really don't know what the answer is.

[SabrinaTheTeenageBitch]

I have a very typical 'cries at drop off but absolutely fine before I've even gotten home' reception child. How will I ever get her back to school? One of the teachers usually takes her from me

[SleepymummyZzz]

I worry about this too Sabrina, young children need comfort and routine. I don’t think the government realise how much care and physical contact we provide in EYFS or how much contact teaching staff need to have with parents in situations like you have described. We have lots of children who need comfort but as teachers we are expected to put ourselves at risk to do our jobs properly. This risk could be easily reduced be providing PPE to teaching staff.

[Littlebelina]

Our school is only offering wrap around care to the critical worker bubble and doing phased starts/finishes for the others. To be honest even school hours only would work for me (as work is flexible) but ds is year 3 so strongly suspect it'll be September.

[SabrinaTheTeenageBitch]

I think I would rather teachers wore PPE (which they should be anyway) and were able to comfort my child if she needed it. 4/5 year olds are still so small

[Hadenoughfornow]

Sabrina have you talked to the school? And understood how they will handle it?

[Ladyellow]

Surely something will have to change in September to allow years 2-5 back? The only way our school has space for the small bubbles is because only 3 year groups are going back but they will take up 18 rooms rather than 6, if the whole school is in bubbles of 10 they will need 42 rooms!

[Keepdistance]

Agree something will have to change to allow other years back..
I have a child going to reception in sept (cries)
They wont be able to get them to sit at desks!
They also need free access to toilets.

Some of yr r can stay off till april or go at csa next year.

Maybe gov are hoping enough teachers and kids will have had it by sept so they can go back as normal..

If in london 10% have already had it.

Im hoping they still allow people to choose about sending in sept as spme people are vulnerable but not shielding

[Mumoftwo0357]

I’m not sure if schools will have changed vastly although obviously they will make changes as they adapt to the situation.

Nationally many parents have more confidence once a tried, tested and trusted testing and contact tracing system is in place here. As the independent scientists have been requesting and the gov SAGE scientist stated today this is vital before easing lockdown.

Just to explain those waiting till September aren’t necessarily waiting for schools to look different, we’re waiting for a safer reliable system to be in place.

However I’m vulnerable and work from home so that’s My decision.

I know others situation is different and respect and support your choices.

Just explaining my thinking.

Wishing you all the best.

[Mumoftwo0357]

Also by September infection rates will hopefully be low though for contact tracing to be effective as in the other counties who opened schools successfully (we’re not there yet)

I’m pro opening schools at the right time

Yet also pro everyone’s individual decision if they do open in June

[oiboi]

When my children's school opens in June they will be providing ppe if the teachers want it or they need to get close to the pupils. They also won't be attempting to make small children socially distance, just reduce class numbers. I'm really grateful for the approach they're taking.

However it's been made easier as most parents have been clear they're not ready to send their kids back. They want to wait until sept. I'm not sure what will be different in sept. I have concerns about the ability of the government to manage contacts/trace of specially as I don't think our infection rate will be low enough.

And sept isn't far off the usual NHS winter pressures...