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Covid

Why Reception and year 1 children?

28 replies

Battysace123 · 20/05/2020 21:52

Can anyone clarify why the government decided that reception, year 1 and year 6 children should be phased back into attending schools. I can perfectly understand the reasoning behind year 6 going back but why the younger children? Reception children need very little education at this age and some don't even need to legally attend full-time, depending on birthday. Also it will be very difficult for them to do social distancing. Is there a particular reason why year 1 and reception children need to go back before the other year groups?

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DryHeave · 20/05/2020 21:53

Parents more likely to be economically active?

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PatchworkElmer · 20/05/2020 21:55

Because it’s ‘childcare’ for working parents.

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Redolent · 20/05/2020 21:58

This probably isn’t the government’s reasoning, but I’d have thought that educational and social inequalities are exacerbated for younger children, if they’re out of school. Especially those from lower income households. Six straight months out of the education system will set them way back behind their more privileged peers. It’s not even necessarily formal schooling but things like vocabulary exposure etc

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Battysace123 · 20/05/2020 21:59

You can't leave a year 2 etc child safe home alone whilst a parent goes out to work.

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Breadandroses1 · 20/05/2020 22:02

It's also because the biggest gaps in learning open up at that point- early disadvantage hits hard.
Whether you think that learning should be formal or not is a separate issue, but in our current system that's the place where foundations of literacy and numeracy are laid down - which help you access other learning later (even systems where they start formal learning later have some sort of kindergarten system for 4-6yo).

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SandieCheeks · 20/05/2020 22:04

Older children can manage online learning.
Reception & Year 1 children will be missing out on early reading/literacy.
It’s childcare, nursery, reception and Year 1 going back so clearly parents working is a factor - you can’t even wfh really with an under 5.

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MiniMileyMoo · 20/05/2020 22:05

I have a YR and a Y2. Working from home is impossible with both of them here. With my YR at school, my Y2 can be left to do some work / play independently while I work, so much easier.

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CurlyEndive · 20/05/2020 22:07

You can't go out to work with a year 2 child, but you can wfh more effectively than with a reception age child. So this strategy will help parents trying to wfh with young children.

Also the youngest children seem to be the least likely to catch the virus.

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Battysace123 · 20/05/2020 22:10

I was asking as I have a reception aged child and I am torn whether to send him back or not. Thankfully I am in the position to teach him at home so may not send him back.

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palacegirl77 · 20/05/2020 22:23

Its mainly to do with reading. Critical age for certain kills being taught and will leave many behind if not addressed.

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Appuskidu · 20/05/2020 22:30

It’s a lot to do with childcare. Getting Y1 children back once or twice a week whilst attempting to socially distance, will not really help support any early reading skills.

I also suspect they’ve chosen EYFS and y1 because they will be doing the phonic screener or SATs next year and the government think those are important.

I’d have chosen to have year 2 back, out of any infant year group.

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BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 20/05/2020 22:34

I have a YR and a Y3.

My Y3 could manage their schoolwork next to me at the dining table while I work myself. We could take very short breaks together of she needed help, and she could spend some time reading to herself /playing on the school apps and watching documentaries.

My YR needs someone to listen to him read. Someone to watch him like a hawk as he cuts and glues the words on his school worksheets. Someone to help him with the counters on the ten-frame. Someone to help him form his letters correctly.

All the time spent on YR schoolwork is less time I can spend on my own job which keeps the roof over our head.

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BabloHoney · 20/05/2020 22:37

I wondered if schools will still be socially distancing in September, and this gives the youngest children a chance to get used to it a bit, before the other years come back?

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Bol87 · 20/05/2020 23:16

Because it’s near impossible to work from home with young children. I’d expect most children who are 6+ can sit and do some school work and/or play independently & fully understand mum & dad are working and can’t give them full attention. Also, they less likely to injure themselves if left unsupervised for a short while etc.

Under 5’s, SO much harder. I really feel for my colleagues with young children. I’m on maternity leave thankfully but it I wasn’t, I’ve no idea how me & my other half would do our jobs with a fearless 3 year old who likes to injure herself every 5 minutes even with out supervision!

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Mumoftwo0357 · 21/05/2020 02:51

Childcare.

I understand the calls about vulnerable children but they are already allowed in school and government didn’t care about them when they shut most of the sure starts, axed pre school funding and took away the grant for newborns etc. These points also apply to early years concerns.

As for mental health concerns, I am
More worried about teens who are missing their peers (and can socially distance) who May be feeling isolated. Year R and 1 are more likely to be mentally damaged by this new school.

I accept they may have to do it eventually if a vaccine is slow.

But why now? Why first? When older kids need it more?

Why any kids?

Why not just wait till we have the tracing capabilities and low infection rates that all those who opened schools had.

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Mumoftwo0357 · 21/05/2020 02:56

Disagree with the reading point - even as a huge reader. Kids can always catch up. There are countless titles online for free right now - jolly phonics, Oxford etc

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Mumoftwo0357 · 21/05/2020 02:58

The usually time parents take each day as home reading on the free books would keep kids on track,

And even if not they Can always catch up.

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IHateCoronavirus · 21/05/2020 03:57

Battysace the decision is entirely yours. If it helps I’ll let you know what our provision will ll look like. We got our clarification through as staff yesterday what we will be doing with children (although nursery seems to have inexplicably disappeared off the list, ad it has on the media sources too!)

Our Reception children will start 40 mins later than normal and finish 20 mins earlier to ensure a staggered start with the rest of the children.

One parent only will be allowed to drop them at the gate and patents must not linger. There will be members of staff acting as stewards to ensure compliance. Children are not to bring anything with them from home to avoid contamination. Coats and shoe fastenings must be independently manageable by the child.

Children will then be kept on their best bubble of 12 (can be up to 15 but for a reception that is how our school have split it) and they will be sat at tables with their own little bag of stationary including glue.

This has just changed the original plan was to have them playing within their bubble. All we have been told is this is no longer viable due to the inability to clean each item after each child has touched it. All items within each bag will have to be wiped at the end of the day.

Children will have allocated times to use the toilet and will go as a bubble. The toilets and sinks will be cleaned after each bubble has visited.

They will have allocated times to use the outdoor space also and will be given an area in which to play. This will be their area each play session.

Lunch will be in the Hall, all children will have a packed lunch style meal provided by school which requires no cutlery. Again children will attend in their bubble and have 10 minutes (due to timings of getting everyone through and tables wiped between) each child will be given a set place which will be their place each day. We have the fold down tables with integrated stools. The children will sit on once stool, three stools missed then another child. On the opposite side of the table the child would be sitting on the corresponding middle empty seat. IYSWIM.

After lunch they will be given 10 mins outside in their space then toilet then back to their tables.

They will have another break outdoors and to the toilet mid afternoon before going home.

Is Early Years professionals we are concerned about the rigidity of the new draft for such young children but we have been told it is not up for discussion. We were also guessing that the new tightening of the structure was why Nursery has suddenly gone poof! Again no explanation given.

Staff will be given PPE including gloves, apron, mask and visor to be used st their descresion. However, when doing personal care, medical attention or getting within 2m of a child all of the above must be worn again non-negotiable. I imagine most staff will be keeping it on then.

For reference, we sent out questionnaires and it is roughly a 50/50 split between families who are thinking of sending their child and families who aren’t. Bubbles have been allocated accordingly with standby bubbles ready should more children come than expected. On the day it will be a first come first serve basis as to which children end up in which bubble, but from day 1 that will be the bubble in which they will remain.

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IHateCoronavirus · 21/05/2020 03:59

Excuse the typos it is very early, just getting up to do my planning before my own kids wake up!

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IHateCoronavirus · 21/05/2020 04:05

Just to add we are anticipating the numbers to fall once timings and details of pick up and drop off will be made formal. There is an hour difference between the first time slot and the last which complicates things for families with more than one child.

Also the one parent only rule is ridged. No sibling can tag along. Again how people with little ones will managed this I have no idea. Sad

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Breastfeedingworries · 21/05/2020 04:10

Jesus it sounds so depressing! Glad my dd is 17 months! :(

My two friends have sons in reception that are family, hope they are put into same bubble, but then it’s unlikely anyone ect can ask for that or when does it end?

Hope they’re all okay. Will be awful then being potentially told off for breaking these rules, or needing the loo out of allocated time.

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mintyt · 21/05/2020 04:15

Because they need to get them ready to transition. Yr 6 to senior school. Reception to yr 1 and yr 1 to year 2 it's to help them

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SecondStarFromTheRight · 21/05/2020 04:18

I read an interesting point on another thread about the average ages of the parents of reception and year one being the obvious lowest so if an infection did break it would have a hopefully smaller impact.

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dunnybum · 21/05/2020 04:48

I don't think it's just to do with childcare as younger children are less likely to have parents both working & if they are more likely for one to be part time.
Plus the measures schools are putting in place will potentially make it more disruptive if you are working & have other children.

I'm also not so sure about the importance of reading etc as I don't think schools will be teaching in their normal way eg guidance says TAs can be used.

Perhaps it's to do with the lower risk, or resettling as a big part of reception is learning the rhythm of school.

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bbn81 · 21/05/2020 05:10

The age of the children is the biggest factor. Young children are a lot less likely to be ill and affected by Covid 19. Even by 15yo the likelihood of being ill has increased which is why is it younger ones rather than year 10s.

The age of the parents will also be a factor, I have a child in year 1 and myself and DH are both under 40, by year 10 we will both be nearly 50 and would be at a higher risk.

Childcare is also a factor, we are both still trying to work from home with a 3 and 6 year old and we are getting to breaking point. DH is falling behind with work and we are both working well into the evenings to keep on top of the bare minimum. DH has been told he will be working from home until at least Christmas so he is not even going to be able to go into the office anytime soon to catch up.

The 3 yo will be going into nursery on 1st June regardless and I am hoping the 6 yo can go to school.

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