This is what I would do with schools

[ineedsomemoremetime]

So this is what I would do with primary schools. 1) Open schools to all children. 2) each classroom is their own bubble. The social distancing cannot happen in that classroom. 3) Teachers / TAs /all staff under 45 without underlying health conditions to return to work within these bubbles 4) those over 45 and/or with underlying health conditions support remote learning for those families who (due to vulnerable family members or child) cannot return their children to school 5) Government recruits teachers/TAs/ locum teachers who have previously left or trainee teachers to temporarily fill the gaps of those vulnerable staff members.

Is this a feasible plan? To me it seems a practical solution. Why aren't we considering something akin to this?

[ohthegoats]

Because at the moment, 32 people aren't allowed to meet without 2m social distancing. Because we don't know how safe that is.

Point 5) is a non-starter

[Pollyputthepizzaon]

Sounds good!

[ohthegoats]

Also, drop off and pick up.
Also lunchtime staggering and breaktime staggering almost impossible.
At the moment we can't share toilets outside of a bubble.

Secondary schools can't cover specialist subjects in one room.

[ohthegoats]

And if you're thinking about this happening now, most teachers and a lot of TAs are already allocated to a bubble. There aren't any teachers spare.

[ohthegoats]

In secondary are you making all those children in that 30 bubble take all the same A-level subjects?

Are all the year 8s in that room the same ability for English? What about English and maths and science?

[ohthegoats]

But really this post belongs in Education, not Health.

[ineedsomemoremetime]

@ohthegoats why is point 5 a non starter? They did this for the NHS.

[ineedaholidaynow]

Quite a few classes are over 30.

Schools have no spare staff and no spare money.

[ineedsomemoremetime]

@ohthegoats I said in my OP for primary.

[ineedaholidaynow]

Our local schools are so strapped for cash that they are having to look at reducing staff not increasing them for next term

[ohthegoats]

No teacher who has left is coming back. Fact. If they've left before retirement, then they've left for a reason. If they've left at retirement then they a) won't want to come back into this shit storm, b) probably have age concerns.

[Babyroobs]

Can't imagine a lot of newly retired teachers wanting to return after what has happened to a lot of older health care professionals.

[ItsSummer]

Because they’d have to pay them.

And many have left teaching for a reason..l

[WhenSheWasBad]

It could work for primary. There aren’t enough spare teachers (TAs or trainees) though if the over 45s aren’t in school teaching.

All kids would have a packed lunch (or cold lunch provided by the kitchens).
I’m trying to mentally work out the logistics of toilets in my kids school.

It’s tricky.

Maybe an army of volunteer cleaners could help? Constantly cleaning surfaces / loos?

[summerdown]

Money was found for NHS and for furlough. If it was a government priority they could find money for portabins, marquees, portaloos, extra staff, use libraries etc. It’s just not a priority

[ohthegoats]

Trainee teachers need supporting. A LOT. Who is doing that support? If there isn't support then loads of children are being taught by unqualified people.

Also, schools can't afford to do this. That's paying double for every teacher you have off work who is vulnerable.

[Babyroobs]

Yes and cost is a huge factor. I honestly don't see how the economy could recruit loads more teaching staff alongside the massive benefit bill and the hugely increased NHS bill, although I guess we need to keep schools open for all for parents to work so swings and roundabouts really.

[GabriellaMontez]

Yes I agree.

No assemblies/ concerts.

Staggered pickups.

It'll be chaos for a few days but we'll at least have a picture of numbers. Eg how many children and teachers aren't coming back.

[Theworldisfullofgs]

What happens if all your TAs are over 45 and most of your teaching staff?

I would say that's 80% of TAs and 60% of teaching staff in the school where I'm a CoG.

Majority of younger staff live with family who are in 60s. So that would increase their exposure too.

By the way I'd love there to be a solution. So am racking my brains.

[TooManyDaves250]

I taught for 10 years, very successful teacher, and you wouldn't me back in a classroom for a million pounds!

[Muffey]

Ex teachers and trainee teachers would need paying for their services and the government won't do that. Most ex-teachers won't return to teaching anyway. They have their own jobs that they need to return to. Plus, I know a lot of ex-teachers, myself included, who wouldn't want to return to that environment regardless. You can't treat people like shit for years and then expect them to return when the masters click their fingers.

[Alex50]

I suggested this at the beginning of lockdown and got slated on mumsnet for ageism and also how could I think of putting children’s lives at risk

[ineedsomemoremetime]

My point is this is how the government should be thinking. How do they apply the same logistics of the nightingale hospitals to our primary schools.

[AppleKatie]

Why 45? Seems arbitrary?

What about those under 45 who exercise their legal right to not return to a workplace where they do not feel safe?

What’s your plan for secondaries?

What will happen when the R rate is significantly pushed up and significant numbers of children and staff are infected?

Sooo many questions.

[Esptea]

What about social distancing at pick up and drop off? In a school with 14 different classes, it would take all day to get them in and dismiss them.

Some schools have much larger numbers of over 45s /
pregnant / asthmatic / diabetic staff than others. How would you operate if 50% of staff were unavailable? How quickly could new staff be vetted/trained? Sometimes poor teaching is worse than no teaching. Parents would soon complain that their class had an untrained TA and another class had a qualified teacher. There's a big difference between TAs taking groups of 7 and having to manage classes of 25.

Up to 30 kids in a class means no social distancing at all. Would you be happy to sit in a waiting room with 30 other people with no PPE and no social distancing? Those staff who are working are likely to have family members more vulnerable than themselves who they would like to be able to support. You are effectively asking them to sacrifice their parents etc for their work.

If kids are mixing like this in schools, people will re-start parties etc (play dates are already happening with people saying well they're in the same bubble at school). We'd soon be back at an R over one.