What's the plan b for schools?

[headshoulderskneestoes]

Is there one?

I know plan A is full opening in September with various rules that aren't very easy to implement or are a bit of a nonsense. But if the numbers continue to go up or things go wrong quickly, what then?

It's my understanding that the national curriculum was suspended at Easter? Is it back in place now? What will stop us going back to 'here have a worksheet' as there's no other really option?

My son is going into year 5, so 5 years of schooling and has already missed half of that (2.5yrs!) due to SEN, illegal exclusions, no school place for him and now covid. I'm desperate that he doesn't miss any more. He's at a autism school now and isn't able to work at home. Wish it was clear what the plan b might be!

[mac12]

This is my worry too, that we’re going to be left high & dry again because Govt has been so focused on full reopening there’s no contingency plan.

[Helenj1977]

There isn't one. They go or you get fined.

I think the fine might be the best option.

[starrynight19]

There is no plan b. They seem adamant schools will reopen as before covid with extra hand washing and bubbles the size of the school in a nutshell.
Let’s hope it works

[ThisIsNotARealAvo]

I can only speak for my school and LA. The plan is for children to stay in large bubbles and there will be no assemblies or anything like that where large groups are together. Extra hand washing facilities and changes to how we move round the school.

If there is a local lockdown, we have set up better online learning so that we can deliver live teaching and better work for children. I imagine we will be open for key worker and vulnerable children like before.

However, we have been told that if a child tests positive for Covid then "the LA will advise" about whether anyone should isolate, I imagine they will advise not to as otherwise there would be guidance published about it.

There has been no government guidance for schools about this really, so each LA will be drawing up their own. Schools should then be sharing their own plans with parents, we have but of course I don't know what other schools will be doing.

[ThisIsNotARealAvo]

Also I should add that in our LA the approach towards fining is that it's a last resort, and they will be sympathetic toward parents who keep children off. Not sure how that will actually play out. Most schools around here (S. London) only fine parents who are persistently absent and are not engaging with any help, not the ones who go on holiday. So I don't think that many people will be fined immediately.

[Ickabog]

The plan is for children to stay in large bubbles and there will be no assemblies or anything like that where large groups are together.

No large groups, except the large bubble they're mixing with.

I know you mean no large gatherings of other year groups, but the statement does show how bonkers the safety measures are.

[headshoulderskneestoes]

@ThisIsNotARealAvo thank you for the info. Your school sounds quite on it. I guess if it's not a national plan, all schools could do something different? I've no idea what our school is thinking...as an autism school anything other than face to face is virtually impossible so they are probably just thinking 'if it closes, it closes'.

[BlackberrySky]

Our school has sent out the plan B. This is a state secondary of over 1000 pupils. They have set themselves up on Ms Teams and live lesson provision is in place. Every child to have own laptop, provided already for those who can't afford. Some schools have their act together!

[maddy68]

Not sure we have a plan A yet, the advice is constantly changing 🙄

[headshoulderskneestoes]

@BlackberrySky

Our school has sent out the plan B. This is a state secondary of over 1000 pupils. They have set themselves up on Ms Teams and live lesson provision is in place. Every child to have own laptop, provided already for those who can't afford. Some schools have their act together!

They certainly do! 👏 to your school, lucky kids and parents to know where they stand regardless of the outcome.

[MaryBerrysBomberJacket]

As far as we know as teachers, there isn't a Plan B. We are personally preparing to quickly shift to online learning, blended learning etc and have even been asked to have our medium and long term plans for every class on hand incase we become incapacitated. First lesson for everyone will be joining Google Classrooms and using all of our online resources so that we can change over with very little warning. I have 7 GCSE and A Level classes next year and this is worrying me massively.

We've put in as many safety measures as possible with one way systems, zones, many more staff duties to remind students to distance when on a break but we are massively limited by a lack of space. We are still trying to sort out a ventilation problem as we are town centre and the windows only open 10cm each.

I really wish the Government were realistic and listened when we said we needed to be prepared for September. Starting with blended learning would have been so much better, esepically for my exam classes; we could have meaningful input in school and then plently of consolidatation and practice for home learning. Social distancing would have been implimented better and it would have reduced the risk of closures.

[Chosennone]

Our LA have thrown everything at Plan A and all we know for plan B is there may be short term local closures. We are being trained in Microsoft Teams on our first day back and the govt Oak Academy is ramping up to provide better provision.

[ThisIsNotARealAvo]

The plan is for children to stay in large bubbles and there will be no assemblies or anything like that where large groups are together.

No large groups, except the large bubble they're mixing with. *
*
I know it's crazy. The bubbles at the moment are phases, so N and R, 1 and 2 etc. This is because for teaching to happen as close to normal as possible, adults have to be able to work with different groups across the school, and we have to have some interventions with mixed year groups. We have such high numbers of kids with SEN and so few adults that this is the only way it can work.

Also, not helpful that we lost £300,000 of budget this year. There has been no money from government to cover extra cleaners or facilities, that has to come out of existing school budgets. We have had to lose our therapeutic service to pay for it.

[bigTillyMint]

OP, as your DS is at an ASD school, I am surprised if they weren’t already open from the start of lockdown as he would qualify as vulnerable with an ECHP.

My friend is SLT in an ASD school and they have been fully open throughout. I work in another specialist provision and we have been open throughout for the most vulnerable children.

No children or staff at either provision got ill with Covid - phew!

It is much easier to follow safety guidelines with small groups which would be the case in your DSs school. Plus it seems that young children are much lower risk of carrying/getting it.

I personally think we need to reopen for all children. What kind of life/education is it for them if not? Unless of course you are happy to HE and able to do it well.

[Oysterbabe]

If schools don't go back I just don't know what I'll do. I'd have to seriously consider quitting my job.

[Ickabog]

ThisIsNotARealAvo

You have my sympathies, our budget is also looking very precarious this year, God knows how we'll manage without any extra funding.

I understand your reasoning behind the large bubbles, it was just the absurdity of the comment that amused and depressed me.

[nellodee]

No plan B at my school. I've pushed for one within my department, but they reflect a lot of the thinking on here. I am seen as the Dementor of the department. We have done absolutely no preparation at all for online learning and many of the resources we used last time around are no longer applicable (because we've used them already). It's incredibly frustrating.

I imagine we will provide a mid-level service if it all goes down, not the best, but not the worst. However, it will result in the proportion of teachers who do the bulk of the work in my school working 60 hour weeks to prep all the resources at zero notice, meanwhile being moaned at on here for doing nothing at all.

It makes me really cross, to be honest, when I think we could have been like some of the schools on here and had plan B in place by now. This is why I hate blind optimism - it ends up with you in crappy place, reacting in a panic to things that were predicted months ago.

[confusedandold]

This is why I hate blind optimism - it ends up with you in crappy place, reacting in a panic to things that were predicted months ago.
So true.

[Flagsfiend]

I'm not sure the government have a plan B, if they have they haven't shared it with schools.

Plan A is full time school with minimal protective measures as anything in place must ensure full time normal education for all (so moving class for options in secondary, staff teaching different groups of students) with no extra funding for increased cleaning or toilets/sinks etc. It says in the guidance that even with confirmed cases schools are unlikely to need to close.

Plan B - who knows? We are going to teach the students how to access the online resources as a priority in September but other than that I have no idea...

[wagtailred]

Well plan B is the school is closed by central or local government and they revert to online learning. However this time the government is expecting immediatley available, quality online provision that allows progress. Which will be inaccessible for mmant children
You have my sympathy though my son also attends a special school which closed. Apparently inly 20% of children with ehcps were in school nationally. Some of that will be parental choice. Some will be risk assessments.

[Newpuppymummy]

I have been told parents will only be informed if more than one child from same bubble has covid. Which seems bonkers.

[Grottyfeet]

As part of the reopening plans, schools are required to have a robust distance learning curriculum ready to go for use in any local lockdowns or school closures. Also for children required to isolate. I imagine the attention being given to that will vary tremendously, as with the children able to access it, but that is the plan.

[walker1891]

No plan B just yet, we've only just finished plan A!

We have online accounts set up but no online teaching as I have 2 rooms to teach between. I share my time between both classes so I can't provide live lessons to both classes simultaneously so I think it'll just be a voiceover on ppt really or my TAs will have to teach online alongside me.

[LaundryBasketOfHell]

What about boarding schools? They will need to bring back the overseas boarders around the 3rd week of August so that they can quarantine for 2 weeks before term starts.

[QualityFeet]

Wow Blackberry! There is a post that reveals the divide between schools with money and schools without. We do t have any staff lap tops and can’t afford them. There are no laptops for our pupils (many/most of whole don’t have them).