How restricted will your DCs' school be?

[notevenat20]

I just learned that DC (year 4 to be) will have to eat a pack lunch in his classroom and they won't be allowed to mix socially outside of their class at lunch or break time. This has made me sad.

This made me wonder how restricted other schools are. How restricted will your school be socially for the children?

[FunkyFunkyBeat]

My kids are at an international school in Singapore. They have to wear a mask at all times (except PE). Temp check before getting on school bus and again in class. Lunch eaten in class. Set seating arrangements, socially distanced seating in class. At the moment, the school hasn't received permission for extra curricular activities (other schools have but 'contact' type sports not allowed. Things like comic book club, chess club etc ok). My daughter's Netball has continued but only 5 girls on court at a time.

It's frustrating and I can understand you feeling sad, but the kids are thrilled with seeing their friends and everyone's just getting on with it. Certainly much better than home based learning!!

[stayingaliveisawayoflife]

That is the same everywhere I'm afraid. The children will only mix within their class or year bubble. They are quite strict on that.

This will of course mean lots of play dates, visits to local parks etc which is out of our control. It is a logistical nightmare.

[notevenat20]

I would have been much happier with a year group bubble for DS. I guess the smaller the bubble, the happier the epidemiologists are.

[Sleakeasy]

This is standard across schools.

[Waxonwaxoff0]

Same for DS, only allowed to eat lunch in the classroom and all the year groups are having staggered playtime outdoors.

[SomewhereEast]

Our school is doing normal school dinners, although they'll be eating in classrooms. Our school's intake is quite socio-economically diverse & includes some very disadvantaged kids, so I bet they've rightly decided that the benefits of a guaranteed daily hot meal outweigh whatever tiny risk is involved. Our school does seem to have been a lot calmer than others though. My youngest (Reception) went back in June & they got them in for four days a week & didn't even pretend they were going to social distance them.

[wendz86]

Yes same here but my children both went back before summer - longer for reception child and a few days for year 4 child and they were fine with the changes.

[CKBJ]

Think it’s standard across all school. They need to maintain the bubbles while in school. My children will be in year group bubbles I would have preferred class bubbles, smaller and therefore less contacts.

[Aroundtheworldin80moves]

School dinners available as normal. Class bubble for lessons, but some mixing with other class in year at lunch and breaktimes. Pe as normal. Before and after school care available. Hoping to start extra curricular at half term.

Only real differences are staggered school day times and no assemblies.

[TimeForLunch]

The lunch thing isn't standard. They are still using the dining hall for lunches at my kids' school, just staggering the lunch breaks a bit more than usual.

[Newdaynewname1]

Ours (primary) are mixing per yeargroup (about 40 kids). Lunches are either in the classroom or in the canteen, on a rotation basis. Food has been adapted to be easy to eat in the classroom (they’ve been back since june, so know what they doing).
Staggered times for PE and forrest school, and specialist lessons in specialist classrooms (music, art, science) are 5 minutes shorter to allow for cleaning.
Kids have to bring a pencil case in that stays at school.
Staggered arrival and collection (siblings together), but only by 10 minutes or so.
No in- person whole school assemblies, so there is more playtime and more teaching time.

[IncidentsandAccidents]

Our dc go to a small village primary school, which will be split into 4 class sized bubbles. Lunch in classrooms, separate playtimes, no assembly, no mixed bubble after school clubs. It's usually a very close knit school (less than 100 pupils) and I'm hoping the bubbles can be abandoned at some point this academic year.

[irishheartenglishblood]

Ours is having whole year bubbles (60 kids), packed lunches only to be eaten in the classroom. Staggered start and finish times.
ASC and BC - kids will sit with their year group and will need to stay at one table only, which my DC will hate.
No assemblies or shows. No singing.
I'm really hoping they can run some extracurricular clubs but I'm doubtful.

[monkeytennis97]

I have been saying for weeks on Mumsnet now that my subject (secondary - not going to reveal which subject as potentially outing) will be very very very different to before. Back to the 1980s version of how I was taught not at all what kids are used to. All written work and PowerPoints- not how I normally teach at all.

[FrippEnos]

So much for schools going back at any cost.

[UndertheCedartree]

My DD is also going into Y4. They have different hours to normal 8.40 - 2.45 (usual 8.50 - 3.20). We have to SD as we queue to get into school - 150 DC per year so will be interesting to see how it works! They will have lunch in the hall with their year group with set seating plan. Apparently their food will be put in place before they sit down - not sure how this works. My DD normally has school lunches but the menu has been reduced with no jacket potatoes (her back-up if she doesn't like the other options). So she'll be having packed lunch 2 days per week. At break and lunch the whole year group can play together. They will be seperated per year group in breakfast club/ASC too. The teachers will not be included in the bubbles and will try to SD. Not sure how that will go. They have a few specialist teachers that teach across year groups so couldn't be in bubbles anyway. Not sure if after school clubs or instrument tuition is happening.

[KoalasandRabbit]

Both mine are in year bubbles of 180 ish, going into y9 and y10 and can mix within year. I would have preferred class bubbles but our school did class bubbles for 7 and 8 and year bubbles for 9/10/11, very difficult to have class bubbles for GCSE options - year 9 could have been class bubbles if they'ld standarised the curriculum but they kept the 4 out of 8 options. School dinners in year groups for 9/10/11. No after school clubs but not that different to normal other than wearing PE kit half the days and the clubs and year group seperation.

[AdelaidePlace]

Yes, common and needed to keep school communities safe.

Where WAC is in place bubbles will remain where possible. I know of schools where to be able to offer WAC, children will have to sit apart in their bubble ( for some that means alone) and because of cost and staffing children will spend the whole time sitting alone at a table with easy time fillers such as colouring.

[Pesimistic]

Not very it's all fluff and that's it. Business as usual

[Triangularbubble]

Mine are KS1 - Lunch in classroom, separate areas of playground for each class (one form entry so class/year/bubble is the same thing), no assembly etc, tables facing front, no paraphernalia to and from school, staggered timings and lots of hand washing. Lots of outdoor time and outside learning where possible. I’m quite happy with that, in fact I’m hoping some of it becomes permanent.

[Branleuse]

Years 8 and 9. Will be in year group bubbles in set areas. Ds year has the english and science block. Lots of handwashing. No masks required