If your children went back this week...

[Itisbetter]

Are they sitting next to each other in class? Ds came home today and told me they are all sitting facing forward in class but right next to each other as they did pre-Covid. Is that what’s happening in all schools? I thought they were going to be spaced out.

[IHateCoronavirus]

Yes sitting together on desks of two or four.

[TheBitchOfTheVicar]

Yes. And all the classes I teach. There is no room to space anyone out.

[Itisbetter]

How is it ok to sit in class like this but not on a bus or supermarket etc?

[Itisbetter]

The teachers are 2m away, so I suppose that’s good?

[ineedaholidaynow]

Have you not seen all the threads where teachers have said social distancing was not possible in schools if all pupils were coming back?

[GravityFalls]

Where are they going to space out to? The classrooms are the same size...

[ineedaholidaynow]

There isn't always room for the teacher to be 2m away either

[Itsrainingnotmen]

I have 3 x dc in secondary school.. Each in a bubble of 300..
No masks allowed expect on the school bus..
No social distancing.
Tables as usual side by side.
Queues for lunch..
Sit anywhere.

[Branleuse]

Yes they sit next to someone. Social distancing not consistent but they are in bubbles and spending lessons in the same class, which should help contain any outbreaks somewhat

[GlennRheeismyfavourite]

Because each year group is their own bubble - they can be close to each other but not teachers/ other year groups

[Itsrainingnotmen]

Dd has been SD from her bff this whole time and now that rule is outdated!

[Itisbetter]

Mine are in “bubbles” of year group (so 100+) but the kids have siblings and travel in by bus in mixed age groups (though in masks).
@ineedaholidaynow I was interested in how common this solution was. I haven’t read a huge number of threads as I don’t always have the time or headspace, I’m sorry if you found my question annoying.

[JellyBabiesSaveLives]

This is pretty much the only solution, other than to have half the school working at home every other week. Then there’d be space in the classrooms.

[FluffyPJs]

The idea/ theory is that if they are all facing forwards then they are breathing forwards and not in each other's faces - until they turn to look at each other of course but that should only be fleeting/ for a few minutes. It's preferable to them spending hours breathing on each other.

[HipTightOnions]

Yes they sit next to someone. Social distancing not consistent but they are in bubbles and spending lessons in the same class, which should help contain any outbreaks somewhat

This will only be for the younger year groups. Setting and GCSE options mean classes will change and mix every hour. Even our Y7s are often on the move - Art, PE etc. Our lower and upper 6th are one enormous “bubble”.

And you should see the corridors at lesson changeover...

[ineedaholidaynow]

All facing forwards is good for the students, not so good for the teacher, especially from the students in the front row.

[Itisbetter]

Perspex in between chairs might help if there isn’t room to spread out.

[middleager]

Two DC at different secondaries, key stage 4.
As pp mentions sat next to each other, no masks required except on public transport. High risk areas, large schools.

School staff have been talking about this now on so many MN threads, but govt and media pretended SD was possible and now some parents are shocked. They're giving schools a hard time over it.

[Itisbetter]

I’m not giving anyone a hard time. I’m asking what people’s children’s schools have put in place.

[middleager]

@Itisbetter

Perspex in between chairs might help if there isn’t room to spread out.

Even if this were possible in large standard classes of 30 plus, who is funding this in every classroom?

[ineedaholidaynow]

@Itisbetter schools have no extra funding for any COVID changes they need/want to make in their buildings, including something so simple as soap/hand sanitiser

[middleager]

@Itisbetter

I’m not giving anyone a hard time. I’m asking what people’s children’s schools have put in place.

I'm not saying you, but some parents are commenting on every Twitter pic, emailing heads, abusive emails.

[Itisbetter]

@middleager perhaps they imagined that there would be space between seats? Not everyone reads teacher threads on MN.

[catsarecute]

Yes DS facing forwards but no social distancing. He's been told he doesn't need to social distance within his bubble (180 kids). First case in his school announced yesterday - so 3 days education before a case arose. 56 pupils been sent to self isolate, so not the full bubble, just those deemed 'close contacts'. The case is in a different year group bubble to DS. Masks permitted but not actively encouraged. No temperature checks. It's going to be a long winter :-(

[netflixismysidehustle]

The government has already announced that there's no social distancing in classrooms and no extra money for schools to make them Covid secure.