My sons primary school have measured their classrooms...

[DonLewis]

And if social distancing is how schools will be able to open, they can fit 9 children in per classroom.

Reception is 3 form entry and totally open plan.

It's a virtually brand new building, so not like the school I went to, a tiny voctorain thing with portacabins in the playground as dinner huts.

So, how does this work? Most classes have 32+kids in them.

Plus of course you can’t actually just be vomiting and call in sick. You have to send in full lesson plans for your classes that can be delivered by a supply teacher with no access to PowerPoints or online resources. Taking a day off takes at least an hours work at 6am.

I have not so fond memories of noravirus last year and books and laptop on the bathroom floor trying to set work between pukes and even then feeling guilty and worried

I still think it's not accurate to say we have "inadequate sick leave/sick pay policies" which is what a pp mentioned - they are not the things that keep us coming in when we are poorly, it is internalised guilt and often externalised pressure from management - those aren't the actual policies or pay through.
It made the last week or so pre lockdown really interesting as anyone with a cough was obvious off whereas normally they'd have been in until a lung appeared on their desk

but if you have a good sickness policy, including good arrangement of cover for absences, then the guilt would not come in (as muchh

@Mistressiggi - I was thinking about this too, I wouldn’t know when I should call in sick if I had symptoms because a temperature and a cough wouldn’t usually mean I’d take any notice, I’d be expected in as usual.

There wouldn't be any question Carrie, you'd need to be off (or getting access to a test I suppose)

Sorry this is so long but I’m in Germany and it’s not really true to say schools are “going back” here. The latest regulations for my state say that children should have “at least one visit“ to school before the summer holiday and it seems to be up to individual schools how they reopen so long as they can maintain social distancing of 1.5m. So most schools are only planning to offer each student one or two days a week teaching with the rest at home and some schools may offer much less.

It also only applies to classes 1-4 currently - that’s year 2 to year 5 equivalent. The younger age groups aren’t at school yet in Germany and at the moment the daycares are still on emergency care only (although it is a little broader than UK).

Also German primary schools are much more set up for social distancing. Most non-academic subjects are taught in separate after-school care so not relevant to schools going back and they do a lot of worksheets rather than group/project work.

What about older children @ArfArfBarf

I've measured my classroom this morning, I can get 5 in! It can't work

@NCTDN
For secondary level, I think the very oldest have been back since the 23. Apr and the others are due to start back soon once primary have been started, but with the same restrictions as in primary - so most will do a mixture of home and school learning with probably a lot more school than home.

There wouldn't be any question Carrie, you'd need to be off (or getting access to a test I suppose)

Of course now, but it’s hard to recognise when you usually ignore symptoms like that - staying at home when ill will be a very different way of working!

I’ve just been in on the rota today in secondary.

2 had a fight
One thumped another (social distancing?)
Rulers were being flicked.
One chucked a pen at another.

How the hell do we social distance in a school? I found the boys were better at doing it than the girls. But it was the boys who were doing the thumping and fighting. I just don’t get how any schools are supposed to run.🤷🏼‍♀️🙄

We received a survey today from our secondary asking if our children would attend if they re-opened. DS would Not as year 11, for DD1 I said it would depend on guidance issued as her sister has asthma.

If she does go back we would drive her there and back rather than her usual public bus.

For DD2, she has asthma, we would need to consider the guidance, but as she previously had pneumonia and bronchitis, it worries me.

Children’s education is key - teachers are therefore key workers. We need to get on with finding a way to get our children back to school - in the safest way possible for them & the teachers - but they need to return before they all turn in to feral cats! Just keep saying, ‘this won’t work’ is no answer.

Personally, I think the older children should be going back first - they have less years to make up this gap in their education. They are old enough to understand this situation we are in, what health & hygiene rules we now have in place and should certainly be capable of remembering to sanitise their hands before & after lessons, not share equipment and to do their utmost to keep a safe distance apart. Small people will not understand or remember this so it’s more complicated getting them back out there into an education setting.

I think part of it will come down to individual schools discretion because each school / buildings are different. What will work in one will need adapting in another.

But hell, get creative and come up with workable ideas! Show kids we value them and aren’t giving up on them. At this rate we’re sending a whole generation to the scrap heap...

I just don’t get how any schools are supposed to run

But they’ve got to at some point, haven’t they? COVID19 isn’t going anywhere. So somehow, we’ve got to find a way.

Dunno, unions have said not open. We are guided by unions.

France has banned any equipment sharing, R rate is going up in Denmark since they re opened. Some schools abroad are only teaching basic subjects.

I think it will also depend on regions. Here in the north West the rate is highest so really we should be last to go back.

Dunno, unions have said not open. We are guided by unions

What, ever? I thought they’d said not to open until certain conditions are met? And that’s what I mean by having to find solutions... to meet the conditions set out by the unions. Surely no one is advocating them staying closed forever?

My friend is a teacher in England and apparently they have moved out tables out of rooms so only 9 tables a room and also having screens fitted for the teachers desk.

and also having screens fitted for the teachers desk.

In some areas sales of eggs will increase.

They will be lucky to find eggs not had any in my local shops for weeks

They can whip up custard pies in home ec as well

They are old enough to understand this situation we are in, what health & hygiene rules we now have in place and should certainly be capable of remembering to sanitise their hands before & after lessons, not share equipment and to do their utmost to keep a safe distance apart
Not a post written by a teacher, clearly! Unless you mean sixth form who might fit your description, but not teenagers at school in general I'm afraid.

@Peppafrig where is this?

Manchester

Hi @BlueGheko
Who you complain to probably depends on if your cleaners are in-house (employed by the school) or contracted out to a cleaning company.

I'd say headmaster firstly, then the governers if you don't get a solution that's acceptable. Then you'd be looking to go higher. Not sure if that would be the council or not. I guess it depends if the school is an academy or council-run.

My situation is that I work for an outside company, which is so awful that the school is actively recruiting a new company to take over the contract.

It's probably best if I don't write about my experience publicly but I certainly hope that my situation is at the worse end of the scale.

Staff cuts, very low wages, poor equipment.
It's all down to money, I'm afraid.