What schools will look like

[whatthefuckishappening]

Has anyone had a confirmed outline of a plan from their school of what school will be like for reception if they go back in June? We expect to hear next week sometime. I'm undecided whether to send mine back or not (erring towards not, but then I'm on mat leave so currently don't have to factor work in).

A 2 m exclusion zone around the teacher? That’s going to be tricky for EY/FS.

Yes, children will have to become more independent. They will not be following the curriculum but will endeavour to give children fun tasks to do. If child has accident and cannot manage themselves the parent will be called. School has very limited PPE.

Do you think 4/5 year olds will thrive and learn in this environment?

My school have advised the 60 children in reception will be in groups of 8 with provision every 2/3 weeks. Staggered starts and they cannot guarantee safety.
Very clearly encouraging us not to send back.

Definately not, you can tell, reading between the lines, in my opinion that school thinks this is a bad idea.

Every classroom will have a bin with a lid... be interested to see where all these bin lids come from

Why? So that everyone has to touch the bin lid? That's a bit counter-intuitive. Or if it's a flip one you get a waft if what's in the bin in your face. And actually, still have to touch the bin lid. That makes no sense!

I will evolve over time. It says a phased return with everyone in primaries back for a month if feasible. How it will look in week one, will be drastically different in week 5.
Initial plans may not work exactly as though so some things will get dropped as not working, other things added in or improved

On the bin lid thing - it was already recommended to have bins with lids for 'medical waste' but people wouldn't normally put tissues in them. They are foot operated. So we already have foot operated bins at the first aid points. We just need extra ones for the classrooms.

Most schools round here had planned to have YR/1/6children in part time-one or two days a week, staggered start, no wraparound care-between 8-15 per class, which was just about sounding doable, but then the latest guidance came out last night saying no rotas and that those Year groups of children should be offered a full time place as it doesn’t help parents get back to work.

If schools don’t have enough space, they need to either find spare teachers and classrooms (down the back of the sofa) send children to nearby schools that do have space or just offer provision to the youngest of those year groups, so it could be only nursery or Reception that even get a place.

There will be lots of pissed off y6 parents and lots of heads now frantically rewriting plans...

TAs are expected to take a group. Not just for a lesson, not just for a day but actively teaching all day every day for the foreseeable future. Not fair on children or TAs (who will be expected to spend their lunchtimes disinfecting I expect!) Parents won't be too happy either.

I want to know when teachers/TAs get a break in the day when they have to be with the group they have been assigned to all the time. When do they have time to just go to the toilet? Staff loos won’t be conveniently located close to the classrooms, they certainly aren’t in our schools.

I wonder if TAs will get a pay rise for this term, teaching a class for a whole day will not currently be in their remit.

I’ve been very annoyed by how much energy our school has put into scaring people from sending their children back. They were delighted that so few used the provision for vulnerable children/ children of key workers that the school got to close .

Now they are trying to get parents to say they are unwilling to send their children in.

I used to think the school deserved its outstanding, not so much any more.

Very small victorian primary, one storey, no way of instituting one-way system without going outside.

When do they have time to just go to the toilet?

I said this on another thread the other day and not one person could give me an answer. Its bad enough that there wont be enough toilets for the children in each cluster to have their own but in some small schools there are only 1 set of staff loos.

Are the teachers and TAs supposed to just abandon their bubble to go and have a wee or do they take them all with them and make it a spectator sport??

Are the teachers and TAs supposed to just abandon their bubble to go and have a wee or do they take them all with them and make it a spectator sport??

Surely they can leave the class for 5 minutes? Even if it's while another teacher watches both classes. DD's class of 24 6-8 year olds has been left to work alone for a lesson before with the teacher from the class next door popping her head round the door every now and again.

Surely they can leave the class for 5 minutes? Even if it's while another teacher watches both classes. DD's class of 24 6-8 year olds has been left to work alone for a lesson before with the teacher from the class next door popping her head round the door every now and again

That just isn’t possibly in many schools due to the layout.

You'd leave 15 5yos alone in a room together?
In true MN style- ARE YOU ON GLUE?

Not even for two minutes would you (and our staff loos are a good 90seconds walk away from most classrooms).

We have including the Head letting parents know how she discourages the return as the children won't be with their original teachers, will be split from friends and in smaller groups, in unfamiliar classrooms in the junior branch of the school not infants as it is easier to remove everything from those rooms. She compared the classrooms to an exam room.

Surely they can leave the class for 5 minutes?

Does safeguarding mesn nothing to some people. Sure go ahead leave them shilst you walk the 5 minutes to the loo, assuming you can actually get there and back in just 5 minutes, what could possibly happen in an unsupervised room of 15 4 and 5 year olds in 5 minutes....

I don’t know of any primary schools that are more than one storey. Here they are old Victorian schools with extensions and huts outside. Narrow corridors and no one way system unless children go outside. How you manage a one way in a portakabin I don’t know. Very few loos as well. So currently it’s a unisex loo for 30 kids. One loo, one sink. How can it work.

Asking when a teacher can go to the toilet is a question I never thought I would have to ask in a Governor meeting!

Our school has 2 storey extension, ironically the only things on the first floor is storage and the staff loo. Which will help add time to when the teacher has to nip out for a wee

We've been told the class will be split into 3, each group will have 1 teacher and will play and eat together, no mixing.

Ours our private though, and the class is usually split this way for teaching, so they already have the staff and space- the only difference will be staggering drop off, pick up and breaks.

I can't see how many state schools will be able to manage this unless uptake is low.

*I can't see how many state schools will be able to manage this unless uptake is low.

They won't but every time you mention this you get told you are: scaremongering, a doom sayer, not possessing a positive attitude, work shy, not having the childrens best interests at heart or any other insulting term.

@TinySleepThief not from me.

I appreciate how lucky we are that our school is pretty much set up for this, and from a starting point class size of 20.

To split up a class of 30, find at least 2 extra class rooms, teachers etc it's not going to be easy.

Hopefully most schools will have asked parents for their intentions and can make plans from there.

For some of us working remotely with small children is impossible and school a welcome return. For others staying at home will be the better option.

Imagine the scene when you return from your five minute dash to the toilet to find Harry licking Oliver's face and Emily hugging Lucy her bff. And the parental complaints subsequently.

@Mistressiggi and someone would have eaten all the hand sanitiser!

Very likely! And if there was a socially distanced queue for the staff toilet you'd be buggered.