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Original poster

Do you know your schools ‘return to school’ plan?

73 replies

Yr1parent · 19/05/2020 21:12

I’m quite an anxious person so apologies if I’m rambling.

My child is due to go back 1st June but we haven’t been given any indication of the plan for how or if they’re returning at all. Just very generic email along the lines of ‘we’re working on seeing if we will return, we will not respond to individual questions’ on the day the announcement was made.

Wondered if other people are in the same boat? Or if you do know what your schools return plan is, you wouldn’t mind sharing it to get an idea of how other places are doing it?

This is turning me into a mess! DH is out working and my work have asked me to come back and I have no idea if my child can go back at all or if it’ll just be part time let alone assess whether the plan would be so upsetting for him that I’ll have to reassess my job instead..

Thanks Flowers

OP posts:
Muppetry76 · 19/05/2020 21:29

Wait until you hear from your school. Whilst they can open to all from 1st June (remember key-workers and vulnerable kids have been in since March), they don't have to, dependent on many many things.

Wait to hear from the school before replaying horror stories in your head.

peanutsandcream · 19/05/2020 21:29

I hope you find out soon. I get very anxious about these things too.

inwood · 19/05/2020 21:42

We had a very honest letter from the HT explaining that she basically has no idea how they will implement it and is waiting for guidance from Government.

Its a very small single form entry primary in a Victorian building. SD will be impossible. Even 15 in a class will be impossible they just don't have the space.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General education
Thescrewinthetuna · 19/05/2020 21:46

Not heard a peep off the HT since the announcement. The class teacher does a weekly letter like ‘try doing baking/a nature walk etc’ and they tagged on a paragraph at the end asking that we go through the importance of hand washing/not touching faces/social distancing in preparation for the class returning and that we will hear off the HT in due course.

thunderthighsohwoe · 19/05/2020 21:47

@inwood That sounds like our school! In order to get 30 in a class we have to have three to a desk, and if a child at the back needs the loo most if the children in the middle/front have to file out in order to let that child leave the room.

15 will be bliss in comparison, though we’ve had to be honest with parents and remind them that our classrooms were only designed to hold 15-20 children in the first place so we can’t maintain SD. Most seem ok with this.

CraftyGin · 19/05/2020 21:50

We are going back in September.

We had plans for June, but have abandoned these. I imagine we will keep elements for September, eg cleaning, not sharing equipment. Hopefully not social distancing, as that will be almost impossible in my school.

EllaPaella · 19/05/2020 22:08

Our school have said they can't take anyone back in June - they can only continue to provide childcare for key workers children. I am not sure what the rationale for this is but I'm sure they've made their decision for sensible reasons. Lots of other school within our authority are going back with staggered lessons and smaller class sizes.

nonicknameseemsavailable · 19/05/2020 22:14

ours seems to be planning to take back all the years they are supposed to full time. I wish they weren't though as I don't think it is the best idea.

PerfectPenquins · 19/05/2020 22:18

Ours has gone for opening up to all reception, year 1 and year 6. Going into school at different gates. 10 children per classroom. They are alternating so half reception, year 1 and year 6 one full week then swap over for the other half for a full week. Means parents having to pay for two weeks a month wrap around care that they cant use which is really annoying. I have a year 6 who wants to go back and a year 1 who wont be as she is thriving at home so no rush for her to go back.

LemonyCupcake · 19/05/2020 22:19

Ours is going back - two teachers , class y6 split in half , staggered start time etc

Runbitchrun · 19/05/2020 22:23

Yes, mine shared a comprehensive plan last week. However, today our council have announced they don’t believe schools will be ready on June 1st and they won’t support children returning until the 15th at the earliest, so all the schools hard work has gone to pot.

Selfsettling3 · 19/05/2020 22:25

The government plan is to return from the 1st June. It won’t be all children in chosen year groups in all day, every day. The school may not even be ready to have children in on the 1st June.

Violetparis · 19/05/2020 22:25

Ours is in one of the councils which isn't opening schools on June 1st but don't know any more than that.

ProfessorRadcliffeEmerson · 19/05/2020 22:28

No clue. DD is year 5, so I wouldn't necessarily expect to have heard anything yet, but there's nothing on the website.

IWillNotNameTheTree · 19/05/2020 22:31

We had ours today.

5 year old DD, markers on the playground for each child to line up and go in, all books, soft furnishings and toys removed from the classrooms. Class of 15, lunches eaten in class room, play squares for children at break times, each child to stay in their own square. No books, or bags to be taken to school water bottles only and staggered finish times.

saraclara · 19/05/2020 22:32

Most of the teachers I know haven't even been told yet, never mind the parents. Most schools had provisional plans, but then the govt guidance kept changing overnight, throwing their plans all up in the air again.

Macaroni46 · 19/05/2020 22:32

There is a huge amount to plan OP, give them school w chance.

BooseysMom · 19/05/2020 22:32

Our primary re-opening but for essential worker's kids only. Yet to read the long letter sent

NotEvenTheKing · 19/05/2020 22:35

Headteacher at my DCs school sent an email out today. It had their plans clearly laid out. It's not relevant to me, as mine is year 4, but it still brought a tear to my eye. Such upheaval.

I don't think you need to worry, I expect your school is just making their plans and will let parents know as soon as possible. Try not to worry too much, they will do everything in their power to make it as safe and familiar as possible.

Hercwasonaroll · 19/05/2020 22:36

Some schools are making it sound as off putting as possible to discourage attendance. Play squares is bloody awful and unnecessary if you read the guidance.

I doubt many schools will be open to more children than keyworkers on 1st June. The government haven't said this is definitely happening yet. They will (helpfully) make a decision on May 28th.

tiredanddangerous · 19/05/2020 22:38

No we haven’t heard anything. Although our LA have said schools don’t have to open if they don’t think it’s safe, so I’m hoping they don’t!

marblesgoing · 19/05/2020 22:41

Nope. Heard no plans as yet.

Feel for the staff and ht trying to work our how the hell its possible in our very small school Confused

Our ht has sent emails after the announcement with a questionnaire attached to get an idea of how many plan to send dc back to give them an idea of how to plan things but nothing since

Nomorewineever · 19/05/2020 22:44

We are working through the risk assessments - most teachers will be in over the half term break marking up 2m distances and clearing their rooms, it’s a massive piece of work and organisation.

@Selfsettling3 not really - rotas are discouraged in the DFE document - you are either in or not - hence some schools dropping a year altogether (nursery most commonly, if applicable) as when the date is confirmed you can’t then spread the load. Some have opted to close on a Friday for cleaning.

confusednortherner · 19/05/2020 22:47

Heads and staff are still trying to make it work. We usually have nearly 30 children in a class but have worked out 8 or 9 will be max if they are socially distanced. It's heartbreaking how it looks compared to usual.

PinkCrayon · 19/05/2020 22:50

'5 year old DD, markers on the playground for each child to line up and go in, all books, soft furnishings and toys removed from the classrooms. Class of 15, lunches eaten in class room, play squares for children at break times, each child to stay in their own square. No books, or bags to be taken to school water bottles only and staggered finish times.'

Mostly the same as ours minus the squares in the playground.
And no school uniform.
They will be encouraging children to social distance even at play time they are to keep 2 metres apart.
They have told us that if lots of parents end up sending their kids in then the yr6s may not be able to return.