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

[Yr1parent]

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

Macaroni46 - thanks!!
OP - totally understand your anxiety but please do give us a chance.
Boris announced school re-opening in Sunday 10th, initial guidance from govt arrived 3pm Monday 11th and we all got planning. Thursday 14th additional ‘guidance’ arrived which basically made the previous three day’s planning worthless and so we had to start again. We have a massive risk assessment document to compile and complete. We have to formally consult with staff and then get plans agreed by governors / trustees and then speak to parents. Oh .... and the govt still haven’t released the nursery guidance.

Until the 28th we don't know if schools are opening.
Guidance keeps changing.
Some unions have provided letters for staff to refuse to return.
The plans need Governors or trust board to agree them.
There are still questions about corporate responsibility.
What is safe?
Unions want to review risk assessments.
Some schemes of delegation are unclear or being ignored.
It can not be agreed under Chairs Action yet some appear to be doing so.
Plus a list of other questions that need exploring before anything can be finalised.

Oh and also that each child will have an allocated toilet break and not be permitted to use the toilet at any other times. If they have an accident or fall outside, staff will not be able to assist and if they are unable to clean themselves up a parent will be called to collect them from school.

My head sent out an email today to say that we would not be returning until September.

We are secondary, so don't have the year groups that have been announced.

If we were to open in June, we would not be insured, so it is no-go.

@iwillnotnamethetree really?! That is ridiculous! Play squares? Why are they implementing such draconian measures?

Our schools plan is bubbles of 15, social distancing between bubbles but not within. Lots of outdoor time. Packed lunches. Byo stationery. A reopening curriculum focussing on mindfulness, connection and social/ emotional education. They are grouping friends together where possible. Separate entrances and social distancing when lining up with parents to go in. They have encouraged parents to send them in, promising lots of fun and learning. They are operating within government guidance.

I do wonder if some schools are actively trying to frighten parents off?

I think it's quite shameful if schools are trying to make it sound as horrifying as possible because some people will have no choice but to send their children. It must be terrifying.

I agree @upthewolves it's an awful thing to do. Some kids will have no choice and to subject them to that is horrendous. Particularly when the kids without a choice have probably been in as key worker children so why do they need such draconian measures that won't have been in place beforehand.

@confusednortherner They don't need to be socially distant within their bubble. So many people have got this wrong.

3 DC were in school in March. None of them will go back before September at earliest (this is certain).
I suspect 2 of them will have mostly or 100% distance learning for 2020-21. The youngest (I expect) will have about 50% distance learning for all of next school yr.

Eldest left school 4 yrs ago... is supposed to start a training course -- I expect that to be delayed to autumn 2021 (at earliest). Thank fig he's employed, or he'd be bored witless.

A childminder usually picks up my kids from school in a 7 seater. They pick up a number of kids from the school and do 2 runs.

My kids could in theory socially distance at school then it all goes to pot at childcare when they're being picked up. Also my childcare is registered and has a ton of kids - not sure how SD will be proposed there.

I'm a 9-5 full time and kids finish 1.40 and 2.20 so I couldn't leave work to do it. Doubt schools will do after schools club either

Not sure how this will all work for parents.

You will likely get a letter towards the end of this week. It takes time to work out a plan, agree it with staff and governors, and write a suitable letter.

Do remember that even this letter is tentative. It's awful all of this uncertainty.

Dd is in reception, we had a letter last week saying they were waiting for government guidance and a questionnaire about whether we would send them back or not and haven't heard anything since.

I said yes but after reading here they may have to stay within their own play square I'm not sure now, I understand about social distancing but the square seems very harsh.

Our head has been very clear that he isn't happy and it's going to be awful. I understand why, but felt it was a bit rubbish that the parents who have no choice but to get back to work have had no reassurance. I know it's going to be terrible but it was all very negative - no we'll do the best with the situation comments.

The school has been made available for key worker children and children who have both parents returning to work ( outside the home) - yrs R, 1, and 6.

The play squares pic is from France. I have heard from teachers on here that kids can't play with people not in their bubble but it won't be as bleak as that for playtime.

I have seen pics of UK classrooms where there's lots of tape and separated desks though.

We heard today. DS at secondary, who plan to wait till mid June, then Year 10 only alternating weeks with Year 12 only (so two weeks each in total). Remote learning for time not at school & for all other years.

@pickupapickupapenguin our head is staggering playtimes to help with distancing. No squares are necessary. We are lucky to have a fair bit of outdoor space. But in their group of 15 they can play together without any interference at all. I think the aim is to not have two different bubbles on the same bit of playground at the same time, so they don't have to 'enforce' distancing.

There won't be any changes to the desk layout because the 15 kids will be in a classroom on their own and social distancing does NOT have to be enforced within the bubble. They can sit next to each other.

I think that, ideally, from a viral spread perspective, they should have some distancing within the bubble. Our HT is basically saying it won't be possible to enforce that and everyone signing up is accepting that risk. I happily accept it, I think the distancing is more damaging than the risk of the virus.

I think some schools are being as "safe" as possible to drive home the fact they think it is trsumatising to children and they shouldn't open.

As per some of the previous posters our school are taking approach of enforcing distancing between bubbles (through staggered starts, finishes and breaks) with the acknowledgement that social distancing within bubbles can’t easily be enforced. I was impressed at the schools positive attitude about it all.

Yes, has an email yesterday. DS is year 3 though so doesn’t involve him.
It is perhaps a bit easier for his school, it’s a tiny independent and class sizes are maximum 22 but some are 15 anyway.
I was thinking they do have a few spare rooms- gym, science room, SENCO room, computer room. So could spread out?
My main concern is, selfishly, that the online learning for the years still at home stays as good as it has been.
I am concerned about September too. No idea if DS will be back before summer but it’s looking doubtful.

@chrisinthemorning Our school have admitted the online learning won't be as good as it has been. They have been sharing online learning videos every day and unfortunately these will stop and they will go to just the learning tasks emailed out. I can't complain as i know that's all a lot of schools have had anyway and in some cases schools have been sending out nothing. There seems to be huge variation in how schools have handled this both in and out of school. Probably the most damaging thing to come out of all this in terms of the "level playing field" (which we know doesn't exist)

Our HT emailed with plans for the 1st 3 year groups, which are being split into 2 groups and going 2 days each. There will be a deep clean on Wednesdays between groups and weekends. They start fron 4th June. No news on when other years will return (which is my DC).

The toilet thing mentioned above worries me. I don't think DD could go back if that is the case, as she has an overactive bladder. I'm very lucky that I can WFH for the foreseeable.

We had an update Sunday night From our HT with very tentative plans to reopen for year 6 only on 8th June and, if that goes ok, bring back reception and year 1. It's hard work schooling at home every day! Our school's teachers have been amazing though throughout. Always available via classdojo, had teaching materials ready for all children before the lockdown came into force, and set out a full learning schedule each day. They have made it clear to just do as much as we can. Daily zoom lessons are well attended with almost 100% attendance most days. They have gone over and above and if my children can't go back until September i am confident the level of learning will be maintained. I do understand that we are very lucky and having read numerous posts on here that this unfortunately isn't happening in every school.

I doubt they will admit that, we are still paying full fees!
We will see what happens. I can’t imagine they will need all the teachers to staff groups little bigger than those they have anyway, so hoping it will be fine. I don’t know if they have furloughed the TAs but they will need to come back. I don’t know if they have anyone shielding either, apart from one teacher who I know had breast cancer last year. I’m sure she will be doing online learning stuff still.

I'm a governor at a primary school. Our HT has been working really hard to get everything sorted. Yesterday she sent us a detailed health and safety plan. But the LA still haven't approved her plan of which classes are going back, so parents can't be told.

I do feel like they are actively trying to prevent parents sending their children back in. Some parents will have no choice, I am keeping mine off.

Pictures attached of the post that went out on Facebook from our school. Playtime only with the 15 children in your group and each child to have an allocated play space.

To add, the plans are that each class is in a bubble of 15. They will all have their own toilets, books and materials. Pick up and drop off, play time and lunch will all be staggered. If one person in a bubble displays symptoms, the whole bubble goes off for 14 days.