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So I can't go to sports day but ....

109 replies

tonystarksrighthand · 20/06/2021 06:29

10,000 different crowds at Royal Ascot can go ahead each day and crowds of football fans can gather.

When will people wake up and realise this is all UTTER bollox.

Even if you've had the 2 vaccines you can still pass Covid on and catch Covid - what's the point in having it, still having to wear masks and social distance.

I was totally compliant up until this shit.

Fuck off am I doing it anymore.

OP posts:
Fizbosshoes · 20/06/2021 08:53

My DD would have been delighted not to have sports day and I would happily not have attended because watching her reluctantly participate or be cajoled by a teacher was a fairly unenjoyable experience for both of us. DS however loves sports day but theirs is going ahead without parents.

Doyoumind · 20/06/2021 08:55

@Mintjulia

Commercial events are willing to put in the infrastructure and take the risk because they need to make money. Schools are trying desperately to stay open and avoid a outbreak before the end of term as this new wave increases.

My ds's school has withdrawn the invitation for parents to attend sports day although it will still go ahead. I understand your frustration but I can see it from the school's side too.

This.

Test events are taking place to try and get things back up and running.

Schools have to close classes if there are cases amongst pupils or teachers and therefore will do everything they can to avoid that.

Prokupatuscrakedatus · 20/06/2021 08:58

DS school had a leavers do (not UK) with 250 attendands - all guests submitted officially done negative tests, contact details and were checked in individually. The venue was on an island, so easy to do.

There are mobile testing stations, that come to your event and do officially recognized tests before you can enter. It is just more work for the organizers.

mumto2teenagers · 20/06/2021 08:59

The current rules do not ban spectators from big sporting events or from sports days, but the organisers do need to follow the guidelines.

For a lot of schools it is easier to cancel or go ahead without spectators than to run sports day in line with the guidelines.

Ascot and Wembley followed the guidelines, your school could run sports day within the guidelines, the school my friend works in is doing this but she has said it is a logistical nightmare to organise, with extra staff needed. Some schools will decide not run a sports day because of this.

ChocolateRiver · 20/06/2021 09:08

I completely agree and can totally see why you’re upset. Especially after the scenes in London on Friday. My children’s school changed the rules on sports day last week. They are doing year groups on their own and parents are allowed to watch. The chairs for parents will be organised into groups of 20.

TheMotherlode · 20/06/2021 09:09

Totally agree OP, there is a lot being excused under the pretence of ‘test events’. If they can find ways to safely cram tens of thousands of people into stadiums together, it’s unreasonable to also tell people they can’t sing and dance at their wedding, or watch their children at sports days.

My daughter has had her birthday party cancelled this week, she can’t jump around on a bouncy castle with her friends but thousands of football fans can get pissed together in the streets.

Spandang · 20/06/2021 09:14

Your school absolutely could have run sports day. The department for education came out and said to the NAHT four or five days ago that they were permitted to go ahead.

I’m afraid it is your school that doesn’t want to accept the risk.

Comparing it to Wembley, which is operating at a reduced capacity from 90,000 to 22,500 and is part of the events research pilot, is pointless. Those events are being designed to establish if we can open the doors, and what mitigation we must keep, and what mitigation we must scrap.

And on the subject of theatre, Andrew Lloyd Webber lost a lot of respect from events peers when he came out and told Access All Areas that if stage three didn’t proceed he would continue to run shows at full capacity and not socially distanced, because the industry needs the income. He said he would happily be arrested.

It was an empty and idle threat that he would never have gone through with, and it’s putting people needlessly and selfishly at risk, along with the rest of the industry, for no reason.

A theatre I spoke to on Wednesday, said it had no idea how it was going to cope at operating 100% capacity with the level of requirements needed to meet Covid-Secure measures. This is why the pilots are important, because people like us, need to plan how to keep everyone safe, in a way that’s sensible and financially viable and that still gives you the same experience you expect.

Opening the doors at full capacity, is just going to leave some people very nervous, and they won’t come back. And some venues with outbreaks, that will have to close down for 72 hours for cleaning, and that will be even shorter staffed because they’re quarantining.

Whether you’re sick of it or not, whether you’re nervous about going out or not, whether the rules for some don’t make sense for others (and believe me, I’ve had to tell people they can have 40 guests inside but only 30 outside which seems crackers) just, be patient so that the rest of us can act with the best information.

Sparklingbrook · 20/06/2021 09:19

I’m afraid it is your school that doesn’t want to accept the risk

Yes and don't want to get it 'wrong' possibly? They don't want to spend the afternoon reminding parents to socially distance, or set up a way that everyone can use the loos safely/ monitor mask wearing inside etc. Or be up against parents that don't want to know about the 'rules'. It's just a hassle they don't need.

Benjispruce3 · 20/06/2021 09:23

@TheMotherlode why is her party cancelled? Surely you can have 30 children outside in a garden? Bouncy castle may be cancelled but why is the party cancelled?

justanotherneighinparadise · 20/06/2021 09:24

I fucking hate sports day. I’m delighted I’m banned this year 🤣

Benjispruce3 · 20/06/2021 09:26

It’s very stressful at our school. Kids change their behaviour when they see their parents, parents won’t stay away from children and let us run the event. Sad but true.

TheMotherlode · 20/06/2021 10:01

@Benjispruce3 because we have a tiny garden. We’ll still do something small for her with a handful of friends but no way we can fit that many in our garden, and it’ll probably rain.

We’ll figure something nice out anyway, but my point is that it just feels so disproportionate that we still can’t do these simple things when massive events are going ahead.

Benjispruce3 · 20/06/2021 10:06

Could you use a park? I get the disappointment but the big events are managed. It’s not that easy in a casual setting.

SofiaMichelle · 20/06/2021 10:10

@mumto2teenagers

The current rules do not ban spectators from big sporting events...

The rules severely restrict spectator numbers at big events. You cannot have more than 4,000 even if you normally have 100,000+

The only exception is for government sanctioned pilot events.

lljkk · 20/06/2021 10:13

...can we start to live alongside COVID. The virus is never going to go away. We are going to have to start to live with it.... done for a reason

So the plan is to require everyone attending sports day to do LFTs & PCRs, too? Is that what "living with covid" means ...until when? Forever?

Big Group Picnic outside in a random park = no PCR or LFT.

Big group Picnic outside at school Sports Day = lots of pCR & LFT?

TheChosenTwo · 20/06/2021 10:21

@OneYeminRoad our 3 form entry school has had separate class bubbles for the whole year Sad
The children can’t get away from each other in class or during their breaks, it’s really tough on them. They rub each other up the wrong way and have to spend a solid 6 hours a day confined with each other.
Our sports day was a non spectator event, but the whole school gathered on the big field (in separate class bubbles with different sets of equipment down to ordering in more hurdles so that there was no cross contamination). It was the first time in almost a year and a half that they had all ‘seen’ each other at the same time and I have to say it was a proper highlight in a really hard year.
Schools aren’t being awkward keeping parents out, they’re trying as best as they can to make it to the end of the year without having to close bubbles and send children home to struggle on with yet more home learning and isolation.
As for these big events with optional self testing, I’m torn.
Events companies are on their knees. And yet the testing process seems like it’s very vague. I just want life to be back to normal now Sad

MarmaladeToastAndAMarmaladeCat · 20/06/2021 10:28

I agree. My son is starting reception in September. All his settling in sessions and meeting the teacher session are cancelled. I am supposed to drop my just turned 4 year old off in a building he’s never been to with people he’s never seen before and we are all supposed to be ok with that. And yet thousands of football fans can gather in the same stadium. I’m just fed up of all of this.

Sparklingbrook · 20/06/2021 10:32

@lljkk

...can we start to live alongside COVID. The virus is never going to go away. We are going to have to start to live with it.... done for a reason

So the plan is to require everyone attending sports day to do LFTs & PCRs, too? Is that what "living with covid" means ...until when? Forever?

Big Group Picnic outside in a random park = no PCR or LFT.

Big group Picnic outside at school Sports Day = lots of pCR & LFT?

No. My understanding is that the events like the cricket with all the tests were the start. So they are trying to gauge the risks by seeing how many tested positive etc. Like an experiment before opening up. A controlled trial run?
keiratwiceknightly · 20/06/2021 10:40

Children and young people and their needs/desires have never mattered in this pandemic.

Trouble is, large numbers of them will come of age before the next general election. I can see them giving the govt a bloody nose for the way they have been treated. 🤞

frysturkishdelight · 20/06/2021 11:08

We cannot invite parents for sports days even if it were allowed.

We have three year groups, all of our pastoral staff, or breakfast club staff and many dinner ladies isolating. We cannot have volunteers in school.

I get no time away from the children to set anything up due to covering breaks and lunch. I have no staff to ask. We normally have Y6 helpers, not this year. I also have no staff to do first aid or provide and organise drinks or to look after children who are watching the event that I run. We have no staff to encourage social distancing or check to make sure only one adult is arriving.

What would happen if a child starts coughing in the middle of an event? I am alone on a field with 30 children and parents. That child's parent may not be present.

Logistics are a nightmare.

Sparklingbrook · 20/06/2021 11:25

Logistics are a nightmare

I think this sums it up. Why would a school want to put themselves through it? No comparison to sporting events where people pay for a ticket and people are employed to ensure that guidelines are adhered to etc. Schools aren't set up for it.

tonystarksrighthand · 20/06/2021 12:01

@Sparklingbrook

Logistics are a nightmare

I think this sums it up. Why would a school want to put themselves through it? No comparison to sporting events where people pay for a ticket and people are employed to ensure that guidelines are adhered to etc. Schools aren't set up for it.

It's a private school with 20 acres. 60 parents max as they are doing by year group. Negative lateral flows required.

But no .... can't do it.

OP posts:
tonystarksrighthand · 20/06/2021 12:03

@Benjispruce3

Could you use a park? I get the disappointment but the big events are managed. It’s not that easy in a casual setting.

The school is set in 20 acres!!

OP posts:
BlueSurfer · 20/06/2021 12:03

Isn’t it just a good excuse to get out of sports day? I’m also very fed up of home schooling and children being in isolation so very happy to support a virtual sports day again this year.

Sometimesfraught82 · 20/06/2021 12:13

@Sparklingbrook

Logistics are a nightmare

I think this sums it up. Why would a school want to put themselves through it? No comparison to sporting events where people pay for a ticket and people are employed to ensure that guidelines are adhered to etc. Schools aren't set up for it.

My school is going ahead with it!

They’ve adapted. Only two adults per child.

This is a large prep school with over 500 children

Where there’s a will, there’s a way