Schools reopening before May half term?

[Manchestertimes]

What's everyone's opinion on when the schools will reopen? I think they will reopen a few weeks after Easter.

All end of year exams are cancelled. There's no way schools will be open before September.

@Notcoolmum a friend whose a headteacher said that as well, but surely the reason behind making the decision to stop the summer exams was not because they knew they wouldn’t open till September, but because they might and do and to prevent uncertainty?

So if there was uncertainty if exams would happen there would be issues of how to prepare students? Also what happens say if they went back in June so the first half would be missed - ie would be too much of a logistic nightmare to reorganise all the others?

Also surely if you don’t have exams looming it gives the government flexibility - so schools in certain regions could reopen? Or you could open for certain years and not others?

I just don’t understand if the government had made the decision we were definitely are not going back till September they would not have announced that - particularly informed schools so they could prepare accordingly.

I would put good money on schools being opened some time in June.

People are assuming September because exams
Are cancelled. To me that doesn’t definitely
Mean September though! Exams are cancelled because there’s no time prep for them! Doesn’t mean the kids won’t be back before the end of the school year.

For instance sats can’t go ahead if the teachers have had no time to prepare. Doesn’t mean schools will be shut til September.

We can hope and pray it’s sooner!

They've cancelled the exams because of potential staff shortages for setting them and invigilating them. And, I read on TES, for the nightmare that every single pupil applying for special consideration because of missed schooling would cause. So it's easier to not run them.

My headteacher has pretty much hoped this would go away ASAP and says wait and see until after the Easter hols.

A lot of people are saying Sept because of N. Sturgeon saying in her press release that schools may not open for a considerable time, maybe even in the next academic year.

Exams are an indication of how long this is likely to go on for. We have all seen the modelling. At the press conference today there was mention of a lockdown period of 6 months, with varying restrictions. We haven't hit the peak of this yet. By trying to flatten the curve we are essentially prolonging the period of time the pandemic will run for.

It would be completely wrong to cancel the school holidays and I don't think there is a car in hells chance of it happening for three really good reasons.

1. Teachers are still working and have contracts for term time. They have and are covering all the key worker child care and bloody deserve a holiday.

1. If it's fine for schools to be open- it's fine to go on holiday. Insurance will not pay for all the holidays booked before this to be cancelled . They will only pay if we are not allowed to travel because of government restrictions.

1. After 3 months locked in at home. We will all need to get out and about.

Kids have the rest of their lives to make up the time. I wish parents would stop stressing about them 'losing out'. They are t 'losing' anything. They are on pause. They are all in pause. It won't harm them at all. Parents just need to chill out a bit and accept that this is what it is. Be thankful you are healthy and enjoy your children. It will do the MH of many children a power of good to get of the academic treadmill for a while and learn about some other aspects of life, (cooking, cleaning, crafting, reading, painting, DIY for older ones, recycling when they can't just go out and buy new stuff. It's a different world for a while. Embrace it.

I've always thought the way terms and holidays are structured isn't right - terms too long, holidays at the wrong time, some holidays too short, some too long. It would be an amazing opportunity to rethink it all.

But even if I'm in favour of a reduced summer holiday, I doubt lots of others would be.

I also think it could have been a chance to rethink some of our curriculum expectations. It'd be great if Year 1 was EYFS based rather than NC. Having Reception children miss half this academic year would be the perfect opportunity for then to continue a less-structured class when they move to Year 1. But, of course, there's no way this would happen!

My friend is a head teacher too and they’ve been warned that it may well be October.

Virus will begin to subside in 3-12 weeks as lockdown takes effect and weather improves, but schools will stay closed til September. Then in Autumn I reckon the virus will begin to come back as weather gets cooler (previous pandemics had bad second waves, usually timed with returns to school, or winter). Schools may shut again for Dec-March 21 unless a miracle vaccine is in place by then which seems unlikely.

This utterly sucks.

Can I just point out to those saying 'cut short the summer holidays' that some teachers are still teaching full time, including extra planning and marking so that students are receiving all lessons. Like FUCK am I carrying on with extra in the summer holidays!!! It's more work now as I have to plan everything again so it is suitable to deliver remotely

My money's on June, too, but I can't see the time being particularly productive.

Year 11 with SN completely disengaged though might give a chance to finish working on some sort of post 16 placement, if he'll even consider it. Year 9 with more severe SN will be completely confused by then. We aren't even trying to do school work with him as there is nothing online that wouldn't just be busy work. We climbed a hill and looked at the visitor board at the top, together, today. He showed me all the mole hills he'd spotted, on the way up. No less useful than me drawing a rainbow on his behalf.

@SallyLovesCheese, here in Wales, Foundation Phase is all of reception through to the end of year 2.

Kids have the rest of their lives to make up the time. I wish parents would stop stressing about them 'losing out'. They are t 'losing' anything. They are on pause. They are all in pause. It won't harm them at all. Parents just need to chill out a bit and accept that this is what it is. Be thankful you are healthy and enjoy your children. It will do the MH of many children a power of good to get of the academic treadmill for a while and learn about some other aspects of life, (cooking, cleaning, crafting, reading, painting, DIY for older ones, recycling when they can't just go out and buy new stuff. It's a different world for a while. Embrace it.

This. Well put. I’m thinking there are many parents who just don’t relish time with their own kids. That’s NOT a judgment. I would have been out of my mind if my DS were still school age. It’s hard without that routine but it is what it is. For now.

Kids have the rest of their lives to pay for this.

I think its unfair to say parents need to just enjoy the time with the kids and they have plenty of time.

It's a massive disruption in their lives. It's not just about catching up at school. It's about they months ahead for them. Being in the house. No friends. No family apart from who they live with. No days out. No activities. No real opportunities to excercise. No routine. No real support with work. Unable to do simple things like get a hair cut, get an appointment,go to a shop, buy clothes, visit Grandparents, enjoy birthdays, Easter etc. No normal summer activities like playing with friends, going swimming, going down the park.

It's NOT healthy to stay indoors.
It's NOT healthy to not mix.
It's NOT healthy for them to not burn off energy and keep their minds busy.

Most of all it's not good for young people to grow up in such a strange, uncertain time. We might not mean to put any of it on their shoulders but we are going to change their way of thinking. Young children have got to process why suddenly everything is a no. When they get a cold they will be overthinking the germs and if they are safe. We are now telling them we can't go to the park on this sunny day. It's not a nice experience for them. Luckily at the moment it may feel relaxing and fun for them. But in a month I'm sure they will all be feeling abit out of it. Bored and craving social interaction.

Same for teenagers. They are older enough to understand coronavirus. But they are going to be climbing the walls in a few weeks. They don't play with toys anymore so to keep occupied you are talking about screens! Again really unhealthy. They need to be out. .

Yes we have to go through this. We have no choice. It's serious. But this isn't just parents not appreciating the bonding time.

What's going to be done for this year's yr10 kids. Their whole gcse course is being affected by this. If schools close again for half of next year they'll have no hope of doing well

I'd like to see a repeat of the year.

It would mean that children from now on start school a year later, as they do elsewhere in the world.

Very unlikely. Have you not heard about the 4,000 people hospital halls they’re building in 5 locations? This isn’t something that will blow over by May.

It depends on so many variables. How seasonal is it? How long does getting it give you immunity for? How many asymptomatic cases are there? How effective will lockdown be at suppressing it (how many people will follow the rules)? We simply don't know the answers to these questions, and until we do, everything is up in the air.
My guess would be a pattern of relax and tighten. If the current lockdown works and new cases reduce to acceptable levels, I think they might open schools etc again. And then when new cases inevitably rise, they'll tighten it back. And repeat.
They are talking about it being 18 months or more until we get a vaccine, and they can't possibly shut the whole country down for 18 months. The effects on mental health, the economy, dv etc would be tremendous. And people just wouldn't do it. They'd do it for a bit, and then say fuck it and go to the beach. So I think it'll be on/off/on/off. Depending on the factors above.

They have and are covering all the key worker child care and bloody deserve a holiday

I thought teachers were coming into school on a rota basis. So the majority are at home.

At our school there are around 10 key worker children in the school today I believe. How many teachers do you think this requires?

Can I just point out to those saying 'cut short the summer holidays' that some teachers are still teaching full time, including extra planning and marking so that students are receiving all lessons. Like FUCK am I carrying on with extra in the summer holidays!!! It's more work now as I have to plan everything again so it is suitable to deliver remotely

Our school is staying open over the Easter holiday and LT currently debating opening on weekends too.

I thought teachers were coming into school on a rota basis. So the majority are at home.

At home, working, yes. Not on holiday. Some staff are in school every day though.

I think September which is a shame as DS is in his last primary year...
His teachers were hopeful of school opening for 2 weeks prior to summer for the children to spend a little time with their friends.
Unis are saying September... FE college near us says Aug to Sept they think

@BakewellGin1 yeah it’s a shame and so sad for the kids that are in their last year of primary or secondary school. It would be great if they could open in the last two weeks. Keeping my fingers crossed

I thought teachers were coming into school on a rota basis. So the majority are at home

And what do you think the ones at home are doing?