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.

September

I am hoping we can at least reopen for the last two weeks in July so transition/leavers etc can happen for year 6.

We wont have enough staff to open schools before 1 July as many have self isolated for 12 weeks and some of them no matter what won't come back to school to work before then.

It’ll be September if your lucky

September - lucky to get them back before after May half term - but unlikely to be before September

We've already been told September, but that said, they want people back at work much sooner so I guess it depends how soon we get people back to work.

If they reopen in September wouldn't we then expect another big peak just when the NHS don't want it in late autumn/winter? As the NHS would prefer a peak over the summer months away from flu, I think they might open schools and lift restrictions around May, get the kids mixing and spreading for a few weeks - just enough to get a manageable summer peak. Then maybe lockdown for another 3 months in Sept/Oct...?

@crazycatgal - not all schools.
Ours (London primary) have a skeleton staff being rotated and have provided not a jot of home learning

Those citing the Imperial report, it also recognised that school closure would have massive negative impacts on the economy, learning loss and also risk of children being looked after by grandparents (and therefore spreading the disease). It also has the one of the lowest impacts of all the restriction measures on reducing critical bed occupancy. It also is going to disproportionally impact on the most vulnerable children in society. It may be September before the schools open, but reading the report I wonder if other measures may be kept in (so pubs, leisure activities, restaurants closed), but they will try and get the schools back for June.

After the summer holidays at the earliest.

If you read the Oxford report around half of us have already had it, so we could return some to work earlier.

With kids not in school our economy and mental health will be dire. We need proper testing of ‘home ill’ and fast.

@Newgirls I read that report and wondered the same. Employers would be allowed/encouraged to get those who have immunity back into the workplace with those who haven’t had it/vulnerable still working at home.

School is over until September

It’s gonna be a long slog

If there was a chance schools would be open before Sep then they would have delayed decision on exams. Cancelling exams really is last resort.
New term starting as planned is probably best case scenario. Even then I think reasonable chance they may delay secondary for a few weeks to allow them to straighten out the exams nightmare.

Given that some children won’t have been able to see their other parent or grandparents for months, I think if lockdown is able to be lifted they will need the holidays. Sending them back to school after months of being inside would be a nightmare too!

Exactly Strawberry, and far better for people to get it during summer than winter. So if kids (or some) go back in May/June allowing some parents to work then we spread the disease rather than another peak in autumn.

Schools reopen in september

Does anyone think private nurseries may open before schools? I genuinely don’t know, just interested in others thoughts?

Exams will be sorted in summer term not in sept, with many already on it. There will be some retakes as we know but not the majority.

Nurseries - Mine are saying they will I think they want the fees rather than it being safe though

No chance

I agree sulky. Don’t want the shut down bit in winter though! Surely everyone will have it by then?!

I’d like us to be back for July. I work in a primary school and I’m so worried about some of our kids. I’d like to be reassured they are all ok before they’d be due to start a new year group in September but even returning for the new academic year seems a stretch at the minute.

Sending them back to school after months of being inside would be a nightmare too!

Definitely. Mine are being given loads of work so will be in desperate need for a holiday. The behaviour in schools will be dire if you just try to expect them to carry on without a proper break.

@absolutelyknackeredcow Yes that's why I said most of us, not all of us.

No, it will be September, at the earliest. Detailed guidelines are being published by Ofqual next week about exam grading.