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.

@couchlover 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.

The 12 weeks is meaningless, I doubt any of those will be back before a vaccine has been developed, so 12-18 months. They're isolating because they're vulnerable and that isn't going to go away. Plus lots more will get pregnant during quarantine so that means even more staff that need to self isolate.

So schools either won't be able to open because they're understaffed, or the govt will need to find a load of unqualified teachers from somewhere to plug the gaps.

On the point about kids needing a break etc perhaps school will be part time? Don’t forget lots of kids will be in small homes and might really want the playground ans social interaction - hopefully the work itself wouldn’t be too intense!

Secondary seem to be on a full timetable
Our school send links to twinkl and a SATS exercise book ...

Kids in Scotland after not going back to school until August.

We were told September at best, January at worst.

Definitely September imo. I think the lockdown will carry on for 3 months at least and after that it will be slowly trickling people back to work so everyone does not get sick at once. From everything I've read, there's no way we can expect a vaccine within a year (not mass produced in sufficient quantities to have the desired effect anyway) so the best we can hope for is for people to get sick slowly so the NHS isn't crippled. I feel awful for my son, he's almost 2 and we have no other family so it's literally just going to be the 2 of us for months.

@BunsyGirl i can’t remember now. It is under 20%

I think they will cancel the school summer holidays this year with kids being back in school in July to account for the amount of time they have been out of school. It is unrealistic to expect them and their parents to be cooped up in the house all day everyday until September or beyond. I mean, it could be 18 months or more before a vaccine is found. There may well be another spike further down the line and stricter measures are brought in place again but by then there will be far fewer people needing to self isolate etc due to already having had it.

@TheCherries. OK. Thanks. I know of one school that has been offered 10%. Just trying to gauge what is the norm as we have been told that we won’t get a refund until August.

School holidays will not be cancelled!

@SpokeTooSoon
I would put good money on schools being opened some time in June.
Hope that’s Monopoly money then!

So many negative posters here.

‘I’ve put the uniform away, it won’t be needed for at least 6 months’.

And September, earliest.

It’s kike people want this to be really really bad.

If we aren’t up and running by September then the decimated economy will cause much longer lasting effects and hard times than deaths will.

And I say that as someone that is high risk / vulverable.

@pennylane83
I am a teacher, we are and will continue to be in school( even over Easter)looking after Key Workers' children.
Now, none of us are complaining(in my school anyway) as we all need to do our bit but when we you suggest we actually get a proper break?

@RubyJack you do deserve a break. They wouldn’t cancel the holidays - move them perhaps but not take them away.

The 12 weeks is meaningless, I doubt any of those will be back before a vaccine has been developed, so 12-18 months. They're isolating because they're vulnerable and that isn't going to go away. Plus lots more will get pregnant during quarantine so that means even more staff that need to self isolate.

They are vulnerable now because everyone is susceptible to the virus with it being new so you could catch it from literally anyone. In 12 weeks time large swathes of the healthy population will have had it and therefore no longer contagious so the risk to the vulnerable is reduced. It will be far safer for them to be going about their daily life as normal again so no need to continue to self isolate. Yes, there will still be cases and yes there will probably be a further spike at some point like you see with flu but its unrealistic to expect people to remain isolated until a vaccine is found. After all, not even the flu vaccine is 100% effective.

@pennylane83

People want to this to be terrible and last a long time. Or at least enjoy getting worked out and telling everyone else how bad it will be and how we will have no resemblance of normal life for 18 months.

Do you really think the government can continue to subsidise the enitire countries salaries until September.... Businesses wont just be able to pick up where they left off after a 6+ month hiatus. The government will need people back and working.

I think they will cancel the school summer holidays this year with kids being back in school in July to account for the amount of time they have been out of school. It is unrealistic to expect them and their parents to be cooped up in the house all day everyday until September

It’s more unrealistic to expect teachers to go from February to October without a break. My children are being set work as if they were still at school.

Luckily, that will never happen in a million years because the unions will never allow it.

September if we're lucky. The schools round here have already announced they are closed till September.

I’m hoping all will get back to normal after half term in early June. I realise this may be naive but please don’t burst my bubble right now!

I don’t think they’ll mess around with holidays by more than a few days. The powers that be will be keen for us to spend our money boosting the economy again over summer, and that’s surely more likely if we’re off work.

@athebottom it's not naive - early June school opening/relaxing regs would give another peak in the summer which the NHS want as they'd be better able to cope. Have my fingers crossed for this...

I'm delivering sessions via zoom and am really enjoying still being able to see my students, it's a lovely way to engage with them.

My ds is in year 8 and has been given some vague bits to do, i think he needs more structure. I wish he had to log in everyday to a virtual lesson. I do expect more after Easter though from his school.

My school I think has been on the ball planning for this and staff were prepared to hit the ground running.

There's a reason lots of schools did year 6/11 leavers assemblies last week....

And your private school staff are at their breaking point. A lot of them also have children at home, they are teaching their 34 hours of contact time face to face online, having to prepare new resources to teach this way in their own time, then marking on top of this (which digitally takes longer than traditional marking). We are not just doing our jobs (and having to care for our own children) we are more than doubling our jobs and having to care for our own children. So far I have 7 colleagues who have been driven to the point of taking unpaid leave as they simply cannot sustain what is being asked of us. Please think of this as you the. Choose to dispute your next term fees.

@thenovice in which case I hope there are a lot of very understanding employers who have the finances to support parents who need to take a further 6 weeks off work to accommodate the schhol summer holiday in addition to the 3 1/2 months they've already taken cos I can't see the government being prepared to bank roll peoples salaries for that long.

@RubyJack your right, you do need a break and I don't think they will cancel the holidays completely and expect all teachers to work through until the October half term, I just think the remainder of this and next school year is going to be set out differently to the norm, either that or kids are going to be held back a year.