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.

Being that they don't believe that closing the schools has the same dampening effect as other measures, I wouldn't be surprised if they opened the school earlier than July, while still making people self isolate for 7 days if they have any symptoms.

I base a lot of my predictions around the fact that they are telling the more vulnerable to lock down for (at least) 12 weeks. I would imagine that's when they would be thinking of lifting the restrictions - if the course of the infections allows that.

I’m telling you, I strongly predict (but do not know for certain) that schools will reopen in June.

Closing schools does not make much difference to the rate of spread. They are realising they in other countries. What it does is cause massive inconvenience and prevents people from getting back to work.

@Bulb1976 what a ridiculous statement

Our school has said with luck it will be September.

They can’t have them closed for 12 months. That’s absolutely ridiculous, virus or no virus.

We're being told at work (by people who know) 6-12 months

I think it will almost certainly not be before 6m but unless you work in the department for magical predictions, they really don’t know.

Schools seem easy when the decision is made, teachers will still be there. We’re having a panic because the cold hearted bastards at our nursery have sacked all the staff. When the government say everything is open, they are unlikely to be ready to open so I’ve got no idea what we’re going to do. I’m desperately hoping September can happen as my eldest will be starting school. I don’t want her to have to go back to a nursery where none of the staff are the ones she knows etc and I think the disruption would just be too much to resettle to nursery and then school later in the year. The summer would be nice for everything to return to normal but I just can’t see it happening.

I think they should all go back into the year they haven't finished, but that would be mayhem I suppose.

I think they should just restart the year again in September. Move new reception intake age to 6 like in Nordic countries.

I would imagine there will be a lot of parents with 4 year olds that wouldn’t like that idea!

It would cause all the teens in y11 to be floating and what about the y13s?

My daughter at secondary school is getting loads of work sent through from the school. She's lucky that I am at home so can give her support to do it.

I think they will return after Easter holidays, as will workers who cant wfh. Those who can wfh will be asked to continue doing so. I think the government will quickly realise it cant fund the NHS and bail everyone out without people working, spending and paying tax.

ridiculously optimistic to think after May break.

September would be best case scenario.

2021 could be a possibility.

Unless there is a dramatic change of plan, and the government decide that a certain number of deaths are the price that must be paid to get the economy moving again. That's not seeming likely at the moment.

I think they will return after Easter holidays

In 2 weeks?!

I'm interested in the maths behind some responses.

Hubei closed schools late Jan someone posted above and is starting to reopen next week. 2 months 2days, or 3months since the start of the outbreak.

So why that means we wouldn't open for another 5 months makes no sense to me.

Although if people keep flouting the rules then this could last longer.

Not maths, but the advice from SAGE on which the government is currently basing decisions:

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/873729/06-spi-m-o-consensus-view-on-behavioural-and-social-interventions.pdf

". It was agreed that the addition of both general social distancing and school closures to case isolation, household isolation and social distancing of vulnerable groups would be likely to control the epidemic when kept in place for a long period. SPI-M-O agreed that this strategy should be followed as soon as practical, at least in the first instance.
4. It was agreed that a policy of alternating between periods of more and less strict social distancing measures could plausibly be effective at keeping the number of critical care cases within capacity. These would need to be in place for at least most of a year. Under such as policy, at least half of the year would be spent under the stricter social distancing measures.

I work for in a leadership role for an LA, through this very much focused on supporting schools.
The last 10 days have been incredibly stressful for all staff in education but the vast majority are willing to do all they can to care for the children of critical workers
I have a daily telephone call with the DfE. We haven't any planned timescales for return to school. Current focus is the Easter holiday, bank holiday and weekend care for children.
Against union advice teachers are prepared to give to this crisis. As LA staff we have also worked at least 12 hour days - without any time off since the news of schools closing broke. We are also going to be covering weekend care.
Exam cancellation is an indicator of the seriousness of this and of time scales. If there was a glimmer of a return, the decision about exams wouldn't have been made so early.

Education staff can't work through till October without any breaks, some are working weekends even. Some staff including headteachers are in isolation for 12 weeks; CV amongst teaching staff has only just started, who knows the effect that will have on the workforce.
It is impossible to say when we will return, nothing has been decided, but everything points to September at the earliest.

The 'more or less' strict lasting most of the year I agree with, but school closures count in the most strict with the shop closures etc and may be lifted time and again within that time.

Although our county have just announced already that the summer holiday play scheme has been cancelled.

Ofqual are not going to put firm plans in place next week for exams to start in September, so at the moment it seems September is still up in the air, understandably.

I figure Sept with continued disruption after that until we have a vaccine or good treatments discovered and manufactured in sufficient quantities. So that’s next spring until this has all settled down.

I certainly can't see kids being asked to repeat a year.
Repeating the year would cause many issues, no part of the system has capacity for an extra year of kids.
Universities and colleges rely on school leavers, to put bums on seats they'd have nobody starting 2020.

Primary is a 7 year course, really they should be able to make up 3 mths somewhere. Esp if whole classes have missed stuff.

High school might need to have slightly less onerous exams next year to reflect the 3 mths missed. But then HS kids should be able to follow online learning much better than PS kids.

I would love it to be before the summer holidays. Just for the mental health aspect of this. Sod the academic side. I miss my class and they must be so worried. I am worried for my own children’s sanity throughout this they have lost a massive part of their life. Children returning in September will need a lot of TLC.

I would also like the opportunity to repeat a year. If next year is to be as disruptive it would make sense.

The capacity in the system is within Early Years. So children would stay in nurseries/ preschool until they were 4. Then join f2 when they would’ve joined reception. This would also generate much needs jobs and income within the early years sector. And would provide children with a less data driven education. And would solve the issue of the curriculum being pushed down into early years.

For y11 and 13 give them the choice of whether to repeat or take estimated grades.

I think it will be September now.
I feel so sad for my dd really. She loves her school and misses her friends.

Peak of the contagion isn't expected til mid June. They have cancelled exams so clearly don't expect to be back in time for them. I would say September earliest.