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, my guess. Transition from y6- y7 (England here) is enough of a headache in an ordinary year, god alone know knows how it's going to work this time round.

My reception child asked me yesterday to please take him to school :( Mind you I don't think it's the work he's missing, he scoffed when I got his reading book out, it's his lovely friends and the wonderful staff.

I thought it wouldn't be until September but with the new testing kits I think it could be sooner. But am thinking they'll do a staggered start.

I don’t think schools will be back until September

Not sure. My workplace seems pretty happy with current arrangements - WFH plus kids at home means they get almost guaranteed 24/7 access to staff, either because staff are having to parent and do their hours (and are therefore logged on in the evenings where previously they wouldn't be), or because childless staff are being expected to pick up the slack. I've done three 13 hour days this week. Obviously it could be worse for me, I could be frontline NHS, but it's draining all the same, especially with the lockdown as well.

March 2021.

As a teacher I have told it’s September. Students will get their exam results based on mock results and teacher predictions.

There’s no way teachers will be working through the summer holidays that’s just not going to happen.

As parents everyone needs to do some planning over the next few months for childcare.

My best guess is September, but when I look at the figures and the preparations for large numbers of patients I think that it may be later.

I hope they will start back in August ( Scotland based). Mine are only preschool age but for my son it will be his first year of preschool and I would like him to get the full experience. We shall see though, whatever is safest is fine by me.

@Bulb1976 by any chance would you know what will happen with BTECs? DS does a L3 diploma in ict and he has an exam which is now cancelled.

His tutors aren’t sure what way Pearson will grade those exams as he hasn’t done any mocks for it this year

I would love them to be back before the summer, if only for a couple of weeks, but I think realistically it's going to be September. That idea fills me with no enthusiasm whatsoever.

@Bulb1976 we didn’t expect to be working through the Easter holidays either!

September is six months away. Do you all honestly think the Govt is going to continue covering people's salaries and propping up business for that long? Not a chance. That's why schools will reopen sooner than then.

The schools appear to have accepted they aren't going to be back in this academic year.

I'm fingers crossed that we are in a position to reopen in Aug / Sept. I think they need to do something for the P1/Reception kids who'll have missed out on their school visits and missed out on the routine of nursery.
Back in the day kids went half days to break them in gently and I think they'd need to reintroduce that. I think it would be cruel to put young kids who been home for 5 mths straight into Mon-Fri 9-3.

*@Rebellenny Seems ridiculous to disrupt everyone when the vulnerable could just stay home

It is not just the vulnerable who are being protected. As it is a new virus we don’t know much about it and can’t predict who will become seriously ill. There are plenty of younger people in ITU and some are dying. When this is scaled up that means thousands needing hospitalisation and critical care.

I would be surprised if they’re open in September.

China is not “coming through it now”, China is lying about their numbers.

@Blackbear19 we still do that.

Totally agree with Longwhiskers. I think we will open after May half term.

Ds is year 10. I don’t feel he’s missing a great deal to be honest, all teachers are setting work. They can see how much the child has done so far, I get emails that say for example ‘Hi, Mr Jones maths here, can you ask ds to check section 2 again, and remember to submit by midday tomorrow so I can mark. Hope you are all well’. So there is a lot of reading, researching, videos to watch and work to complete, and I think their teachers are pretty on the ball at the moment.
IMHO I think teachers are doing amazing under the circumstances- Especially when they have their own dc at home!!

I don’t think people will tolerate September and there will be immense pressure for it to be sooner - my guess is end of June

September. This school year I fear is written off.

OP - you're delusional.

And those of you saying it would be 'nice' for the kids to finish school... it would also be 'nice' to make sure fewer people die.

Fuck. Sake.

We're in Scotland and unless something massive happens, DD isn't going back to school until at least mid August (when she usually would).

I think they need to do something for the P1/Reception kids who'll have missed out on their school visits and missed out on the routine of nursery

And for kids transitioning to high school, my son has special needs and had been identified as needing enhanced transition

@Trooperslaneagain I agree. I honestly can’t see schools being in the position to re open any sooner than the beginning of the new academic year.

If this antibody test works we could get people back in to work before schools open for example.

And how will that work if the DC are primary age? The first thing that has to happen is primary schools go back to allow their DPs to return to work. At that point, I'm guessing private schools will also reopen, as they will not want parents refusing to pay fees.