To ask if you think if not back till Sept,. the kids will have to redo the school year?

[Thelowquietsea]

Just a thought. Someone mooted it to me today and it hadn't occurred to me. DS is in primary.

@steppemum

Thank you. I am going to keep doing stuff at home. You are right and I know she's not going to be with Mrs trunchball in year one. I just guess I'm worried that they won't understand what she's like and that she needs more encouragement than some children. They will work it out themselves quickly im sure. I remember having a scary teacher in year 3. She used to put her glasses on her nose and shout. I remember Sunday nights being so scared to go to school. Once I was in year 4 I loved school again. I just hope she won't get a strict one next year.

It just feels such a big loss in my mind. She loves the structure of reception. She even talks like her teacher now. She understands the animal groups they are in. The colour house they are in. She said to me the other day she was sad because she carries the reading folders every day with her classmate and he was off poorly. Without sounding cheesy they are like a little family.

I am slowly coming to terms with it. I think it's the wobbles we had between September and January. I feared she would never pick it up. Then in January her teacher said she was like a new person. I was so relieved. I guess all parents have these worries.

@MrsLJ2014 luckily my DD thinks it's the holidays too. She did ask to go to the park yesterday and today. I felt bad saying we couldn't. In a few weeks I'm not sure how we will be coping. It's abit hard for them to understand isn't it long term.

It’s going to depend on the peak (so STAY HOME) and IF people STAY HOME they’ll hopefully get back in Sept and go up as planned without too much damage done.

Adjustments will be made to levels,grades and the curriculum will need to be caught up with/reviewed - but it’ll be fine.

Obviously the kids with better provision from schools & more engaged parents will do better & the others not so well, but it’ll still be to everyone’s advantage to keep them moving forward, with help.

I work, but not all the hours schools are open, so when it’s safe to do so I’m going to volunteer to help the local schools with any catch up sessions they’re doing for the kids who haven’t been helped at home over this period. I’m not a teacher, nor a specialist, but I can help with listening to them read, primary level maths, and learning to write etc. So far, I think this is the best thing I can offer to do when all of this dies down. 🤷🏻‍♀️

@steppemum yes but I wrote that because someone above said they don't learn in primary school. I pointed out what they learn!

I have a y4 and y2. I shall not cry over the absence of SATs

My y4 is very bright with ASD, dyslexia and dyspraxia that affect specific areas of his learning. Long term, I'm concerned about him adapting to having to use social skills again, but at least he has his brother still. I'm trying to see the positive in him getting 1:1 time with me (plus I'm an ex-teacher, so not out of my depth) and use that to bolster some of his skills. I know his class very well and reckon I could pick 5 bright, well motivated kids who would stay ahead under their own steam and 5 who have difficulties/ motivation issues who are likely to slide further behind. The gap will open and teachers will know who is at highest risk of slipping behind.

GCSEs are moderated to have consistent grade bandings per year. Y10 have the biggest meaningful education gap, and any adjustment to course content would leave gaps to be adressed at A-level so they would have the longest legacy of losing nearly half a year.

YR and y1 will still mature through play at home. It may even do some late bloomers a favour to lose some academic time and the cohort pick back up later after a little bit more time to socially mature like their international contemporaries.

I was in a double intake at Secondary as my area adjusted the school age groups to match the national curriculum and new key stages, so I did 4 years at infants, 3 years at juniors and went up "early" at 11 not 12. It was a massive undertaking requiring much recruitment, many portacabins and a couple of years of notice. School years will not be held back and repeated.

The bigger hazard in a data heavy culture is that when the disruption of this school year fades in a couple of years, is that schools should not be penalised for pockets of longer term education disruption from the proportion of pupils who found the gap opening and tough to catch up.

JellyXwellies
yes I know, and I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to make a point at you really, just trying to say that you can do this at home, they will be fine.

I totally understand the sadness, as you said about your dd and reception. She was enjoying it, and it was cut short, and she is going to miss it. Where ever our kids are at, we worry about them and about the next step.

of course it is an issue for all kids that they left so suddenly, didn't do goodbyes and are off for a long time.

I guess I am looking at it form the other end, mine are near the end of school, and I know from experience of mine and as a teacher, that they do weather these things, that in the long term, this won't matter for their schooling. It will become one of the many stories that make up their lives.
That doesn't mean we aren't allowed to grieve the loses though. It is sad, and we are asking our kids to accept a lot. I especially feel for kids at key points, year 6, year 11 and year 13, as they can't say goodbye ot school well.
But I think we can also see it as teaching our kids resilience, and them learning that they can get past difficult moments.

I keep thinking, my kids are playing in a sunny garden. They could be in a refugee camp in a war zone. they are still the lucky ones.

The biggest impact as ever will be on the kids whose parent don't care and who are too chaotic to provide support. Many people will care and will work hard to help their kids but don't hav all the resources (time, space, money, computers, printers, books) that make it easy to help but will do a good enough job. Whereas other people will be financially secure, have plenty of room in the house for adults and children to work on their own computers and a big garden for everyone to exercise. This will increase inequality.

I didn't say they don't learn anything over their 6 years at primary. I said missing a term at primary is not going to make a blind bit of difference in the long run - and yes, the summer term does seem to be the one to miss. Sats are horrible and the rest of the time mine did very little.

@tonyaster

Go back and read your comment.

Anyone who thinks a child's education doesn't count at any stage is wrong. hence why we get attendance warnings. The summer term might be least important but they still miss out. My child had baby chicks in her class last week. They were about to start a whole term on mini beasts after easter followed by a school trip and a term learning about summer. Yes I can teach her it. But it goes in much better at school when she's inspired by others.

To be fair though the biggest worry for me is her being away from her peers for 6 months. .
Totally over the top example but I looked after a man once who had stayed in his house for 4 years (recluse) he was 38 and had to learn to walk again. No way are our kids going to end up like that. But six months of being cut off and barely able to burn energy off is a worry. I am just worried that's all. I don't like to think of 5 months ahead still doing what we've done this week. It's nowhere near enough for a child. They need to go out and they need their friends.

The biggest impact as ever will be on the kids whose parent don't care and who are too chaotic to provide support. Many people will care and will work hard to help their kids but don't hav all the resources (time, space, money, computers, printers, books) that make it easy to help but will do a good enough job. Whereas other people will be financially secure, have plenty of room in the house for adults and children to work on their own computers and a big garden for everyone to exercise. This will increase inequality.

I agree

@tonyaster

Your exact message was At primary??! Kids learn bugger all at primary anyway!

So yes, you clearly did say that they don't learn anything at primary school.

So if your child has 121 support in school and intervention for reading, your husband is dyslexic and you’re a key worker working from home - those kids won’t suffer?

Well, good for you with your children without special educational needs. I know my Y3 boy will be fine - my Y6s, not so much.

That was to @Tonyaster and anyone else lucky enough to be able to muddle through home schooling using YouTube and other stuff.

I’m really worried about my Year 10 DS who despite working really hard at home is missing out on a huge amount of stuff in school...Practical assessments for GCSE PE being the main one which they won’t get a chance to do again (athletics and cricket). Less worried for my Year 4 DS cause his school is doing a full on Google Classroom timetable so he is doing pretty much what he would be doing in school.

I really hope they make some provision for the Year 10’s cause they are really going to suffer if not.

I don't think they learn much, no. Certainly not enough to wring your hands over missing one term

I don't think they learn much, no. Certainly not enough to wring your hands over missing one term

One term, to be honest it won’t make a huge difference.
But that’s not what you said. In the whole of primary school they learn to read, write and the entire concept of numbers.

Primary teacher here. We always bear in mind the “spiral curriculum” which involves recapping and consolidating. Often children are not ready developmentally for a particular learning and may pick it up the next time round. Whilst teachers will be keen to catch up their pupils once back - and try to ‘close the gap’ for pupils who have missed out more than others - I don’t imagine anyone will want children to repeat the year.

The worry for me is developmental rather than content based actually. We know from research that children take intellectual ‘leaps’ and learn to be unafraid of risk-taking in their reasoning/learning because of the risks they take out of doors and whilst using “safe” or “controlled risk” equipment, eg in the school gym or on trim trail. As a parent I find it very hard to allow these types of risk for my own children and foresee myself very much following them round the house for five months sweeping up crumbs and telling them to sit still/be quiet/ etc. They will really struggle to stay sane and well I think!

And errrr, yep, they do learn a lot at primary school - everything that underpins what they can do later!

@Coffeekisses that makes alot of sense! I agree with you. They have the resources at school. Our DDs P.E Lessons get shared on tapestry sometimes. They do yoga, parachutes etc. It looks great fun. It's actually my DD favourite subject.

Even things like sand, paint, water. Id rather she did it at school to an extent because they teach them to tidy up and it makes less mess here. I struggle having younger children. We do have pens, playdoh and sand here. But paint is a thing of the past.

Overall I think alot of confidence will be lost. Especially in little ones. I really feel for the year 6s too. Not being able to have one last summer with the kids they have been with since aged 4! So sad! Every child deserves the end of year stuff too. The proms, the shirt signing, sports day etc. The fun stuff is so important too. They are the memories you have in your 30s. Not the memories of doing maths on a random Tuesday. I still hope they get to do some of it. Let's hope this virus goes packing soon.

It's the widening of the gap. Those that have and those that have not. The gap will be huge between someone being ignored for 3 months and one's whose parents have encouraged them even a little each day to read or do tables or whatever.

The teaches will then spend more time with disadvantaged children filling those gaps. Which is right but also not ideal for those children ready to leap ahead. Careful thought and planning will need to be done to get the balance right.

I feel desperately sorry for children who by the means of school providing breakfast and lunch will now have to survive on much less food and who will suffer from chaotic or absent parenting. School is often a break for these children and a welcome disruption for a few hours a day from a far from ideal home life. Of course those with a allocated social worker are entitled to the childcare provision at school right now but there are plenty of families who are not know to social services or who are not at the threshold for ss involvement.

TerrorWig
yes I agree, it is really tough for SEN children.
and I think very tough for famiiles where one (or both) parent is working all hours eg NHS.

My posts are aimed at those who really are fine, and will be fine, and lots of parents need to calm down and enjoy this time.

not so easy if your child has special needs, or for those children in difficult circumstances as I said up thread

Agreed Raver. I was hoping schools would have such kids in their sights and have tried to keep them in school but it’s difficult to know how it would work in practice, and always there are those who slip through nets.

I also hope they make concessions for the current year 10. They'll be marked against those current year 11's who choose to sit exams next year and will have had the advantage of a full twelve months extra to revise.
DS2 says subject modules can be taught in any order within schools too, so they can't just remove bits from the curriculum either.

@Tonyaster I don't think they learn much, no. Certainly not enough to wring your hands over missing one term

When did you last go into a primary school and see what they were learning?

I’m really struggling today.

My y10 is being sent through all the lessons that the teacher would’ve given. But basically he’s just been sent PowerPoint slides that they would’ve given in class with class work and home work. Including a 10h assessment for an english language speech.

School has basically provided everything they would’ve done via Various methods - SmH, email, share point - so parents have to wade through to understand what they need to do.

My child is 14yo....absolutely he should be able to organise and allocate and motivate himself. But wTF am I meant to do if he doesn’t or can’t?

I don’t blame my child’s school At all, they’ve done what they could given the circumstances. But I hear of other schools who have online lessons etc etc etc and it makes me want to weep (obviously the private schoolS and minority of v good state). But how about the bog standards state provision who might be up
Against the eventual GCSE attainment of schools that have it sorted either through adeptness of online teaching or parents whose work enables them to take swathes if the day off to teach.

I am very blue. L mo