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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this school's plan won't work

484 replies

Poppi89 · 01/05/2020 16:39

I work in a secondary school ( not as a teacher) and we have been kept up to date by email and zoom staff meetings.

There has been a lot of talk of when we will re-open and what will happen as like most schools it was very stressful closing the school and not being prepared so they are trying to put plans in place and keep one step ahead.

Due to a lot of parents in the area wanting the school to re-open and for life to go back to 'normal' they think the government might re-open schools sooner rather than later maybe before May half term, so the school has put in place an outline of what will happen:

  • School will re-open but will continue sticking to the guidelines of social distancing - as this is not possible in a school with full capacity students will be split into halves or thirds to ensure they are spaced far enough away from each other. This means that the kids will only be in 1/2 days a week.
  • Due to adults spreading the virus more than children (it seems) they don't think all staff should be in each day. So will be depending on parents to do a rota system - so one qualified member of staff to 2 parents to supervise.

Does anybody else think the school would be better to remain closed if this is the case?
It seems they won't be learning much and the risk of getting the virus will still be high.

I do get that this is the best plan they have come up with to keep everyone happy. My DD is missing her friends and wouldn't mind going back to school a couple of days a week and I guess it will be easier for parents to get back to work but I would rather wait until June/July at the earliest as surely the NHS is still overwhelmed.

What do you guys think?
AIBU - thinking this isn't a good plan

OP posts:
MintyCedric · 01/05/2020 17:33

The rotas for staff and students sound pretty par for the course.

Parent helpers...no way. They would all either have to be DBS checked or under constant staff supervision which on it's own would be a nightmare before you factor in any other issues.

Original poster
Poppi89 · 01/05/2020 17:33

@Tomorrowillbeachicken - I don't know it wasn't discussed in detail but I am assuming that is why there has to be a member of staff there with them. Before I had my DBS check I was allowed to work there but not be alone with any pupils.

@EndoplasmicReticulum - YANBU means that you agree with me that you don't think it will work.

OP posts:
binkyblinky · 01/05/2020 17:34

A friend that works in a secondary school
In Milton Keynes has told me that the school has received notice that all secondary schools will be back on June 1st, Lower school in the mornings and upper in the afternoons

Original poster
Poppi89 · 01/05/2020 17:35

@HedgehogHotel - but parents need to get back to work and a lot can't go back in unless their year 7s and sometimes 8s have childcare. I think year 10s will be high priority too

OP posts:
Pud2 · 01/05/2020 17:35

I pray that the government will offer clear guidance about which children will go back, and measures that need to take place. If it’s left to the schools to decide then every parent and their mother will have an opinion about their school. I pity the poor headteachers who are going to have to field all the different complaints and opinions from parents. Mumsnet will go into overdrive about all the wrong decisions schools have made.....

LivingOnAnIsland · 01/05/2020 17:35

Sounds ridiculous to me.

stuckindoors77 · 01/05/2020 17:35

So parents who have been struggling to home educate their own children whilst working from home, will now be asked to go on a rota to supervise whole classes??

Grin I can see that going down well!!

SpokeTooSoon · 01/05/2020 17:35

It’ll be primaries and nurseries first because they are the children who can’t be left at home while their parents go back to work.

HandfulOfFlowers · 01/05/2020 17:36

@Piggywaspushed you say:
Recent surveys show about 11% actually want life back to 'normal' and that only 9% of parents want school reopening,; no idea why your area would be different.

What surveys are these please? That sounds very low. In the two schools mine are at, it's more like 90% of parents want schools to go back sooner rather than later.

TheGreatWave · 01/05/2020 17:36

Is it not a case of saying to the parents "put your money where your mouth is."?

Original poster
Poppi89 · 01/05/2020 17:36

We have not been given a specific date but it was initially being planned for after May half term which I think would be around June 1st. But ours are saying having full days for half/third of the school. Half days would probably be better though.

OP posts:
Pud2 · 01/05/2020 17:36

A friend that works in a secondary school
In Milton Keynes has told me that the school has received notice that all secondary schools will be back on June 1st, Lower school in the mornings and upper in the afternoons

I don’t understand how this can be the case? Why would Milton Keynes know something that the rest of the nation doesn’t know? There’s been no decision made by the government yet on when schools reopen?

OneMomentInHistory · 01/05/2020 17:37

I get why they're scenario planning, but it's all so up in the air I wouldn't be sharing it with parents.

I don't understand the parent supervisor bit. If they're social distancing in a classroom, how are they going to have enough kids in that room that it takes more than one adult to supervise? Unless you're going to have one teacher teaching a huge hall or something?

OptimisticSix · 01/05/2020 17:40

I don't enjoy homeschooling my gruesome brats, no way would I agree to be rota'd into a system like this. I think I'd actually rather keep mine at home and they are seriously testing my patience! Grin

OldLace · 01/05/2020 17:40

My Y10 goes to an Academy in a deprived area.
I spoke to the Senco today.
NO idea when they are going back and she said 40% of entire cohort had not 'logged on' once in 5 weeks - they are trying to call around to see if 'they are safe'. They are really struggling to cope.
My child has ASD and SEN and we've had 1 call - today.
There would not be a chance of parents going in to help with classes and I would not want any parent without a DBS involved anyway.
When they re-open it will be a dogs dinner, sadly.

I also spoke to a person from Caamhs. Who apparently 'knows' when Schools are going back, how they are going to be organized, whether (current Y10)'s exams next year will be deferred, and what the % ratio 'upscaling' of awards will be, because she discussed it all with my 15 yr old :0 !!!
I told him it was unlikely she knew, as prob the Govt didn't at this stage and if she did, she shouldn't be discussing it with him.Fab!

2ndStar · 01/05/2020 17:40

How many parents does your school think they can get who are not working, not caring for other children not in school, not shielding, not ill and are willing to come in and be continually supervised by a member of staff because no DBS can’t be alone with children?

How on Earth is this possibly considered a plan?

Letseatgrandma · 01/05/2020 17:40

It’ll be primaries and nurseries first because they are the children who can’t be left at home while their parents go back to work.

I doubt that very much.

All schools will probably open from whatever date we are instructed to open from. So not ALL primary children will be in and not ALL secondary children. I would expect that staggering will take place across both sectors. My head teacher is envisioning something like 10/12 to each class so each child will do maybe 3 days a fortnight.

OneandTwenty · 01/05/2020 17:41

I do like the idea of parents forced to "supervise" though. It would stop all the unreasonable requests from parents who are confusing education and childcare.

OptimisticSix · 01/05/2020 17:41

Ps I don't want schools to reopen any time soon but I have a vulnerable child so maybe a skewed demographic

Original poster
Poppi89 · 01/05/2020 17:42

@Pud2 - I completely agree it's so frustrating not knowing what's going on and I am glad I don't have any big decisions to make as I honestly wouldn't know what's for the best.

OP posts:
Letseatgrandma · 01/05/2020 17:42

I don’t understand how this can be the case? Why would Milton Keynes know something that the rest of the nation doesn’t know? There’s been no decision made by the government yet on when schools reopen?

They wouldn’t-it’s bollocks.

IndecentFeminist · 01/05/2020 17:42

I would assume they're reacting to parental pressure and saying "well fine, we can open but it will need parents to staff it. What, you don't want to/can't/won't? Not that easy is it, we'll stay closed as per govt guidelines then."

user1487755366 · 01/05/2020 17:42

No I don't think that will work because I doubt secondary parents would be available to do it and I don't think schools can reopen in a supervisory capacity - the reason they want schools to reopen is because they want us (I'm a teacher too) to start teaching again.

I suspect schools will reopen, in a staggered way, from June 1st. Probably a couple of year groups on different days to make it easier to distance.

AppleKatie · 01/05/2020 17:42

I really think MN should be deleting anyone who posts facts that are such obvious bollocks on threads like this.

Nobody. Knows.

LolaSmiles · 01/05/2020 17:46

Nobody can make any plan worth sharing with wider staff until the government tells us what to do.

I'd imagine there's lots of SLTs throwing hypothetical scenarios around so that if and when the time comes (and they inevitably find out the same time as the general public that schools are opening in 48 hours) they have considered the logistics for their school.

Discussing time scales is futile.