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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:
TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince · 01/05/2020 19:52

neu.org.uk/coronavirus-what-we-say-today

Hercwasonaroll · 01/05/2020 19:52

What's the point in coming up with a plan now? No one knows what the government will say. It's literally the biggest waste of time because there will be so many what ifs.

It's not being proactive, because you don't know the direction to be proactive in.

Original poster
Poppi89 · 01/05/2020 19:52

@CallmeAngelina - yes there is no letter going home to parents or anything. It was more we have been discussing what are our options and so far this seems like the only way it could happen. They have said if we have any thoughts to email them over the weekend to be discussed next week so I wanted to be prepared with something to suggest instead.

OP posts:
Stronger76 · 01/05/2020 19:55

Some schools in this country are 'planning' to go back in June

No, OP. Most sensible schools are running scenarios to see how returning in June could work. They are making lots of plans as to how each scenario might work, with regard to staffing, supervision, management, never mind academic progress. Until they have dates, restrictions, details of social distancing requirements etc etc NOBODY is PLANNING to go back in June, to just throw open the doors and get everyone back into classrooms.

CallmeAngelina · 01/05/2020 19:57

You don't need to be prepared for next week. This is a complete and utter waste of everyone's time!!
It's being busy for the sake of being busy.

Original poster
Poppi89 · 01/05/2020 19:57

@Hercwasonaroll - I think simply by having a potential plan in place gives parents, pupils and teachers reassurance that they've got it in hand. I know the year 11s had so much anxiety when they didn't know what was going to happen with their GCSE results.

The plan can be amended as we go along but as it stands my school would struggle to social distance if half the pupils were in so they are thinking could they split it into thirds. Of course the distance might change but if it doesn't that's one less thing to have to plan.

OP posts:
2ndStar · 01/05/2020 19:57

@Poppi89 as I said up thread - many school staff do not have sole charge of a class - they are not trained and probably wouldn't feel confident enough to be in charge of a whole class for an entire lesson so another adult would be there to help supervise. As I have said these people won't be teaching but will be only supervising.

Right, let me see if I’ve got this

Your school is proposing to bring in children and socially distance them to put them in a room with someone not qualified to teach. Some children will get time in a classroom with a qualified teacher. Some will be in a room without a qualified teacher and a non DBS checked volunteer for crowd control.

Why? What’s the purpose?

Because we’ve covered how it doesn’t help parents of more than one child go to work, it doesn’t help families who can’t use it as they have people shielding in the household, or children who are shielded. I can’t see where the time is coming from for teachers who are in teaching to also redo the lesson to deliver it remotely so everyone gets the same.

PrivateD00r · 01/05/2020 20:04

2ndstar, I can only assume that op has got the wrong end of the stick to be honest. None of it makes any sense.

I think op needs to just wait and see what the government tell schools to do rather than trying to plan all sorts of strange strategies to get kids back to school.

I actually still have my mouth wide open at the thoughts of non DBS random parents trailing in and out of the building each day, like that increased footfall won't increase everyone's risk. Just before they closed, schools were already heavily restricting access to the school for safety. Even when we went to collect our home packs, we had to collect them from the carpark as no one was permitted to enter the school.

None of this post makes any sense....... I do wonder if it is a windup from a frustrated teacher or TA who is sick of parents complaining about schools being off.......

Original poster
Poppi89 · 01/05/2020 20:04

@Stronger76 - They are putting plans in place in the event it happens.

I don't understand what you are trying to say. Where have I said this is a plan that is set in stone and is definitely happening? Why are you focusing on the term that people have used instead of what they're saying?
Can you explain please as I'm not sure what you mean?

OP posts:
Hercwasonaroll · 01/05/2020 20:04

So poppi if the government announces only certain year groups? Or if they say only year 10? Your plan is a waste of time.

Original poster
Poppi89 · 01/05/2020 20:10

@2ndStar - as I've said this was spoken about in a meeting in a non formal way along the lines of - 'we have done the calculations and would struggle to socially distance with half the number of pupils so we are thinking of having a third in each day, due to the lack of staff due to shielding etc we are proposing that we have a rota for parents to come in and volunteer - if you have any thoughts, ideas or objections please let me know so I can bring them up in the next meeting'

As I have said I do not know the ins and outs and I only posted on here as I don't agree with it. I want to say I don't agree but I would not simply just say I don't agree and not back it up, I would give an alternative solution.

OP posts:
Original poster
Poppi89 · 01/05/2020 20:11

@Hercwasonaroll - ITS NOT MY PLAN!!

I don't agree with the plan!! Which is why I have started this thread!!

OP posts:
2ndStar · 01/05/2020 20:11

@Poppi89

WHAT FOR? What is the purpose of it?

Original poster
Poppi89 · 01/05/2020 20:17

To everyone who hasn't RTFT. - This is not my plan! It was put across to all staff to get our opinions on it. I do not agree so I came on here to see if I was being unreasonable ( as it's the only half-decent plan I've heard so far) and to get suggestions to alternative solutions or arguments on why it wouldn't work.

I've mainly had parents concerned that they will have to actually have to do something with the school their child attends 5 days a week. - Not exactly something that will get any sympathy from teachers who are getting abuse from parents demanding that they need to re-open their schools or somehow magically help their child learn from home better.

OP posts:
JemimaPuddleCat · 01/05/2020 20:20

I've mainly had parents concerned that they will have to actually have to do something with the school their child attends 5 days a week.

That is what you have taken from this thread? Thank God you are not a teacher.

Original poster
Poppi89 · 01/05/2020 20:21

@PrivateD00r - I'm not a frustrated TA or a wind-up - as I've said up thread several times I am a lone parent and concerned about the kids and my DC going back too soon and I do not think this is going to help their education in any way and it would only spread the virus more.

OP posts:
Original poster
Poppi89 · 01/05/2020 20:22

@JemimaPuddleCat - there have only been a few posts concerned about the kids getting/spreading the virus - the rest are about parents having to go in.

OP posts:
GuyFawkesDay · 01/05/2020 20:22

amp.ft.com/content/fdf893d5-40a0-4645-87fb-471b0f5e7ad0?__twitter_impression=true

This article points to infection rates increasing after schools returned in Denmark.

It's far more complex than most of us know.

ghostyslovesheets · 01/05/2020 20:24

The DFE is producing daily Covid updates - I imagine they will also be the guide for how schools return

all the rest is just conjecture

and no body outside of the government knows when it will happen and what it will look like

makes no difference what your 'head' thinks

Original poster
Poppi89 · 01/05/2020 20:25

I will show them that link thank you but unfortunately I think it will be down to the government so hopefully, they will read statistics of other countries too.

OP posts:
Original poster
Poppi89 · 01/05/2020 20:29

@ghostyslovesheets - I agree but that's like saying the NHS cancelling non-essential operations to be prepared for a rise in cases was a waste of time. It hadn't happened but they were proactive as it's better to plan ahead surely, even if it is just the bare bones of a plan.

OP posts:
Original poster
Poppi89 · 01/05/2020 20:30

Maybe I just have more anxiety over the virus than I originally thought so I will take your views into consideration. Thank you.

OP posts:
JemimaPuddleCat · 01/05/2020 20:34

@poppi89

there have only been a few posts concerned about the kids getting/spreading the virus - the rest are about parents having to go in

Because your thread wasn't about the risks of kids going back to school, it was about the 'plan' of parents having to go in Hmm

Original poster
Poppi89 · 01/05/2020 20:41

@JemimaPuddleCat

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 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.

Have you read my OP - These were my reasons for posting. The plan was 2 parts - 1. social distancing so the kids were only going in 1/2 days a week and 2. having parent supervisors.

My issue is they're talking about this plan if they were going back early but I can't see it being beneficial to the kids in terms of education so it is not worth putting them at risk. But you have only picked up on the parents having to do something.

OP posts:
Craiglang · 01/05/2020 20:43

This is just bonkers. I appreciate that it's not you plan but it's unworkable. I find it hard to imagine that the majority of secondary school teachers aren't "confident enough" to handle a class of kids and require a parent helper to maintain discipline. That's madness. And an insult... To the kids and teachers!

I work in SEN so there's zero chance of SD for us. I'm not expecting parents to pick up the slack, it's just not practical or reasonable. Even picking up duties like cleaning or food service would require a PVG. That's if we were able to find parents able/willing to volunteer to begin with. I'm baffled by this thread.