To think that Schools will not open on 1st June

[whacks493]

I think schools will not open on the 1st June for a few reasons.

A couple of evenings ago Hancock said to a reporters question that schools when they go back would go back as they normally do.

People suggesting a phased return are not thinking how unlikely it is to help on a regular basis.

If classes are reduced and one year groups go in separate days then families with more than one child will still need to be looked after at home. Some families may have children at different schools which do things differently so not providing a regular schedule for return to full time work.

Also wrap around care will be unlikely to be on if Schools go back on a rota basis as it would not be feasible for cost and also not enough staff to safely social distance kids in wrap around care.

Hours of school 8:45 - 3:15 is this going to help with parents who have to go to work?

So if like Mr Hancock is correct and schools are to resume normal operations I feel it will most likely be September as this will give the government the time they are looking for to try and reduce the chance of a 2nd peak.

It’s not just about childcare though is it? Sending kids back in June, even part time, will allow us to see whether infections rise as a result and allow the NHS to deal with this over the ‘quieter’ summer months.

Waiting until September could be a disaster if indeed infections do rise and the government has to go back to the drawing board about how to manage schools whilst also trying to flatten the peak as we enter flu season.

The expectation for many people to work from home will continue until at least autumn I expect so many households will have a parent at home to manage shorter/odd days.

It’s not ideal but I really struggle to understand why people feel autumn is a better time to potentially expose children/families to a respiratory virus than the summer. There will still be no vaccine. Nothing will have significantly changed from now.

I thought they are testing fot vaccines now and some will be out in july?

I wonder if it may be June for some year groups e.g. Y10 and Y12 in secondary school could go back 'as normal' with other children returning in September.

The only reason I can think of for just having a normal return for everyone in September is to ease other measures first and monitor things before school children start mixing fully.

I don't know though. Maybe we will know more on Thursday.

Vaccines will not be ready this year if it all. They are not even sure how the virus mutates et if it does at all.

Oh god another schools thread. Just join the other dozen that are asking the same question OP.

And for what it's worth I do think they'll open on 1 June and if you're too worried to send your DC in then keep them locked up and home school them.

Schools can't offer childcare for key workers when education resumes so if you are a key worker and your child's days are Monday and Tuesday for education but you previously used the school for childcare then the rest of the week you are buggered as the school will no longer have the space to offer the childcare it previously did as it now needs it for education.

But they may not be able to have a normal return in September. Infection rates may rise to a point where a phased/staggered return is all that can be achieved until a vaccine is in place.

My point is we won’t know until we try and I’d rather see us try now than waste another three months and find it’s not possible then, meaning our children spend even more months out of school.

I don’t believe there’s a cat in hells chance of us getting a vaccine in July either.

I do think that the June reopening would be so weird and not-normal that it would be better to wait for September when we know more about how to do it and it can be closer to a normal experience and unsettle the kids less.

That said, if they do reopen (and numbers have gone down) I would send my kids back as a) my work has got super challenging lately and b) by incredible luck my husband has picked up a new contract just as his current one is ending, so he can't help, and trying to help DS and do my work is really difficult for even the small amount I can manage. Also I think mine would cope OK with the weirdness, but I get it might be much harder for some kids, especially younger ones.

I suspect it might open to more children based on educational need and by extending the key worker group... with other children on a rota if there is space.

So children with SEN / year groups such as y10 and y6, alongside certain retail workers (for example - or whatever occupation the govt deems next on the list for returning).

I think this in itself will be an issue as schools in less affluent areas will have a disproportionate amount of pupils who need to be in - which then impacts the ability of social distancing.

Hopefully a planned opening of 1June will also give us chance to see what is happening in other countries that have opened schools and learn from them.

Denmark's Rvalue has gone from (estimation) 0.6 to 0.9 since schools went back. Limited date from one country but so far suggestive that reopening schools will not be the best first step.

If they arebt sure and no vaccine then why the hell open schools? Keep them.off school until vaccines are sorted.

I' hoping that my DD1 (11) at least will be able to get back to school in June. She has SEN and has adoption related attachment issues and it would help her if she could have a proper finish to her year 6 before starting high school.

DD2 (8) is struggling, too, as she's really missing her friends, but she doesn't have SEN so I know that it's not all that likely realistically, or at least not straightaway.

Obviously we have no way of knowing, and the lockdown isn't going to be lifted on Thursday but we really do need to have an idea of when the restrictions are going to start being lifted.

I think 6 weeks back at school followed by 6 weeks summer holiday would be a good way of testing out whether infection rates change. Like a little trial run.

I agree with piano tuner but whole schools won’t be back-just some year groups.

There’s also the mental health aspect. I’m delighted that some DC are thriving at home but mine aren’t (and neither are we but that’s less of an issue).

Ahhh, Magic September.

The schools will likely return in some form from June onwards. They have to test and learn. Within a school environment they can rapidly test and trace when needed. The 2m social distancing will not apply in a school environment - they will rely upon some lesser measures, including hand washing.

Many people will not return to their offices for a long time, reducing the spread hugely by meaning they avoid public transport. Likewise, adults will be respecting social distancing measures in shops and socially which we now know also reduces the spread.

All of this will need to be in place in September, just as much as June. In terms of stress on the NHS it’s better to have the second peak in summer.

It’ll be September. I’m a teacher and I’ve said this all along, I was told as much before lockdown.

Op do you not want them to go back and are just trying to hold onto some hope?

They will not be going back before September I am not holding on to some hope but trying to prepare those under the illusion that 1st June is a magical date for schools to reopen....just like 11th May was the magical date a few weeks ago.

Ok, you must know something the media and we don’t, what makes you know they aren’t going back till sept? Your op indicates you were just trying to find reasons to hope they wouldn’t, but your definite statement indicates something else?

It’s good of you to prepare people, but I think you need to be clearer on how you know for sure.

Interesting to see that you think the media knows something or is it because they have a paper ow website then what they write is more factual?

Can I ask all the posters who say their kids won’t be going back until September what they expect to happen then? Are you visualising all children trotting happily back into school all together?

If we don’t try a phased return next month we’ll be trying it in September instead. This means some year groups potentially not being able to return until almost Xmas or even later. Are you really happy for children to miss up to 9 months of school?

This is without thinking about what the impact will be to peoples’ jobs if they can’t return to the office until 2021

It’ll be September. I’m a teacher and I’ve said this all along, I was told as much before lockdown.

I do hope you're right as this is definitely my preference, but my HT friend says June most likely.

Are you really happy for children to miss up to 9 months of school?

I'm genuinely not concerned. They'll all be in the same boat, ground will be recovered and allowances made.

I hope you're right OP.

Interesting to see that you think the media knows something

It’s simply I think the media is likely to know more than some random on mumsnet, when the media all says the same thing. But I am waiting for you to say what and how you know.

You seem angry? Look you’ll find out by the end of the week.