Headteacher has posted this to facebook

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The headteacher at my DCs school has posted this to Facebook. He says that social distancing is impossible and unless we would be happy to let our DC play in a supermarket for hours to 'not even think about' bringing them to school. I have 2 expected back on June 1st. AIBU to keep them off after this?

m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10222994594279008&id=1403891361

@Kleeo I disagree. There are so many other details like separating a corridor, using different entrances etc but not one sentence about staggering days but they have an ambition to have a ALL children in for a month before summer holidays. How many days in your months??

Agree with posters noting that you’d get kids in part-time to allow the half class sizes. Not even large schools can double classroom capacity to get all the kids back in July. I imagine some schools are also going to have to carefully rota staff as well due to caring and/or health issues.

Never liked this sort of leadership that immediately presents a black and white view of everything rather than being solutions based and trying to work out was is feasible in the context.

I wish schools didn’t use Facebook. Totally unprofessional.

It is his own personal page, not a school Facebook page.

@ineedaholidaynow I don’t think anyone would suggest one group in the morning and one in the afternoon is a good idea?

This guy is as useful idiot for the unions.

Well done! some common sense from that Head teacher! I think it would be better to wait and see after after the summer school holidays, there might have more idea if the rate is actually dropping, 692 deaths yesterday and Boris wants to send children back to school!!

When I was at infants, we were not permitted in unless we could use the toilet unaided. I don't think that's always instilled now.

I presume you are aware that schools are now not allowed to refuse to admit children to school if they are still in nappies?

Schools are compelled, by law, to take them.

You make it sound like schools should be saying that they can’t start?

Yes you are @LadyofTheManners. We line up every day to wash hands before lunch, we tell the children to ‘catch it, bin it, kill it‘ and they would be told not to cough into hands. This happens regardless of pandemics.

@avroroad the post is set to public.

There is no other reason for a private individual to set a post to public unless they want the post to be shared and liked widely, by strangers.

It’s called going viral and it’s a deliberate act of self promotion.

@lilgreen so not all children will get a full month of school! Oh no!
Oh wait, it’s just an ambition and if it’s not safe or practical some children might only get a few days or even no days...

*the post is set to public.
**
*Yes, I know.

There is no other reason for a private individual to set a post to public unless they want the post to be shared and liked widely, by strangers.

I wasn't discussing the reasons behind it. I was responding to the poster who said i wish schools didn't use Facebook'

It’s called going viral and it’s a deliberate act of self promotion.

Of course. I'm not disputing what he has done, or why. Just clarifying to one poster that it was his personal page.

Tell that to Churchill, sorry, Boris. It’s his ambition!

Leaving aside the ethics of whether the headteacher should have posted this on his FB page, he is echoing what most in primary education feel.

In these circumstances I think YANBU to keep your DC off school, given the Head has essentially said he will not be able to guarantee safeguarding.

Will be interesting to see what the LEA and governors do in response to this post.

Well that's a bold mess

I'd have thought that there would be something in his contract which would not allow him to post as he had done on SM surely. That's entirely normal in the public sector. I see his twitter picture is a photo of a small and clearly visible group of children which seems a little strange for a headteacher.

I am in Scotland and I am not a Nicola Sturgeon voter, however I think her decision to delay intake till after the summer school holidays is well thought out and a measured approach.

Will be interesting to see what the LEA and governors do in response to this post

Is it’s an academy, the LEA will do absolutely nothing.

just clarifying to one poster that it was his personal page.
But he's posting as a headteacher, in a public post.

But he's posting as a headteacher, in a public post.

Yes. I know. I wasn't saying otherwise.

We had an email from school today, we are in Wales, it was long but it basically said keep doing everything you are doing, we are here via email or google classroom if you need us, you are doing brilliantly and we won’t be back until we know it’s safe for everyone, so please don’t worry, take breaks from work go on line with your friends etc, have fun. Ds is year 10.

Totally different tone.

Our head teacher has posted a very negative blog this morning. As it happens I agree with many of his points but it's caused a lot of people to feel quite miserable this morning so I do question wether it's a good idea. Because after all a blog isn't going to Change governmental policy... so for me the negatives of doing it outweigh the positives.

But then I work in social care so I'm perhaps inured to the idea of being cannon fodder 🤷🏽‍♀️

Totally different tone

Primary schools in Wales aren’t being told to Open in 2.5 weeks though, are they?!

This is just arrogance and attention seeking for likes and exposure for being a 'hero' who 'puts his head above the parapet'. Why put this on Facebook? I'm in education and it's people like this who give our profession a bad name and add fuel to the idea that all we do is moan and whinge.

It's a shame because the vast majority of schools, such as my own children's and the one I work in, are currently silently working their arses off trying to find solutions to this problem of a global pandemic, just like every other sector has had to. But they get overlooked because of idiots like this bloke.

He's gone about it the wrong way in my opinion, however all these people saying he shouldn't criticise the government or make people worried by sharing the very real problems in government plans need to get over themselves.

There's several issues that need to be considered to get children back to school. They include:

• provision for key worker and vulnerable children 5 days a week and how that matches up with the learning done by non-key children once school starts phasing back (eg if a key worker child in y4 is in 5 days, but year 4 are only in 2 days, what does the key worker child do on the other days?)
• access to bathrooms and hand washing facilities given only 1-2 children can fit socially distanced at a time in many school facilities
• how to keep the bathrooms and hand washing facilities clean around all the children needing to stagger use
• staffing: there will be staff who have underlying health conditions, pregnant teachers, unwell teachers. How will classes be staffed? There is talk of having teaching assistants covering classes whilst technically being under the direction of a teacher, but TAs aren't qualified teachers and they aren't paid to have that extra responsibility. Many TAs are excellent, but would they be paid extra for stepping up? They should, but I can't see it happening.
• transport to and from school: people are told to limit public transport and wear face coverings if possible, but many students get public busses and even more crowded school busses and we're being told they don't need face coverings
• government guidance says adults should wear face coverings in indoor spaces where it's difficult to socially distance, but school don't count. They need to make their mind up: either adults don't need masks in indoor spaces, or they do, but don't say they're needed unless you're school staff (because Coronavirus discriminates by job and magically doesn't fancy infecting school staff).
• Use of shared resources.
• breaks and lunches
• staggered start and end times
• how to get the youngest children of 3-5 to socially distance
• childcare availability for parents who might be expected to go back to work but have children in multiple year groups or schools do could never have a child free day despite schools opening

They are things that need serious strategic planning before children go back so that when they go back it is as safe as possible for everyone.

Of course what actually happens is any time people raise this it's easier for some to play 'criticise the school staff' than it is to apply a bit of critical thinking and consider they might be raising valid concerns.

Maybe Rob should be doing some research and observation instead of spouting off on Facebook because we are in the fortunate position of being several weeks behind other countries who are returning to school.

By using his observation skills and digging a little deeper than scanning Daily Mail headlines he will be able to find hard evidence about the result of sending kids back to school, take some best practice from the countries that have gone before us, and be able to look at how children being back in school affects the infection rate in staff and families because again - fortunate that we are not the guinea pigs - that information will be available to help him form a plan, and a reasoned, fact based argument for that plan.

But that maybe seems like too much hard work and it’s easier to furiously type your brain contents into your phone for five minutes and sit back and watch the likes roll in...

This!!!