please read the guidance for schools....

[Ariseandsmellthetea99]

Key points:
-Since hospital grade PPE is neither obtainable (needed for medical staff) nor practical for teaching young children (scary and next to impossible to teach in) this is not recommended

• Since face coverings would need to be worn by all the children to have any effect at all (this relates to the science that a face covering only protects those around you not the person wearing), this isn't practical or recommended.

-They are NOT suggesting children are kept separate from all other children (as some fairly alarming photos on social media have shown).

-Children should be kept away from others who are NOT in their group bubble (the max 15 other children they WILL be mixing with). These groups should remain the same with the same adult to limit exposure for the adult.

• Any staff who are (clinically) vulnerable or live with someone vulnerable should be leading remote learning from home.

-Any children who are (clinically) vulnerable or who live with vulnerable should stay at home

• Parents should be socially distanced. To enable this, each bubble of 15 children should be dropped off at a different entrance or time.

If you disagree with these measures, please say what measure you think would be better, since children remaining home for up to 2 years is neither desirable nor healthy.

I'm committing the classic mumsnet faux pas of not having read the full thread, but just to throw this in the mix.

Ive got 210 children due in on 1st June, plus the 70 children of key workers who are entitles to a place.

I was in at 6:00am on Monday measuring classrooms to see how we could fit 15 children in each room. Because of the nature of the furniture e.g. not individual desks we'd have 75cm (at a maximum) between each of my Y6 children.

It's one of the things I'll be ensuring my parents know so that they can make an informed decision about what's best for their child

Also from that link:
Appearing in front of the Parliamentary science and technology committee today, Osama Rahman also admitted the DfE had done no modelling on the impact on transmission rates of starting to reopen schools after the May half term break.

@EducatingArti - he is now saying it is a draft because his arse has been kicked by the Parliamentary Science and Technology Committee

What a ridiculous post. Nobody expects to keep children off for two years

I don't think it's ridiculous. There are plenty of MNers saying they wont' send their children back until there's a vaccine, which could be a lot more than two years, if ever.

My question is this. If the NAHT don’t think it’s achievable for June 1st why do you think it would be?

Puzzledandpissedoff

The article you linked to was from the 29th April.
On the 30th April, The Lancet published an article that used data from China that children under 10 both catch and pass on Covid 19 at the same rate, in fact a little bit higher than adults. Since then, other studies have shown similar outcomes.

It is so very important that you check the dates of studies and articles as new evidence is coming out all the time.

I was going to post something but I give up. Let's wait those 2 years till everything is safe...

I've read the guidance. The guidance also states parents can choose whether to send their child back.

@hopelesschildren - no one is saying wait two years. We just need to take precautions that is all.

yes, they are mentioning 2 years

www.timeshighereducation.com/news/coronavirus-manchester-keep-lectures-online-autumn

And it is tough on university students as well. If I was a fresher I might defer for a year but what would I do?

Schools will not be off for two years

@Siddalee

Nice Post. I think it's important, as you say, to inform parents so that they can make a decision based on the specific facts about their school situation.

shop.signbox.co.uk/30/640/free-standing-clear-hygiene-screen-for-social-distancing one per staff member?

yes, they are mentioning 2 years The OP said two years. It's not in the guidance or anywhere else.

I was in at 6:00am on Monday measuring classrooms to see how we could fit 15 children in each room. Because of the nature of the furniture e.g. not individual desks we'd have 75cm (at a maximum) between each of my Y6 children.

I thought it was "up to 15" , according to the space available once 2m distancing has been implemented.

Watch DfE chief scientific advisor squirming under questioning from Parliament science committee. Particularly watch for Carole Jonathan at just after 18 minutes. The expression on her face...

I've read it. You're point is?

@user1635482648
It is up to 15, but with 90 Y6, 60 Y1 and 60 FS alone that’s 14 groups of 15. I’ve got 16 classrooms

Then there are the children of key workers and the vulnerable ( about another 70).

So not a lot of wriggle room ( or social distancing room either)

Parents worrying about how many children will be in the class. My understanding guidance is 15 children. Given 1/3rd of mumsnetters say they wont be sending their children then of a class of 30 you could expect on average 20 children. So the challenge of reducing the classes to 15 will be assisted by those who dont want to attend.
Our school has already written to us and asked whether any children wont be attending to assist with the planning.

I'll hear what the teachers' union has to say before I make up my mind whether I agree or disagree. As a member of the UCU myself I support their entitlement to safe working conditions and will respect their judgement.

Personally I'll be very surprised if schools reopen to a broader range of children by June 1st. There needs to be some kind of workable system in place first and it seems we're still a long way from that.

@MrPickles73
If you put a plan in place based on the numbers in the survey taken now, you run several risks

A parent changes their mind about wanting their child in school any time in the next 8 weeks and you then have to either
change the whole system you’ve set up mixing up the groups (which you’re being told not to do)

put the new child in a group all by themselves, hope you’ve got enough rooms and staff for that and that other children soon join so the child isn’t by themselves too long

tell the parent that they can’t change their mind about a decision made weeks ago, when their emotions/worries were very different.

I’m not being awkward, I want schools open and children back in. I worry immensely of the effect of not being able to work will have on some of my families - who were already on a knife edge before this crisis. But these are the realities of the decisions we’re making in school

And then there’s the wrap around care. If children have to stay in their bubbles of 15. - there’s no way we can offer 15 different wrap round care groups.
Plus that would negate the staggered opening/closing that will be needed to allow dropping off arrangements that enable social distancing to take place

I could honestly cry at the thought of the anguish parents are going to go through when they find we can’t meet their expectations of their Y1 child going back to school full time and fully safe.

No irony here, is there?

The difficulty is that parents are being asked to say yay or nay without having been given any details of what measures and steps are being taken in school.
I want to know the ratio of hand basins to children, the space around each desk, what the plans are for moving around school are (e.g. for outdoor play, food (assuming they're eating on-site at lunchtime) to enter and leave the site each day), whether specific computers will be allocated, or if not how they'll be sanitised, whether children that choose to wear masks will be supported to do so (I don't mean for school staff to help put on/take off, I mean for staff to call out jerks making fun of children in masks, reminders to change masks at agreed intervals etc).
Literally none of those details were in the email from my Y6's school...