It’s week 8- why haven’t schools looks at plans before now?

[hopefulhop]

Just this? We have bee. In lockdown for 8wks. That’s 8wks of social distancing etc. Why is this a sudden shock to schools? Did school leaders and unions think we could return as usual after an international pandemic or just never go back? I appreciate this is unprecedented times, and that your regular school leadership team aren’t six sigma logistics gurus, and more so that many schools don’t have space etc for social distancing- but the move to bring kids back. is not a shock- it was going to happen sometime and would need to be different in some way. There are literally 1000s of teachers ‘working from home’- they cannot all be marking, many are on Rotas for key worker children support- hasn’t ANYONE thought or wondered what to do when kids return?

Wouldn't it have been nice if Johnson had consulted school leaders and unions before making his big announcement? Or even the DfE, which clearly didn't happen as they couldn't get any guidance out before Monday night and some not until last night.

It's bad enough trying to organise for the few year groups to be socially distanced from June 1st - quite how they expect schools to manage with all primary years back for the last month is entirely beyond me.

It's almost as if this government is thinking nothing through at all...

FFS, if you think you can do any better, come and bloody have a go

Sick to death of constant bashing of teachers/nurses/police etc. from people who frankly wouldn't last a day in the job.

We are working from home. I am a middle leader and working more bloody hours than ever. Setting work, marking work, desperately trying to teach an A-level course online so my students are disadvantaged. Checking in with vulnerable children and those with SEND. Colleagues are delivering lunches to those in need. We are still updating the curriculum so that when we do get back, our children have the best possible experience in our classrooms.

Don't even get me started on the grading and ranking. I and my head of faculty have spent literally hours on it and have cried with both frustration and exhaustion brought on by desperately trying to get it right so no child is disadvantaged.

I set a reminder to make sure I sent a Happy Birthday email to a vulnerable child who I know won't have got a birthday wish off their own parents. Might not seem like much to an adult but to that child, it will make a difference.

I know our SLT have been making preliminary plans for weeks but they now need to be adjusted, so yes it has been thought about.

We, like many others are doing the best we can in unprecedented times and people constantly bashing doesn't help. It's no wonder there is a shortage of teachers.

I very much doubt the average school head is a qualified expert in disaster recovery management.

Even the ones employed by the government seem to be at sixes and sevens as there is no right answer for this.

Realistically, how the hell are heads supposed to plan anything until some form of guidance/instruction is available?

So go on then armchair experts of MN, pray tell how you'd keep a classroom of manic four year olds who haven't seen their friends and teachers for ages apart?

Please tell me how you'd manage social distancing of kids and parents numbering the hundreds at drop off/collection time?

How you'd manage social distancing in lessons, lunchtimes, break times?

Not easy is it? Give the teachers some slack on this one.

All year groups being back is a fantasy that won't happen surely

Aren't disadvantaged not are. Stupid autocorrect.

@herc thanks for your reply, it's helpful to read.

I get that some things were unknown, but surly everyone knew that for example hand washing was going to required. It doesn't seem like many schools have been installed extra sinks though, they're all trying to do it now. That's the kind of thing I meant

I think as other posters have said, it seems to an issue of lack of senior leadership, which is not the fault of individual teachers or schools at all, but it is frustrating for parents.

That combined with the fact that the unions are making you all look totally unreasonable.

(The stupid flowers are also doing that)

I suggest all teachers just step away from these posts and scroll on past. It's not worth it. We are damned if we do and damned if we don't. Everyone else is an expert and knows it better than us so I personally would rather they just got on with their discussions of how we are doing it all wrong/lazy/what have they been doing for 8 weeks etc and not bother to respond to them.
We don't need to answer to faceless, keyboard warriors. Good luck to you all with whatever happens over the next few weeks.

Schools are not being given any money for extra sinks. Underfunded state schools are being given no extra money. Why on earth would we have spent money we do not have on sinks we didnt know for certain we would need? It's like telling people who are on very low incomes to stockpile food - if there is no money to buy the extra food in the first place, how can they?

Teachers are not experts in epidemiology and therefore not what will be needed for a return.You try social distancing very young kids . Add to that the emergence of the multi organ inflammatory syndrome, post viral fatigue, relapse events and the likelihood of another wave of this in winter. Dh has put together a YouTube channel, group class calls , staff training calls, school staff group calls and lesson plans. He's constantly monitoring lack of vulnerable child engagement with online work and retorts that to the relevant depts. It's not his job to organise the nationwide plan for a return to school. I expect it will involve a mixture of online and in class teaching, especially for self isolating and keyworker kids. This will continue to be in a state of flux till much more is known and treatments/vaccines are found.

Schools are being give extra money to cover additional costs due to CV. They can apply for reimbursement up to the following limits. We've been asked to keep records of expenditure but will not have to submit receipts to reduce the administrative burden.

Limits for schools
Mainstream schools
250 pupils or fewer £25,000
251 to 500 pupils £30,000
501 to 1000 pupils £50,000
Over 1000 pupils £75,000
Special schools and alternative provision
All schools £50,000

I'm fed up of having to defend my job. OP get a grip and get on with it.

That funding is limited to certain areas, premises so hygiene services so hopefully that might include sinks etc ,additional cleaning costs and help with FSM.

Schools have been open for the past 8 weeks, including the Easter holidays.

Even with low numbers of children, social distancing has proved impossible.

Given that, as you say, we've had 8 weeks of social distancing etc, schools thought h

Yes, I was responding to PP who was asserting that schools have had no additional money.

sorry... schools didn't realise that all social distancing/PPE/ screens would be thrown out of the window overnight.

Well, I can’t speak for any other schools, but we’ve been having Zoom gin parties for 12 hours a day as a whole staff team....

Where exactly are you going to put in these extra sinks? In these magic extra toilet blocks in these magic extra corridors and classrooms. Plumbing in schools must be a nightmare particularly crumbling old Victorian buildings. Putting in a sink in a bathroom can take long enough by the time you’ve checked it can go in the place you want, bought it, booked a plumber, waited for it to be done etc. Doing all that in a school before you were promised money, had the location checked and visited etc in 8 weeks during a complete lockdown would have been impossible. You really can’t see that.

Well it's a good question my sons school have been considering it for the last 8 weeks I was talking to them a month ago and they said then they didnt know how the kids were going back so they were considering split weeks set groups of children morning for some children afternoon for others social distancing plans etc etc

@slipperywhensparticus that's really good but unfortunately the guidance schools received late last night scuppers this plans as the Government have decreed no part-time or rota basis to be offered.

I stand correct. There is some funding. Funding is limited to certain areas but will not cover installation of sinks or additional classrooms. Much of it will have been spent already on the items in the list.

How many extra sinks do you think a school of 500 should have shoe horned in during lockdown?😂😂😂😂

And schools have been asking for funding for half decent buildings for decades. Not their fault they’ve been ignored. Gov had years to sort it not 8 weeks under lockdown.

Think we should have a look at these Danish schools that have enjoyed years of much more education funding.

A school will have done well to spend that amount already! We've spent about £4000 of our £50k. You surely don't really think schools should be building extra sinks? We have spent a lot on hand sanitizer and supporting families outside of the FSM scheme. Extra cleaning booked for HT.

I presume that you will spend another 4k in the next few weeks too? Our 'deep cleaning' service has cost a fortune. Predicting it will cost even more once pupils are back in. It's not enough to build extra spaces is it? I am worried about handwashing- we dont have the facilities and hand sanitizer is not as effective. I dont think building sinks is realistic no. It worries me that we dint have them. We have a higher number families in need of support too. It will vary from school to school. As I say, I stand corrected. Our SLT are concerned about money though.

Cleaning hours are really cheap and there's been no advice that specialist cleaning contractors are required.

I'd suggest you SLT look at what they've saved during lockdown. No supply costs, no school meals, much reduced spend on paper/exercise books etc, no enrichment activities, it will be swings and roundabouts.