If schools go back

[screamer1]

Surely if schools go back in June and you decide not to send kids back, it would be ok to meet a friend of theirs in a park and distanced?

If your happy for them to go to the park why wouldn't you want to send them into school?

The guidance may have changed by June.

I can't articulate why, but that feels really wrong somehow. I guess in terms of catching corona it's no different; it just seems wrong.

I suppose the argument would be that school is for educational purposes whereas increasing risk purely for social purposes is less encouraged?

If your happy for them to go to the park why wouldn't you want to send them into school?

Exactly. My kids' Reception class comprises solely of two children and their mums two meters apart in a field and I assume this is the same of all schools in the UK.

Ds is reception. His school is incredibly play based (as I'm sure most reception kids experience is).

I don't see how he's going to have any quality of school experience. He won't be able to play in the same way he's used to, teachers are going to be horribly stressed.

If I continue homeschooling and can manage a socially distanced play date, surely that's better all round?

OP you should first find out what the school's approach should be (if your child's experience is underlying your decision). If you haven't seen the guidance to school it's here but the school will need to work out how they are going to implement it. They might not attempt constant social distancing per se.
www.gov.uk/government/publications/preparing-for-the-wider-opening-of-schools-from-1-june/planning-guide-for-primary-schools

@screamer1 I'm sure you'll get lots of people saying you're unreasonable but I agree.
My son is in nursery and I'm not happy to send him for the reason you've said. Not necessarily the virus, but because no quality play based learning will be happening. So yes, I'd say what you're suggesting is fine.

No that is not permitted.
You can only meet one person from outside your household which means only meetings of one person from your household and one person from another are permitted. The purpose for such a relaxation is to allow some form of social contact for those who live alone as well as allowing such people access to forms of exercise that cannot be completed alone. One of the major reasons it has been limited to meetings of 2 people is to prevent young children running around a park not paying attention to anyone within the park.

You plan to have your reception child and another reception child meet in a park to play but keep them 2m apart? Good luck with that!

@MinkowskisButterfly it's going to be easier than a teacher with 15 other kids trying to do the same.

Children in school won't social distance within their small group.

In Reception my DC started phonics. If they’d missed half of term of phonics they’d would have fallen so far behind they would have had to join learning support to catch up. Teachers won’t go over the work again because you preferred to keep you DC at home having play dates in the park.

@screamer1
It is safer for society for low risk children to socialise in a structured environment in which all of the social contacts can be immediately contacted as soon as there is a risk the virus is present within the group (ie: as soon as a child or a member of their household has symptoms or tests positive the entire group can be told to self isolate and be tested (if we can self isolate at this stage it is likely that these people will be isolated before anyone who has caught the virus is symptomatic)) than it is for children to come into close contact with random children in the park (which at the very least will need a conversation with the parents to see who they have been in contact with causing delays before isolation can occur) and also unintentionally in close contact with random other people due to the fact that children are unlikely to be paying attention to their surroundings.

@edwinbear they've already said that there will likely be less learning going on anyway. It'll be about the emotional needs of the children.

I'm doing phonics daily with my 4yo and am an early years teacher so I'm not worried.

@screamer1 Reception teacher here. Teachers will be as smiley and positive as they normally are, just as we are when we're in school with key worker children. In my school we will be in bubbles of 10 children and once in that bubble, they will be interacting as normal.

@StatisticalSense that makes sense.

I suppose I was being optimistic that the "bubble idea" would stretch to one other family for example.

Except they are social distancing in their small groups. Did you not hear the gvt briefing today? Kids aren’t allowed to bring in their own pencil case in case they touch something belonging to someone else, but can bring in lunchboxes. Because, and I quote Dr Harries, the deputy chief medical advisor, “A child isn’t going to want to take food from another child who is hopefully 2m away at their desk”. Now that implies that they do expect social distancing, because they want to restrict the kids touching things the others have touched, and there is a direct comment about sitting 2m away.

@Nix32 of course! And my suggestion wasn't at all that they wouldn't be, but more like that I feel for them. I mean, the whole thing sounds like a nightmare to me.

@Treaclepie19 as a teacher you are clearly more than able to keep your DC up to date and that’s fantastic. I do worry for children where that isn’t the case. I can’t see how overworked teachers can teach all day once schools are open, as well as provide online support for those who don’t return and then potentially help them catch up once they do. It seems a big ask.

@edwinbear we're doin phonics learning everyday. And writing. And reading.

I'm keeping mine off my youngest has severe autism and learning disabilities his school.has said they are not opening any time soon which is fair enough as they couldn't safely social distance the children anyway and my oldest is in year eight .

I think it’s the social aspect that’s most important for reception aged children. I’m waiting to see what dc’s school return will look like. I know some schools are going to enforce the social distancing and some will just accept that the children will mix within their ‘bubble’. If reception children are not allowed to play/mix with others I can’t see what the hell they will be doing all day. And for kids who are not from disadvantaged homes I do question the benefit of rushing back. I’m really hoping we can meet up in small social bubbles over the summer too.

@edwinbear yes you're right, it is a big risk for children who won't get the support and teachers shouldn't be expected to provide work for them if they're kept off by parents.
I don't know the answer.
I'd also happily send him if I knew things would be normal for him when he went (his teacher/room/resources even if there are less of his friends. I do think many are shooting themselves in the foot keeping them off just to protect them from the virus because obviously we have no clue how long that will be.

But the are not expecting young children to socially distance themselves. It is recognized that will not be feasible.
I don't think kids will keep apart at a playdate any more than at school.