To think no other primary year groups will be going back this year?

[bedspreadwithflowers]

I’ve just read the government guidance for the first time and it explicitly states that all children returning should be offered a full time place. So... if classes can only be 15 pupils they won’t be able to open up to the rest of the school (beyond year R,1 and 6) before Sept will they (or even then)?

Schools are pushed for classroom space at the best of times, no state school has the amount of space available to make this work as far I’m aware.

Personally I’m relieved about this but it’s just another example of the government not thinking things through... why say they had an ambition to get other primary groups back in June if it was obviously unworkable?

I am a governor at a primary school. In trying to implement the current guidance of having children in full time and not on a rota basis (in the junior school) we cannot have any more than one other class apart from year 6 (so that would be year 3). In the infant school we may well go against Government guidance (as have a whole group of other primaries in our area) and implement a rota system with nursery, recpetion and year 1. The thinking is that such small children might be frightened by being in a different room/having a different teacher to normal so we will just have them in on a part-time basis in their usual class with usual teacher but in bubbles (with cleaning inbetween).
I hope this reassures some posters that SLT (in lots of primary schools) are thinking hard (working night and day) to try to work out solutions that are as friendly to children as possible. They do care massively about the children being happy as well as safe and are trying to be as can do as possible.

The only way they can get all primary children returning is if they completely abandon any attempt at social distancing.

I suppose it will all come down to how many parents choose to (and are able to) keep their children off school. If only 50% choose to send them back, then schools might just about be able to meet that capacity and keep them in 'bubbles'. More than 50% - no chance.

Do people realise, social distancing will go, probably completely and it's likely that will happen before there is a vaccine widely available.

We need to a) accept some risk & learn to live with this b) focus on protecting the most vulnerable frail/elderly & immune compromised c) provide far more support for those who need to lose weight

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland

If that's what the government decide, that we're going to give up on social distancing for the majority and focus on shielding the vulnerable, then they need to make that clear.

It's so frustrating, they're putting all this effort into detailing exactly how we're supposed to keep YR, Y1 and Y6 in separate bubbles. But at the same time they are saying ALL primary children should return for a month. Meaning that they are only expecting the 'bubble' stuff to be in place for 3 weeks. It's downright dishonest to not male this clear to the public from the start.

Do people realise, social distancing will go, probably completely and it's likely that will happen before there is a vaccine widely available

Well, if the government are going to be removing the need for social distancing two weeks after June 1st, they have a lot of legwork to do in the next couple of weeks.

Indeed, social distancing to end on June 22nd.

@reefedsail that’s interesting do you have a source for that?

I've decided that everything will be back to normal by end of June, kids will be back at school and parents at work, non essential businesses open. I will not be taking any questions at this point. Thank you.

No of course not! I was being tongue in cheek.