To be annoyed that not all year 6 children that want to return to school can?

[spongebunnyfatpants]

This is not a teacher or school bashing thread, I'm just interested in people's thoughts.

My child is in year 6, we have just been informed that out of a class of 30 only 10 children will be allowed to return to school because they don't have the staff to provide for any more.

These 10 children will be chosen on a first come first served basis, we have to email if we want our child to return.

This means that some children who want to return won't be able to.

AIBU to think that this is very unfair and that part time schooling for more groups would be more appropriate rather than one group in all the time.

We’re just getting the results of our parent surveys in and the vast majority want to send their children back.

Some of the year 6s are in for a shock when they find out I'm teaching them, I'm the Head!

Some of the year 6s are in for a shock when they find out I'm teaching them, I'm the Head!

I would pay to see that

btw I am so pleased that most parents are rejecting this awful policy.

what we should be focussing on is allowing those older children to go back whose parents can no other choice and we should be making sure those on protection orders are also back in school.

for a few more weeks, its really a bad idea for the youngest ones.

I do wonder though if all year six could come back in small groups for some sort of help into the transition to secondary schools, thats really tough for them and that age can socially distance and probably dont lick their own shoes like the little ones :D

pfrench you based that I can manage it better on something I said? It’s a genuine question- As i understand it, kw children aren’t being “taught” more “supervised” which I understand. The year 6s are being brought back to transition.
I actually want to understand why they can’t cover 30 more students?

@lemondrizzle. I don't know what would you have done?
Maybe I would have identified those most in need and offered those places first.
Or made less places in recp and year 1.
Or said if I can't provide for all that want it, I can't provide for any.
Or had a weekly rota.
Or anything else that was fair.
🤷🏼‍♀️

@FamilyOfAliens complete opposite to our schools survey :)

but our parents are very child focussed

I don’t think that’s an effective system. I think it has the potential to be quite ableist and favour particular families.

I’m a teacher and I’m laying awake at night worrying how my kids with profound needs (in mainstream) can come back.

How can we offer it to some kids and not others. (I don’t think we can or should) When government ministers are still talking about kids sitting at traditional desks (Gove) and only 1 adult per class - I just don’t know how my children who have 1:1 support, will suddenly not need it.

Personally I would say that 10 is the maximum number of children to manage social distancing (don't get me started on fucking "bubbles!"), but it's bloody stupid to operate a "first come, first served" system. In fact, it probably directly penalises certain groups.

but our parents are very child focussed what’s that mean?

@spongebunnyfatpants the kids wont be getting any normal education, and honestly, the amount of changes and rules mean it wont be a fun place to go.

@OnlyFoolsnMothers it means they put the well being and safety of their children first.

But then you would have Reception and yr 1 parents complaining because the guidance says they take priority.

Maybe I would have identified those most in need and offered those places first.

They will absolutely have included those most in need first before offering the additional spaces.

Or made less places in recp and year 1.

Do you really believe your child, who is capable of looking after herself and independently completing work at home, deserves to go in more than a year 1 child or one in reception?

However I do think it should be open to all or open to none. It seems unfair that some will receive a full week of school and others will get three of four pieces of work set online every week.

I honestly shouldn't worry about this. The work online will be what the children in class are doing. I'm not quite sure what they will do for the other 4 hours of the day but there you are. The teachers won't be able to mark physical books or papers either so online children will prob get more feedback.

(I'm only going by what my school is doing. I know it's not the same online provision for many schools)

The guidance says that schools have to plan on EVERYONE being in from each eligible year group, then cut their coats to meet their cloth in terms of which year groups they open to

Yep. Trouble is, with social distancing measures in place, this is simply not possible. We measured our classrooms today and we don't have the space for all keyworker, vulnerable and then eligible year groups if they're all in. Let alone anyone else.

And we'd need 32 full time staff members. Which we don't have.

The 'distanced' classroom we've played about with today is horrible. It goes against everything staff know about a good learning environment, particularly for the little ones.

But, that's what the guidance says

My ds is Yr 4 so not impacted but I suspect that his school will base priority on those that need the help due to returning to a workplace. As that was one of the questions they asked in an email out to all parents

Interesting to hear the expected numbers from other schools. We had an email today - 93% of families responded and of that 80% will be sending their children back when they are able. I thought it would be less after what I have been reading online. We are sending ours back BTW.

That's a very bitchy comment to presume that people who are sending their children back to school are not considering their children's safety!

Or made less places in recp and year 1.
Or said if I can't provide for all that want it, I can't provide for any.
Or had a weekly rota.
Or anything else that was fair.

Aside from the rota option, how are the other two fair? Why should reception/year one miss out to facilitate year six?

Equally, surely it's better to have ten children in than no children?

We need to accept that schools won't go back to how they are - we all need to adjust to a new normal. If that means less children in school and a mixture of home/e-learning, then that's just how it'll have to be.

It's only for six weeks or so until the summer holidays. I'm sure schools will have a clearer idea of things by September.

Email the school with a better system - rota?

There will be nothing normal about school. I think many children will find it all very strange and upsetting.

btw the guidance is being ignore by our LEA as its clearly utterly off the wall and unsafe.

your issue is with a govt who want to send back their youngeest children first during a gloabl pandemic with abrand new virus thasts spawned another illness.

school will not take that risk and I am so grateful they wont.

the children commissioner provided their evidence to say why its safe. of 39 open nurseries that responded, they had 11 suspected cases....

we have 15,000 primary schools in england. thats a lot of potentially ill children...

I actually want to understand why they can’t cover 30 more students?

In my school this is 60 more students. In DS's school it would be 90. In the large city I live in, one-form entry schools don't exist anymore. There's even a 7 form entry nearby!!

It seems unfair that some will receive a full week of school and others will get three of four pieces of work set online every week.

As a teacher, I've been told that those in class will do the same work as is set online so that it's fair for all. School will not be regular schooling (I won't be teaching my usual class for example) so the kids who attend won't necessarily have a full week of school either. They'll likely all do the same work. There will be children of those who are shielding who also can't attend (regardless of the school's capacity) and we need to make it a fair playing ground.

Honestly, it does appear that schools are not reading the guidance.

It is only guidance, and many heads have decided that the latest guidance is not workable. If they split each class into groups of 15, each with a teacher, using classrooms from other year groups, it will be impossible for further year groups to return because there will not be enough rooms , or staff.