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.

@Mayra1367 absolutely. its going to be a very very strange place.

I dont think people really understand the level of changes schools are making just to bring in children to follow the same work set at home, maybe even by a teaching assistant.

@SeasOfChange I think it's about the transition for the year 6's as well as education.
Without outing myself they've had a crappy time at primary with disruptions to teaching in one way or another every single year. We were all hoping this last year would be better and now this.

indeed, the schools are ignoring the guidance as its genuinely the worst thing I have ever seen a govt produce.

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.

This is the same for all our local schools.

YANBU where are all the teachers and TAs?
My DD school is splitting the classes in half and the teachers of other year groups are teaching and TAs etc are supervising the rest of the time. Some are vulnerable and shielding but it’s a full primary school so still plenty of other staff. The head teacher has been teaching key worker kids and will continue to teach in June. I know plenty of teachers and TAs looking for work so why don’t schools take the staff just like the nhs has had to move staff about from different hospitals and departments, LEAs should be doing the same

Our school is not taking y6 back. I’ve no clue why. Certainly there’s the space.

I think it's about the transition for the year 6's as well as education.

Op what transition activities do you think will be taking place?

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.

Rest assured that every school I've heard of will not be teaching "as normal."
I think many are intending to do as ours is: send out the weekly planning grids for English, Maths and Topic as usual for those at home, and children in class will do those at their desks in school.

@spongebunnyfatpants yeah I really do feel for them :( I know our school was working on only bringing back year 6 as they can keep apart and would benefit from some direct guidance bout the next year :(

Its such a shame that model wasnt followed.

thats the thing about this whole situation, so many folk have other things on their plates they are tough enough and now this

@daffodil101 staffing

Odd wording but only 4 out of 30 have selected to go back to ours so far.

I think it's about the transition for the year 6's as well as education.

Honestly there really isn't much they can do in terms of transition at the moment anyway.

Secondary schools wont facilitate visits, secondary teachers wont come into schools to meet pupils. there will be no end of year events such as trips, plays or leaving assemblies etc. It's crap but oher than 2 or 3 lessons focusing on fears for secondary they cannot do anything.

@Daffodil101 how do you know there is the space? until I saw the actual details our school was planning, I had no clue how complex this was.

but your right, with devolved schooling, you have 15,000 schools all making their own policies.

our school also has several staff members unable to teach for various reasons. they have dropped some year groups to make it work.

If they don't have the staff or the room what do you expect them to do? say they can't take any children at present. Presumably 10 year 6s is one teacher, if school are that stretched they'll be screwed if 1 teacher gets sick.

@spongebunnyfatpants what about reception and y1?

SeasOfChange so any parent who is happy to send their kids to school is a bad parent?

In this instance, the fairest way to decide would be those who have parents who WFH? Priority going to those who have both parents WFH FT?

ah well, time to go have my dinner, this whole school stuff is really draining.

but I am genuinely so pleased to see many opting to keep their children out. but my heart goes out to those who have little choice, my only hope is that if enough who have other options stay away, those who have to go back will have better social distancing and hopefully less risk.

its a surreal time out there for parents and the teachers/schools but we just got to put the kids first, especially our little ones.

We have pretty much three quarters of each year group coming back, I could squash in one more year 6 but no more!

@SeasOfChange if they are "happy" about its, yes!!!

lordy, I feel for those with no choice, but any parent expressing pleasure at sending back their 4/5 year old in this epidemic and with Kawasaki, wow.

YANBU to think that first come first served is a poor way to offer provision.

But to be honest, there's no good way. None.

The guidance is shit, and all schools have different geographic issues, different cohorts, different social issues, different staffing issues.

I guess the only 'fair' thing to do if they genuinely have only 1 available staff member to cover 10 Y6 children would be to offer all 30 children 2-week blocks of 'school'. But that still exposes whoever that staff member is to 3x the amount of children than they 'should' have in.

It's a shitshow.

We've replied to our school's survey to say we would like to send our Y6 but will need to see what their proposals are for how exactly it will work.

Email the school with a better system - rota?

This goes against everything in the "guidence" regarding one teacher can only teach one "bubble" of children. Therefore even with a rota, if lack of teachers is the issue then it's still not possible to have more classes in. Even if it's a issue of lack of classroom space, to have a rota would assume that its possible to have the classroom cleaned to a very high standard at the end of the day pr whenever they change groups.

Not only that the guidence specifies that children shouldn't be going in on a rota - or it did when I last read it?

FamilyOfAliens complete opposite to our schools survey

but our parents are very child focussed

Yes, we absolutely hate the children in our school

I do hope you’re aware of how pompous you sound.

but our parents are very child focussed oh do shut up, and for the record mine won't be going to reception as per our choice but it's utterly offensive to say that those sending theirs back don't put the well being and safety of their children first.

Only 6 of our 15 have accepted a place !

They shouldn't be having any children in if that's the case. 10 is a stupidly small number and it's unfair some children are being educated property (by a qualified teacher) and other parents have to struggle on. Much fairer to keep them all off.