So sad for the lack of innovation in uk regarding schools reopening

[emptyfridge]

Watching newsnight about schools reopening. So sad to see the contrast to the approach here in the uk and how they’ve dealt with this abroad. We need to start thinking about the impact of all this on children and drop all this crap about home learning for the next year.

I agree, there needs to be innovation and creativity around re- opening the scools for all pupils.

This virus isn't going away soon, so we better create an environment where children can continue with their education.

Heads and slt. Damn you typos!

I’d love to be more innovative, I was even as recently as pre 2016, before gove brought in ‘academically rigorous’ exams that have so much content I have to drag kids through like walking through mud. Ofsted new framework wants everyone teaching the same thing at the same time. Teachers would love to be more innovative, do more trips, teach outside but the whole system is flawed- mainly due to underfunding but also out dated ideas (from gove) about what schools should look like. Multi academy trusts are making this worse- forcing their teachers to do specific exam boards, teach from the same PowerPoint......... op I’d support your endeavours for more creativity.

I believe it’s been found that transmission rates are tiny outdoors so I’ve never understood why teaching can’t be moved outdoors for schools with space. Kids could return twice a week to sit outdoors and homework set to be completed on the other 3 days. It would be lovely experience.

I agree, there needs to be thinking outside the box, however, this country is very hierarchical and set in it’s ways which stifles innovation.

No YANBU at all.

It's woeful. DH is a teacher and is completely fed up with the unions responses of "can't, can't can't", let's have a look at what you "can" do and we'll work from there.

Yes our government really underfunds schools and disregards expert teacher advicd and pedagogy. It is sad seeing countries where class sizes are normally 20 (not the 37 if my sons primary) and they have modern purpose built buildings with lovely outside spaces.

I agree the schools are really struggling with funding - but as a nation we don’t want to pay more taxes for state schooling and those who can afford to pay more taxes and don’t like what they see just pay for private schooling.
We should indeed look to other countries and their education provision and ask why we can’t have something similar - we should aspire to better but I fear instead of aspiring to the future Gove’s educational reforms were all about the past...sucking the joy out of learning.

We're a 15 PAN school. Tiny playground, no field.

We've asked the village association if we can use the village hall for the Y6 children. They're debating it but we are left with the situation:

*we'll have to dip into the reserves to be able to pay the rent on the village hall
*we'll have to pay extra to the cleaning company to do the village hall as well as the school

The other logistical bits (collecting lunch, no internet etc) we can deal with but ultimately it comes down to money.
Too many cuts.
Not enough outrage from the public over the funding of education. Or social care for that matter, which doesn't affect children in this particular scenario but absolutely does during 'normal' school times.

Agree.
Mumsnet has a high proportion of teachers and SAHP who are fine with the idea of the children staying off. Many others are not.

Despite what is said here every day, my children's teachers are unlikely to be working hard. The so called outstanding school isn't open btw. A few references to online content and that's about it. No corrections, no comments, no welfare calls.. My kids say they're doing half what they do in class, never mind the usual homework. Some of the content they can't understand with a teacher explaining it.

We could have a major wave in the Winter so let's get the kids back now and go back early (mid August) as Scotland's trying to do.

Waiting for the usual crowd to hop on me with swear words naturally.

@flippetydip I agree many teachers don't agree with the unions on this. The Times comments sections are full of teachers providing a brilliant experience of home schooling for their pupils and are eager to go back. We don't see or hear enough from those teachers.

let's get the kids back now and go back early (mid August) as Scotland's trying to do.

can you imagine the unions EVER agreeing to that? I'll be surprised if Scotland can force through an earlier start, and they are only going back up to a week early.

Denmark are role models for virus control- not schools returning. The amount of cases and deaths there is completely incomparable to the UK.

It’s like the difference in risk to going to school in the UK compared to a war region in Syria!

@notanum

Scottish schools aren't going back early. They always go back mid August.

Sorry for your lack of provision. It must be hard to see your kids trying but struggling. It doesn't mean that other teachers aren't workinng hard though.

Scotland’s schools are going back at normal time for them - mid August!

I’ve never understood why teaching can’t be moved outdoors for schools with space. Kids could return twice a week to sit outdoors and homework set to be completed on the other 3 days. It would be lovely experience.

The weather for one. Lovely in the sun, absolutely bloody miserable when it's raining!

I bet Danish Schools have been given money to be innovative. English schools have been promised additional funding but for things like cleaning, but only if they have already used up their budget.

And Danish schools can use the additional rooms in Secondary schools because they are on the same site. Most Danish pupils walk or cycle to school because they all live close to their local school. Many pupils in England, both in Primary and Secondary, rely on either public or school transport to get to school.

And I assume Danish Schools didn’t have to wait for guidance either. Initial guidance was published on the Monday after Boris’s speech for Primary Schools. Those schools then started planning, but most of those plans had to be rewritten as further guidance was published late on Thursday and then further guidance on Friday.

Secondary School guidance was only published yesterday! And for Y10 the helpful guidance stated that further guidance was to come. That was it! How do you expect schools to plan anything never mind be innovative with that. Also that guidance didn’t cover Y12!

The issue is, we are in the middle of an pandemic normal rules don't apply.

We have to think outside the box to get things moving again. Teachers unions should be part of the solution, not keeping adding more can't do and no way this or that.... and we have a right for the other!
(I have never heard any NHS staff or unions complain about being deployed to a different department in order to help out in this pandemic. )

I hate it when teachers on here quote school is not childcare or that they are working- I firmly dispute the first, and I have my doubts about my DC primary school. Without school from 9-3, many parents simply wouldn't be able to work. We have built our society & economy around sending children from the age of 4 to school. 🤷‍♀️

Re Scottish schools, I heard on a news report that they were taking back some cohorts part time in advance of the usual August date. Councils are working to give the dates now.
Was that wrong?

Private schools will be opening at the earliest opportunity. I am looking forward to the pictures of George and Charlotte excitedly returning to school holding rainbow pictures splashed all over the Daily Mail.

Once private schools open there are a large number of upper middle class familes who can no longer afford fees so use nice leafy state schools and these will be under pressure to follow suit. Middle middles follow the UMs and are similarly often working from home so they will want the house empty/quiet. The working classes are already at work if not furloughed. So that just leaves the LMC where there is often a SAHM as she never earnt enough to justify nursery costs and they can get by on one wage. The LMCs may stay at home for the summer but I don't think anyone else will.

Has anyone tried to directly compare to Denmark? That seems to be the country I see/hear people talk about.

You can't. The differences are so huge I really don't know how anyone could think it could be the same here.

@Ylvamoon at the very least, schools provide child supervision, even if they dispute they provide childcare. We don't leave 4 year olds to fend for themselves for good reason! If that's not childcare, I don't know what is.

OP, I hope you return to this thread and clarify a little more about what you mean by your opening post.

This graphic might help you understand the differences between the Danish Government’s work in returning some pupils back to school, as opposed to our Government’s approach just for England. Do note that schools have been creative since 20th March to look after keyworker and vulnerable children in schools/Hubs and will continue to do so, whereas Denmark closed to all pupils during their lockdown.

I would suggest writing to your MP expressing your views and requesting that they represent them.

And I would add that I have friends with DCs at execellent state senior schools who contact me to check what my DCs private schools are providing compared to their schools. And there are a lot of state schools providing an excellent online education and teachers obviously working their arses off to do so.

sorry the death toll and infection rate has totally surpast other countries!

Comparing uk to Denmark is like comparing apples and a tin of beans

There's been loads of threads about that already so I'm not listing the differences yet again.

Without knocking down schools you can't make corridors wider, classrooms bigger etc.

govt wanted ALL primary kids back 'for a month' before the holidays. Social distancing, in the old cramped footprint.

Don't blame the teachers, schools or unions.