School not re opening

[Onone]

Just that really,just had an email from my daughter’s school to say that they won’t be opening on 1st June, don’t know when it will either,Thanks to the mayor of our town,I’m quite upset for my daughter,Hardly any cases in my town

They won't be in bubbles.

People are out socialising on the local park so it negates the entire thing.

Its a farce. And Cummings certainly hasn't helped matters with the whole 'use your discretion and common sense' shit.

There's definitely a shift in behaviour.

I've had my son's school stuff back today. The wording and tone has deeply pissed me off and upset me and leaves me with far more questions than answers.

DH and I have spent the afternoon arguing about it.

Quite honestly I believe, its either safe or its not. All this bullshit is deeply unsettling and unhelpful.

Apparently DS should be going back because its damaging to his mental health if he doesn't. Yet if he was a day older, it seemingly wouldn't be such a big deal and he wouldn't be going back.

I am so angry about it all now.

I also feel completely unable to talk to anyone about it.

It was a badly thought out plan. Lots of teachers tried to point that out but were told we were being ‘too negative’.

A decade of cuts and deliberate under investment has left most schools in out dated buildings that are almost impossible to make safe for this situation. Staffing is already an issue which can only be made into a disaster by the current situation.

Again a genuine question - so if teachers can't come in how long do they not come in for? They can't be off forever?

The government needs to clarify the situation for the shielding and clinically vulnerable. If your child is shielding can you go to work? When does shielding end? Can any of the conditions that make people clinically vulnerable or shielding be removed so people can return to work? Should a child living with a shielding parent return to school?

Clearly the biggest problems with shielding is not enough classrooms and not enough staff. Schools were running on tighter than tight schedules before CV so can't afford extra staff and can't afford to pay for portacabins. There was also a teacher shortage which isn't going to help. Like the Danish (?) government our government needs to help schools find spaces to learn if they want all kids to go back. Have they even asked retired TAs and teachers to come back like the NHS did?

@lockdownlethargy

Again a genuine question - so if teachers can't come in how long do they not come in for? They can't be off forever?

And this hasn't been explained for any worker who is shielding. I wrote to my MP last week to ask him to raise this point because future plans for people shielding just haven't been talked about. Logically, I can't see how any employer will keep shielded employees employed long term so what protection will there be for any of us in that category? Point is, that isn't the fault of the employees, regardless of where they work.

As an Early Years teacher that has had to work during lockdown. (Keyworker/vulnerable children) I'm getting really sick of seeing posts from parents moaning that schools aren't opening or they are only opening part time! For goodness sake, 40,000+ have DIED. We have children that have lost family members to this thing! These are completely unusual and devastating circumstances! This has never happened in any of our lifetimes before yet all people seem to be wanting to do is send their kids back to school asap! I have 2 children that are happier than ever! They have done a couple of hours work each day! One at high school has got up at 9am to do set daily tasks and my little one has been colouring, practising writing, counting! We've all been for lovely walks together as a family most days, the kids have got involved in baking with me and cooking with their dad! Ive had time to play with them, chat to them etc. Things that I would never usually have the luxury of doing Mon- Fri because of busy schedules!
If you kids are being naughty, refusing to work, bored, sad etc like I keep seeing parents saying well im sorry but that's shitty parenting.
Put your phones down and play with them! Talk to them! Make them laugh! Teach them how to cook, how to ride a bike, how to add, how to make their own fun!
I get people need schools to open for childcare but its annoying me now all these parents moaning about spending time with their kids!
Im eternally grateful for this time! As a parent and teacher i can't see why you wouldn't be?!?

A lot of schools don't have TAs any more either due to budget cuts so that reduces the number of adults available. My DCs old school used to have 14 TAs, now they only have 2.

I think the problem has been the unrealistic expectations. The government said schools open from 1st June, then R/1/6, then only 15 per class max, then only if safe. It was clearly never going to be feasible but has been left to schools to sort out.

This is a genuine question When they say they don't have enough staff what exactly does this mean? They did on March 20th so what has happened to those teachers now that they can't go in? This is a genuine question as I keep hearing this but I don't understand

Bit of maths for you. If you have one teacher covering 30 kids but rules now say you need classes no more than 15, how many teachers are needed for a class of 30.

Teachers are no more or less healthy than average. TAs tend to have more health problems and many are older and schools are reliant onthem at the moment.

My DH is certainly not remotely unhealthy. Not all vulnerable people are. He has congenital heart disease and a replacement valve, so a flu jab once a year. CV would definitely hospitalise him, a most certainly do him great harm.

I do wish people would stop assuming underlying health conditions equates to frail people at death's door.

Yr6 are expected to try to social distance so the school that my local school are having bubbles of 7 for them and 15 for the younger years who aren't. They've measured the classrooms and worked out that's how many they can fit in the space. Then you've got to have a separate member of staff for each bubble so that's most of the staff accounted for without any having to shield. This is a fairly newly built school, which fortunately has toilets attached to each classroom.

Mrs Ttobe, with respect, some parents are unable to spend the time baking, playing and going for walks with their children during this time because they have been working.

I know that teachers have too.

My workload has increased massively during this time. I am fortunate that my husband and I are both working from home, so each able to take a couple of hours out of each day to spend with the kids, which we then have to make up in the evenings.
My kids are still struggling through only getting a few hours a day of attention from us, rather than their usual education, play with friends, childcare, afterschool activities.
If one of us was working out of the home, it would have been harder.

I love spending time with my kids. Not when I am trying to juggle competing work priorities and have none of the usual support or activities to fall back on.

The answer isn't opening schools back up if they are unsafe. I don't know what the answer is. But it's not that parents don't want to spend more time baking with their kids.

Sorry, wrong thread

had my son's school stuff back today. The wording and tone has deeply pissed me off and upset me and leaves me with far more questions than answers.

What have your school said?

My younger two's school have said they will offer some p/t education to y6 only and are not able yet to give dates. Lots of stressing that they feel the situation is unsafe and a fucking patronising exhortation to enjoy this family time.

Dds school can only take children in groups of 10 due to space. It’s a two form entry so to have everyone back they would need 6 teachers/TA’s per year group. It just isn’t possible. They can only have half of each year group back. Fuck knows how they’ll decide who gets a space and who doesn’t!

Ashley69ly,

You're lucky about the toilets! You should see my toilet rota for the school, it's timed down to the nearest minute to make sure none of our bubbles meet each other!

My local school, 1 firm entry are really struggling for staff . Everyone from teachers to TA’s , dinner staff and office staff will be working full time . There is absolutely no room fir anyone to be ill . There is no way they can cope if all r, 1 and 6 return.

I'd like to also add that this crisis has actually highlighted how well teachers and the NHS have been managing with budgets that are too low, too few staff and facilities that fall short up until now. This crisis is the proverbial straw breaking the camel's back - there's no slack in the system because everything has been cut to the bone.

@Hearhoovesthinkzebras

I'd like to also add that this crisis has actually highlighted how well teachers and the NHS have been managing with budgets that are too low, too few staff and facilities that fall short up until now. This crisis is the proverbial straw breaking the camel's back - there's no slack in the system because everything has been cut to the bone.

This!

If you're pisses off that your school can't accommodate your child then write to your MP with the reasons, don't complain to the school.

We all need to support our schools right now

@MrsTtobe you seem to have missed the fact that in a lot of families both parents are still working very hard in full time jobs and therefore time for long family walks and educating the children just isn't there!

But it is really lovely to hear you explain about all the free time teachers now have @MrsTtobe . You seem to be having a similarly lovely amount of family time as the teachers at my son's school who have time for long leisurely walks with the family but no time to reach my son.

@MrsTtobe

As an Early Years teacher that has had to work during lockdown. (Keyworker/vulnerable children) I'm getting really sick of seeing posts from parents moaning that schools aren't opening or they are only opening part time! For goodness sake, 40,000+ have DIED. We have children that have lost family members to this thing! These are completely unusual and devastating circumstances! This has never happened in any of our lifetimes before yet all people seem to be wanting to do is send their kids back to school asap! I have 2 children that are happier than ever! They have done a couple of hours work each day! One at high school has got up at 9am to do set daily tasks and my little one has been colouring, practising writing, counting! We've all been for lovely walks together as a family most days, the kids have got involved in baking with me and cooking with their dad! Ive had time to play with them, chat to them etc. Things that I would never usually have the luxury of doing Mon- Fri because of busy schedules! If you kids are being naughty, refusing to work, bored, sad etc like I keep seeing parents saying well im sorry but that's shitty parenting. Put your phones down and play with them! Talk to them! Make them laugh! Teach them how to cook, how to ride a bike, how to add, how to make their own fun! I get people need schools to open for childcare but its annoying me now all these parents moaning about spending time with their kids! Im eternally grateful for this time! As a parent and teacher i can't see why you wouldn't be?!?

You've really got helped the cause there

I'm in Scotland and we're still waiting to hear what's happening with teachers' own children. If they are to go to hubs on their "home school" days then who is teaching them because although all classes are going back part time all the teachers will be needed full time to cover the week. Not sure how it's working in England but perhaps a lot of part timers can't come back because of childcare. I'm also not sure how part time teachers would work for a bubble? Do two share?

Ah well, as long as MrsTtobe's dc are happier and she has more free time, it's worth it, right?

That was so tone deaf a post I can hardly believe it was real. What sort of idiot would post that?!

@MrsTtobe definitely head up arse, try adding in working from home into all the activities.

As for the shit parenting comment I'm glad you're not my child's key worker.