Aibu? Returning to school

[Holymolymackerel]

For background:

My dd8 is going back to school on Monday. Me and dh have decided this because she is struggling emotionally, she is slightly behind educationally, she is struggling being with ds who has sen and will remain at home and because dh is going back to his keywork after being furloughed, it will only be me with 2 children, one has sen as mentioned.

Am I right to be miffed that my dd will have a teaching assistant in the mornings and a play worker/ dinner lady in the afternoons?

I didn't expect her to have her teacher that she has had since September and knew there would be a change around but didn't expect to have no teachers at all.

Thanks

On Tuesday, I set up my classroom for wider opening from next week.

There are 8 desks in it - spaced far apart and there is a 2m space around the desk at the front where the teacher will sit. The teacher will stand at the front and teach, can't work 1-1 with children giving support, it's basically just 'chalk and talk'. There were 12 desks in there initially but as we realised we couldn't get them all in safely, we're now down to 8.

Children have to sit at their desks, eat at their desks, can't share resources or sit next ton each other. The children in that bubble with the teacher are together all week. Your best mate is next door? Sorry, can't see them. You're not with your own teacher? Sorry, they are with another group. You need the toilet? You'll have to wait until it's our allocated slot as we can't risk you mixing or until someone can come to take you.

There are no displays, no resources, no books out. Every piece of furniture is turned round and inaccessible. Children have a drawer where they will keep their things and they will sit there, all day, every day in their own little bubble with no contact with anyone else.

It's horrible - not why we got into education but needs must. My lovely welcoming classroom is devoid of anything except desks and chairs and I don't want to be there, teaching like that and I am certain most children won't either.

That's the reality facing those coming 'back to normality' next week. My setting is not unique in this. Don't think for one minute anything about education from next week will be 'normal'.

@oddsbodkins - that sounds awful it really does. I imagine it must go against instinct to have to teach in this way. It’s like an almost Victorian set up . By the way I am not placing any blame it is just a horrible situation. It sounds so far removed from normal school that I think many are really going to be shocked

Myself and Bending we shall see on Monday. I am hoping the guidance released on EYFS last Sunday will have a positive impact on relaxing things within our Nur and Rec bubbles. 🤞

@ihatecoronavirus for ours, only year 6 are expected to somewhat stay apart (no struct 2 m rules either). nursery, reception, year 1 can mix within their group (8-12 kids + teacher + TA)

myself I love that yr1 have been included in that too.

I double checked our behaviour policy: no social distancing is expected for children within bubbles (whole school). That includes the distance to the teacher and TA.
PE teachers (who they only see outside) have to stay 2 meters away from the kids.

It sounds tough. Hopefully your daughter will enjoy seeing some familiar faces and getting a new routine. Schools can only open with small classes, there is no other way. I can't comment on why she will have a different staff member in the afternoon, but there will be a reason. Decisions made by all heads are subject to scrutiny from the Dfe, governors and local authorities. It won't be a decision that has been made flippantly.

Going against the grain, but I wouldn't have expected this. Perhaps later on if all classes go back, although the number of classrooms would presumably restrict the number of classes in any event. At this stage, I would have assumed that children would still be taught by teachers and that there would be enough to go round, but that later on, when other classes go back, there might be a combination of teachers and teaching assistants and/or that only half the children would be able to be in school at any one times, so they will all have to drop to part time.

Government guidance specifically states that groups may be taken by TAs under the supervision of a teacher (ie the teacher sets the work)
Our key worker children will do the same work as that set for the children still doing home learning.

@rawlikesushi

And, having been into school to see the new classrooms all set up, I'm laughing drily at anyone sending their child back for mental health reasons.

☝️This, this, a hundred times this. I say it as a primary teacher, Sendco and lead teacher for wellbeing as well as a parent of two young children.

That is completely unacceptable. Work is stressful enough, and now with the covid restrictions it is more so. To expect keyworkers to come home, and do another 4 hours schoolwork is torturous.

Zombieeeeeeee