To think this is wrong (schools)

[Wilberforce1]

Received a message this morning from kids school about them returning on Monday (year 1 and 6). Kids are really excited and I'm happy for them to go but I'm not sure about the schools rules around their "bubbles" I've attached a photo of part of the message but it's the part about the teacher moving and teaching both bubbles. I wouldn't have thought that was allowed? The guidance from the school is that if a child or adult tests positive for Covid then that entire bubble must self isolate for 14 days, so if a teacher tests positive surely that's going to wipe out two bubbles?

Am I right or am I just not understanding this correctly?!

I'd understand how you do. Unless adults are exclusive to a bubble then if one of them gets it it'll impact both bubbles.

Why would they have all the children go back to their usual class room? Surely that will mix up the kids immediately?

We have been told the teacher to stay with the bubble and other staff e.g. head to only enter the class in an emergency. The children also have to enter from different routes to the school- one even has to come through a gate into the school field and other through the car park!

Realistically, schools haven't got the space for a classroom per "bubble", so unless they refuse half the children, there's no choice.

Surely having a trained teacher is a better solution than only half the group having proper schooling whilst the other are helped by an untrained TA or diner lady, however friendly they are?

Schools are having to make difficult decisions at the moment. The guidelines are that staff stay with one bubble, but that is hard for some schools in practice if some of their staff are shielding. Your school have made this decision and been transparent about it. Now it's up to you whether to take up the place, given the information you've been given.

My local school is doing the same as this btw. I'm ok with that.

Hmm that doesnt sound like the guidelines, but maybe they thought being taught by an actual teacher half the time was better than one bubble being supervised by whatever member of staff they had the whole time.

How would you feel if your child was in the bubble being supervised by a TA?

But there are only 2 year groups going back, so surely they can use teachers from other year groups to cover each 'bubble'.

I realise that that would impact on who is preparing work for other years who are still at home.

As well as the year groups home schooling, there are separate bubbles of key worker children that need to be staffed too. And some staff may be shielding.

They have the space for all the bubbles as kids are only doing two days a week (4 form entry school). So two forms on Monday and Tuesday (split into 4 classes), deep clean Weds and then the other two forms Thursday and Friday.

I was just wondering about the wandering teacher but I guess what a few of you have said is right and that if they only have bare minimum number of teachers then what else can they do 🤷‍♀️

Both of mine are desperate to go back so they can and we will see what happens.

I wouldn't mind them being solely taught by a TA at all, I'm more sending them back for the interaction and so my year 6er can see out his last few weeks there.

Ours aren't taking year 6 as they can't fit them. It's 1 bubble and 1 teacher/ta and dinner lady per classroom with key worker kids staying in their current bubbles.

The school has some part time staff who are upping hours to cover the gaps of shielders from what I can tell.

Pick up and drop off is staggered as are lunches to allow distancing.

Oh forgot the key worker bubbles. These can’t be mixed in.

At my children’s school, shielding staff are setting the online work from home. Leaving the in school staff to plan and prep for Those in school.

If they can't fit year 6 wonder how they will fit the other year groups

We’ve found out today our school is taking y1 children at all - no space for them so guess that rules all other year groups out as well.

If they can't fit year 6 wonder how they will fit the other year groups

They aren't going to!

Well, they will need to at some point - the gov said they wanted all primary pupils back before the summer.

that's when schools will go back to "normal" or near-normal. Once all year groups are in, the distancing rules are no longer possible. Not enough room, not enough staff.

Our school is taking year R, 1 and 6 back part time (two bubbles coming in for half a week each with the same teacher for both bubbles) for exactly that reason - so that it's a model that could continue to work if the other year groups come back in July (because it doesn't require extra teachers or classrooms, except for the key worker children).

Same here

But that would mean continuing part time only

I don't get why there are such a huge proportion of schools who seem to have more than half their teachers shielding.

Let's remember, none of these teachers should be over 70 (almost no teachers continue past 65). So this is ONLY individuals who are high risk or have a high risk family member.

No bloody way is it half the population, so why are teachers apparently so affected?

They only have yr, y1 & y6 back so need 6 teachers, plus maybe an extra 1 for a key worker bubble. They should normally have at least 7 teachers plus a head teacher, plus some TAs? Yes some are needed for home school provision but all the teachers I know are spending a fraction of their normal working hours on this.

That's contrary not only to the govt guidelines, but also union agreements. I would be surprised if it goes ahead, unless none of your teachers are in a union. Our school has four Y6 bubbles, plus three key worker/vulnerable bubbles. Each with their own teacher, TA and dinner lady. No cross over at all. Each year group even has its own toilet cubicle and basin. Each class has a separate route into the building. etc etc etc

I strongly suspect a lot of people have self restricted/taken a choice to shield when they are not clinically extremely vulnerable

out of curiosity, what do you want teachers to do with their own children?