To wonder why people are even talking about "bubbles"

[schoolsoutforcovid]

"Bubbles" can't exist in schools. All of this 15 to a class business is bollocks, lots of kids have siblings. So I send my year 6, year 1 and year 3 (key worker group) kids back to school. Then they come home....surely the "bubble" is burst?

Hmm
I can't imagine why some of us might be a tad pissed off
No
Nope
No idea

"I care because those of us who just want to get on with our lives are screamed at that we're as good as murdering people by trying to get back to normal
The dementors screech and screech"

In all seriousness, you need to step away from that "dementor" thread. It's making you imagine things that aren't there. Nobody is screeching and screeching and I suggest you step well away from them too if they are.

I'm not screeching, I don't enjoy such an obvious attempt to manipulate with the use of certain language but I don't care if you send your kids to school and I don't care if you don't.

Ah yes I'll stop reading and posting on certain threads because of what you've said
Because my entire world view and opinions are driven by mumsnet
Silly me

"So when educational provision is offered in school you want teachers to provide work for the kids in school
And those who's parents are choosing not to send them"

No where have I said that? You're imagining it. The guidelines for schools returning outlined teaching provisions. It didn't talk of mixing year groups yet posters early on said that their schools were having siblings grouped together. That's the only point I might've vaguely touched on the education vs childcare topic.

The dementor thread has turned many long standing posters the same. It's pretty sad to watch actually. You're "screeching" if anyone is here.

It's a psychological way of making people feel that their kids are at less risk from Covid-19 in school. It may mitigate some risk, but lets face it. 'I saw a uniformed child in a huge supermarket yesterday that was overfull of people with no social distancing going on. That bubbles well and truly burst.

@Hobnobswantshernameback no. You do what you like, but really. The regular posters on there sound more and more like you do as time goes on. The common denominator is that thread

@LordOftheRingz quite.

Hobnobswantshernameback
I care because those of us who just want to get on with our lives are screamed at that we're as good as murdering people by trying to get back to normal

You are projecting.

All I have read is that people are happy that others are volunteering to take the risk and give them a few more weeks or months before deciding and seeing what effect this all has.

I personally think that pretending that if you go back to normal means things will go back to normal and the pandemic go away is looking at things backwards, but that's just me.

Yeah
I'm projecting
That's it

schoolsoutforcovid Yes there will be teaching in the mixed year group bubbles, it's definitely not just childcare. I suspect little maths and limited literacy will be taught, but there will be an awful lot of forest school type learning which can more easily be differentiated for ability/age. The primary I attended (many moons ago!) had yrs 1 2 3 and 4 5 6 grouped together by choice (they had enough classrooms and teachers to have 1 year per class if they had so chosen), so it is clearly possible to make mixed year groups work.
They are only doing half days, so I plan on carrying on homeschooling for core subjects at home plus any other parts of the curriculum that end up not covered in their short 3hrs/day. It's not ideal, but it's a step in the right direction and certainly better than nothing.

OK, so has it been implied that this will improve safety for your family specifically, or has it been implied that it will improve safety? Because it does improve safety, by decreasing risk, even if it doesn't work for you.

YANBU. Its to make people feel safe as in 'protective bubble'. It doesn't actually mean anything different than 'class'. Its just that class sizes are smaller and they won't mix with other classes at lunch and break. That's the bit that makes a difference, not calling it a bubble.

In my school I have had to opt for key worker bubble or class bubble. Both my children are in returning years so we are not using the key worker bubble but in their own classes.

Schools won't let childminders collect as all children are now only allowed to attend one setting.

'it’s not meant to remove risk but to reduce it.'

Yes as others have said it keeps contacts down, doesn't eradicate the risk. Also will make contact tracing more effective.

I do think there'll be many kids who have parents with medical problems that will stay at home. It can't be that hard surely for teachers to set and check work both remotely or in person.

I suppose if a sibling had the virus at least your child would only risk spreading it to their bubble not the whole year group.
That’s the point isn’t it.
Reduces risk not eliminates it

It can't be that hard surely for teachers to set and check work both remotely or in person.

It's more the time to do it. Most schools widening their opening are using up more staff full time - and many are no longer having any PPA time whilst these bubbles are in place, in order to offer full time school to the children.

A lesson in class can't just be put online in the same format for home learning. It has to be converted into a more accessible format - and for younger children, with instructions suitable for both pupil and parent. Whilst for much older pupils just watching a live lesson may be okay even then it won't replicate a proper lesson and will not be as beneficial, it would need additional stuff out in place for that child as well.

Online marking and feedback for younger children is nowhere near the same as the verbal immediate feedback you'd give in class.

I will be really interested to see how we are applying it in Wales. So far we have about 40 key worker children (not all in every day) and all the staff work with them, in rotation. The numbers were lower so they were all together but in my school we now split by key stage ( so 2 bubbles).

In 3 weeks time all children will be in at some point. I don't think many schools have extra rooms for key worker children to be separate. I don't know if it will be the case that key worker children are in their class all week (along with their teacher) with a rotation of the other children in the class as there is space for them. Which means there are teachers and children linking each bubble.

I know the key worker numbers will rise as things are opening.... including children of teachers and TAs who will now have to send their children in but previously didn't have to, or at least minimised the need.

Some schools may have the space to keep key worker children in one bubble so the only constants are staff members.

In true Government style the announcement was made before the guidance was ready so it looks like we have 3.5 weeks to prepare even though any plans might have to be scrapped if the guidance says otherwise

Well it's not perfect is it?

Our Year 6 kids will be released from their bubbles at 4pm and may well walk home together, for example.

But it is a way of minimising risk at school.