Massive school catch up scheme

[Muminlockdown2020]

So after watching Boris last night, he mentioned that there will be a massive school catch up scheme over the summer.

He didn't go into any details but are any teachers aware of this? What it would entail?
Does it mean they plan for schools to be open through the summer?

I can assure you as a head teacher we know absolutely nothing- the problem is even if it’s run by external providers/volunteers leadership teams and site management will still be required to ensure safeguarding and cleaning. The stress of all of these things is untenable and whatever it looks like it will be more planning at a time when leadership teams are doing their best to support children, their families but also their staff...

I hope they don’t force teachers to work over the summer (especially if, as I imagine to be the case, they haven’t been consulted at all over this). Teachers have family they will want to see, holidays that they hope will go ahead etc. Most of the teachers at our school have young children too.
My 2 school aged children have engaged well with home learning, and indeed are both back at school now and will need a break so I really hope it’s not compulsory either. But then if it’s not, the ones who really need it won’t engage. So it’s a ridiculous idea all round.

Of course there’s no plan. They only announced all primary school children wouldn’t be able to go back a couple of days before it was meant to actually happen, despite the fact teachers had been telling them this wouldn’t be possible for about a month. So they hadn’t even got that far, let alone plans for beyond this.

He’s so lazy. A magic wand waver.... or more probably, a penis wangler.

There has been such a wide range of provision across the state system that asking schools to continue through the summer is not the right approach ime. Some schools appear to have done pretty much nothing/the bare minimum - why are they suddenly going to do what they should have been doing. Teachers won't work through their summer holidays as they are not paid for this and I don't think it would be a good use of tax payers money to offer to pay them (not that any of them would want to work anyway judging by comments on here).

Additionally it would appear that it would be highly likely that the pupils that actually needed this would not be the ones that took part.

We need to get schools back in September. The teachers that have worked hard to keep their pupils on track will surely be rewarded in that they will have less catching up to do.

Nothing more amusing these days than watching PMQs live. One of the delights of working from home. How can anyone take Boris Johnson seriously?

No mention of this in DfE docs at all. He knows damn well the unions will go balistic because teachers have worked all the way through lockdown so are entitled to summer hols. He doesn't get to cancel annual leave for all teachers because the economy is fucked.

They can't force teachers to work, surely. They will already have done their contracted hours for the academic year delivering home learning. My sister is working more hours than ever because marking work submitted online takes so much longer than a red pen in an exercise book.

I hope everyone sees this for what it actually is. It's not "daft Boris being daft". It's a very manipulative man saying yet another thing that will allow him to say "Well, we've tried to do the best for the kids, but the teachers and unions won't let us..." and build further on the "lazy teacher" rhetoric that they've been building recently.

He obviously has form for spouting out all kinds of shit without really knowing what he’s talking about.
Can’t see such a plan actually materialising.
My kids are 5 and 6. I want to know how they’re going to catch up socially with the lost 5/6 months.

It's Boris. As per usual, fuck all planning and will bounce the details to someone else. He's realised that the tide has turned dramatically on children being out of school and is trying to look like he knows this.

My DD has worked her socks off during this time of homeschooling, I would not be in favour of her doing any kind of 'catch-up' during the summer holidays (and she is looking forward to them).

It's not only Boris that is out of step though, the Unions missed the sweet spot at the start of school closures to point out how teachers are still working and have worked all the way through.

@crazychemist as a private tutor I would absolutely walk over hot coals in the opposite direction from any school at the moment!

I'm not sure many self employed tutors would be willing to staff a centralised programme (which would most definitely be worse paid than their usual rates).

I actually would have been willing to do something like that if asked before I returned to reading MN, unfortunately all of my good will, in plentiful supply usually, has completely evaporated in the face of all the raging parents on the schools threads. (Convoluted pun absolutely intended)

The man has got this far by simply saying what sounds popular rather than true. Not surprised he is just carrying on with that tactic.
Meanwhile back in real world I am assuming that Dd who is 12 Will not be back full time until January 2021.

He will chuck some money at schools and expect them to sort it. Teachers will get paid to deliver some sort of lesson. It won't be their teacher, it won't be proper lessons but it will please the masses.

There is a tutoring pilot set up by four education charities, including ECF and Trust Tutors) which the government have just joined in on. Exceptionally early days and was very small numbers, but increasing a little now with gov involvement. But otherwise no communications I know of about this with schools or school leaders/ staff in the sector.

I suspect @Crustaceans is spot on. They know they need to do something, but they're not going to listen to parents and teachers on what that should be.

It would help if they allowed and gave guidelines for teaching professionals to offer small paid classes if they wish (I've already seen teachers offering small group tuition over summer) without intereference from government about being paid the extra money or having to follow too many restrictions so they can just do the bloody thing, and for the government to offer free provision for those who need it.

schoolsweek.co.uk/williamson-backs-national-online-tutoring-pilot/

“Meanwhile back in real world I am assuming that Dd who is 12 Will not be back full time until January 2021.”

Exactly.

We've been school working despite arguments with the kids every day throughout. If they think there will be shedloads of work to do during the summer holidays when we said they could have a break there'll be mutiny, especially since they will hopefully be able to see their friends and catch up if things ease further, the 12 year old hasn't seen a single friend since lockdown began. And how will teachers cope, they need a break more than anyone!

@Pieceofpurplesky

He will chuck some money at schools and expect them to sort it. Teachers will get paid to deliver some sort of lesson. It won't be their teacher, it won't be proper lessons but it will please the masses.

If they were willing to chuck money at schools they'd have done it by now

He's not planned anything I suspect. Heaven knows how it would work.

But my dc's would go to summer school in a heartbeat. They need a proper break from home and some stimulation.

Not sure who will be running this.

My daughter has worked every day since lockdown, planning and delivering on line lessons and going into her school 1 day a week.

She’s now back full time.

I can’t think that she’d be willing to work through the summer as well.

I suspect the Nightingale Hospitals were part planned beforehand. ( lots of things are planned for emergencies, when needed to plans come out of the cupboard) It’s looking like no one had contingency plans for schools.

and the same for all children across the whole UK

Education is devolved to Scotland. Boris has absolutely no power to dictate what ScotGov do with schools.

We have not had any request to consider opening over Summer.
It will only ever be a request should it happen.
We could only take a third of the school if everyone agreed.
If the distance is reduced to 1 meter we would still only manage half a school.
Full time for all is only possible for us when there is no risk and therefore no need for distance restrictions. This will be the same for many schools.
Those people who continue to flout lock down rules endanger people's lives and any return to full time education and normality.