To think the idea that schools won’t be back full time by September is an absolute disgrace?

[LovingLivingInLockdown]

The government and teaching unions need to pull their fingers out. There should be no excuses.

The effects of 6 months out of school is going to be damaging enough, both educationally and mentally for hundreds of thousands of children. Not to mention the unnoticed abuse and neglect.

Teachers should be wearing PPE with spit screens if they are vulnerable and this should be being organised now. Temporary classrooms should be being built in playgrounds and school fields. Random testing routines in all schools should be being devised as well as guidelines regarding children’s contact with others outside of school and home. Whatever it takes, it must be done.

Our society expects parents to work while their DC are at school and if they want to get the economy moving again, schools being back by September should be non negotiable surely?

pigeon999
I see you've conveniently bypassed the range of issues I have raised given your apparent concerns for educational disadvantage.Which of that list do you support?

Or are you one of those people who enjoys throwing around disadvantage as a point scoring device in goady posts during a pandemic?

Given the issues of buildings and funding are issues coming out of central government, have you writing to your MP on the two big issues that would help get schools open in some form? Or are you someone who sits on Mumsnet having a pop at teachers?

Just curious.

echt
I know. There's quite a few of them at the moment.

Funnily enough there's also a lot of posters who claim there's no goady teacher bashing on here either. 🤷‍♀️

Maude Flanders! That was the one!

Incidentally, isn't that hopeless incompetent, flailing buffoon currently occasionally playing at being the PM, a product of the independent education system in this country?

God I'm glad my kids are stateside, if that's any kind of the usual sort of finished article. . .

It depends on the schools, there's absolutely no consistency whatsoever across the country

But isn't that, at least in part, because there's no consistency in size of buildings v school numbers, and staffing? If some schools ared managing to accommodate all Y6 while maintaining a 2m distance because they have the room, and TAs, then they can and should open.

But a lot of schools can't, and if they can't, they shouldn't.

@SmileEachDay

I'm talking aboit getting ALL year groups back on a part time basis. So ALL children will have some time at school even if just a day or two per week

Why is that a better way of doing it? I didn’t make the policy - so I’m interested to hear what you think.

You really don't think that each child getting a few days in school is not better than no school at all?

You really don't think that each child getting a few days in school is not better than no school at all

I'm slightly on the fence about this - I think all primary school pupils should have some time, and still don't quite get why Y6s were deemed so much more important than Y10s and 12s.

However, one of my German friends has two teen children and they are in school on alternate weeks, with work to do at home the other week. I am not entirely sure that it is so much better than my son's weekly virtual lessons from an educational perspective - better lessons every week than only every other week. However, from a social perspective it is clearly better as the kids can see their friends and ask teachers face to face if they have problems. She also sent me an article - people in Germany are complaining about rubbish and inconsistent provision too, it's not just in the UK.

My main concern has been the fact that my son will have had no teaching of any kind in one of his A level subjects for well over a term.

The Sunday Times had a report today that Scotland is planning teacher assessment instead of exams next year too.

It wasn’t Maude Flanders was it? I thought it was Revered Lovejoy’s wife?

You really don't think that each child getting a few days in school is not better than no school at all?*

Well - I’ve worked out that if we did that at my large secondary each year group would probably get 4 days max between now and the end of term. Having Y10 in we are managing to give them a bit more input - 2 days a week for each group until the end of term. As they’re an exam group, it relieves a bit of the pressure on revised curriculum for them next year.

So my answer is that I don’t know? Is it better for every child to get minimal input or for some to get something a bit more robust.

I honestly don’t know - that’s why I’m interested in your thoughts. It’s not my system.

I don't blame teachers one bit. From what I can see, my dds' teachers have been fantastic, marking work, sending feedback, being as supportive as they can.

But I do blame the government.

Tomorrow Years 10 and 12 can return to school part-time. Why on earth couldn't have they returned 2 weeks ago along with the primary years also allowed to return?

We can argue the lack of space and shortage of teachers till the cows come home. This is not the point.

ALL children should have been back in school part time from 1st June. Schools could use the space and the number of teachers that they ALREADY HAVE to accommodate up to the maximum of 15/children per class room. You could have, for example, all of Year 7 in one day/week, split into small groups. Then repeat the next day for Year 8 and so on. Each child will get some teaching and support on work to do when they are at home.

I am not entirely sure that it is so much better than my son's weekly virtual lessons from an educational perspective

Because @cologne4711 many schools are not providing virtual lessons. Very good for those to have virtual teaching, terrible for those who do not. Those children are receiving no teaching at all.

most secondary pupils should be capable of some independent study

Yes some. Not expected to teach themselves the entire curriculum for well over a term in anything from one subject to all of them.

And Y7s are still very young, they don't have the same study skills as Y12s do.

The lack of critical thinking on here from some posters is absolutely astounding. It’s not even a difficult concept to understand.

How does a school achieve 4 x the space and 4 x the number of teachers and a tenfold increase in sanitation and deep cleaning without being given more money by the government to do so? Schools have been stripped to the bare bones as it is. Barely any money for pencils or heating. There’s no meat left on that carcass. You want well funded and resourced schools and teachers who can teach efficiently? Well lobby your government for more funding or vote for a party that does.

“Facts don’t care about your feelings”

Well - I’ve worked out that if we did that at my large secondary each year group would probably get 4 days max between now and the end of term

And that's a hell of a lot better than nothing. A lot of learning can be done in those 4 days.

Because @cologne4711 many schools are not providing virtual lessons. Very good for those to have virtual teaching, terrible for those who do not. Those children are receiving no teaching at all

It's a good point - as I've said my son has had excellent provision in two subjects, wholly inadequate in his third.

Tomorrow Years 10 and 12 can return to school part-time. Why on earth couldn't have they returned 2 weeks ago along with the primary years also allowed to return Quite, I have said this all along. Most schools have ample space for one year group or two.

Yes , why are y10 only going back from tomorrow ?

How does a school achieve 4 x the space and 4 x the number of teachers and a tenfold increase in sanitation and deep cleaning without being given more money by the government to do so

They don't need 4 x the space. If they are an 11-16 school and have Y10s back, they only have 20% of their pupils in. There must be enough space.

If they are an 11-18 school they will have 2/7 of the pupils in. I would argue again that they have the space.

6th form colleges would be operating on 50% capacity but class sizes are smaller (I know on other threads people have said they are in classes of 30, but my son said none of his lessons have more than 15 in).

And travel is only a problem if you make it so. The kids can wear masks on trains and buses, like the wider population has to from tomorrow.

Unless there is a big rise in infections before then, I'm hoping most schools will be back full time as much as possible in September. Shops are opening this week and the hospitality industry is supposed to be opening up next month. If that goes well I can't see any reason for schools to not then open.

Shops are opening this week and the hospitality industry is supposed to be opening up next month. If that goes well I can't see any reason for schools to not then open
With social distancing.

School are open. We can’t have everyone back full time with social distancing.

Social distancing is why there is much lower community transmission. I do wonder if this gets forgotten sometimes.

I'm sure it will happen.

Gavin did say the aim was to have everyone back in September.

I think it will be a staggered start building to full provision by the end of September.

However, what do I know?!

School are open. We can’t have everyone back full time with social distancing.

Social distancing is why there is much lower community transmission. I do wonder if this gets forgotten sometimes.
Me too.

I wonder how many people saying schools need to reopen:
A) Bother to notice they never closed and are phasing back more students now
B) Are happy to into a full office with people either side of them, not have the space cleaned regularly (because everyone is in the office), sit in a canteen or break space that is full for the whole lunch hour as a revolving door of a few hundred people go through (again can't be cleaned between people).

@Sunnydays123456

Yes , why are y10 only going back from tomorrow ?

and year 12.

Because that is what the government has said can happen.

Yes I gathered that - I mean what is their reasoning re not allowing more years in secondary

@NowImLivinInExeter, your frankness is most refreshing.

Sunnydays123456

Travelling
Social distancing
movement around school
Class sizes
numbers of teachers
Numbers of rooms
Equipment
cleaning