Anyone got ideas on HOW secondary schools can go back full time in Sept?

[Fizzysours]

I am a teacher and I want schools back now. Many of my pupils are getting really low and lonely and about 40% are not managing the work we set. I just don't get how full time will work in Sept though because....
-with one metre distancing we can fit 20, not 30 in a class
-kids will have to sit at one desk all day, to reduce transmission on objects, teachers would rotate
-so if we 'set' the class for english, the setting will be totally wrong for maths, and vice versa, so what level do we teach them? They won't get good appropriate work, but a 'one size for all'- shockingly hard for them
-what about their options? Half of each bubble doing geography, half history etc.....
-how do they get lunch? We can only stagger it so much, with rotating teachers.
Anyone else thinking this is just going to be so hard? Do we give in and have school as normal, with the really high infection risks? If it's as above, these kids cannot be expected to perform at GCSE.

Have I missed some really simple solution? It just seems impossible. But they must come back. Home is just so hard for them.

Surely that's a matter for your individual school? You should take it up with your head teacher?

For us one of the biggest issues is transport. Most of the kids are bussed to school, and the buses are overcrowded to the point where children have to stand. They could all wear masks but it makes a mockery of any 'bubbles' once they are in school. My son is delighted as it may tip the balance in favour of letting him cycle which so far we decided is too dangerous. We pulled him out of school before lockdown precisely because of the difficulties of any sort of distancing or increased hygiene in secondary, whereas our primary age children went until lockdown because they had already 'bubbled' the classes (in full classes) and increased the handwashing. But they do really need to go back!

By September I think either levels will be such that physical distancing isnt needed or it will have gone back up and the need for challenging measures such as part time school obvious.

@D4rwin of course he will guide us. Just not sure he has a magic wand... and he has over a thousand parents to answer to....plus the govt...so it's not just up to him. @Xiaoxiong you are right...we do have 11 weeks so perhaps things will keep improving

If my secondary school child doesn’t go back full time in September I’m going to start a protest.

I just want to go back to work as normal, I would happily do it! (I work in a secondary school). I do understand peoples apprehension though.
But on a selfish note I just want some normality back and I miss the kids I work with like mad!!

@steelypanther I agree. Our year 10's were so so happy to be back. And they only get one week on, two weeks off until summer. These kids are suffering. I know there are risks but... PRIMARK OPEN AND NOT SCHOOLS????? I am happy to take the risk to teach. Shielding colleagues won't be asked to. The NHS has had to get on with it since March...

I think they will have to stagger start and end of day and limit movement as much as possible by utilising spaces like sports halls as classrooms for lower years wear setting matter less.
Lunch will be packed lunch i'd think until xmas.

I was in primark today and although they were controlling numbers in there was no social distancing once in store.
If this is allowed then children should be allowed back to school as normal.

Current estimates that cases are reducing by 4 percent per day. By Sept, the number of cases will be even lower than now.

They’re going to fudge 'the science' to fit the outcome that they want...

Staggering start and end time again doesn't work if a lot come by school buses.

The simple solution is that they will announce social distancing isn’t necessary in schools.

Exactly this. We don’t have any social distancing requirements with kids here so school, kids sports, kids activities etc are all as usual as this is what evidence here indicates is okay. Adults still have to distance, so teachers have to distance from other teachers and support staff at schools but kids don’t have to distance from teachers or each other. Same at kids sports, parents are banned, drive by drop off/pick up and coaches must distance from other adults but not kids. It’s working fine here. Every so often a child will test positive but they have found that they are not transmitting it to their peers or other adults around them so we are working in business as usual with kids now here. No formal studies, government are doing this based on observation and it’s not causing any increase in numbers.

Before 1 June we were almost completely locked down.

Now we seem to be in a position where almost anything goes. The holiday industry is gearing up to be open over the summer, pubs reopening, unlimited travel, shops open, anything goes outdoors,the distancing about to be reduced, all in less than a month.

There's still more than 2 months until Sept. No, schools can't take all their children back now but I fully expect the rules to be manipulated set so that they can by September. Probably an announcement ìn August when schools have already done their planning.

One secondary here has already told parents they're only taking yr7 & yr11 back in Sept and that will be on a PT basis with blended learning, which is ridiculous. How can they possibly know now what they can safely offer under whatever the guidelines are in Sept?

It just seems to me that the people with the lowest mental and emotional resilience are making the most noise and are being listened to, regardless of what is safe or not.

They need to plan what would happen if a second wave comes

@HoppingPavlova omg we need research on if there is low kid transmission...the jury seems out but it's key info for schools!!!! We can run as normal...adults can distance from each other, no bother

@ItsSummer I hear you. But we have a mental health and educational crisis looming for these kids. Not to mention safeguarding of those in difficult home situations. Hence people see kids back as a huge priority

I think they need to make the decision schools returning as normal.

But the compromise will be that outside of schools their lives remain restricted and no visiting each other's homes etc.

I think right now education has to be the priority.

But I also think teachers shouldn't be told "PPE not necessary" when if they travelled to school on bus/train they are required to wear it!

There needs to be a balance between accepting children need education and recognising there is a risk to teachers and try and mitigate this where possible.

What "really high risks"? No one knows what the risk will be by September. It might be too high, but it might not.

We keep hearing about what a disaster all the non regulation socialising was, about how schools would have to close because of illness if they took more children back, how increased use of public transport as people returned to work would cause a spike, but it hasn't happened yet.

Can't we think positively and expect that by September, risk will be low? If it's not, obviously it won't happen but there's no reason to expect it won't be possible.

Where are you @HoppingPavlova

I imagine the government will make whatever rule changes they need to to just get the schools open. They announced yesterday increasing bubble sizes to cover the whole class rather than 15 students. I imagine in a few weeks they'll say no bubbles in secondary schools where kids move between classrooms, teachers, and have different subjects. Plus they've already announced they're reviewing the 2m distance, my bet would be that gets reduced (this also economically benefits retail and hospitality industry and will help pubs/cafes/restaurants reopen so I imagine it will get changed just before the planned reopening date for them).
It seems to be we've got to a point now where the rules are being changed to allow things to open as the government planned, rather than things being allowed to open once the rules say so if that makes sense. I think the same will happen for schools.

I work in a college and have been told to expect my particular subject (maths!) to be taught virtually for the whole year!

[quote Fizzysours]@ItsSummer I hear you. But we have a mental health and educational crisis looming for these kids. Not to mention safeguarding of those in difficult home situations. Hence people see kids back as a huge priority[/quote]
I know, including my own children.

My school is full of vulnerable children and has been all along (more than key worker), so I’m talking about those outside of this group.

Maybe if I trusted the government more, I’d be more relaxed, but I just see them changing 'the science' to fit whatever it is they need. There’s a reason our country is doing so badly and it doesn’t make me want to rush back to full classes.

[quote Fizzysours]@HoppingPavlova omg we need research on if there is low kid transmission...the jury seems out but it's key info for schools!!!! We can run as normal...adults can distance from each other, no bother[/quote]
Sadly, it’s really not that simple and I don’t want to be a lab rat.

Hopefully it will go back to how it was just before lockdown more or less normal with no assemblies, trips etc, eat outside where possible to reduce congestion in the lunch hall, washing hands, hand gel at each room change.