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.

I'd like to see some changes in transport. We are in a city and children are packed like sardines on the buses, standing room only by the time my daughter gets on and far more people than you would get on a public bus. We've been considering whether she could get a lift in the morning and walk the 3 miles home, but that won't be much fun as it gets colder and darker from the autumn.
Maybe they can stagger the beginning and end of the day (and the buses) to resolve this problem? Otherwise, there isn't much point in applying measures within school.

@Meredithgrey1 I can assure you that the govt are NOT sharing their expectations...just making vague sweeping statements that sound good, without any thought as to practicalities. Hence the switch on policy with primaries.

We need to plan how we are delivering in September. If there is any home learning still required, we need to know now so we can start creating it....

Yep, open the doors, let them in!

I think they will just open as normal but can see 'all pupils in every day' meaning half days or maybe short wednesday and fridays for instance.

If i worked in a secondary (rather than the infants) i think i would be focussing on the following based on what is working for us;

getting wall mounted hand sanitisers out side each classroom and each major entrance and getting hold of enough santitiser,

working on setting up isolation procedures if someone develops symptoms on site and getting enough ppe for staff dealing with that pupil,

looking at timetabling of PE in particular (sweaty changing rooms!).

Id also be working on the cleaning being increased and seriously looking at portaloos!

Transport makes any staggered starts very difficult so id be questioning the LA a lot about their plans on this eg will a mid day service be possible?

Id also be looking at the behaviour policy and attendance policy (eg can a at home attendance for self isolators be done with the expectation of set work being completed)

Social distancing will probably be scrapped for schools. However, staffing may be an issue. If extremely clinically vulnerable or even just clinically vulnerable people are still told to socially distance schools are not going to have adequate staff. I will be 30 weeks pregnant and if this virus is still around I will take sick leave or early maternity. I wont risk getting coronavirus and having an early caesarean for work. Either way, there is currently no replacement for me, and considering schools struggle to hire in March for September, recruiting someone will take a while.

Of course this is all dependent on infection rates, and we may be looking at next to no risk by then which would be great, but parents also need to be aware that their kids may be having sub teachers teaching them core subjects at gcse level for a while as staffing may be an issue.

They shouldn’t get a ‘one size fits all’ lesson. You should differentiate appropriately with support and challenge for those who need it. It’s called teaching.

They are just bluffing. There’s no grand plan it’s just a way of easing people back towards no special adjustments. Slowly slowly catchee monkey. Then come September we are back with no social distancing, no need for complicated bubbles. Imagine teachers in secondary may get to wear PPE. They’ll encourage hand washing and more rigorous classroom cleaning/ loos will happen. There’s no point trying to work out how secondary teachers can teach other specialist subjects or how the children can get packed lunches in classrooms. It’ll be back to normal near as damn it. They wanted to announce something now to appease parents but were scared not to say “ normality will resume” because teachers and unions would dig their heels in. They don’t want to give anyone time to get their ducks in a row based on real and solid information. Instead it’ll be announced last minute “ back to work as normal please teachers” and “ back to school pupils- wash your hands.” Instead they’ve got people on here tying themselves in knots about imaginary situations where the history teacher might have to teach maths to 15 year olds.

As for the ‘Primark open, but not schools!’ comments, in a shop you will be walking past people at a quick rate, it’s a big space and therefore you’re not sharing the same air/breathing in germs as consistently as in a small classroom where you’ll be sitting for 1 hour. It’s fairly obvious why schools closed first and will need careful handling to reopen.

Because of this you need clear, concise, coherent and consistent Governmental leadership. 😂

Thanks @homeishere. I teach two different tiers of maths. Six sets. Outstanding results in a deprived area. But I'll feed that back..it's super helpful 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Planning a timetable in secondary is very complicated and time consuming. Schools simply cannot leave it until the last minute. They need to know now. They might not be able to offer the full range of extra subjects for example. They might need more staff and you can't recruit and dbs check them in just a few weeks.

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

Yes I really feel like this is what they're doing even now.

Interesting thread. I too think we'll be 'back to normal' with a few tweaks.

I really hope they will have scrapped SD for children in schools by September. What concerns me though is that presumably all the other regular viruses will begin to circulate again when the kids are mixing and anyone with the slightest sign of a sniffle (and possibly their entire household) will have to quarantine for 14 days! This could happen over and over again throughout the winter and be hugely disruptive. Currently even with a negative test if you have any symptoms you need to isolate. Covid shares symptoms with many bog standard viruses yet Covid will always be assumed.

Interesting thread. I too think we'll be 'back to normal' with a few tweaks.
With numbers dropping to tiny figures of course we will be back to normal by September. People don't seem to have noticed huge advances in treatments and better understanding of the the fact that this is not Ebola! Hysterics who are already planning to 'go sick' on September show zero intelligence, or are just plain lazy.

Sorry and I meant to say I think thats the best solution tbh.
Young people social distancing cannot carry on. Forget the education, even just the social development side of things cannot be done two metres away from your peers.

Social distancing will probably be scrapped for schools. However, staffing may be an issue. If extremely clinically vulnerable or even just clinically vulnerable people are still told to socially distance schools are not going to have adequate staff. I will be 30 weeks pregnant and if this virus is still around I will take sick leave or early maternity. I wont risk getting coronavirus and having an early caesarean for work. Either way, there is currently no replacement for me, and considering schools struggle to hire in March for September, recruiting someone will take a while.

This is a huge problem in my school. If CEV and CV staff don’t come back, we simply can’t open to all pupils in September. It’ll be a part time rota offer.

@UmbrellaHat

Interesting thread. I too think we'll be 'back to normal' with a few tweaks. With numbers dropping to tiny figures of course we will be back to normal by September. People don't seem to have noticed huge advances in treatments and better understanding of the the fact that this is not Ebola! Hysterics who are already planning to 'go sick' on September show zero intelligence, or are just plain lazy.

A bit like hidden disabilities- you never know who has serious underlying health conditions.

They’ve said they’re having class bubbles of 30. That bubble then stays in one room and the teachers do the moving round. Of course, this won’t work for sets or every subject, but I think they’re trying to just get them back and then will refine it later.

So 2 metres, 1 metre, etc is irrelevant. It’s a lazy idea but not surprising.

Isle of Man schools are back as normal now and they've scrapped social distancing entirely on the island (not just in schools)

Bubbles will be popped and a mere memory by then!

I also think they’ll remove requirements for shielding or reduce them right down. Vulnerable will be scrapped

If social distancing is scrapped in schools it will have to be scrapped on public transport too so children and staff can get there

Times to far reporting that applications for teacher training have trebled since lockdown with other jobs being so uncertain so that will help with staffing. (Same with nursing )

Today not to far !

Back to normal by September, it’s 2.5 months off and already the numbers of infected are FAR lower than they were when it was raging around the community in March and we were all happily in work and school. I suspect assemblies and large indoor gatherings might be off the timetable for some time. They need to put in hand sanitiser stations at each classroom and packs of disinfectant wipes on each desk. Teachers and other staff should be given PPE if they want to wear it. Children don’t seem to spread this thing.