Is your children’s school being strict on social distancing?

[Anney28]

My children are back at school and their school have been really thorough with everything. Social distancing has become a big thing there, the kids are always being encouraged to social distance both in and outside and not sit right next to each other. Obviously as a parent myself and also the teachers know that complete social distancing is not possible when children are young. I totally get that. Staggered drop offs and pick ups. This is not the issue... They are doing a fab job.

I have a friend who I’m friends on Facebook. Her son goes to another school in the local area and she shares photos their school have added to social media and why they’ve been up to but there is no social distancing whatsoever. The kids are all sat together in groups (shoulder to shoulder together) both outside and inside. Different year groups are mixing. I thought bubbles were a thing?? My children aren’t allowed to leave their bubbles.

It’s just really really surprised me. I assumed all schools were doing similar to my children’s school.

Is my children’s school being ott or is the other school being completely pants?

I know I will probably be told this doesn’t affect me but it’s still in the local area and it’s surprised me!! It’s a big school too! I honestly thought the photos I seen were older photos from before lockdown but captions would suggest otherwise!!

Can't fault my DS2's school. They are being strict enough about it. Markings and staff keeping an eye on it.

Where any issues have arisen, they've dealt with them immediately and let everyone know.

Can't ask more.

The different year groups may be because they are in a bubble for key worker or vulnerable children. We have a few of these and as we have kept siblings together the age range is wide.

My Year 1 and Year 5 children are keeping to social distancing both inside and outside the classroom.

Guidance is that primary aged children cannot be expected to keep consistently to 2m but should do so where possible. So that's what many schools are doing - 2m social distancing.

But DfE have muddied the water (even more than it was) by now saying they never said children should be 2m apart and it's all about having "hierarchy of controls" in place - basically, wash hands a lot, clean surfaces a lot, don't mix bubbles, don't share equipment unless you have to (in which case clean, but don't share unless you have to in which case do share - but don't really.)

There were 40 or so updates to guidance in the first week schools reopening more fully was announced- it's no wonder schools are doing things differently, it's been ridiculously hard to figure out what we are actually supposed to do and if that is MUST do or SHOULD if possible and not worry if not possible.

Re photos - could be mixed bubbles due to siblings or due to maintaining groups of keyworker children that had already been established. There was v little guidance about how to work with those children who were in school before June so the school may have just carried on almost as usual with them and those may be photos from then - pre-guidance.

Your kids' school is being safer though.

My kids are not allowed back. So we have a social distance of nearly a mile

Is your kids school adhering to the guidance? if so, they are not being "OTT".

Our bubbles are kept separate but within bubbles,no.

@Lancrelady80 is absolutely right though. Guidance hasn't been clear and schools are interpreting it in a myriad of different ways.

dfemedia.blog.gov.uk/2020/06/24/protective-measures-in-primary-schools/

This was the dfE blog post that stirred up some controversy last week.

No social distancing within bubbles. Which is perfect. I'd like my children's mental health to remain intact and I think social distancing for primary children is damaging nonsense.

That said, like the poster above, in reality mine are keeping a social distance of a mile since they've not been deemed worthy of a place at school this term.

At my DC school - kids have separate tables, keep a distance (where practical) from adults, but are allowed to play with one another in the playground - where they spend as much of their time as weather allows.

Not really, they all sit at seperate tables to work and have seperate equipment but we tells me they are allowed to play tag etc at break. I'm so pleased as I don't want him to have to sd in his 'bubble'. He's in year 1.

Secondary school - yes, being strict I believe (will find out next week)
ex Primary School - lots of photos being tweeted of children next to each other in bubbles, so guessing they are being strict between bubbles but not within them.

Mine is very strict. But they are in sibling bubbles and they can only play with their siblings.

Ours are allowed to not social distance in their bubbles

In my school, the bubbles are absolutely kept apart. We have different areas of the playground for them to play on. Someone walking past the school may not realise that they are separated into areas and might think they were all mixing but they're not. We don't insist that the children within the bubble stay 2m apart when playing outside but we do discourage contact games.

In the classroom, they are sitting at individual desks that are spaced as far as they can be within the classroom. Realistically they are more like 1m apart than 2 or we'd only be able to get 6 in a classroom.

We do have mixed year groups in bubbles. Keyworker children are particularly mixed up. There are vague age groups for each bubble but then people desperately needing a space ended up in different bubbles. Also, we set up bubbles such that every child in YR,1 & 6 was allocated a space. Now the spaces that people have said they won't use are being filled up with children from other year groups so those are now mixed as well.

There’s no point. Kids won’t do it. Primary school kids are too young and it’s cruel and secondary school kids aren’t mindful enough all the time and the schools can’t police it all the time for that number of kids. Having dropped my son at his new high school last week for his induction I am in no doubt whatsoever that it won’t work in schools.

None within bubbles

I'm very happy with how DDs school have managed the situation, as far as I know all children who wanted to return have returned with staggered start/end and break times. Each class split in two and then one half of the class are in during the am and the other half in the pm with the classroom and toilets cleaned over lunch time. Each bubble has atleast one toilet and 1 sink available to be used in each block of toilets although the majority of older children can manage 3 hours without using Them. Children are encouraged to socially distance at break time. The only thing I don't like is that they threw away the work after each session.

At the secondary school I work at, year 10 have to socially distance as soon as they are on school grounds, of course they walk in shoulder to shoulder though so a bit pointless.

We are being VERY strict about preserving bubbles & social distancing at my school BUT we know for a fact that the kids aren't at all 'at home' - the minute they're out of the gates, they're all over each other, going round to each other's houses after school, going to the beach at the weekend, having family parties, etc. Makes us feel like we're risking ourselves & our own families every bl00dy day for nothing. 😡😥

My year 1 has his own table and encouraged to social distance in the classroom but move around the school in their bubble and play together. The teacher has uploaded pics and videos of them outside and they are close together. They don't come into contact with any other bubble or adults.

My year 4 says it is more strictly adhered to for them. They get reminded all day if they get too close, he finds it annoying.
They are encouraged to play games where they can keep their distance better.
They also stay in their bubbles.

@gingerbiscuits it's not for nothing though is it, it's to provide children with crucial education and socialisation. Don't you think what you've described means the efforts at SD during the school day are a waste of your time and energy though? Why not just drop it?

Sensible here. We have told parents that we can't guarantee they will always be distanced.

Bubbles stay with but bubbles, but some bubbles have mixed ages, which might be what you're seeing.

We remind them to give each other space, but don't stop them playing with/near each other.

My Y6 is in a bubble for class, but apparently they all get together for free for all football matches at break times. He's also walking to and from school with one of his friends, who is in a different bubble to him.

This has been going on for about 4 weeks now and there have been no cases at all, neither pupils nor staff, so I'm not concerned. He breaks up on Friday anyway - I'm just pleased he's had a chance to go back for a few weeks before the summer holidays.

My DD's school basically said we won't be expecting the kids to social distance within their bubbles, which I was quite happy with.
All other measures are in place as much as they can.

IMO it gives parents a much more realistic idea of what the children will be exposed to in school, and a better basis on which to make their decision.

Ds4 is in nursery at moment, they keep the rooms seperate so he is in a bubble of pre school age and are kept seperate from other rooms. I know the children won't be distancing completely in their own bubble but don't think it can be helped really.