To wonder if any other teachers think September will be like February/beginning of March?

[octupiwi]

Until the week before lockdown it was as if the world outside didn’t exist at my school. Parents evenings were going ahead, no mention of the school trip to Italy being cancelled, life was normal bar a couple of posters about washing hands.

Anyone else think we’ll just revert back to this come September?

No- our classrooms are set out in rows- no Kagan collaboration happening like that! Little space to move around.
One way systems, no assemblies, can't mix with other classes (really tough where friendships have been split between classes), getting 30 children to wash their hands several times a day.
Kids that have experienced the full on effects of poverty, DV, lack of stimulation or boundaries.
It is going to be really tough in our very deprived Primary!

Primaries are always a different kettle of fish though aren’t they - I remember before lockdown primary colleagues talking about the difficulties of getting their class to wash hands, we have to just tell them to in secondary! (And they probably don’t!)

We're going back "as normal" but without parents evenings or school trips for now. Lots of handwashing and hygiene. I'm sure there will be some restrictions but I already had my class running like that (including going back to group tables) for two weeks before the start of the summer holidays.
I teach abroad, though, and we are a little it ahead of the UK in terms of what's happening. (We've been wearing masks on public transport and in shops for weeks, for example.)

My DDs school have been operating reasonably normally within their bubbles and will continue to do so come September

I don’t think we will even have bubbles.

Have your school not issued guidance for September that deals with all these issues? My children’s secondary school has issued detailed guidance around staggered start times, outside sinks for hand washing at the start and end of the day, ‘pods’, children to remain in the same classroom with the teachers moving around instead, no getting changed for PE, etc. So quite a lot will be different.

Nope, nothing. I doubt anything will have changed beyond a few posters about hand washing tbh.

Definitely won't be back to normal at our secondary. Staggered start, finish, break and lunchtimes so lunch now takes about 3 hours. Year group 'bubbles' so no interaction between different year groups. Kids all sat in rows facing the front and they will mostly be staying in one classroom for most of the day. No assemblies, no parents allowed on site. One way system in all corridors. Will look and feel very different.

My schools have issued instructions for September. Staggered starts, no pe changing, no canteen, no mixing with other year groups. Lots is different but all sensible, and giving priority to academic learning. It is doable but far from ideal.

Our primary school is very different still in Sept. no assemblies , no after school clubs, staggered arrival and pick up times to reduce parents congregating, no wrap around care, lots of hands washing, classes as normal but very much keeping in their own bubble, no trips, excluded from school if any COVID symptoms for a week isolation, half day finish one day a week for a deep clean.

We’ve had guidance from both primary and secondary for our two.

Staggered start/finish times, no mixing between the year groups, minimal changing of classes (although obviously some is needed in secondary as they have sets and don’t all take the same subjects), teachers change classrooms rather than the students where possible, canteens and library closed, no rucksacks at primary, all homework online - I can’t see how any school can be going back ‘as normal’?

I’m really surprised you haven’t had information about plans for September. My (secondary) school was a bit late off the mark (I thought - but not in comparison with yours!), but we had small-group staff briefings in the last week of term, and have been emailed a very detailed document. There are loads of small changes, but the big one is that students will be taught in Year Group Hubs, with teachers travelling to classrooms between lessons. I’ve just bought myself a wheeled bag so that I can lug all of my stuff about without breaking my back!

Our SLT have said that this is likely to remain in place beyond October but will be reassessed regularly. I expect it to last at least until December.

We’ve been closed since March. We’ve been open to key worker / vulnerable children but the uptake was very low. I can’t see them going for staggered starts due to siblings and practicalities of getting there (big catchment.)

I can’t think of any classrooms that don’t have rows as it is, but there might be some who are told to change.

We've had most of our children in school already and it has been mostly normal, apart from all the hand washing. The children needed it and they loved having routine again.

I'm a bit worried about vulnerable colleagues coming back and what will happen when winter illnesses hit. It's stressful and hard to run the school when people start going off sick.

I’m happy to get back to normal with a bit more hand washing (although with year 9, well!)

My only worry tbh is parents evenings and open evenings, as these are held in the school hall which gets damp and fetid at the best of times.

Secondary here, we are having year group bubbles in learning zones and we move to them. Staggered lunch and break times though.

Staggered end and break/lunch. Year group bubbles in learning zones. Only year 10 and 11 allowed to move around school to specialist classrooms. Hand sanitiser stations everywhere. I teach science so having to rewrite all ks3 lessons for the first term as will be in normal classrooms not labs so can't do any practical. No changing for PE they will arrive in their kit. Period 6s everyday for Yr 11 to cat h them up. No trips, visitors or events of any kind in the first time.

Everything about our school day has changed. I would be concerned that yours hasn't.

I think school will be like early March in terms of localised closures due to staff shortages. Unless they change the guidance by the time October comes and every one gets the normal coughs etc that come with working in a school by the time you've gone home, booked a test and gotten the results you may have been off for 3 days if that happens to several members of staff at one time schools won't cope.

We are having staggered starts/ends; year group bubbles; years 7 to 9 taught in tutor groups - they will stay in the same room all day and the teachers will travel; separate playground areas and designated toilets for each bubble; hand sanitiser stations outside each room; no parents evenings, assemblies or staff briefings; no parents on site without an appointment. It is all very different.

Am really surprised to read these.

Primary school haven't said much yet, apparently we will get an email in August. Secondary have sent a very detailed letter about staggered starts, ensuring no mixing between year groups and no parents on the school premises. Any child who doesn't comply will be sent home. My autistic 14 year old's support has been taken away as well. It's going to be very different.

Dh works for academy chain - everyone back in September all day everyday - primary and secondary

Every school I know has lots of restrictions in place. The secondary school has year group bubbles which each year group restricted to a certain area of the school they must stay in all day, and teachers come and go between them. The science block is restricted to GCSE students. They’re getting food vans to go to each block for lunch as pupils can’t mix in the lunch areas.
I’m more surprised your school has mentioned nothing?

It’s possible we might hear more in mid August. I can understand them not wanting to make any concrete plans yet.

I’m in Scotland, we don’t even know if we are going back full time or what, we are finding out next week with literally a week and half till ours go back. No way I’ll be able to out childcare if they insist on blended learning in that short space of time