Scottish schools - was the return a success?

[MoreListeningLessChatting]

I'm posting in AIBU for traffic. Hence no voting.

A question for MN's in Scotland. May I enquire how the return to school has been?

Any tips you can share with those south of the border for when our schools reopen in a few weeks time?

Thanks

The first day of kids going back full time was just yesterday. My mum works in a secondary school and she says that it went well except the 6th years who apparently think they don't need to stick to the rules!

@Meggie2008

Ah sorry, I was under the impression that they have been back for over a week already?

They were technically back last week - some pupils were only there for 1 hour. It’s the full time return this week so far too early to say. However, anything to do with the SNP will be a shitshow.

Laaalaaaa but do you really think the Tories will manage it any better???

My youngest has been in full time since last Wednesday and my eldest since Friday. It’s going well and kids seem to have settled well.

So far so good. Nice to have a bit of normality and DS actually started at high school, which has been quite a worry after all this time off and no transition. And so good for him to mix with his peers.

Daughters primary school seems to have been fine. The real issues that I have are

• pickups and drop offs. Adults are the most ignorant idiots ever. Ignore one way systems- stop dead at the entrance so that no one can pass.

-outbreaks. There was an outbreak in the next village over. The only guidance is that if you were at X restaurant between X date and Y date and have any symptoms you should isolate.

I’ve only seen this on the businesses social media- there has been no mailout, no trace calls made from the details that you gave the restaurant. In any case it can take 10 days to display symptoms by which point it has been transmitted 1000 times over.

So having seen the active output over trying to stymie the virus i have an extreme vote of no confidence in the process.

Also other schools in Scotland reporting that kids are off with covid because it was transmitted at house parties.

It’s a mess. What’s more important?

Dd has been back nearly a week. She is in high school and they have separate entrances for each year, they have staggered starting and finishing times. They also have year hubs for lunch and breaks.

Plenty hand washing facilities, sanitising stations and they clean their desks when entering the room and before leaving.

All seems to be working well and from twitter I can gather teachers are quite happy with how things are going.

@TrollTheRespawnJeremy

' pickups and drop offs. Adults are the most ignorant idiots ever. Ignore one way systems- stop dead at the entrance so that no one can pass.'

This is the bit I find most problematic - the hanging around outside the gates at primary school.

This is the first week of the whole school being in so early days, biggest innovation so far is timetable changes for senior pupils, designed to minimize moving about. My DS has ADHD and even on medication 4 hours of English on a Monday morning was a challenge, luckily he does two creative subjects which thus will work better for. Four hours of Maths this morning and they have to stay seated apart from 15mins break in the middle, he had a sore backside yesterday due to hard plastic chair. Must be exhausting for the teacher too.

It’s been absolutely fine.

My daughter is in a pre-school attached to a primary and was so happy to be back - hugged the teachers and was straight back into the language with no hesitation - it's a GME school. I didn't accompany her just dropped her at door with her bag and teacher receiving kids and I were wearing face masks. It seemed pretty calm and organised. I got an update in the evening on the e-journal with pics etc. Very happy so far.

Apart from the first chaotic morning, all our parents are spread out and the school has sent emails thanking us for that.

Friday was our first day of the whole schools being in. DD is getting out 5 minutes early, and the pickups aren't as chaotic as I'd imagined. DS started S1 and is getting out 10 mins before the rest of school, and again, things seem fine. I doubt the pupils in high school are distancing properly, they certainly don't seem to be when I've seen them. It's pretty much all fine, though.

It's been fine so far. A few emails from the primary school last week when they did the staggered start urging parents to move back from the gates more quickly after they'd dropped off/picked up, but there wasn't one yesterday so I assume it was better this week.

Ds2 is like a different child - so happy to be back.

I'm concerned about DD's high school. HT led an assembly to talk about the importance of social distancing then directed hundreds of them all into narrow corridors with no ability to distance.

In her social space some tables have been removed but the tables haven't been physically spread out. Tables were removed from one 'end' so there are less tables but still as close to each other. There's now more room to stand so more people fit in social space!

DS's primary school not much better.

This is not the fault of teachers nor the govt in my opinions. Kids need school but they are not designed for this. I predict a spike.

One of our local Primaries in already reporting cases. I'm really worried

Dd school is going very well, staggered start and finish times including breaks and lunches, wear gym kit to school on gym day. They aren't sky rocketing into school work yet as they want to settle the kids in more slowly than normal. This is only day 5 so a bit early to tell if it will continue.

Also staggered start includes a 10 minute window for each group to go straight to class, no queuing outside, so no need for parents to hang about.

All fine here, nursery attached to primary and three at high school. The high school has handgel at every classroom door and the kids wipe the table before and after the lesson.
Nursery, we are met at gate with teachers in masks. I wear a mask. It is definitely frustrating how some adults are ignorant/selfish but they are the same in the supermarket etc.
I feel very lucky to be living in Scotland under Nicola Sturgeon right now.

It appears that my kids have returned to secondary school and there are minimal changes from how things were in February. Don't get me wrong, school is doing its best but what can you do with 1600 teenagers in a building, you just can't distance

A success in what way?

It has been in that my D.C. are back in school, and certainly feeling happier now, but in Covid terms it's too soon to know if it's a success. A few schools have had positive pupils/teachers already. Time will tell if it's containable.

There's been three primary school age children test positive for Covid in Scotland, this was reported yesterday. The children are all at different schools in different areas, test and protect have done their thing but it remains to be seen if further children in the schools test positive. There is no suggestion the children caught the virus at school but it isn't known yet if they have passed it on.

Thank you for the replies.

I was interested to see how things have been and how things are settling down. Children (IMO) tend to be fairly adaptable with change (unless SEN with particular needs) so can often settle quickly into new routines etc.

Not long before my children are back and they are looking forward to seeing friends again.

@chergar

Do you know how this was managed? Did they close school or the class or 'bubble'?

Too soon to know. The rolling weekly average is increasing in Scotland but it also is in England. I suppose the real measure will be how far the next peak reaches if schools remain fully open to everyone.