To be shocked at yet another last minute gov announcement.

[wantmorenow]

New guidance for schools just announced on a Friday night before schools return. Breathtaking incompetence.

It is nothing that impacts this week's opening, it is good to know how the escalation will be carried out depending on the way in which infection is happening in a local area at any time.

I don't get the drama, Inc the other thread pretty much making out that schools are beset upon by last minute guidance, when it in fact has no impact on the reopening and describes an set of escalation steps in worsening conditions.

Maddening, each school will have to individually work through the implications of the guidance, such as if a secondary school has to shut a year group, what happens to the teachers? Will they also have to self isolate for 14 days?

If you have for example a biology teacher, who has a class in each and every year group from 7 to 11, when that teacher has to self isolate for two weeks, who will take over? If that's the case, it could be around what, 90% of teachers who will need to self isolate as most of them have classes in every year group. School can't just wing it.

@maddening but how would you know it has no impact until you trawl through it. So if SLT sees new guidance come out late on Friday night, do they ignore it or do they have to go through it in detail to ensure there are no changes that have immediate impact. And in fact the first version did have an impact and all notifications to parents and risk assessments would have needed to be changed, but 2 hours later that version was amended. Again someone would have to go through it in detail to check nothing else had changed.

YABU to be shocked at any incompetence from this government. It is only to be expected.

I suggest each and every school does a survey now to see what technology would be available at home if home learning is required. This way they could be ready to plug gaps quickly. They could then let the DFE know how many children won’t have access to laptops/tablets. Of course one problem may be parents saying they don’t have devices when they do. But this would be better than the local secondary school having to beg secondhand devices from local businesses months down the line when the Government promised laptops had failed to materialise.

Schools did exactly this six months ago, then a few laptops arrived towards the end of the summer term.

Also @maddening how would you interpret point 2 in this section and then the sentence "numbers 1 to 5 must be in place in all schools, all the time"?

"Prevention

1. Minimise contact with individuals who are unwell by ensuring that those who have coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms, or who have someone in their household who does, do not attend school.

2. Use of face coverings in schools.

3. Clean hands thoroughly more often than usual.

4. Ensure good respiratory hygiene by promoting the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach.

5. Introduce enhanced cleaning, including cleaning frequently touched surfaces often, using standard products such as detergents and bleach.

6. Minimise contact between individuals and maintain social distancing wherever possible.

7. Where necessary, wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).

Numbers 1 to 5 must be in place in all schools, all the time.

Number 6 must be properly considered and schools must put in place measures that suit their particular circumstances.

Number 7 applies in specific circumstances"

I know how I would interpret it on first viewing, and that Point 2 had not been included in earlier guidance.

@LolaSkoda

It’s not shocking though is it?! Someone in the bubble is positive, so the whole bubble is isolated.

I thought that was the whole point of social bubbles.

Our bubbles are Y1 + Y2 / Y3+ Y4 etc... 2 classes in each year so the bubbles are approx 120 kids. I have one child in one 'bubble' and another is a different 'bubble' so that's exposure to approx 240 kids overall.

What could possibly go wrong?

@SaltyAndFresh

I suggest each and every school does a survey now to see what technology would be available at home if home learning is required. This way they could be ready to plug gaps quickly. They could then let the DFE know how many children won’t have access to laptops/tablets. Of course one problem may be parents saying they don’t have devices when they do. But this would be better than the local secondary school having to beg secondhand devices from local businesses months down the line when the Government promised laptops had failed to materialise.

Schools did exactly this six months ago, then a few laptops arrived towards the end of the summer term.

Our primary haven't done a survey or asked in any way what technology we have, whether we work, whether we have any ability to support home learning, but then they didn't provide any home learning and as far as I can tell have no plans to provide any if they have to close.

YABU to be shocked at anything shite done by this wanky government - but maybe you voted for them, someone must have.

At ds school year bubbles are entering at different entrances at 5 minute intervals, but the majority of pupils will be travelling to & from school on the same buses, not school buses, ordinary public transport, there have been so many reports that transport companies in our area aren't enforcing mask wearing or social distancing, just the usual cram as many on as you can. Where is the sense in this not forgetting most pupils have siblings in other years so if one child tests positive, any siblings have to isolate for 14 days? It will be chaos, I just hope school will not be enforcing the 95% attendance at all costs they usually do, they already ignore the 48 hours after D & V rule.

About the survey about access to tech at home, much more efficient for schools to ask families who don't have access to tech to put their hands up and request support. But how are schools supposed to get the computers and access to internet for those families? You do know that there schools have a terribly tight budget don't you? And this was done last academic year, with lock down in March and our school getting government laptops for kids in JULY.

@SaltyAndFresh

I suggest each and every school does a survey now to see what technology would be available at home if home learning is required. This way they could be ready to plug gaps quickly. They could then let the DFE know how many children won’t have access to laptops/tablets. Of course one problem may be parents saying they don’t have devices when they do. But this would be better than the local secondary school having to beg secondhand devices from local businesses months down the line when the Government promised laptops had failed to materialise.

Schools did exactly this six months ago, then a few laptops arrived towards the end of the summer term.

Exactly and can see this scenario repeating. There are 360 new pupils in yr7 in my DC’s secondary school. In our primary school there was no survey undertaken and the provision for at home was pretty woeful. I don’t blame them as they were not set up at all for online / home provision. My returning yr6 had great in-house tuition unfortunately my then yr3 didn’t.. Would like it to be less patchy delivery if it needs to be remote learning this academic year.

'It is nothing that impacts this week's opening, it is good to know how the escalation will be carried out depending on the way in which infection is happening in a local area at any time. I don't get the drama, Inc the other thread pretty much making out that schools are beset upon by last minute guidance, when it in fact has no impact on the reopening and describes an set of escalation steps in worsening conditions.'

Yes, how helpful would it have been to release guidance in June and then keep changing it?

People seem to struggle with the fact this is an ongoing situation. Reviews (or 'u turns!!!!' if you're whiny Keith Starmer) are needed when new data comes in.

Schools haven't started in England. What is the problem with giving more guidance the week before they go back?!

It needs to be tailored to the size of the bubbles.
One in 30 primary school pupils (3%) is not the same as one in 200 secondary school pupils (0.5%).
Secondary school pupils at large state schools are going to be massively more affected and disadvantaged in their learning than primary pupils and small private schools.

@Hingeandbracket

YABU to be shocked at anything shite done by this wanky government - but maybe you voted for them, someone must have.

Well thank god people did vote for them. Imagine Jezza and odd shoes Abbott running the show

@GetOffYourHighHorse I assume you don’t live in Leicester

Reviews (or 'u turns!!!!' if you're whiny Keith Starmer) are needed when new data comes in.

The new data that has come in that appears to have taken the DfE entirely by surprise is that there’s a global pandemic going on and they might need to plan for this.

I see the Torybots have woken up.

Schools haven't started in England. What is the problem with giving more guidance the week before they go back?!

If you are the person who writes all the risk assessments for an educational establishment on multiple sites and ensures that all necessary safety measures are put in place (as what is MEANT to be a tiny, sub 1% of your job-type role), and have worked insane hours since March, then it makes a HUGE difference.

Every fine nuance of every document needs to be read.

Every implication for every existing risk assessment needs to be decided.

Every document needs to be re-written, consulted on and the distributed to all the right people.

Every physical change (for example for music and drama), every piece of signage and every chair / desk / tape marking that needs to be changed has to be decided on and communicated to site staff (now off until Tuesday)..

BEFORE TUESDAY MORNING, so that every member of staff can take on their roles confidently to ensure students are as safe as they can be.

Also many schools have sent out their plans to parents, so if there were material changes to guidance then those plans would need to be rewritten. Some specialist teachers have been waiting for guidance for their subject so they could plan their lessons, that guidance only came out last night

YABU to be shocked!!!! Of course these incompetent twa*s would wait until the last Min!

@Jamdemic

It needs to be tailored to the size of the bubbles. One in 30 primary school pupils (3%) is not the same as one in 200 secondary school pupils (0.5%). Secondary school pupils at large state schools are going to be massively more affected and disadvantaged in their learning than primary pupils and small private schools.

But it appears that senior school young people biologically nearer to adult than child spread it at the same rate as adults and have more complications (not deaths, but it's not just death that is a concern) so they needed to be isolated sooner than primary.

@GetOffYourHighHorse

'It is nothing that impacts this week's opening, it is good to know how the escalation will be carried out depending on the way in which infection is happening in a local area at any time. I don't get the drama, Inc the other thread pretty much making out that schools are beset upon by last minute guidance, when it in fact has no impact on the reopening and describes an set of escalation steps in worsening conditions.'

Yes, how helpful would it have been to release guidance in June and then keep changing it?

People seem to struggle with the fact this is an ongoing situation. Reviews (or 'u turns!!!!' if you're whiny Keith Starmer) are needed when new data comes in.

Schools haven't started in England. What is the problem with giving more guidance the week before they go back?!

1. Who is Keith Starmer?
2. Where have children in Leicester/Leicestershire been going for their education this week then?

@GetOffYourHighHorse
Schools haven't started in England. What is the problem with giving more guidance the week before they go back?!

In Leicester schools have already returned.
Releasing guidance on Friday night prior to a bank holiday weekend with thousands of schools due back on Tuesday- of course that is an entirely reasonable timeline !

It’s easy to follow it when you imagine, but in reality it’s not straightforward
-what about the headteacher, do they hide to avoid being in bubbles and being off. Or the teacher that are safeguarding leads? If they are off together the school can not open.
-PE coaches that would across a primary, is everyone then off
-supply teachers in different schools
-secondary, the teachers teaching multiple year groups? If they are in contact that could be multiple year groups

It’s not just a case of headteacher reading it and having clarity, lots of it is woolly. Lots of the kids are also in lots of other bubbles, scouts, after school childcare, football training, dance clubs. They if they’ve been to a cafe or for a meal... the cross over contact in a city for one contact is crazy.

Potentially whole schools will close frequently