to wonder WTF Greenwich?

[Standandwait]

Okay: I'm a parent in London, but not in Greenwich -- and I do have some backup help. And I'm all for controlling CV. But still: Greenwich borough announces SUNDAY NIGHT that all schools will close and go back online from Monday evening. Does not a single person in charge of these decisions over there have both a job and a child????

Didn't mean to enable voting, but since it happened, let's say:
YANBU -- don't these guys realise some children can't homeschool themselves?
YABU -- everyone should have a Norland Nanny on tap like the royal family

Yeah, I'm sure the virus would hold fire for a week so that they can give parents plenty of notice.

YABU 🙄🙄

If you were in Greenwich you would probably know - most schools are empty already with most bubbles sent home. Several kids have been self-isolating back-to-back for over 2-3 weeks now. Most schools are running on skeletal staff. As far as I know, most Greenwich parents have not been severely put out by this last minute announcement.

I went for a drive-through test in Greenwich yesterday and I saw huge queues of cars with kids coming in to test - never seen anything like this.

Infection is doubling every 4 days in Greenwich & from what I’ve read is at a very high level in their schools - in a normal situation id say making this kind of snap decision & announcement was ridiculous, but we are not in a normal situation.

This decision should have been taken last week or the week before by the government. It's awful that schools in highly infected areas have been put in this position. I am also in a London Borough and I wish ours would do the same.

Five classes in my son's primary have gone down over the weekend. Two further classes can't open due to staffing issues. My middle son's secondary has told him to isolate after contact with a positive case. I have to send my y11 in to do mocks. I don't want to.

All or most of this could have been avoided if the govt had bloody well listened to teachers.

The schools around my area were holding strong with the 'we will be open until the end of term line' until Covid came and took that decision from parents. If you live in and around London, then you better get wise to the fact school could close at any moment, or that your child may need to isolate over Christmas if they go into school this week.

Okay, I feel better already. But I also agree with some of the OPs -- these decisions need to be made earlier so people can plan.

Which is just what pubs and restaurants and indeed shops have been saying. I know some of this stuff is unpredictable but it is specifically the role of government to smooth out the bumps, not make them bigger

Surprised that this is a surprise to you ? Welcome to our world in the North. This has been going on since the start of term on a school by school basis. Yes it's inconvenient (understatement) but it's an attempt to get ahead of inevitable closures due to collapse of bubbles and the need for safe staffing ratios. Not sure how else it could be handled ?

nogood whole schools in the north are closing? Gosh, no, I obviously am ignorant. I thought gov rule was schools stay open but bubbles isolate where necessary? My DS was sent home once (obv without warning) because of a teacher but rest of school stayed open

Actually they announced that they will switch to online learning from Tuesday morning, not Monday. They've given more than 24 hours notice. They have said their last day in school will be Monday: news.sky.com/story/covid-19-greenwich-schools-forced-to-close-as-pandemic-grows-exponentially-in-london-borough-12160665

I’m not in Greenwich, not even in London however I do live in an area where cases have shot up with alarming speed and lots of kids have been in and out of isolation since half term. I don’t think it’s fair to criticise LAs or schools- I do believe that most are doing their best in a very difficult situation and they’re damned if they do and damned if they don’t. Parents will complain whatever decision they make.

Ah stand your ignorance of the corona of the north is so stereotypical. Schools have been shut, half schools out, staff shortages since the end of September. It's been shit. Sadly the Government have only admitted that schools are a problem when it hit London.

I can’t believe anyone thought schools were safe.instead of people supporting schools by saying wear masks etc the parents just said teachears lazy ect.people believed Norris and pictures from bbc.just think.teachers have children having to isolate teachers have to isolate no money for supply staf. What the hell did people on here think was going to happen.you can say we need to work,maybe support schools and listen to teach ears.then school might be open.

Would OP prefer to have COVID?

I live in Tower Hamlets; our rates are higher that Greenwich. I'm seriously considering keeping my kids off next week. My eldest has a test tomorrow but then I think we will keep them both home. I'm lucky though as we both work from home and the dc are old enough to work independently so can manage it. I'm surprised that more boroughs haven't done the same tbh. It's only a few extra days but the way the infections are going up at the moment I think its necessary.

Put pressure on government to invest in schools so not over crowered and have money for Ppe etc and have some respect for the teachers not wearing Ppe because noris says schools are safe.did peole really believe this how low are peoples iq.

My children go to a school in the Greenwich borough, we have been off self isolating for FOUR weeks, 2 isolations back to back, I’ve had to have all 3 children at home because I’m a lone parent with no help, we’ve had no support from the school what so ever despite being on FSM. It’s been very hard tbh, they were due to go back tomorrow so I’m pretty annoyed!

Close family member teaches in a Greenwich school. They have taken all the precautions and still saw 2 year groups plus teachers sent home to isolate last week. It simply isn't sustainable. I'm fed up seeing these ignorant comments from parents who have no consideration for the hard work teachers are putting in to keep children in schools. Anyone with an ounce of sense saw this coming (except the government).

If I was you I would make child care plans for January telling you in advance hope that enough time

You know what! I'm in an area (London!) with higher numbers then Greenwich! And we are rising every day! I posted the other day about my eldest two, I think all mine are finished now

@Standandwait

nogood whole schools in the north are closing? Gosh, no, I obviously am ignorant. I thought gov rule was schools stay open but bubbles isolate where necessary? My DS was sent home once (obv without warning) because of a teacher but rest of school stayed open

Whole schools not in the north have been closing. My daughter's (in the southeast) closed for two weeks as Covid ravaged the place. That was four weeks ago.

The govt are adamant schools must stay open to the end, I read somewhere they could sue if the schools close - wtf is wrong with our govt?

I'm aware of a London borough that has closed three primary schools and a large secondary school last week but no mention of the borough. Hearing more year groups being sent home in the south as it's popping up on Facebook groups and people complaining it's supposed to be private and not shared on social media.