To think schools will close soon

[hibbledibble]

We may well have as many cases by new year as we did in the first peak. In which case school closures could be a very real possibility.

I think if they do close to the majority of pupils then exam year pupils will be added to the list of who is allowed to attend, alongside keyworker children and vulnerable children.

I think this will be the only thing that will help with the case numbers. Should have happened in November.

I think this but hope its untrue

I think you’re right.

Probably the newsreel is saying it and they like leaking stuff to prep us!

I kind of hope so for younger too, and hope not for older as she has her entrance exam.

I really really hope not for me as I can’t do my new job with them home, and not sure I would count as a key worker (food chains)!

I have teens (one doing GCSEs this time). Seeing one of the last year's of their childhood being fucked up like this is so hard to see. I've had tears from 14 year old DD as she feels like she's missing out on so much. I hope the school's don't close but, yes I think you're probably right sadly

It’s inevitable. I just wish they’d hurry up and tell us now instead of waiting till the last minute!

I think it’s looking likely.

I hope gcse students are given priority. I don’t have any children tackling gcse but feel they have been let down.

I think they will close schools,if this new codv19 virus is as bad as they say how can schools open. Over crowded classrooms no ppe etc. All the staff will go down like fly’s.I hope they stay open. I blame boris. For not investing in schools,all the money they wasted .

I do feel like the media is prepping us. I’ve felt like this all the way along. They let the odd little things slip out and then before you know it it happens. Like they’re testing the waters to see what the reaction will be. I would rather shut everything else before schools are closed. I just feel it is so important for our young people. They’ve been out of education for the best part of a year. How long would they be expected to miss now? They talk about mental health but this is so bad for their mental health. My dd was caught up in the gcse fiasco this year. I feel for any year 11 and 13 students this year. My two are years 10 and 12’s so still v important and content and practicals that they just can’t do at home. The learning is there but it’s no way comparable at home and still for every child who is engaging there must be a child who isn’t.
Even half in and half out and some time to deep clean would be a compromise. All out indefinitely should not be possible. They need to ramp up with the testing and make proper plans. Not telling the heads the day school finishes and leave them to organise it. I am so cross with this government now they have made a complete shambles of this whole situation. The country is ruined.

yes, but only high schools not primarys or early years I don't think.

The first week of term will end up being extended with only keyworker, vunerable and exam years in.

I think you’re right
But they should stay open
We need to stop the hysteria

I wonder if they’re going to try and do it a bit on the sly with the way they’re talking about gradual return. They may not say they’re closing but we may find that most kids aren’t back for a month in the same way they had them back in June then inexplicably just let them all come back at once in September

It's a pity the government threatened with prosecution those schools which wanted to close 3-4 days before end of term.

So instead we are getting an equal or even longer period online in January.

Glum inevitability is how I see it.

Priority for actual teaching to years 11 and 13 (followed by 10 and 12)

Plus onsite supervision for DC of keyworkers who need childcare, those from socially vulnerable families and for access to tech for those who do not have it at home

Depends what part of the UK you are referring too. It’s already been confirmed that schools are closing in certain countries of the UK.

I'm in Scotland. Schools close on 23rd. Will not reopen til 11th for staff only. Online learning for pupils til 'at least' 18th. That is all schools, nursery, primary, secondary.
DD works in a private nursery and will finish at 4pm on christmas eve then that's her furloughed again until 'at least' 18th. They can only stay open for children if keyworkers or vulnerable children ans her nursery doesnt have enough if either.
The whole of mainland Scotland goes into level 4 which is basically full lockdown from Boxing Day again until 'at least' 18th

I thnk it will depend on the numbers. If cases comes down due to tier 4 i think they might do a week online but then back in. Obviously if cases don't come down and we get to the point where we're staying to concurrently see all the deaths that are going to come as a result of the current spike in cases then i dont think they'll open again maybe until Feb.

It makes sense to close secondary and colleges although I work with apprentices and I can tell you now, that the majority just won't do any work. They didn't in the last lockdown and this will be no different.

I hope they don't close primary schools, how are people meant to work and effectively support their kids?

@ShameMacGowan

I thnk it will depend on the numbers. If cases comes down due to tier 4 i think they might do a week online but then back in. Obviously if cases don't come down and we get to the point where we're staying to concurrently see all the deaths that are going to come as a result of the current spike in cases then i dont think they'll open again maybe until Feb.

Problem with this is that there has been no notice for the teachers. If they announced tomorrow that I have to teach online the first week back, I would have to spend the holidays getting ready as I am not prepared for that.

It's inevitable that many will.

They shouldn't reopen until they have been made safer for students and staff. The new variant has made social distancing and ventilation even more important and if it isn't possible then school should go over to part time half in half online.

School staff have done enough we cannot ask even more of them.

Exam years should all be called in for assessments and some teaching. Dd has finished much of the syllabus and when the exam content is released in Jan the school can know where to plug gaps in the teaching. Teaching in low tiers could continue at the decision of the HT who is probably best placed to know their school situation.

Many of the calls for primary schools to stay open revolve around childcare issues. I do understand that for those who need to work childcare is essential. I wfh full time but due to the age of my dc they could be around and studying and I could take breaks to direct them. Other people I know are sahp who also could keep dc at home. Those who can keep dc at home should at least have the option of doing so without the risk of fines or deregistration, maybe with a day or half day scheduled outside activities as a whole class. SATs should be cancelled at least for 2021 and maybe 2022. Many secondary schools don't even use them for setting and the predictive power of them isn't great at the best of times, but those children particularly affected this year could have lower expectations placed on them in 5 years time for GCSEs and likewise a child with a high score this year because their school was lucky might not live up to the expectations.

I think on the one hand you can't say don't meet up with multiple households etc and then let 30 30 households mix in a room with almost no SD, often poor ventilation and ad hoc contact tracing by school staff even for exam years. These age groups were the most infected in the country even before the new strain took off.

I really think they need to have mass testing established for exam years before they shove then back in classrooms then learn from that to roll it out for all year groups. Defending opening until the 11 th is sensible because the mass testing announced on the last day of term ( or after some schools closed) is unworkable without time to implement it before the expect normal return date.

School staff have done enough we cannot ask even more of them

That's true of other roles too, and yes society should be deeply appreciative of those who have to keep going even when there is shit all around

YABU to post this outside the coronavirus topic, where all the doommongering threads should be quarantined.