Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think schools will close soon

373 replies

hibbledibble · 22/12/2020 00:19

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.

OP posts:
Rosebel · 22/12/2020 16:49

I'm baffled why people keep saying secondary schools should be the ones to shut. I know the children are older but some of those children are doing GCSEs or A Levels they can't keep being off school.
Yes primary schools would mean parents having to try and work and home school but these children aren't taking important exams.
Unfortunately the new strain has just hit our area so no doubt the schools will remain shut.
Just pissed off with my children's education being fucked up.

SuperbGorgonzola · 22/12/2020 17:00

@Rosebel

I'm baffled why people keep saying secondary schools should be the ones to shut. I know the children are older but some of those children are doing GCSEs or A Levels they can't keep being off school. Yes primary schools would mean parents having to try and work and home school but these children aren't taking important exams. Unfortunately the new strain has just hit our area so no doubt the schools will remain shut. Just pissed off with my children's education being fucked up.
The logic is:

  1. KS3 and 4 students should be able to get on with a greater degree of independence that younger children who might struggle with comprehension and self regulations. Online learning in the form of videos or googlemeets should be easier to run for secondary than primary.

  2. KS3 and 4 students should require a smaller degree of parental supervision meaning that the parent could WFH or even leave them home alone for periods of time.

I am a secondary school teacher and I want to avoid closure at all costs. Online teaching is really hard and not as good. However this time, we have been trained in delivery of live interactive online lessons, and tech has been bought to facilitate it.

TrinidadQueen · 22/12/2020 17:08

I think so. Would be madness to let them open in tier 4 areas. It's not just the kids mixing but also the parents at pick up times.

Fizbosshoes · 22/12/2020 17:13

*I would rather shut everything else before schools are closed

And that is exactly what's happened which is now why we've got mass unemployment, hospitality and tourism industries in tatters and shops closing left, right and centre*

I'm in tier 4 and work in London.
Pubs, restaurants, cafes, non essential shops*, indoor sports facilities, hair and beauty salons, soft play are all closed. What's left to close? Supermarkets? Chemists?

*ok some shops have taken the mickey a bit with the meaning of "essential" but I do have sone sympathy for them.

EmmanuelleMakro · 22/12/2020 17:18

I agree that it is most likely to be open to KWC, and exam years and the rest online. Talking to friends teaching deprived areas in West London, they have been sending out Chromebooks and WiFi dongles to their PP pupils

lavenderlou · 22/12/2020 17:22

Behold all this baying for children's futures to be ruined. sad

Agree.

Poor dc when people actively want it

Would posters like this feel differently if the new strain turns out to be more harmful to children? Eg, if hospitalisation of children increases? I'm not saying it will, I'm just thinking people will feel differently if the health of their own DC is at risk.

Fizbosshoes · 22/12/2020 17:29

Money to pay for all the extra cleaning. Money to pay for supply when teachers are forced into isolation.
Adequately sized classrooms to allow some kind of distancing (rather than Victorian buildings with rooms designed for 16 children - yes, we’ve measured them).
Heating systems that don’t give up the ghost when on all day due to open windows.

Money you would hope, should be do-able and while adequately sized classrooms, or indeed less children per class (or both) and proper heating, windows, ventilation are all obvious I'm not sure how that can be delivered in a really short time frame?
I meant what is the best solution with what is (or can be made) available. Whilst the government can be blamed for lack of investment into schools, you couldnt realistically expect bigger classrooms to be built in all schools within a matter of weeks?

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 22/12/2020 17:34

Fizbozshoez, everything else HAS been shut. But it’s schools that are spreading it.

Timeturnerplease · 22/12/2020 17:42

@Fizbosshoes Read further down my post. The first part was somewhat tongue in cheek....though nonetheless an accurate representation of the situation.

year5teacher · 22/12/2020 17:44

I will be absolutely heartbroken and that’s not an exaggeration. A few weeks I can cope with but beyond that... I know my own personal needs don’t matter but I will be so sad if they close.

DecemberSun · 22/12/2020 17:53

I meant what is the best solution with what is (or can be made) available. Whilst the government can be blamed for lack of investment into schools, you couldnt realistically expect bigger classrooms to be built in all schools within a matter of weeks?

Half the class in at a time and half at home on-line learning.

walfordwatcher · 22/12/2020 18:00

We should have asked people who are vulnerable to shield and carried on with life. We have fucked the country for no reason. They definitely should NOT shut schools

What about the parents who are clinically extremely vulnerable (like my husband) AND have children at school? It really feels we have to decide his life OR the children's education? What would you chose?

ReceptionTA · 22/12/2020 18:08

Maybe the answer is to advise parents not to send their child to school, but keep schools open for those who want to go. It would be in keeping with the other "say at home but but go to work if you can't work at home" advise the government have given this year. Last June, in the years that returned to school, only about half the children turned up, apart from Y6 in the last week.
And let school staff wear PPE. Kids really aren't phased by adults wearing masks now.

thesnailandthewhale · 22/12/2020 18:08

Half the class in at a time and half at home on-line learning.

So while the teacher is teaching the half that are in school who is supposed to set the work for those who are learning online? Without wanting to get into the age old debate about the number of hours teachers work a week it is not workable for them to do this on top of teaching in school too.

AldiAisleofCrap · 22/12/2020 18:10

I really hope so, my primary kids are home anyway but I and my year 11 are both hoping it switches back to remote learning.

Fizbosshoes · 22/12/2020 18:34

Fizbozshoez, everything else HAS been shut. But it’s schools that are spreading it

I know - that was my point. I was quoting a previous poster but my bold attempt failed!!

Timeturnerplease · 22/12/2020 19:09

@thesnailandthewhale Our headteacher is currently scratching her head to think about how she could make this workable as part of her planning for various possible announcements. One idea was to somehow get classes covered all day on a Friday so teachers can have that day to essentially plan two sets of lessons in one go for the following week. We could probably just about cover the Friday with TAs doing team building/‘fun’ stuff by asking some of them to swap the days they work, but is stuck on who could be online all day to feedback on work submitted, deal with (constant) parent questions etc...

LadyTiredWinterBottom2 · 22/12/2020 19:12

I hope it will just be secondary schools. My DD is so unsettled she needs the routine.

Alwaysandforeverhere · 22/12/2020 20:29

Tier four here and in both my children schools combined only four confirmed cases that have lead to some children having to isolate. 1 in a primary school and 3 in a secondary. In the secondary it was years 10 and 11. Primary year 4.

Alwaysandforeverhere · 22/12/2020 20:30

Seems crazy to close schools even here for 4 bubbles/close contact closures.

SecretSpAD · 22/12/2020 20:50

Luckily decisions have not been made that way.

Maybe if they had been we would not have so many children now facing poverty due to their parents losing their jobs and businesses

Purpleheadgirl · 22/12/2020 20:56

They are going to have to do something. Massive secondary school with 400+ in each year. School had done really well until mid November then it has gone ballistic eg.250+ people out of a year isolating as all doing options. At one point 4 full years closed, 2 years has 1 day home study a week and 1 year fully in because of child cases and a complete lack of teachers. I stress school has done everything they are allowed to do,.amd good online provision, yet still this happened. How can these kids sit the same exams in 6 months times as other kids who have had full time normal lessons!?

MrsTravers · 22/12/2020 21:30

I sincerely hope they do not but fear it is already planned, at least for secondaries in Tier 4. Ministers' wording has been been very careful; easy to say schools will be open without qualifying to whom.

If they do, we are going to be in the somewhat ridiculous position where DH will have to travel into central London for meetings several times a week, as our broadband just won't support both of us working and DC1 having live streamed lessons.

Particularly galling when all 4 DC have just completed their Autumn Term with only one case in the sixth form of the secondary and none at the primary. And much more of a risk to us and his fellow travellers.

Can't see myself being able to continue working either.

MarshaBradyo · 22/12/2020 21:37

@SecretSpAD

Luckily decisions have not been made that way.

Maybe if they had been we would not have so many children now facing poverty due to their parents losing their jobs and businesses

Yet more facing DV, moving into care, or learning loss.

Someone has to look out for these dc.

ChocolateTea · 22/12/2020 21:43

Secondary school teacher here, hoping we do have 6 weeks of remote learning for all but exam years. We ended this term with a massive infection of staff and students in one year group - it took just 2 days to close the school completely. This was with every advice kept to, staff were infected simply by being in a room and teaching for 1hour+. I've always felt confident with a case in my classes that I've socially distanced and not been at risk. Now I'm scared of going back I admit.

Problem is with schools open, people don't take other social distancing etc seriously "if 30 kids can mix all day I can do xxxx" etc. What they fail to realise is someone has to be bringing the virus into the school in the first place, to allow it to spread.

I have 2 secondary school kids. I fear for their exams in the next couple of years. But tbh, I fear for their, and my, health more right now.