So parents now have 5 days to...

[Tanaria]

... find appropriate childcare?

The announcement that secondaries are not going back until w/b 11th with exam classes and w/b 18th for all other years, together with the very vague "some" primaries will be shut in high-infection areas.

Given that most of us have been plunged into Tier 4, how will we actually find out whether our children can go back to school?

Which areas? He vaguely mentioned a list

I'm waiting to hear directly from my children's schools.

Tier 4 secondary, non exams years.

But the SLTs only found about this on the telly, same as everyone else, so they'll need a bit of time to formulate plans.

So it is the tier 4 areas? What confused me is he said most primaries would go back as planned, but aren't most areas now in tier 4?

Poor Head Teachers. They got Christmas Day off but now need to organise the return of kids, testing, Brexit. Such poor communication.

I know things are constantly changing, but it certainly demonstrates what a willywaving arse Gavin Williamson was, ignoring Greenwich council's decision to close schools a week early before Christmas.

Ugh, we're in 3 tier education here and the advice is even more confusing! Half the school in, half at home?!

Areas haven't been released yet.

I work in secondary, now all of my planning will suddenly have to be changed to online again (I mainly teach Y11-13) instead of students being able to be in schools, there will be attendance chaos again if older siblings will have to look after younger ones due to no notice given.

And I have a DC in primary, which may or may not be open (the BBC article says shut, not sure whether key worker children are excluded from this?)

But most of all I feel sorry for our parents. So many of them will struggle, again, with little to no notice of whether or not their children are being taken care of. So many have relied on food parcels from us over the Christmas holidays. So many are broke at this time of year anyway, how will they be able to afford yet another few weeks?

What confused me is he said most primaries would go back as planned, but aren't most areas now in tier 4?
That confused me too!

It's for Tier 4 'hotspots' not all Tier 4. These hotshots will be announced at the very last minute as usual in a bit.

What confused me is he said most primaries would go back as planned, but aren't most areas now in tier 4?

Apparently not all tier 4 area primaries will be shut.

No warning, no planning ahead. I despair.

I don’t mean to be rude and I’m certainly not intending to be fussy but, genuinely, what do you expect the government to do? The situation is fast-moving and they are reacting when need be.

I get that it’s frustrating but I do wonder what people want the government to do. They are damned if they do and damned if they don’t.

Areas have been released now, all over twitter and also on other threads

Yes that makes no sense. Van tam is just describing how most areas are in T4!

Schools are open in tier 4!

List available in appendix in this link

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachmentdata/file/948580/Contingencyyframeworkimplementationnguidance.pdf

Thank you, that must be the 'list' he mentioned

@AlwaysLatte

What confused me is he said most primaries would go back as planned, but aren't most areas now in tier 4? That confused me too!

Even tier 4 primaries are going back as normal expect for some as yet undisclosed specific exceptions is what they've said as I understand it

How vague and entirely unhelpful.

Also wondering what’s going to happen to maternity, since NHS England released those ridiculous unrealistic guidelines recently and they must have known what was coming. People will be furious with maternity staff, and the government will be off the hook since they put out guidance! Absolutely sick of being on the receiving end of this stuff now.

Totally agree @Ribrabrob.

@SabsFabulous thank you

but surely most secondary age students don't need parents to stay at home?

So to be clear? Rather than going back from next week onwards the secondary schools have an additional week at home with no learning. Then commence home learning on the 11th? Rather than commencing next week from home
I'm so confused

*I don’t mean to be rude and I’m certainly not intending to be fussy but, genuinely, what do you expect the government to do? The situation is fast-moving and they are reacting when need be.

I get that it’s frustrating but I do wonder what people want the government to do. They are damned if they do and damned if they don’t.*

Prevention would have been better than reaction.

This was foreseeable. Mixing at Christmas (cancelled too late for far too many to have impact), schools begging to be able to shut early to prevent the same chaos after the break and being penalised if they made that decision. The new strain, which, as published days ago, spreads faster among young people also. Winter in general. It's not rocket science to see what should have happened weeks ago.

We're not on the list.

Areas affected by the primary schools changes