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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Maybe it would have been a good idea to give schools the heads up?

54 replies

cansu · 04/01/2021 20:17

This might sound radical but would it have been a good idea to let headteachers know before 8pm that they need to move to home learning from tomorrow rather than ask them to get started on welcoming students back today??

OP posts:
BrumBoo · 04/01/2021 20:22

I think most schools have been working today with this in mind, as they will be tomorrow.

Snoopysimaginaryfriend · 04/01/2021 20:23

Nah that would be too much like common sense.

borntohula · 04/01/2021 20:23

Don't know whether the fuck my 8yo is at school tomorrow or not as he has an EHCP. Fucking stressed.

ThatsNotTheTeaHunty · 04/01/2021 20:23

Schools in my area were prepping today for exactly this.

Whattheactual20201 · 04/01/2021 20:25

Schools were fighting for this so I’m guessing they would have a planned.

caringcarer · 04/01/2021 20:25

Foster son attends special secondary so has learning plan plus SW so hoping Head will let me know tonight if school or online.

AlwaysCheddar · 04/01/2021 20:26

Watching Sky news and there are five knob kids behind the live presenter skateboarding etc. What cretins.

CoRhona · 04/01/2021 20:27

"our collective efforts were working" as bloody IF they were Hmm

And YANBU.

Blacktothepink · 04/01/2021 20:27

I agree, but that would make too much sense...

Original poster
cansu · 04/01/2021 20:29

I suppose Gavin will be on Currys website ordering some laptops.

OP posts:
Winegumaddict · 04/01/2021 20:29

Teaching unions called for this if they didn't prepare that's completely down to them!

Rosebel · 04/01/2021 20:30

My daughter is school texted at 5 to say they were able to go to school tomorrow as we're key workers.
I'm just going on the assumption that that is still the case. I'm also pretty sure schools knew this was going to happen.

MrsPernicious · 04/01/2021 20:30

They did.
DH came home today with new critical worker letter. Due to the haste it was all dealt with he had copy of DfE email saying letter was vital as police might want to see tomorrow.

Newrumpus · 04/01/2021 20:31

Unions don’t organise school regimes.

CoffeeRunner · 04/01/2021 20:31

This should have been decided before schools went back today surely. Out of fairness to everyone.

poshme · 04/01/2021 20:31

Let ANYONE know for certain in advance and someone will leak to the press...

EndOfTheRoadForMe · 04/01/2021 20:31

My dc were due back tomorrow, I'm due in work, I am a keyworker but last time it was different hours to the normal school day. Do I just turn up? What the heck do I do now?

Angeldust747 · 04/01/2021 20:32

You assume that this was planned in advance enough to put a plan in place!

Original poster
cansu · 04/01/2021 20:33

Winegumaddict
We had a PD day today and spent the whole day ensuring that we had lessons and cover in place for teachers who were not coming in tomorrow. We have two year groups in remote learning and had that all set up with different teachers allocated to different students. We also set up a testing centre and arranged testing for tomorrow. Now the arrangements have changed we can rip all those arrangements up and start again. How is that the school's fault? Please explain.

OP posts:
Clackyheels · 04/01/2021 20:33

Very rarely ate teaching unions listened to
I cannot believe anyone is defending the poor management of this situation. Teaching unions used the scientific evidence to tell the government and its staff that schools weren't safe to be opened. On multiple occasions the government told them that's not true you need to send in your children. Were teachers meant to do 2 sets of planning just in case??

Most I'm sure have as past experience has allowed us to predict u-turns, but to suggest that it's schools own fault if they struggle with this announcement is ridiculous.

davekim · 04/01/2021 20:36

@Winegumaddict

Teaching unions called for this if they didn't prepare that's completely down to them!
Hmm
babybythesea · 04/01/2021 20:36

We knew it was likely. Just not when. We have plans for online learning but our plans for this week specifically were for face to face.
We were in today. We will need tomorrow to adjust this weeks plans to make them suitable for online, then will be ready to go on Weds with online learning. All the platforms that we need are in place, the children have all the passwords etc. We are also using tomorrow to hand out computers to those who need them.
If the announcement had been made a fraction earlier we could have not had the kids in today, mixing germs, and staff could have not wasted time planning for face to face in case they did end up standing in front of a class, as we did today. But hey. Schools were safe and were going to stay open on Sunday morning.

sarahC40 · 04/01/2021 20:36

Spent last week and today prepping remote learning for yrs 7-10 and today refresher training and discussion about live lessons and testing students - will rock on with quality provision just like we did last lockdown. Gutted for my kids.

caringcarer · 04/01/2021 20:37

Just got email from Headteacher she is going against rules about allowing vulnerable children and children of key workers in to school and said school is closed until after February. What to do now his SW will be furious.

FiveFootTwoEyesOfBlue · 04/01/2021 20:39

Schools were told to get plans in place for remote learning in October. Yes it messes up staff rotas etc, but it shouldn't be a total surprise.