Is it really likely the schools will close?

[sqirrelfriends]

I've seen a few comments on other threads about schools and other childcare settings closing indefinitely to prevent the spread of Covid 19. Do you really think it's likely to happen?

@Kuponut many universities are attempting to digitise as many classes as possible. I think they’re hoping to avoid closures.

I'm pretty sure in my head anyway it will happen this Friday. To help at least help with the peak in cases we are expecting very soon..

I think they will close them a week early for Easter

Yes I absolutely think they will close schools within the next 1-2 weeks.

Ridicully I'm also a governor - and we have had nothing at all on the issue - not from school, not from the LEA (we're not an academy) or the Govt cascaded down to us!

Wish we would digitise it all - our uni is determined to drag us in regardless. The picket line strikers have all vanished off home though!

Mine are already out I’m taking no chances at all I decided Monday and they aren’t going back till things have settled

To answer your question, OP: I sincerely hope not.

There will be some kids going without enough food for a month though

There’s a call to issue FSM kids with supermarket vouchers in the event of school closures. I don’t think food banks will be able to cope.

I think they should close the schools early and tag an extra 2 weeks on to the 2 week easter holiday, However, I fear the government is currently sticking their head in the sand and won't.

I can only speak for my experience, but today we were told of the contingency plans which are quite extensive, with urgent letters going home. I would be extremely surprised if schools aren’t preparing and working together to find a solution - even if they’re not currently sharing with all staff / parents. I also think it’s extremely unlikely that schools would end the Easter holidays early - they know staff schedule their lives around holidays months in advance. That just wouldn’t happen.

I'm part of SLT at a school, as a school we have had no information at all regarding closures. However we are making behind the scenes prep and have sent a letter to parents asking them to confirm if they have travelled in the last 2 weeks.

I would be extremely surprised if schools aren’t preparing and working together to find a solution

You might be surprised, but that’s certainly the case in some schools.

In some ways it would make it easier for me if DD's school closed.
Her anxiety which was just under control before has escalated and she is now refusing school / getting into a state at school. If they closed they would post work online and she wouldn't get behind.

Schools will probably close in the next 2 weeks, but unis can't really. With technical, lab-based and medical courses it is not feasible to go online. Foreign students' visas depend on them turning up for classes. Chinese students keep UK unis afloat.

Yes we’ve upped preparations today and the implication was that this is going to happen. It’s just a matter of when.

Sorry to hear that, Teen, it’s a strange mood in schools at the moment.

The uncertainty is not nice at all.

If they close schools children will have to be confined to the house otherwise it doesn’t make any sense. Give it one week all stuck indoors and we parents will be praying they open the schools up.

Reading your posts, it's definitely looking likely and hopefully in time to actually make some difference to the infection rates.

I do wonder how employers will cope. Presumably people will have to stay at home and work if they can. My DS is 20 months so I have very little hope of getting much work done if I do have to work from home.

They will leave it as long as possible to give Tory donors plenty of time to shift their investments to minimise losses and potentially dive in to buy cheap as things tumble further.

DS's high school has been sending coronavirus updates 2 or 3 times a week for quite a while now. They warned us to have children's laptop ready (or ask school for one), have school password at hand and all school books should be kept at home in the evenings, not in school locker.

Of course his childminder might carry on. It doesn't seem likely to me that they would let nurseries and childminders keep running if schools close. Little kids are wonderful germ-sharers.

Is it really likely the schools will close?

Yes it is likely. I think many LEAs do now think it is inevitable, but not sure when. I spoke with a team leader from our LEA yesterday and they are working towards what plans can happen, but as of yesterday round here not much had been done so far.

As a school we are making preparations for if it happens. I am sure other schools are starting too, though slowly. Finding the time and resources to ensure systems are in place, and staff are trained to use them - and pupils too - takes time and money, even if its just paying for supply to cover lessons so teachers can learn how to use them for half an hour or so.

At my school we've done the initial fact finding and prep stuff, some systems are set up or being set up now, and training for teachers is starting this week. Pupils are being shown how to use the systems (sold to them as how they could do homework at home in their computers/tablets/grown-up's phone, etc in the coming term or two, rather than if school closes.) Hopefully we will be training LSAs on the systems next week, and we need to consider what we can do to support parents. We want everything in place as much as possible but the end of next week - that's a week before our holidays begin.

Secondaries often already have learning platforms they use for homework. I guess they will increase that use. Many primaries dont have these set up, so are having to find new ways - and that does mean training staff too.

School closures are not ideal and do have their own issues. However, they are known to help with the phase 2 contingency plans - to delay, to plateau the peak, to reduce the pressure on the health services, amongst some of the reasons. The thinking from many people is that Italy, for example, acted too slowly. The children who have free school meals and/or low income would struggle potentially due to no free hot meal each day. We know this happens at weekends and in other holidays. Our LEA is looking into that to see if and what could be done to support them.

I think they will close them a week early for Easter

Easter holidays are at different times across the country. Some schools break up on the 27th, some on the 3rd, some the 9th and some the 14th. There may be other finish dates.

We've been sent daily updates and today, we were sent the 'handwashing song' to use in school. I suspect we'll be advised to break up early for Easter x

If they close schools children will have to be confined to the house otherwise it doesn’t make any sense.

Its not quite the same as isolation. Small groups with good hygiene would be fine. In other countries some small groups are happening - sharing childcare for example, and in some nurseries have stayed open. Its about reducing the large groups of people all together - especially I'd have thought - those who may not show symptoms so much but may be carrying it, and those with a lower general hygiene (ie young children) Some outside time would be fine too.

Its like the cancelling of concerts and sports matches, but allowing smaller shops or cafes to remain open - its large groups in close proximity rather than avoiding being out at all.