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Original poster

How long will schools stay open?

82 replies

belay · 17/03/2020 12:44

Just read that a secondary school in Derbyshire has closed. Says that some staff "unable to come to work" because of risk to themselves and their families?
Is the government forcing schools to stay open at the moment ?

OP posts:
EmrysAtticus · 17/03/2020 17:08

Ours just shut for 2 weeks

Rowgtfc72 · 17/03/2020 17:32

One local school closed for cleaning. One closed today to year 8 and 9 due to insufficient staff.

practicallyperfectwithprosecco · 17/03/2020 17:50

Dd2 is year 9 she is off school tomorrow DD1 is year 11 and has to go in - that's a major strop going on in our house right now 😂

It's a partial closure due to staff shortages

steppemum · 17/03/2020 17:56

just had message from kids secondary. year 9 closed tomorrow, due to staff shortages.
I predict the rest of the school by Friday (with the possible exception of years 11 and 13).

They are trying to plan it. year 7 and 8 in because they are younger and so may need childcare. Year 11 and 13 priority. Then years 10 and 12.

But the teachers are having to either self isolate, eg pregnant or diabetic, or have kids who are self isolating, so now they have been told to as well, or whose kids are home due to closures and they need to do child care.

easter starts Fri 3rd, so 2 weeks to go

Sunshine1239 · 17/03/2020 17:57

Lots near me closed today except for year 11, free school meals children and emergency service kids

fivesecondrule · 17/03/2020 18:21

I can't understand how finishing now until after Easter will work out. I get we are all starting to get a bit nervous but surely going back in the end of April will clash right when the peak is due? I'd definitely not want to send my child during the worst stage.

RhodaCamel · 17/03/2020 18:25

My dc are at secondary school. Had an email today to say ds’s year (9) and 10 are to be off the rest of the week and dd’s year (7) and the others are to go in for the morning only. They are then planning to rotate the years as a lot of staff are in self isolation so low on teaching staff. I am thinking of pulling them out altogether.

onlyreadingneverposting8 · 17/03/2020 18:40

Partial or nearly entire school closures round us due to staff shortages. ds's school (he's off due to us having 2 members of the household in "at risk" groups had 300 students and 20 staff off today - 24.9 % of the student body was off!

Original poster
belay · 17/03/2020 19:35

Ours still open. For now. .......

OP posts:
whattodo2019 · 17/03/2020 19:38

I work in a school and we are guessing they might close this Friday. Our staff our being to self isolate, so looking after the children is beginning to become difficult.
Staff have been asked to prepare for online learning should we be closing early and for longer than the holidays.
We are a private school where parents will have to pay for next term therefore an excellent online service is vital

BriefDisaster · 17/03/2020 19:38

Pretty much all of my inlaws are teachers and they are all fully expecting for the last day to be Friday. They are fully prepped for it with online learning arranged etc.

milliememum · 17/03/2020 19:39

Local secondary school closed until Monday due to staff shortages

PleaseStopCrying · 17/03/2020 19:42

They are closing at a rate of knots around here due to staff isolating.

It baffles me however when people have been saying they should stay open because of those who need to work on the front line. The sensible thing to do would have been to close them to everyone except for children of front line workers weeks ago. Instead now they are closing to all pupils because so many staff are unwell there's no one left to teach. If they had just been teaching children of front line staff they could probably have stayed open for much longer.

fedup21 · 17/03/2020 19:42

I expect it will be very soon. We are struggling to staff the school after yesterday’s announcements-too many teachers are now off.

tigerbear · 17/03/2020 19:43

Ours closed as of today.
Head said they can’t remain open as not enough staff.
All children been sent home with work packs.

Katjolo · 17/03/2020 19:44

I predict Friday!

IndecentFeminist · 17/03/2020 19:51

We haven't had any staff illnesses, but lots with asthma, diabetes etc who will need to stay home. Not sure how we will meet ehcps without 1-1 staff etc.

TheSquitz · 17/03/2020 19:58

No staff off where I work (Primary) but out of my class of 31, 12 were off today and have been told to stay off for 14 days. We are due to break up on April 9th.

bluechameleon · 17/03/2020 20:01

I teach in a special school and we have closed the classes with the most vulnerable students. Lots of staff self isolating but also lots of students doing the same so I think staffing ratios are still ok.

Randomschoolworker19 · 17/03/2020 20:08

I'm a TA in a primary school in Manchester. We sent letters home at home time today informing parents we were closing years 3, 4 and 5 due to staffing issues.

We had a meeting once the kids went home discussing who would be where and who would be covering what. Our Year 3 teacher is now the Year 6 teacher (she's done it before so no problems there), and our Year 4 teacher is now the Year 2 teacher.

Over the last few days we've lost office staff, the caretaker, teachers and TAs and once our head has sorted out everything tomorrow to hand over to the deputy head they'll be going into self isolation too due to underlying health conditions.

Toomanycats99 · 17/03/2020 20:13

My daughter is y8 off from today due to limited staff numbers. She got a printed schedule including, work, exercise and chore time. It even included suggested bed time! She is not impressed. I think it's great they are trying to make them see they need some structure to their days.

codenameduchess · 17/03/2020 20:15

My DDs school has sent a letter home today saying they will stay open until either all schools are closed or they don't have enough staff.

I have noticed a drop in numbers of kids in all years but as far as I know most teachers are still there and carrying on. They have been explaining everything to the kids (my DD is reception) and are working to help the children understand and manage any anxiety around the situation.

Most are fully expecting closures by the end of next week, but as of pick up today DDs school haven't been asked to prep for it.

Pluckedpencil · 17/03/2020 20:17

I hope they learn from Italy and introduce the isolation of everyone asap because otherwise those kids just congregate elsewhere.

frazzledasarock · 17/03/2020 20:19

DC2’s secondary school closes on Thursday then they have a trial online learning day on Friday with a view to be taught online till Easter break.

They’re also giving out pupil packs to take home incase the online learning isn’t accessible.

According to the teacher at DC2 school almost 75% of pupils were absent today.

DC1’s college has said to self isolate if necessary, they’ve also made moves to teach online. They’re expecting to close college once absences are high enough. Apparently teachers and pupils are self isolating in significant numbers already.

BooseysMom · 17/03/2020 20:24

The problem is, once schools are closed, I think they'll stay closed for a loooong time. Because frankly, when do we expect there to be safe justification for opening them again? September?

This is exactly what we were saying earlier. DS was sent home with a thick pack of work to do at home even though they haven't yet announced closure, it's imminent and why would re-open when the peak hits, or before the summer hols. Kids need structure and a pack of work isn't going to be anywhere near enough to stop the wall-climbing Shock