Our school is shut from tomorrow

[leafygarden]

Just had an email from DD large secondary school in northwest saying they will be shut from tomorrow until the Easter break - and to wait for further updates on whether they will open after Easter.

I'm presuming this is nationwide

Aw Jane, bless them. Why is it still so packed f there's 300 off? Our secondary has cancelled assembly and because so many are off, they are spread out around the classroom. They are really well prepped for closing and taking tomorrow off to complete preparations, hopefully back the rest of this week though. My DC is GCSE age so it is all very stressful right now. I hope your school gets clarification soon

Still 900 in and all of the staff. We don't have hand gel.

Thank you for your kind words.

I've worked in schools for years and I've never seen a day like today. Parents shouting, crying, phones ringing off the wall all day long, literally hundreds of emails. I agree with a PP, I hope we can stay open as a skeleton staff to support emergency services. But if we do, I'd have to be able to take my own kids in with me.

Jane, the schools my kids attend made it clear from a couple of weeks ago that work would not be set for kids who choose to not attend before official closures

Thanks private. We have to set work as we still have a duty of care as the 12 weeks and the 2 weeks if a government directive.

I would anyway. It helps the boredom and is only fair.

Same here, just had text from DD. Typically laconic: "School closed."

We're North Wales

Our primary school in east London is staying open as long as possible. I am guessing they don't have many self isolating etc.

Although got an email to say swimming, enrichment and clubs etc have all be cancelled

Flip comic, thats not very helpful is it? I did a lot of crying today regarding the stress of everything but I certainly wouldn't have dreamed of putting that stress onto the school!

Wowsers Jane, thats a big school!

North Wales here, school phoned friend to ask why DS was not in school. She should have phoned in with a reason.

Dd2’s school is looking at closing (very likely), dd1’s school are considering just allowing year 11 and 12/13 in due to exams. So one child home and one at school until Easter.

No sign of us closing. Primary school. 100% of staff still in and working. Student attendance is down. We usually have very high attendance but today was at 92 percent. About 50/50 between stomach upsets and covid reasons.

DSs college has sent out an email to sat they will not close unless the DfE says they have to.......

@Waxonwaxoff0 even Trump is sending cheques to Americans to keep them going. U.K: Nope. I understand there are huge problems with closing the schools - or any of the measures - but keeping them open spreads coronavirus. Simple as that. The sooner we move to shut down the sooner it will be over but it’s not going to be easy.

@catspyjamas123 when Trump is doing a better job than our government it really beggars belief.

Nothing about closing yet but we've been asked to gather stuff for online/home learning for our kids.

No it might be because you don’t have enough staff

Wish ours would

Just had an email from DS's school, they're closing from tomorrow for yrs 8, 9, 10 and 12 due to staffing shortages. Nothing from DD's yet. We're in High Peak.

Private no it’s not over dramatic. There are thousands of teachers with chronic illnesses that are expected to keep exposing themselves to the germs of hundreds of children. We are not Martyrs we care about our students but their education will not come at the expense of our health.

PrivateD00r
The way I see it ,I’m returning the love. NHS looked after me with EMC, DD with severe reflux then stitched DH neck when he fell and cut his neck.
Just hope we can use the food tech rooms to cook hot lunches.

My sons high school was closed from today apart from years 11 & 13 as there are not enough teachers... my daughters primary still open

DS's school has shut from tomorrow for all but Y7, Y11 and Y13. They are so many teachers down they can't go on with more classes in than that. West London.

And ours. Herts.

School here staying open just for Yr 11 & 13.

The exam year groups need to be all in or all out countrywide, preferably all out because of those self isolating. Otherwise it’s adding far too much stress and pressure on the kids above the huge amount the exams cause anyway. I’m fairly sure kids are in school who should be self isolating because they haven’t finished coursework yet, or feel they can’t miss school this near exams. The schools that have had to close, those kids are at a disadvantage to those still open, if they all close at least it’s a level playing field still.

justasking111 are you suggesting parents shouldn't have to phone in with a reason for absence?? We still have a duty of care to our kids, both legal and moral. We have kids in neglectful families, kids from families with restraining orders in place due to violent partners, kids who walk to school alone at a v young age, kids who are at risk in all sorts of ways - we need to know where they are if they're not with us, today the same as any day. These are the kids I really worry about if schools shut for weeks. School is the place where they get fed, and loved, and listened to.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-51910835

Ok Bird, I didn't realise that continuing going to work made me a 'martyr', I thought I was just continuing to do what I am paid to do

My daughters primary announced this afternoon they would be closed from tomorrow as well, a lot of the staff have had to self isolate and they don't have enough teachers.

I think they've made the right decision, though I feel for the people who will now we stuck for childcare