Schools Reopening?

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When do you honestly think it will happen? And when do you want it to happen?!

I think the government will do what it can to get the schools open if only for 2-3 weeks at the end of term. That would allow a bit of a sense of normality and also a chance to test things out before the autumn. I don't think they'd go back at the start of June firstly as it's too early and because they cancelled the GCSEs & A Levels.

The Medical Office on Monday said that it could be 3-6 months before things are back to normal - lots of people have read into that "lockdown for 6 months" but that's really not what she said.

I think they should go back in June and stay open longer into the summer if possible.

I think it’s so detrimental to the kids. They are making too much of a sacrifice. I just had to post some important documents and saw an elderly lady come in to buy a lottery ticket and that’s it. What the hell are they bothering for?

As a teacher I have been hoping we would go back after May half term. I absolutely hate not being in the classroom. Remote teaching is not the same and I am also trying to manage a department, check on the quality of lessons being delivered and then mark work as well as teach my own 6 yo.

I have volunteered to look after the children of key workers and I will do so again over the Easter break if it is required.

I can’t think any teacher wants this to continue longer than necessary. If I had the test and had the antibodies I would happily go back into work tomorrow and teach the pupils. I think a lot of people feel the same.

I think it’s so detrimental to the kids

I think that most kids will be fine for a few months of learning in a different way.

Mine are working hard and will be looking forward to their summer holidays of not working.

I think the government will do what it can to get the schools open if only for 2-3 weeks at the end of term

I can't see any schools wanting the disruption of having to open for 2-3 weeks just to close again. And it's yanking the kids' chains back and forth again for no practical gain.

DS's secondary school sent round details of what they've put in place for remote learning in the Summer Term so I think it'll be September before they go back

Don’t know if someone else has mentioned this but is it possible for schools to go back in June/July while shops and restaurants remain closed, then over the summer when kids are off for the shops and restaurants to re-open? That way the spread will be limited in some way.

What’s disruptive about opening a school?

I’m happy to go back, but not without ppe. And this is a sticking point. They can’t even get it for the NHD.

Our teachers are all working, either in school looking after key workers kids or setting online lessons and marking some of them. Think they've had Easter holidays cancelled for some of the staff.

Our LA hasn't been answering e-mails for a month and a half, not sure if a lot is going on there but maybe they are hiding it well. But certainly planning department we applied in August, supposed to take 6 weeks, now in March and no answer.

I agree with the poster who said children are making a terrible, unfair sacrifice.

Protect the vulnerable. Get everyone else back to work and school.

My DH is a teacher and his borough have just advertised for TAs, available for immediate start, to be prepared for the event that they reopen at some point next term and are short handed due to existing staff being off with vulnerabilities.

His head is part of some sort of a working group who propose there should be a "long" May half term and restart and continue through to the end of July after that.

Obviously I can't verify any of that, but what can be verified is that there are many "immediate start" TA posts being advertised by various London boroughs.

It would be interesting to know on average what percentage of children per LA are still in school vis a vis key worker status. I suspect in certain ones it is fairly significant and I think this in itself is an argument for schools opening again as soon as is safe. Of course other factors have to be considered like staff capacity but the social and psychological benefits to the children are not to be underestimated.

This is not intended to be goady or disrespectful to teachers - in terms of their experiential contribution, relationship with pupils, schools and expertise - but I also wonder whether skeleton teaching or some catch up work particularly for ks 1- 4 could be done by agency or supply staff for some of the contractual summer holidays? Many schools employ supply staff anyway: at my sons infant school there are two or three were two.
Could this be considered?

As as aside as a single parent to three children only one of whom is at school I a, struggling to find any adequate time to practice reading, writing etc even fitting in fun things with a two year old and a four year is exhausting: the quiet space and ability to actually sit down and teach is non existent. How parents who also are like me by tech right now do anything is beyond me and I feel the pressure is immense.

May. Hopefully we'll be over the peak in the next 2-3 weeks and then lock down will be very slowly lifted.

I used to teach and would have definitely taught for a few extra weeks in the summer holidays if it were possible rather than waiting for September. The kids are the important thing here, and a few weeks of normality and seeing friends would be hugely beneficial for them.

Although if safe enough, maybe they'll shorten the summer holidays and have kids in through July/early August to try to get everyone caught up ready for a fresh start in September before a longer Christmas break to cover the next peak in cases.

Sept, but I think it may be different in different areas and different schools.

My SEN school may need to admit more children than they currently are after Easter as we don't think many parents will be able to cope much longer with some of them.

I'm concerned about children and yp in areas where there is higher risk of DV and neglect and I think many schools will feel the same.

My own child's school, I think sept. No idea about the winter though. I can see this needing to happen again then.

And what about teachers and pupils who are currently socially distancing due to the virus being a risk? Personally my asthma is more of a problem in the winter. I'd rather catch it in the summer if I'm going to catch it.

The problem with saying that everyone who is not vulnerable should go back is that most children will be in the not vulnerable group, but there are a significant minority of teachers who are (especially if we say this group includes pregnant women) or live with people who are. Plus, presumably, any teachers/students without immunity will still need to do the 7/14 days isolation if they showed symptoms.

In the last week before schools closed, every secondary I am aware of bar one were doing partial closures because of lack of staff. So if we did do a return on this basis, it would be a phased return at best, rather than business as usual. I am not against this as an idea in theory, btw, just saying that the number of staff able to return may meant that a normal, full timetable wouldn't provided. It would be a bit easier once Y11/13 were off, but even then I think we wouldn't be able to open fully to all children.

This is also a potential problem with saying children/teachers can return once they've got immunity- what happens when the number of children able to go back and the number of teachers able to go back is a mismatch in terms of safety? What if your school can't open because no teachers have immunity, but other schools can- how would people feel then?

I think re-opening then doing partial closures, then maybe having to close again if there's another peak would be more unsettling for many children- so if any of these schemes go ahead, it would need to be properly thought through.

Like I say, I'm not against them, but it would need to be done in a way that's fair and safe.

Re holidays, I've never had a hol where I haven't worked a good chunk of it from home, and spent several days tidying or setting up the classroom.

We all know working in the hols is part of the job.

The cynic in me says the self employed get cash from June, so possibly June if risk has lessened or in more rural areas... I had thought September... and think for London or high density areas it may still be then...

The stats below will be the reason why the schools will be expected to open as soon as the peak has passed:

Older teachers may have the choice whether to still teach, those with serious medical vulnerabilities of course, may work from home running on line learning possibly, but for everyone else it does not make sense to close the schools for almost seven months (based on suggested dates in September) Meaning the loss of almost a whole academic school year for most children:

This is the latest stats worldwide:

COVID-19 Fatality Rate by AGE:
*Death Rate = (number of deaths / number of cases) = probability of dying if infected by the virus (%). This probability differs depending on the age group. The percentages shown below do not have to add up to 100%, as they do NOT represent share of deaths by age group. Rather, it represents, for a person in a given age group, the risk of dying if infected with COVID-19.

AGE
DEATH RATE
confirmed cases
DEATH RATE
all cases
80+ years old
21.9%
14.8%
70-79 years old
8.0%
60-69 years old
3.6%
50-59 years old
1.3%
40-49 years old
0.4%
30-39 years old
0.2%
20-29 years old
0.2%
10-19 years old
0.2%
0-9 years old
no fatalities

In general, relatively few cases are seen among children

We should still continue to shield those that need it, but once the worst is over we should all return to school and work, minimising risks as before and taking care if we do become ill. We should follow the South Korea model, test everyone all of the time, antibody tests rolled out and we carry on with life.

I’m in England. Focusing on Primary schools as that’s where mine are. I’m hoping by mid June (so a 5-6 week half term rather than the 7 week one we should be having). That’s assuming all the measures currently in place work as planned. That way teachers will be able to see where children are with their work & understanding etc & for the y6’s to get some chance of prep for their move up to secondary school (same for nursery children coming up, those going from rec to y1 & y2 up to y3). I know the school mine are at very much want to open to all pupils again before the academic year is over.

The refunding if trips is a red herring. Our school aren’t processing any refunds until they re-open.

I don’t think messing with the summer hol is particularly fair on all the staff currently working themselves ragged trying to prepare each weeks home learning/getting it out to parents while also working within the school on a rota basis to look after the children of key workers. They’re going to need a break by then.

For pp who mentioned the selfishness of those who have holidays booked. Like many people my summer holiday has been booked for 12 months. I don’t expect it to go ahead but I’m not cancelling it as we’ll lose money. By waiting for the operator to cancel we’ll be able either transfer the balance to our holiday/visit to friends booked for October (with the same operator, although I can’t see that happening either) book another holiday for next year or receive a full refund.

I wonder if they’ll send schools back in july to assess what the impact is. As they break up end of July there’d be no drama but they could then really judge what the impact is on infection rates.

Older teachers may have the choice whether to still teach, those with serious medical vulnerabilities of course

If those people were still at home, we would be unable to safely open the school. That’s why so many schools were closing anyway before the closure announcement was made.