Schools Reopening?

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

My children are still working-very hard! Loads of work is being set and they are still Ona full timetable just from home.

If things are back to normal, they deserve their holiday.

You can’t force teachers to work for the summer holiday when they are not paid for it.

The Corona Bill emergency legislation passed last week did include specific wording covering the ability to change school term/school holiday dates etc,

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One of the reasons many schools went to partial closure before they were officially shut to the majority was because of staff shortages. After the notice to vulnerable people to self isolate on Monday night we had 30 members of staff (out of around 120) knock on Tuesday morning. Head had no choice but to partially close the school. We've no idea yet what will happen regarding the virus and the risk factor for these colleagues.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3861458-Schools-reopening-before-May-half-term

Also much business and commerce is based on children having summer holidays. The government would think about what would happen to amusement parks, holiday parks, cinemas and shopping centres if they cancel summer holidays.

Would it depend if these were all functioning, open and still viable businesses.....and a lot of people will have no money to spend there.

I think it will probably be September.

I'd personally I'd like it to be when we've all had a vaccine, but I know that's not going to happen!

June, please god let it be June.

I think it would be lovely, and good for the kids morale etc if we went back after June half term, or at least at some point in that last half term.

I don't think it would be pointless at all?

I’m predicting a shorter summer holidays and schools opening a phased return mid august. But having said that, I don’t think that’s plausible as many families will have holidays booked etc.

My question is, what happens about current year 6 children...do they go back to primary for closure, for a week or so? Do they get a transition to secondary? Or do they just start in September in their new schools? Surely they will need some kind of transition period prior to starting??

I’m hoping for September. Staff are at risk if they open too soon because parents want their children to have their friends with them etc. We need this gone before we reintroduce big numbers back together.

teachers don't lose pay for the holidays, unless they're supply. It's TAs and other schools staff that have their pay scaled down for term-time only working.

I think you will find that isn't true - teachers are required to be available for 195 days per year. 190 days are contact with pupils and 5 days are training or INSET days. We are paid in accordance with those days. Of those 195 days we can be directed to work 1265hrs at the discretion of the headteacher.

I have worked longer hours the past 2 weeks than I ever have in my 15 year career and have had no days off - I also work and worked all weekend.

I am volunteering to work during the Easter holidays but am not being paid for it because I recognise this is a difficult time but I'm not being expected to work all summer - even if it's for extra pay. I think the majority of the profession would be broken and quit if that happened.

I am responsible for safeguarding in my school and lie awake at night worrying about those pupils who have been sent home to abusive households, have not enough food to eat as they are fed their main meal at school and those parents who already have severe mental health difficulties. This is all whilst being expected to run my phase, set work for my class, sort out the emergency provision and be on call from 7-10pm daily as a member of SLT.

It is all set out in the school teachers pay and conditions document you can see below:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachmentdata/file/832634/Schoollteacherspayyandconditionss_2019.pdf

I understand why some people think June, but I thought we could potentially still be in peak then. The current 12 week ‘shielding’ for the extremely vulnerable takes us to mid-June, and people were told at least 12 weeks so they’re keeping an open mind to possibly needing longer.

Some parts of the UK finish for the holidays in June so there would be no point going back then. Some might want that final month for July, in theory I could see that happen if we’re in decline, but really I’m mentally prepared for September. My preference is for schools to be closed whilst the extremely vulnerable are told to shield, mainly because we are having to shield so of course that makes it easier for us but also because it suggests things haven’t calmed down enough (to my mind, anyway).

And even then, prepared for further closures in winter if it comes to it, we don’t know yet if we’ll be facing another wave and whether another wave may be worse (like with Spanish flu pandemic) - although of course I hope not!

I do understand why people want to go back ASAP though.

I hope things open up in the next few months. DD starts reception in September and she won't get to say goodbye to our fantastic childminder who she's been with for 3 years.

I’m predicting a shorter summer holidays and schools opening a phased return mid august. But having said that, I don’t think that’s plausible as many families will have holidays booked etc.

Yes lots of people will have holidays, and presumably if its safe to go back to school, it's safe to go on holiday?

I don't see how they can send the year 6s off to secondary school with zero goodbye to their primary years, and zero transition. I am all for kids having resilience etc but that would be very, very hard on those children.

If people think after the may half term, why have exams been cancelled?

A lot of people saying September. What is that based on, given no one knows and schools found out on the news?

I want them to open so that my little one has a chance to go back into his reception class. It makes me really sad to think he's going to miss so much of that first year of school. However, I think it probably will be September.

Exams were cancelled because there’s a lot of prep for the set up for exams and I suppose it was easier to cancel than try to continue to teach everyone remotely, especially given how unfair that would be for some children.

Teachers get a (respectable imo) salary for working the year. Our contracts say that a year is 195 days but contracts can be changed, especially in a national emergency. The only legal requirement is for 28 days' leave per year.

Support staff are not paid for holidays (beyond their statutory entitlement). They would need to be paid extra to work through the holiday - as those who are required to work through Easter will be.

A lot of people saying September. What is that based on, given no one knows and schools found out on the news?

You could say that about all the responses though. We just have no idea.

@Daffodil101: My daughter is in Y6 and there is so much important stuff at the end that requires minimum organisation (leavers church service, assembly, party, transition days to high school, sports day). They really need an ‘ending.’

All these things might be 'important' but they're not essential, and they certainly require more than 'minimum organisation'!!

Try having a dc in Year 11 missing their GCSEs and your definition of 'important' might change

I can't foresee DD going back to school (secondaries finish at the end of May here, to allow for State exams in June). Perhaps primaries will go back in mid-June, a very big perhaps (they finish at the end of June). But realistically, I can't see most schools re-opening until September here (or the last week of August, which is where it seems to have moved to).

@Magicbabywaves my rough September guess is based on expecting decline over summer but possibly still peak in June so potential likelihood of no school in summer term. So next available term starts September when in theory we’re in/have been in decline and gradually returning to ‘normal’ (fewer restrictions). However as I said, there could be a repeat of closures later on if we get another wave.

Yes lots of people will have holidays, and presumably if its safe to go back to school, it's safe to go on holiday?

Not sure as I think schools are one of the first things that need to reopen in order to get the economy going again. Where will you go on holiday? Has that company still survived? If so is it ready after months in lockdown?

I think it's way too simplistic to think lockdown ends on June 20th & on June 21st or even some weeks later everything will go back to "normal".