Schools Reopening?

[Liveforever86]

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

26th May.

I'm mentally preparing myself for September.

However, I hope they reopen 2 weeks after bad term then have a few weeks of going fb through work that was set and end of term activities then break up for summer as normal.

I hope they honour the summer holidays as normal because it's a long slog till Christmas with only half term as it is.

Most likely September now, crazy but that's what my school are planning for.

I have twin DS with Sen boy2 had just auditioned for the end of primary school play and apparently has a singing voice that made his teachers cry that I've never even heard. There are so many little things they will miss, big school trip, sports day, special assembly..Add to the fact only boy 1 has a school place for secondary in September...we are still waiting for boy2 to be allocated a school. Both will need lots of transitioning to secondary, I am very very concerned that they won't get any extra support.

I spoke to a Headteacher. She said they really don't expect it to happen before September.

I really wouldn't take what a random headteacher - or anyone on here - says for granted. I work with schools, and the amount of gubbins they come out with in the last two weeks is astonishing. (not their fault, but there are far too many competing agencies trying to advise schools for clear and simple information to win through).

Based on previous similar circumstances, it is likely that schools will begin to operate a rolling rota of provision of say, one day a week in school, with homework provided to be followed at home if it becomes clear that schools won't be returning until September.

But right now, there's no way that anyone can verify this.

I think a lot of people are thinking September because that's when schools would be going back anyway but I can't see the logic.

By September the winter flu season is just around the corner and that is exactly when you don't want people catching COVID-19 again.

June would make more sense to get people back into work for awhile with closures again later in the year.

Opening in september would make no sense whatsoever (which doesn’t mean that it wouldn’t be done). It would mean infections peaking in flu season.
Common sense says either After the peak (so may/june), or spring 2021.

I think even just 4 weeks back before school holidays would be extremely helpful

I agree with this. Mine are only young... year 1 and reception, but I think just 3 weeks at the end of term would be massively beneficial to them before starting a new class with a new teacher and new classmates (1.5 form entry school which mixes classes each year).
I don’t think the benefits to the children is a key factor in the decision making though. It will be a decision made purely on the effects on the NHS and the economy.

It's hard to see how schools could start back even in September but perhaps they'll look to get primaries back at least where children will mainly live very local to the school, not sure about secondary before Christmas. Online learning until then? GCSEs and A levels could be assessed on coursework and smaller tests throughout the year.

Universities online learning all next academic year with national and international travel restrictions still in place until a widespread vaccination programme is possible (hopefully Autumn 2021).

Spring 2021 isn’t feasible from an economic perspective. The economy can’t restart properly until schools go back, as people won’t be able to go back to work.

Next school year

Even if schools don’t start back until September I assume other restrictions will be lifted then, so more people can work otherwise our economy is doomed. So maybe childcare and holiday clubs can open too. So children should be able to see their friends within 6 months but just not in a school setting. I think there will still be some restrictions like large gatherings and social distancing will probably have become an ingrained habit.

People with holidays booked in August are breathtakingly selfish

Perhaps you’d like to pay for all the cancelled holidays?

Teachers need to suck it up like the rest of us. Fine me a more infectious place than a school.
The unions have asked for ppe. Nothing has arrived.

The holidays will not be changed as we are not paid for them. They won’t want to pay us, emergency or not.

The unions will tell us to strike if they don’t pay us. Do holidays won’t be changed

Definitely not possible before mid June when those self isolating for 12 weeks are allowed back. That includes pregnant teachers and those who are isolating for medical issues, which makes up a significant chunk of staff at my and other schools.

I'm just hoping it lines up with when I have to go back to work! I'm a key worker but I've been put on furlough. When I have to go back to work my children will have to go to school. But I can't guarantee there will be spaces for them! I've no idea what we'll do.

Also think September but also having an only child, my DC is missing friends also, so I took hope it's sooner.

This lockdown is not to prevent people getting the disease, it is simply to prevent everyone getting it at the same time hospitals are dealing with ‘normal’ flu. Unfortunately we can’t all hide until a suitable vaccine is developed. Many more of us will get this virus and many more people will die, it is frightening.

So everyone wanting schools to go back early are also wanting to send their children somewhere they can get the virus.

So everyone wanting schools to go back early are also wanting to send their children somewhere they can get the virus

But like you said, we can’t all stay at home until a vaccine is produced. So what’s the answer?

Seems pointless before September. Maybe longer.

I don’t think helping the economy is pointless and I doubt the government will think that too.

Nobody is going to get any true holidays this year, sorry. Once everything has some resemblance of normality, those who still have jobs will have to do a years worth of work in months. Others will be unemployed,
A substantial percentage of those who still have jobs are currently working as well, plus homeschooling etc. its just going to be a lost year for holidays and Other luxuries.

I think a further difficulty is the mismatch between the danger to the children themselves (statistically fairly minimal) and the danger to school staff (pregnant, asthmatic, over 60, vulnerable in any number of ways). There is also the risk that children bring the virus home to vulnerable adults in their homes.

To put it brutally, is sending children back into school 'to finish off the year' worth the additional teacher, parent and grandparent deaths?

That's why I think that, even in September, staffing cover and disease prevention measures, including social distancing and quarantining, will mean that schooling will be limited and possibly part time.

I don't think they'll re-open properly until September. I don't think it's worth them opening for a few weeks before the summer holidays.

So unless they can open by May half term (highly unlikely) they won't re-open until next school year. I think they'd struggle if they tried to open through the summer holidays - it would cause absolute uproar with people who've already booked annual leave etc.

Everyone is saying the schools can't open during the holidays because the teachers are still working etc.

What about the pupils! My yr 10 and 8 children are still working really hard and need a break during a time when they can actually see their friends and be normal. I don't know what the plan will be regarding travel but we would all love to see our elderly parents in the EU if it was possible.

I know my kids and there is no way they would be able to be in school, working hard from August through to the end of October. They'd get sick from exhaustion and then would probably get the stupid virus.

I really want to know what the DfE are going to do about GCSEs for the current year 10s. No matter how hard they work at home they are still missing so much coursework

Realistically it'll be September