Schools

[Carrotcakeforbreakfast]

I know this has been done 1000 times but my search function isn't working.

With the extended lockdown and daily numbers, when do you think the schools are likely to go back.
I believe lockdown won't end anytime soon but just wondering if anyone thinks schools opening will have changed?

I think they will go back in August .

Are we going to get paid to give up the extra 4 weeks then snog?

Because I am only contracted to work 39 weeks a year. I have already done two extra week's unpaid. I suspect I will be giving up May half term too. How many week's unpaid am I expected to do?

Or can I take those extra weeks in term time somewhere?

What about teachers and school staff who have holidays in place that haven't been cancelled? If we are out of lockdown and back at school, would you allow them to be honoured? Or should the staff have to lose that money as well?

I don't know anyone who is losing holidays or working for free.
Everyone I know who is working have been told they can take holidays now, or they can carry them over next year.

ifonly4 They don't know though. Schools haven't been given secret information. Your friends are just guessing, like everyone else.

As a school, we'd like to be back after May half term. Contrary to popular MN belief every teacher and school staff I know would much rather be doing their normal job at school than what we have now.

If there's even a small chance my 7 yo man cach it, she won't be going back.
I don't get why any parent is in a rush to put their kids at risk, they'll go back when they go back.

Yes as I keep saying teachers could potentially be paid for working in the summer holidays. I don't expect any of us will be going on holiday either home or abroad for several months yet so I don't think honouring prebooked and paid for holidays will be relevant.

Anyone who thinks a child will be prepared to go full on into learning, in a new academic year. After two weeks break since February has no idea what they are talking about. Adequate break-totally clueless. Selfish wants with no consideration for those kids who have missed Easter, will miss half term and will miss most of the summer.

I don’t know, maybe they may want to see their parents if it calms enough their key worker families can have a little break at home over the summer.

@MonkeyToesOfDoom you will need to keep your child off school and also cocooned until a vaccine is ready if you are determined to avoid all risk of them catching the virus at school. For most of us this is simply not possible as we have bills to pay.

I would think after half term at the earliest. I wouldn't mind if the summer break was eaten into 2-3 weeks to make up for loss in learning - I wonder if that's likely?

It's a very small minority of kids who are still going to school. I think the majority are going to be pretty well rested and ready to learn after 6 weeks or more of being at home.

I think it is Wales who have already said that the summer holidays will happen as normal.
I'd be surprised if England and Scotland did differently. There's no money to pay staff for the extra weeks - not just teachers but all the other school based staff who are contracted for term time. And, contrary to what some MNetters would like, you can't ask and expect all those school staff to work for free, especially those already on low incomes.

Teachers wouldn't have to work for free. It's a no brainier, the boost to the economy of people being able to go back to work will far outweigh the extra wages for school staff.

We are having lots of fire breaks put in the roof space and a change of cladding over the summer break.

The low income school staff mentioned may welcome the chance to earn more money

@Grasspigeons maybe that work could be done at the weekends

Or in the 2 week break?

I asked two friends today when they thought we'd all go back earlier They both immediately said after half term, one is a TA, the other a teacher.

I hate to say it but they know nothing more than you do.
Teachers are the last to know. They didn’t know when they schools were closing before the public did. TAs tend to find out after the teachers.

The long and short is that NO ONE KNOWS.

Good point, grasspigeons.

Like grass pigeons - if things are safe enough for lock down to be relaxed enough for people to be working and children to be looking to go to schools, then our school is having substantial building work, some important safety work and general but required decorating over the summer break.

If social distancing is still necessary, full time school woudn't be possible. We can fit 8 pupils in our largest classrooms at present.

grass pigeons

Our building work is due to take around 5 weeks. Hence why it wasn't booked over Easter or the half terms. It was delayed fro last summer due to an issue with the LEA's contractors. Some of it really needs to be done this summer as a result.

Teachers wouldn't have to work for free. It's a no brainier, the boost to the economy of people being able to go back to work will far outweigh the extra wages for school staff.

*What about the tourism industry?
*

Well I work in a school and I can honestly say I’d much prefer to be doing my normal job. I’m also one of the low paid workers, I’m in on a rota and also working from home doing training resources for staff.

Shortly before lockdown we lost several key staff members (pregnant, pre-existing conditions), children weren’t coming into school and we also had to send home unwell coughing children with a temperature.

The corridors at lesson change and lunchtime are packed, the school transport buses are packed, I cannot see how in a small secondary school social distancing can be maintained.

Nobody knows when life will return to normal because this is first time since 1918 that the world has shut down because of a virus.

I get that many teachers would prefer to have the usual 6 week break. But if this virus has shown us anything it's that we are able to do things in a different way if it's what the country needs.

I get that many teachers would prefer to have the usual 6 week break. But if this virus has shown us anything it's that we are able to do things in a different way if it's what the country needs.
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Have you looked at the length of the term September to December. In fact we are halfway through by February. Most of the learning is done initially. You are not thinking of the pupils in this.
They are very long terms and you want to make them longer! Ffs!*

I suspect that lockdown will be lifted incrementally and that tourism will be one of the last areas to open up again.

I imagine few of us will be wanting to go abroad this summer even if it is allowed.

Difficult if you work in tourism though.

If we don’t get a summer break then the term for the children will be so long!
Also, let’s say that lockdown is stopped for the schools to go back, we would be saying to the children that now they can finally go to the beach/park/swimming pool/visit grandma but they can’t because the must go to school instead.

@RigaBalsam the whole point is that for the vast majority of kids the terms have been extra short due to lockdown. These kids have largely been relaxing at home and will probably be keen to go back to school after 6 weeks or more of lounging about at home. They will be well rested.