In your opinion, when do you think the kids will be back at school?

[HowFurloughCanYouGo]

I change my mind every day depending on what I read. It ranges anywhere between May and September.

I just wondered what others thought?

June or September depending on whether they decide to open the schools first or last.

Also, I think it will be staggered, some age groups at a time rather than whole schools at once. Unfortunately the kids are going to be the biggest germ spreaders in this.

I don't think kids will be encouraged to visit Grandparents etc any time soon.

After May Half term but I think there maybe a second wave and we will be shut down again around October time. My thoughts are that if they open up for September then the second wave will be around the time when seasonal flu starts to hit. The health authority will want to avoid that so by relaxing measures in the summer it will mean the NHS can get through the second wave before seasonal flu starts to fill up the wards again,

And your daily reminder that head teacher friends know EXACTLY the same amount as friends who work in Asda or bin men friends.

The Education Secretary's comment was specifically in response to the question of whether schools would be expected to open over the summer holidays. He's not being drawn on this - he won't give any clues as to when they will open, probably because he doesn't know as it depends on what the Almighty SAGE, who are the only experts they listen to, say.

We had an email from our Head today saying she was encouraged by schools opening in other countries and hoped we would be open again soon, but who knows. I would like to think after May half term for my Y6 at least, who's already missed out on so many of the rites of passage she has been looking forward to for so long.

I hope that they can phase pupils back after May half term, even if it's part time.

And your daily reminder that head teacher friends know EXACTLY the same amount as friends who work in Asda or bin men friends
Seconded.

Teacher here. Realistically schools can not go back fully, as they were, until social distancing is abandoned. There is no point in 2m apart in the supermarket if thousands of young children/teens are crammed in small classrooms and corridors together.

However, I do think a partial opening, part time opening could happen if schools are given plenty of time to plan for it. Senior leaders need to re timetable based on staff who are shielding being absent, they need to split classes in half maybe 3rds and then staff them. A rolling lunchtime would need to be organised and staffed.

18th May

Whenever it is I want it to be non-compulsory so that families can use their own discretion about whether having a child going to school and then coming back to a household with a vulnerable person in it is a good idea. Not everyone who is vulnerable is on the shielding list, so parents - and schools - have to be allowed some leeway about this.

None of the current models for easing lockdown really offers any insight into how the government intends to combine the desire to reopen schools as soon as possible and the imperative to protect the elderly and vulnerable until an effective vaccine is widely available. The same goes for teachers who have a vulnerable person in their family, of course. These are all the same issues that led schools to close before the government really wanted them to, and as far as I can see none of them have been addressed as we move forward.

At the very least, I would like to see all the remote learning methods that schools have been trying out maintained for children who aren't coming in, so that a choice not to send your child in need not mean they aren't getting any education once schools are technically open again. Having fewer kids physically present would make it easier to maintain some measure of social distancing for those that are, so everyone would benefit.

September, but even then they might go back with reduced timetables and online learning.

August in Scotland

However, I do think a partial opening, part time opening could happen if schools are given plenty of time to plan for it. Senior leaders need to re timetable based on staff who are shielding being absent, they need to split classes in half maybe 3rds and then staff them. A rolling lunchtime would need to be organised and staffed.

This is exactly what I wondered could happen.

I'd like mine to go back, I think it would feel safer if it was part time/smaller groups.

Equally I'd be happy to get back to work if precautions were taken.

Possibly after the may half term, with some kind of phased system.

Back to normal in September.

I think June.

I am really sick of my children, why do people pretend they love it? LOL

Wonder if this is some help to parents like me worried about their Year 6 kids missing out on last days of primary school ...just a thought.

If they don’t go back until September , maybe the Year 6 Leavers Do and secondary school transition/induction days will happen in the first week of September instead?

Leavers Party could happen after 5pm in the old junior school hall somewhen.

The secondary school transition/induction/meet the teacher could happen a few days before secondary school term starts. Not much different to it happening 2 months before really.

My son is the only boy in his entire Year 6 not going to the same secondary as everyone else, so he’s particularly sad about not saying goodbye to his friendship group. He wasn’t allocated the same school as them despite putting it as first choice.

Maybe I’ll email the junior school headmaster and ask if he has any plans.

@Wetfloortiles I'm not pretending

I love having them at home. Especially when there's a deadly virus doing the rounds.

Every day this comes up, why?

I see the OP hasnt even come back to acknowledge the posts, what use is a load of random dates? I know I've asked this before but I haven't yet seen a valid answer?

OP, please come back and tell us why you want to know?

@circusintown
I was quite clearly joking, hence the laughing face.

I don't think it's necessarily parents having enough of their children. My dc's are missing school terribly. They need their mates and their routine. I can't keep them stimulated at home.

I dont think primary schools will go back. I think society will decide that the service it actually wanted was childcare and a national childcare service will be set up for 2-12 year olds - it will still teach reading and maths but in a very differnt way. Then secondary will end at 18 and have no GCSE level.

Grass really?! You think the whole schooling system will change?

I want education for my kids. Don't need childcare or want it

What is your criteria for deciding when to send your DC’s back to school, regardless of when they reopen.

NOBODY KNOWS.
There, sorted it.

What I'd like (assuming it's 'safe' and realise that's a relative concept) is to go back for the month of July

Not much good to those of us whose schools break up in June. Bah. I want them to go back now, this minute, but, like everyone else, have no clue when it will actually be.