How will large schools cope?

[oldbagface]

The school issue is worrying. Our school has approximately 1800 pupils. Inner city school in a deprived area. Huge percentage of pupils do not have English as a first language which may possibly hinder understanding of the plethora of new rules they will be expected to adhere to. Further, a high percentage of kids with learning disabilities, Ditto the same issue. Also, even if all kids were able to be compliant and carried out all expectations to the letter, who is going to clean the school throughout the day. Particularly high touch areas. It's not possible. I don't see how it will be safe.

Then if we go with the untested theory that kids don't spread it. In a school of our size there's a lot of adult staff members. Still plenty of opportunities to spread the virus.

Opinions please.

[daisymay133]

Overestimate my last message should say

[FourTeaFallOut]

It's just more of your personal opinion offered up as fact.

[daisymay133]

Maybe and I may be totally wrong but look on every single news site right now

It’s discussed on every one as the next step

[Futurenostalgia]

The teachers’ unions are not happy.

[noblegiraffe]

Daisy the news sites are all reporting on what each other are saying because they’ve literally nothing else to do.

[BelleSausage]

@daisymay133

There are 36.5 million working adults and only 4.5 million children at nursery and primary.

Almost everyone can go back to work without schools going back,especially if we are all working split shift for social distancing.

[middleager]

Exactly Belle

[FirTree31]

I don't see how this can be policed, I have two DS, one is 5, and I know as soon as he sees his friends he will want to cuddle them. Of course we've spoken about it, but he doesn't really understand being in Primary 1. Of course I want the children and the teachers to be as safe as possible, I want that for everyone, but is teaching anymore 'dangerous' than other roles going back to work, still people squashed in to a small space like offices (although given those don't usually contain children)

[BelleSausage]

I see 180 students a day and pass at close quest era probably another 500 in the corridors.

Very few other professions have such high exposure to other people apart from retail and healthcare workers. And they are getting plastic shielding built into counters and PPE. Ditto transport workers.

No profession should be going back to normal working. It would throw away all that had been achieved with the lockdown. Stupid idea.

[Drgo]

Social distancing is just not going to work in schools, but what’s the alternative? Everything stays shut for 2 years until we get a vaccine?

I’ve seen lots of promising data about the spread from under 10s but we don’t seem to be conducting much research into this in the UK. If it comes true that under 10s do not really spread this, then we have an ideal situation where we can get young ones back to school, so childcare isn’t an issue and parents can return to work. Then maybe bring back in secondary school kids at critical stages, so they can social distance properly and set up a central programme by the govt for home learning for the rest. But who knows? You can’t please everyone, much like the current situation with schooling!

[nellodee]

We cannot stay closed for 2 years. But we can stay closed for another half term (and because of the summer holiday, it's buy one, get one free).

This extra time gives space for us to see whether Switzerland is right, and primary aged children do not transmit. We can see the effect of returning older children by looking at Germany, and the effect of rotating classes by looking at France. We can measure the effectiveness of contact tracing and apps. We can ensure we have a better supply of PPE. We will have lower cases, so even if we do see exponential growth upon return, it will be going from perhaps 50 deaths per day to 500, rather than from 500 to 5000 (obviously preferable!). We might even, at a push, have a vaccine by September.

[Poppi89]

I think as PP said the social distancing rules will be relaxed slightly and people will be expected to wear face masks and have temperature checks.

I do think by waiting until September we will have way more information and the NHS could cope more. Although I feel for this year 6s as they should be getting prepared for the massive transition of going to big school.

[Snools33]

I think this could work with the following 1. Part time school such as half day sessions and public transport changes to accommodate or part week I.e half the classes Monday , Tuesday, Wednesday morning. 2) Reduced timetable and subjects, I.e just core subjects 3) teachers move to children rather than children move round classrooms. 4) masks /face coverings 5) hand washing stations and sanitizer 6) no food options , take away only for fsm children. It's about thinking of how it can happen rather than dismissing it as possible . Obviously different for different schools.

[Snools33]

Also this would be from September and also considering the 2 metre rule we currently have is double the distance recommended by WHO

[EducatingArti]

We do not need to stay socially distanced for 2 years.
If we can get the numbers of infections right down and have a really effective test and trace policy, we can relax some of the social distancing rules.
This is why it is so important not to end this lockdown too early. This is a useful explanation, especially the "next few months" bit.
ncase.me/covid-19/

[neveradullmoment99]

Totally agree with the poster who said she wouldn't be:
Sending children back to school for six week's worth of fractured, chaotic and highly compromised learning

In the case of parents thinking that their child will be missing learning, I say don't be fooled. This is exactly what it will be - fractured and chaotic. It wont be proper teaching/learning. Absent children, teachers ill and other teachers having to cover classes. It will be exactly this.

I feel sad for my ds who is going to secondary after the school holidays but you know, my older children didn't have transition days and neither did I. we all survived.

[neveradullmoment99]

Hoping that what John Swinney said will be right here in Scotland. Schools wont be back until August. Fingers crossed.

[MyHipsDontLieUnfortunately]

I'm having visions of the hell of trying to get teens to wear face masks at all times, along with making sure their trousers are regulation length and they're not wearing false eyelashes 😖

[Poppi89]

MyHipsDontLieUnfortunately

There is a very simple solution for that - just tell them that masks are no way allowed to be worn, then they will want to wear them

[Mistressiggi]

We need mask-wearing skins in Fortnite, then they would all want one.

[Mistressiggi]

One issue with "teachers move to children" (as well as the ones about resources etc) is that 7 teachers a day would be sitting at the same desk, typing on the same computer, sharing the same chair. The keyboard and mouse worry me most as they are hard to clean (I wouldn't be thanked for getting them so wet they don't work).

[Poppi89]

Yes fortnite skins! haha

Yes that is true. Would the children not stay in the same room too though?
Obviously science and art etc would be harder to do - but would it be easier to bring art equipment to that room instead of moving the class and teacher.

[Mistressiggi]

I don't think that's true - you would be bringing set of art equipment to (say) room 1, then next period to room 17 (which is upstairs) then back down to room 8, then out to room 32 (which is actually a separate building) etc. So what would happen is the art classes would consist of whatever you could draw with normal a4 paper and a pencil. Over and over.

[Starlightstarbright1]

I mentioned face masks to my DS..He has spd and want to prepare him incase it happens..He seemed quite up for it...However the thought and rality may well be very different- fortnnite or not.

[Poppi89]

That's positive to hear - they could either love them or hate them I don't know what way it will swing.

I am wondering if they will be using a pencil and paper for pupils and the interactive whiteboard and normal board for teachers. It would be very boring but less risky.
Apart from the new year 11s which need to do certain things for their GCSE's so they will have to move rooms.