Schools reopening strategy

[Branster]

I can’t see this in recent threads

So reopening some schools is on the agenda?
Telegraph article tomorrow
21:57 update on here

www.theguardian.com/world/live/2020/may/02/coronavirus-live-news-dr-fauci-blocked-from-testifying-on-us-response?page=with:block-5eaddcf88f082b32fdd6c330#block-5eaddcf88f082b32fdd6c330

[bobstersmum]

If they go back at the start of June with huge restrictions in place I think they'll barely get settled in before they break up again for summer. I think it may be beneficial for year 6 to go back to enable them to prepare for secondary but apart from that I think they're better staying off.

[AStarSoBright]

@Yellowbutterfly1 whilst I feel sorry for the year 11 students, they wouldn't usually know GCSE results yet or be starting to study ALevels until September so I'm not sure how they are in a worse position? In fact, you could argue that they should be able to better predict their own grades based on already marked work.
The current Year 10's however are missing a chunk of the curriculum, sitting at home reading PowerPoint presentations and answering questions that aren't being marked so there is no way to know if they are right or wrong, is not a substitute for being in a classroom with a teacher giving feedback.

[Yellowbutterfly1]

piggywaspushed. I know they don’t normally, however a lot of people online are suggesting they should.

Only 2 of my child’s teachers have been giving them work to do. I think the others don’t really know what to give as they had more or less finished their GCSE courses so they don’t seem to think it’s worth giving them revision work for an exam they will never be taking.

[nellodee]

There are 4.73 million children in primary school in the UK, so that sets an upper limit of how many workers would be prevented from working (not including older children who may need additional support, but also not including SAHMs, or those who could work from home, or on shifts). There are 26.52 million people working in the UK.

So, from my back of a fag packet working, you are looking at an absolute maximum of 17.8% of the workforce unable to work due to childcare issues.

[OxanaVorontsova]

My DDs are Y11 and are doing a bit of pre A level work, based on what they have already decided they want to study, also preparing for their driving theory tests. They'd usually be able to enjoy a summer off once exams over, so we're not putting any pressure on them to do anything.

[BlueGreenYellowRed]

I teach y10 and y12, but I'm pregnant and have a very long commute by public transport, so I'm sorry but I won't be going back into school.

& I'm sure plenty of other teachers (inc primary) will be in similar situations or have shielding family members etc, so I suspect the quality of teaching will be quite poor, with lots of teachers covering classes they're unfamiliar with.

Also I suspect lots of parents will refuse to send their children back in and will be expecting the same level of work sent home. It's going to be a logistical nightmare.

Perhaps multiple years of primary classes will be put together & given childcare busywork rather than a proper curriculum.

[AhGoGo]

nellodee

You also need to include the under 5’s

[Piggywaspushed]

By a lot of people online do you mean MN, because it really isn't a representative sample. Of all year group, year 11 I the bet one to be in at the moment! They have definitely not been thrown to the wolves

[Piggywaspushed]

There aren't many only children so nellodee's figures are probably an over estimate and doesn't account for SAHMs and those who ordinarily WFH.

[Piggywaspushed]

Sorry, I see you mentioned themnellodee . I suppose I meant can't account !

[4forkssake]

@Tabby's where have you heard that Year 5 are included on the list?

[nellodee]

Yes, there are under 5s as well. It was very much back of a fag packet working, but I think it gives an idea of the general numbers and a ball park estimate. I'd guess the 17.7% would be too high, rather than too low, if you were looking at everyone who absolutely needed childcare to work.

[Bluntness100]

you are looking at an absolute maximum of 17.8% of the workforce unable to work due to childcare issues

There are eight million children below the age of nine in the uk. So let’s be cautious and say 10 million eleven and below.

Eighty percent of families both parents work or the single parent..

As such the amount of workers who would be prevented from working if primaries at least, as well as paid child care, didn’t open is nearly a quarter of the workforce.

You then add in those shielded etc, and you get to a level of people that is simply unmanageable.

[nellodee]

Oops, 17.8%

[DippyAvocado]

I think it may be beneficial for year 6 to go back to enable them to prepare for secondary but apart from that I think they're better staying off.

Very little transition stuff is done with the Year 6s in their own school so that isn't a reason for them to go back. Arrangements for transition would be for the secondary schools to arrange based on what they feel will be workable.

Y5 is the year being discussed by our LA. Don't forget, from a school's perspective, that cohort will be the one whose results are judged at the end of next year. (You would hope there will be some leeway next year but it's not a given).

[middleager]

So there's other ways to get the economy moving - so tired of hearing the economy as an argument for experimenting with schools opening, especially when working parents of primary school children do not make up our entire working population.

It's ill thought through.

I would love my children to go back to classroom learning, to see their friends, to gain all those extras that schools offer in addition to education, but this is too much too soon.

[Bluntness100]

Sorry to clarify that math is assuming one parent quits and stays home because no child care, and the single parent too.

[Bluntness100]

So there's other ways to get the economy moving

What are they then please?

[DippyAvocado]

Tbh, though, in a primary school, opening by year group will not make any real difference to social distancing as they are all in the same classroom together. There isn't the same issue about crowds in corridors. It would be easier to social distance if more classes were opened, but only half of pupils in at a time. We can do things such as stagger playtimes and eat lunch in the classrooms to minimise contact.

[RandomlyChosenName]

So what would happen to the around 17% of people (mostly women) who can’t go back to wrk because of childcare?

Also, it’s not just about schools. It’s about what happens in the summer holidays - holiday clubs? No over 70s to do childcare will cause massive issues.

Also- I feel that year 6 SATS should be left as they are and not take into account this gap. They can then be safely used to judge the affect on children’s education. Year 5 children shouldn’t be rushed back to school before others.

When the children go to secondary, if their schools use SATS they can judge the results accordingly.

[nellodee]

@Bluntness100 I used government statistics. See below.

www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2019

[NeedToKnow101]

The FE college I'm at is not currently not planning on opening until enrolment at end of August. Coursework and progression all being done remotely.
As a Pp said, most courses are finished by June anyway, so with no exams, there's no point going back for FE. We have very sadly had some staff deaths (probably student family deaths too), so I don't think they could rush us all back in.

[nellodee]

I was using the data to show the effect of keeping schools open or closed. I wasn't looking at the effects of childcare for the under 5. This seems like a more difficult proposition to me to "back of a fag packet" up. I know that whilst I am now full time, when my children were under 5, I worked part time. This is the case, I think, for a lot of people and would be quite difficult to take into account.

[TokyoSushi]

First Minister of Wales on Andrew Marr just now saying that he thinks beginning of June and will give schools 3 weeks to prepare. Says they're thinking of prioritising Year 6 and SEN/vulnerable children. Will slowly add in other year groups but will not be back to normal for a long time, will need to be socially distanced at all times - didn't say how! Important to note he obviously only speaks for Wales.

[TokyoSushi]

Also didn't say anything about secondary. I wonder if primary will go back sooner?