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

@FreddieFlintstone

100% this

Freddie it can't all be about teachers. Kids need consideration too. Parents and carers.

Basically I get the impression that you think schools should not go back until a vaccine is found?

that's not me actually sayingn schools should go back in June. That should only happen if its safe to do so.

My friend who is a TA is super pissed. Her school is aiming for first week in June on a 3 week trial. She is BAME and has Respiratory issues, she is currently going in one day a week and not working with the kids but because it’s only key/sen children it’s not so bad at the moment and easy to distance, but once the school fills up a bit more that’s a different ballgame and she’s dreading it to the point if she could resign she would as there doesn’t seem to be any real strategy in place and the school just seem to be winging it so far from what she’s been told.

hoxton surely she would be considered high risk?

@haden

That’s what I said, however her head is saying she wants the official letter like I have which my friend didn’t get.

Her GP sent a text outlining her condition to show the head but the head then said rather than doing say 3 days a week she can do the one day, but that was based on it being only open for the sen and key worker children.

I think my friend needs to speak to someone about this or get GP to write an actual letter, as the head is adamant that everyone comes in even if one day.

Only the very super high risk got a shielding letter. Lots and lots of people are in the "vulnerable" category that didnt, so respiratory issues/diabetes/high bmi/pregnant. Im not sure they can just refuse to work.

I agree the decision needs to be taken in co junction with schools and educators. Of course they're the ones who know what is actually possible to achieve (re distancing etc) and will have a far better overview over what is bestfor the kids as they will know what it will be like and know the children!

*We will have a huge staffing issue. I am told 1/3 of our staff are in vulnerable groups or live with someone who is and they will be very reluctant to come in. Unions will back this. We will not be able to get supply.

One of the problems is though that this won't be any different in September*.

Or in any other workplace....in the nhs we've just had to find a way to make do, it's not been nice or pretty but it happened. I suspect most other workplaces will have to follow suit. This isn't going anyway and the vulnerable will still be vulnerable. No different in June or September until a vaccine has been mass distributed.

I would like them to relax some of the restrictions on kids very soon.

Give them a few weeks mixing before any potential school return.

Parents need to socially distance or wear a mask but let kids back on play equipment and maybe allow other outdoor activities e.g. Farm parks, zoos etc.

@hoxtonbabe I fear you're right about being able to catch it again. My SIL is a nurse and has just tested positive for the second time, having recovered from COVID and subsequently tested negative weeks ago.

With regards to schools, our Head has been in contact with us parents to say to ignore the headlines, schools can only return when the Health Minister, not the DfE, says that it's safe. The nursery I work at has been told the same and we are preparing for much later in the year unfortunately, possibly September, but possibly later.

Give them a few weeks mixing before any potential school return.

Absolutely this.

the government needs to listen to what educators are saying as well as medical professionals and not just guess.

I can’t imagine the government are guessing about anything. No one really thinks that surely?! They have all kinds of people to advise them.

Many employers have gone further than the Gov advice re extremely high risk shielding. There are 1.5 million in the group. Being pregnant isn’t one of them, pregnant with a heart condition is. No one living with even highest shielded group has been told to shield themselves.
I hope that sense prevails with employers, but ultimately expect the Gov advice to be relaxed even further.

I wonder if all the teachers on here refusing to go back in are expecting to be paid during this abstinence.

Our schools probably don't have any extremely high risk employees but the 'vulnerable' group who are the same risk as over 70s includes eg people with asthma which is a huge range of severity in itself. How are these people going to do social distancing whilst teaching in a full school? If they can't presumably we still pay them not to come in and we therefore have no resource to replace them even if supply was available which it won't be. If protecting them will involve PPE we don't have any and not sure how we'll get it given the restrictions. You do have to use PPE properly for it to work eg don't contaminate it by touching your face etc and teachers have no experience or training on that.

People who live with vulnerable people aren't on any list but try telling that to the teacher whose husband is having chemotherapy for cancer or the TA who lives with her elderly parents. In our expensive town that's really common. Do we tell them they have to move out or lose their jobs?

I work in the NHS and as a larger organisation we have more wiggle room. My colleagues who are vulnerable have been redeployed to non face to face work and so far that has been OK as so much routine work is cancelled. When it starts up again I guess they also have to risk going back to face to face work or lose their jobs.

Public sector employers need official guidance on how to handle this stuff.

Would be great if we could mix kids a bit in parks before going back to school.

The Welsh Government have backtracked since the Andrew Marr interview saying that 1st June was an example not an actual return date. The headteachers and unions have said they have had no official communication discussing June at all

www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-52520747

@hoxtonbabe

You might find this reassuring. The WHO explaining that people who have tested positive and then negative and then positive again are not being reinfected.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/health-52521897/coronavirus-why-are-some-people-testing-positive-more-than-once

www.theguardian.com/education/2020/may/03/revealed-year-six-primary-school-pupils-may-return-on-1-june

When will people stop believing what they read in the newspapers or hear on the news? 🤦‍♀️
The problem they are causing is that now everyone will be expecting schools to reopen june 1st or very soon after. Then when they don't schools will be slated again. I work in a school and I am perplexed how we will safely take children back in and am not comfortable doing so until our plan is rock solid. I understand this is a difficult time to have kiddies at home but please remember the exceptional circumstances we are in

Rosannelovesdan
FYI, teachers aren't at home having a paid holiday.
Take your stupidness elsewhere

@mummaPl

Then maybe someone needs to tell the head of my friends school, she’s opening the school from the 1st June, had my friend has been grumbling all day about all the online training she now has to do including a 500 word “plan” to submit by the 23rd of this month.

It would be interesting to hear from some Heads on here actually as to what they have been told from the powers that be as some schools are saying nothing is concrete yet so just sit tight and some schools are all systems go getting ready for Reopening in less than 4 weeks time which makes me wonder who’s being told what and can a school reopen if there’s been no definite green light 🤔

My sister is a Head hoxton. Definitely no definite directive yet. The NAHT is holding a strong line.