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Telegraph reporting primary schools to return 1 June

364 replies

MummaGiles · 02/05/2020 23:09

www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/05/02/primary-schools-reopen-june-part-blueprint-unlock-britain/

Sorry it’s behind a paywall.

Just heard about this on the radio. They are suggesting that Johnson will address the country next Sunday (10/5) with the roadmap, part of which will be primary schools returning on 1 June.

Not saying I believe it, just sharing the link.

OP posts:
Waxonwaxoff0 · 03/05/2020 07:31

@ritzbiscuits yes, same position here. Trying to get him to do any schoolwork is like pulling teeth. He moans the whole time and gets distracted. I know he's not like that at school.

For us as a household (none of us are vulnerable), weighing up the risks I think it would be better for him to be at school.

enterparentone · 03/05/2020 07:32

Looks like they have relaxed the rules on dining parents for non-attendance on 30 April

"Due to the current coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, schools will remain closed until further notice, except for the children of critical workers, and vulnerable children, who are encouraged to attend where it is appropriate for them to do so.
To reflect this, under the Coronavirus Act 2020, we have relaxed the law so that the parent of a child of compulsory school age is not guilty of an offence on account of the child’s failure to attend regularly at the school at which the child is registered (section 444 of the Education Act 1996). This means that parents will not be penalised if their child does not attend school."

LadyWithLapdog · 03/05/2020 07:34

Everyone has the right to home educate their child and I would do this for June and July.

SparkyBlue · 03/05/2020 07:37

Irish schools are officially not returning until
September

BoardingSchoolMater · 03/05/2020 08:47

I have DC who should be taking A levels and GCSEs. I'd be delighted for them both to go back to school, just so they can do all the nice end-of-school-career stuff. I'm not so bothered about their exams, though it would be better for them not to have been cancelled before the situation was clear. I will be sending them back to school like a shot, though, if there's any chance of it.

Daffodil101 · 03/05/2020 08:52

Zebra - I just don’t think you have anywhere or anyone to direct your fury at.

The situation is shit. But it sounds like you’d rather the schools stay closed because, if they open on June 1st, that’s the bit that makes you furious? Because they’d theoretically be open for exams.

Regardless that some exams take place in May.

Would you feel better if they stay closed, because then that’s not so ironic?

vinoandbrie · 03/05/2020 08:56

I do hope they go back 1 June, at least the primary aged children, and can have the last half term of the school year with their friends, and a piece of normality after the world has been turned on its head.

I fear another lockdown and another chunk of time out of school may be likely at some point in the future, so if the government are satisfied that on balance this can go ahead, I’d be delighted.

cologne4711 · 03/05/2020 08:58

The Sunday Times was reporting this somewhat differently and saying that Y6, 10 and 12 will return after half term. Nothing about other year groups except to say that key workers will be encouraged to send their children back from next week.

Daffodil101 · 03/05/2020 08:58

I’m personally worried about my y10 who is missing a whole term of teaching for her GCSEs.

I feel awful for Y11.

OxanaVorontsova · 03/05/2020 08:59

Zebra many exams have already taken place and will do so over the next 3 weeks, they're not all exclusively in June.

MarginalGain · 03/05/2020 09:04

I have one in year 12, really hope he can salvage something out of this academic year.

A-levels looming.

Powergower · 03/05/2020 09:04

I'm torn. I have a year 10 and 12 at home doing very little. Little support and teaching from school and lockdown is impacting on their metal health. If schools open I'll be torn between sending them in so their exams next year are not too impacted (they've not had proper teaching since early March) And keeping them home because until there's treatment or a vaccine they are still at risk.

Aragog · 03/05/2020 09:05

I'm kind of,expecting us to start to go back then but not convinced it can be full time classes for all pupils, but we will see.

Social distancing will be impossible. We can fit a maximum of 8 pupils in our larger classrooms under the current social distancing guidelines,

We have about a third of our teaching staff classed as funerals, though not shielded. What precautions will be in place to protect those?

If schools go back, even if parents decide not to use it, there will be home learning provided if all staff have to be in school. Even if part time education, unless staff are part time too, the'lll be no home learning for the rest of the time.

Regardless of this - the telegraph doesn't know. They don't have special powers that mean they find it first. Like all the other newspapers have been doing since this started all they're doing is guessing.

Appuskidu · 03/05/2020 09:10

We have about a third of our teaching staff classed as funerals

Grin sorry

Daffodil101 · 03/05/2020 09:11

They probably have well placed sources, however.

Daffodil101 · 03/05/2020 09:11

🤭

Aragog · 03/05/2020 09:15

The flushed zebra - why would you be angry? Several of the exam dates would have passed by 1st June, so they'd only be able to sit some of the exams, not all. And there'd have been no face to face teaching in the meantime to ensure the full curriculum was covered. Coursework and practical elements couldn't be completed from home in many cases so they couldn't finish the course.

My dd is in year 13 and nine of this is ideal. But it wasn't an ideal situation for anyone and there was no magic answer.

Personally we are glad they were cancelled when they were as it took away some of the stress of not knowing, and the fact that coursework, practicals and the remainder of the curriculum couldn't be effectively completed. Yes, there is still stress over the grades but there was no solution that worked for everyone.

Daffodil101 · 03/05/2020 09:16

Exactly what Arogog said, Zebra.

Aragog · 03/05/2020 09:20

Oops - yes, should be vulnerable. Think my dodgy iPad spelling autocorrected to funerals and is been texting my mum about an upcoming one this morning and last night.

Mind, send all those vulnerable ones back with no protection and maybe the autocorrect might play out after all.

MajesticWhine · 03/05/2020 09:21

I have a year 13 DD. I think they made the right decision as ongoing uncertainty about the exams would have been very stressful. Some of her exam dates have already passed anyway. I am hopeful that she (and others) will get the right and fair grades, based on all the work done up to now.

Daffodil101 · 03/05/2020 09:22

Indeed.

Wonder if somebody can produce transparent masks so kids can see what the teacher is saying?

CurlyhairedAssassin · 03/05/2020 09:23

If we have kids mixing again in schools then we may as well lift the lockdown completely, as what’s the point in it? I work at a secondary school in Liverpool. The week before lockdown we had both kids and staff dropping like flies and going off sick. At least 3 stafff more than likely had coronavirus as were told as much by medical staff, despite at the time there being no testing unless you were actually dying of it in hospital. They’re still not right, those staff, health wise.

Just in the past 2 weeks we have received emails from the head to say that this pupil or that pupil has lost a grandparent from the virus, another whose parent has been rushed to hospital by ambulance, struggling with it.

This is by no means over. The LFC/Madrid game going ahead was very contentious as it was soon after that they we started seeing a large increase in cases and suspected cases in the city. That felt like an experiment or a gamble when that match went ahead. And so would opening schools on 1st June.

In secondary schools There simply aren’t enough hand washing facilities close enough to pupils to enable them to keep hygienic at all times.

if pupils go back to school then this will be a signal to everyone in the country that all the other measures can be ignored. The 2m rule will go out the window, most medical staff keeping ultra hygienic will become pointless, people will start to wonder why there are travel restrictions in place and football matches not going ahead.

Once kids are in school then nearly everything else will have to go back to normal.

Appuskidu · 03/05/2020 09:31

if pupils go back to school then this will be a signal to everyone in the country that all the other measures can be ignored. The 2m rule will go out the window

I completely agree. If children are nose to nose at school all day and on the bus, there no reason why they can’t be at the park/each others houses all evening and weekend. If parents are all in the playground together waiting, no reason why they can’t see those same friends for coffee/wine/takeaways. The weather will be warmer-if you open schools, lockdown is over and parties in gardens will rocket. The roads and public transport will also go back to being chocka again as buses will need to run to get kids to school, parents will drive them. That will have an impact on NHS staff getting to work/emergency services responding to calls. Things will look ‘back to normal’ surprisingly quickly.

FlamingoAndJohn · 03/05/2020 09:35

Exactly Curly.
If children can mix at school then why can’t they go over to a friend’s house to play. And if the children are going over then mum and dad can go over for a cup of tea too. And if you can go to a friend then you can go to see nanny.
I’m not saying that’s right but it’s the logic that a lot of people will follow.

Also there are a lot more members of staff in schools that teachers. We have about 100 members of staff and only 25 of them are teachers.
Teachers are the ones with strong unions though and I hope they are able to fight for everyone.

Boxachocs · 03/05/2020 09:39

If you refuse to send your kid to school your an idiot, period!!
@user1471510720
I think you’ll find it’s ‘you’re’ an idiot.
HTH