For those who want schools to go back..

[pfrench]

.. tell us how you think it should work. Primary or secondary.

In your ideal world.

How would social distancing be adhered to?
How about drop off and pick up?
How would classrooms operate?
How about lunchtimes and breaktimes?
What about after school childcare provision?
What about staff who are sheidling?
What about children who are sheilding?
What about staff who have family members who are sheilding?
Should only some children go back? Who should they be and why?

So many education and school experts on here, it will be interesting to read your safe solutions.

Transition years first 6,11,13

But the y11/13 have no exams, no curriculum to do and would be on study leave/left altogether by June. What would they be transitioning to?

Y10/12 would make far more sense.

Wales have just announced schools are not opening on June 1 and told people to ignore speculation. The Welsh and English education systems are quite closely linked even though it’s a devolved issue.

But wasnt it rife in schools for probably nearly a full half term before lockdown and the figures on the numbers under 19 and teachers who were seriously ill is low.

Was it? When do you think this was?

Also, the number may be low but teachers have died due to this, and your tone comes across as quite flippant and disrespectful.

Why would y11 go back??

Well that would be why there are so many residents dying then...
20% of cases asymptomatic.
If you have cases especially in the staff they need to all be tested.
This is why other countries are doing better with the deaths.
If we had stopped the italy school trips returning to school it would have saved billions and lives.
If you are too conservative with who needs to stay home the virus gets out of control.
Tbh even if you dont shut the school imo once you announce a case there maybe 25% will remove their kids. That would be because even if they are taught in 10-15 classes most kids have siblings so someone might have one in the affected class.

The gov dont seem to grasp how interconnected everything is.

Masks are the key to reducing asymptotic spread.

Pity we cant all get behind the country whose policy we prefer rather than being stuck here with this SS

teamNZ/Auz/Germany.

Yes they are trying /opening schools but it actually looks safer to do that.
Even US is keeping schools shut in NY because they have a lot of cases.

In secondary, I think maybe 50% of each year group in for a week, then the other 50% might be better for timetabling.

I work in admin in an infant school so know nothing about teaching - but a tiny bit about the logistics of pick ups etc..
I'd like eyfs back first. No chance of them social distancing but they get the least out of remote learning. If its just them we can keep parents at the gate low, and create 4 bubbles of children.
Then year 1 could come after 3 weeks if infections dont rise, but would be better to catch up by cancelling the year 2 SATs next year imo as they were being phased out anyway.
And year 2 - cant decide if coming back for a couple of weeks for pshe/transition stuff just before the summer holidays is more stressful or not.

I don't understand the point of that petition. Nobody has to send their kids to school -- if you're that afraid, keep home schooling them.

If you think June is too soon, then September is too soon, or December, or any arbitrary date before there's a vaccine. Which might never exist.

How many people is that that need swabbing? At my school, it would be 2000.

It's only the people who have spent extensive volumes of time (not just passing someone) in very close spaces (less than 2m for a long time) with the infected person. I highly doubt that is 2000 people.....

Seriously can't believe how obstructive people seem to be about going back to work. People are going to have to find a way to make this work. Like all the other essential workplaces.

@Kidneybingo That could work, actually. We have a two week timetable, so might need to be 50% in for 2 weeks, then the other 50%, but if we had children following a normal (ish) timetable, that could, theoretically, work.

Not sure how they would work out who would be in each group to make sure all classes had low numbers, but if it's possible, it could work well.

I think more vulnerable teachers can opt for early retirement, long-term substitutes in the fall. I also think team-teaching is an option. One virtual teacher, one classroom teacher. Of course, that might 1/2 pay.

Less vulnerable teachers should be offered PPE if they want it. I won't be asking for it. I accept the risk involved. Lots of hand washing, though. Wiping down of door knobs, etc. I think they are sending staff out to do that every hour (?) in Sweden.

I don't see how staggering will work. Many parents need their kids back in schools five days a week. I can just imagine the fuss some might make because Johnny is expected to attend MWF, but stay at home T&Th.

My daughter is Y10.

Her best friend is an only child, hasn’t seen another peer since mid March. Her mother is adamant she’s not going to school until there’s a vaccine.

So my daughter fully expects not to see her for a good year, perhaps.

I think that’s mind boggling.

@daffodil101 Unless she has a serious underlying health condition, that does seem mad.

However, she might be willing to let her socialise in a small group outside? Potentially?

The French government is announcing more details on lifting lockdown now -- they are dividing the country into red and green areas, based on how severe conditions are. So green areas can have less restrictions. Paris and the whole northeast are still red.

Would this make sense in the UK? Perhaps open schools in areas that aren't so badly affected and see how it goes before opening everywhere?

In Germany as well, they want all kids back in school this month but each region can decide its own approach.

Her best friend is an only child, hasn’t seen another peer since mid March.

ahem.. single child or not, that applies to all the kids I know? Where do you live that children are meeting up again?

I think we should at least wait until we have it under control and less people having it and less deaths. No point in going back until after the summer holidays now.

@Keepdistance that’s unhelpful how many residents do you think would survive if we were allowed to send the entire team home from every positive staff member outcome?
Yes many staff may be asymptotic but despite that risk to the other staff and our residents we have to take that risk to have enough people left standing to carry out the care/admin/cleaning/cooking.

Social distancing won't work in schools full stop. It's ridiculous to even try to implement it, even if class sizes are reduced and classes rotated it just won't work. Schools will have to go back with increased hygiene measures. That's the best they can do. We have to think of the impact this will have on our kids not being able to build natural bonds. Who knows when or if there might be a vaccine? There are other viruses that kids can catch that are already pretty damn nasty. My DH and I caught a horrendous virus from our DS just before Christmas in 2018. We were bed ridden for days and had to have grandparents help out (who fortunately didn't catch it). That's life. We can't go on living in this way. Team sport is another area where kids benefit HUGELY, when will they be able to play football or netball etc?

Well, test, track and trace obviously. Test samples of the population at random to extrapolate the infection rate? If its higher than whatever % in that area, schools don't close. Teachers would become 'key workers' so need testing often.

Social distancing won't work and Matt Hancock says PPE is not required for non resident schools. They aren't social distancing with key worker children as I've seen photos from my kids school. Funnily enough the staff aren't all bleating about being sacrificed/deliberately put at risk.

As for nurseries, there's really no way to justify the closure of the childcare industry for months on end when there's virtually no risk to children or parents under 44.

Okay, so it might not be the full 2000 people. But on my normal timetable, I see approx 300 students a week. They share classes with the other 200 students in their year and band. Each of them has approx 10 teachers. This is without considering cramped corridors (which will be unavoidable). So, shall we say a more realistic 500?

Teachers would become 'key workers' so need testing often

They already are.

Well hopefully you app have masks now to minimize soread to staff and residents.

That doesnt sound like it's going to be the case with schools.

It is utterly ridiculous we know what works but gov refuse to implement it.
If we had been all wearing masks during lockdown we might have been down to lower safe numbers to get back to school.
31+ people in tiny rooms is a lot of virus.
I suggest a trial in uk areas london vs say manchester who can keep their rates lowest.
Masks for everyone incl children in london.

We are so far behind other countries and it is pooking like this is the main reason.

Although i guess if we get divided into hotspots like the other country the hotspots might have to wear masks. It will be rubbish if you live in an area with a lot of Covidiots

One and twenty. Some kids have siblings close in age. Others physically see peers while out walking with parents.

This one hasn’t been out. At all.

So, yeah. Interesting times.

I think if parents want to send their kids to school with a mask on, that's fine.
But with all the other issues I have to "police," (bullying, grading, individual lesson plans, etc.), I won't be responsible for making your kid wear it. Nor will I hesitate to shut down complaints from parents who want 100% compliance.
I will make them wash their hands, 100 x a day if I have to. Particularly the dedicated nose-pickers.

Go damn Yankee. I support you.