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.

No I'm more a thinking outside the box kind of person, or bucket as it were.

Thinking outside reality, more like.

Hand washing stations akin to festivals could be set up. Simple rows of taps with a trough and soap for each individual tap

Nice idea.

Where? Cost? Assuming schools could find a where, who will foot the cost?

@Howaboutanewname if it gets kids back to school id bet the money would be found. Again like I say attach it to walls and it can't be squirted at each other.

Factories who don't ordinarily make it are doing so just now so if it was requested for schools I imagine it'd happen.

It does feel a little bit like every suggestion is met with a no it wouldn't work.

What on earth is wrong with a bucket and soap FFS? You do realise until quite recently in human history and for billions of people currently that is a totally normal way to wash

Nothing is wrong with it.

"But but but wrong buckets, wrong handles, no soap [ffs], I'm not carrying water, how dare you even suggest it, I'm a teacher!, I might catch something from the scary unwashed plebs with snotty noses.." an on and on it goes

It's pathetic

I agree, every reasonable solution is met with a barrier.

I think it could work in some schools. I had a year 1 class on placement who were in a small (ish, 350 kids) school and a big classroom. 21 kids in the class. I was there a few weeks before schools closed and we weren’t social distancing but we were lining them up and washing their hands multiple times a day (and still getting all the teaching done). We probably also could have socially distanced and had them all in as normal. They were all little angels, though, so it’s an exceptional situation!! I was also disinfecting everything at lunch, then cleaners morning and evening.

The issue is when you get to think about corridors etc. I think we need to just chuck away the timetable and if it means every class goes out to play separately then try it. I’ve worked in a school with 800 kids (and am teaching there in September) but we have 3 buildings and 4 playgrounds. I think we could manage it, we’re could even have more than one class out at a time and section off the playground.

As for lunches, I could go to the kitchen and collect FSM for PP and it would be good if the rest could bring packed lunch if possible. Eat in classrooms or in the playground on a rota.

Cleaning - if I have to line them up four times a day and wash their hands then I will. It’s doable once you get into a system. I’ve also done it with my wild and unruly 30 reception kids and it was not fun, but just about doable.

Cleaning - aren’t cleaners allowed in? We could have the usual morning and evening clean and run round the tables, tops of chairs and handles at lunch, it would probably take 7 mins tops.

My old/new school were doing temperature checks too when I went for interview, each year group had a thermometer I think and checked in turns when they got into school. One of those ones where you hold it to their head and it beeps.

The ONLY way this would be even SLIGHTLY manageable (and I’m talking here about all kids in), is if the timetable and curriculum were shelved for now and SLT WERE SUPPORTIVE. Any teacher will tell you there is absolutely no way this would be doable with the current expectations on children and teachers. You won’t be able to produce the same amount of work. Lunchtime is already mental for teachers and we work through it without also having to clean stuff and potentially supervise our class.

I’m really not saying any of this would work and I can’t comment for secondary but I guess it’s a start, I’m really keen for schools to go back as soon as it is safe (not that anyone will know for sure but our best guess). I think it will involve us making a lot of changes and taking on more work but I’m willing to try it. Fuck knows how you’d social distance in class though, I feel you’d have to have 50% in at a time or throw it out the window.

And all the kids getting sent home cos Billy threw a bucket of water over them and now they're soaking.

Haha!!
Thank you for that! So true!

Or the spilt bucket of water in the corridor being used as a water slide by 50 year 9s!!!

Could they not install them outside every classroom like they have in hospitals?

A very good idea. I’m sure if the government did that, staff would be very pleased.

What would probably happen is that if they decided this was the way to go, rather than just sending round a company to fit them (like they would have done in the days when all schools were LEA), they’d promise to give each school, eg £5 per sanitiser machine, when they actually cost £30 (making numbers up as I have no idea what they cost) as that’s exactly what happens with the ‘free’ nursery places and then schools could claim back the inadequate recompense at the end of the next tax year.

No doubt I’m just thinking of problems though, not solutions.

Again like I say attach it to walls and it can't be squirted at each other

But they can rub each other’s faces in it. Or get themselves under it and attempt to drink it that way.

You would not believe the stupidity teens are capable of in a group.

I’m going to stick my neck out here.

If I was a teacher I’d want to stay off until September. I’d be on full pay, I wouldn’t have to take any increased risk. Keeping schools closed might help. The weather is ace. My kids are old enough to cope, just.

I don’t know, if I was a teacher, I might argue that from a purely selfish viewpoint. Can’t honestly say I wouldn’t.

@Flaxmeadow

I tell you what, why not volunteer your services to schools as a consultant, put your fantastic, both-feet-firmly-in-the-real-world ideas to the school managers, including suggestions for where to cut the budget to pay for your buckets and soap idea - job done.

Or better still, put yourself forward to ask a question from the public to the daily coronavirus briefing, which is broadcast to the nation. I’m sure the general public will be able to make their minds up about who the sensible ones are.

If I was a parent, struggling to cope with dc at home, I might argue they go back on Monday. After all they seem less likely to get sick, and I'm not that bothered about older children/staff.

I think 50% at a time is reasonable. I also think losing actual teaching time to implement the hand washing is absolutely reasonable too and as a parent I'd support it.

Yes it would be a pain in the arse for kids to only be in 2 days a week but for me it's 2 days I could work rather than 0 and it's getting my child socialising and giving him a sense of normal.

There has to be a compromise. It doesn't have to be all or nothing.

Perhaps if childminders were allowed to re open those of us who wanted to work FT could send our children their on their none school days.

Are you on Twitter @Flaxmeadow. I reckon you should start tweeting the education secretary. With your brilliant ideas we'll all be back to normal in no time

I have planned for a bucket outside each classroom's external door and children bring in their own towel. I have had soap on order before we closed down and have put in a second order with a different company since, but none is yet to arrive. We are talks with our LA to source it as all local schools are struggling.
We are making plans - we are trying. However, all that said, I need to know what I'm allowed to do. Being aggressive and unkind is not helpful but equally, immediately throwing everything out as 'can't happen' isn't either.
We really need to work together. Throwing mud from either side is easy but gets us no closer to a solution. I am thinking outside the box but I need to look after my staff, children and families. I also need to wait for those above me to tell me what I can do and when.

Heads are concerned about ghost schools. Where parents won’t send their children in. Opinion poll 2 days ago saying most parents don’t want their children to go back.

I won’t send my dc in. Schools are filthy disgusting areas. Years upon years of caked on dirt.

We don’t put up barriers, we do it deliberately to goad all the self entitled parents on here🤣well l do. The parents who live in mumsnet la la land, totally removed from real life.

I find it amusing😁

I agree, every reasonable solution is met with a barrier
Or
every crap solution has its flaws pointed out?

@Howaboutanewname

Then erm discipline them? Send them home? Exclude them ffs.

Why don't you just be honest and say no I'm not willing to make any compromise?

Omg I’ve just read the previous page and I am laughing at the idea of 30 buckets of water?!? Every school I’ve been in has had a sink in each classroom, you leave the tap running and like the kids up with sleeves rolled up. Wet their hands, squirt of soap, send them to the back of the line to rub it in. Then by the time they get to the front again it’s been at least 20 seconds and you rinse it under the tap. Dry on a tea towel which has only been touched by freshly washed hands.
It takes a while but it IS doable, like I said I’ve done it with two very different classes including 30 bonkers and lovely reception kids with poor behaviour, without hand gel what is the other option?

every reasonable solution is met with a barrier

Unfortunately, what parents don’t understand is how children behave in a group in the school environment. So you can tell us your lovely snowflake would never do that but we know exactly what would happen with buckets of water and bars of soap or hand sanitizer on the wall.

I like the festival trough idea and can see that working to a point say, outside with some kind of shelter over it, several around a school. But the cost is the issue and again, parents don’t understand just how ‘on a shoestring’ we are. It also wouldn’t happen overnight.

@Howaboutanewname that is the biggest barrier cost but then so is everything right now.

It would most likely lead to a loss of outdoor space too so it all depends on priorities

But @Fedup21 if the government want schools to open they will have to implement something won't they?

What is your ideal scenario here?

Every school I’ve been in has had a sink in each classroom

Every school? Not in secondary. Reception and year one in my school.

Then erm discipline them? Send them home? Exclude them ffs

Ahh, That’s the problem... teachers just aren’t strict enough!