School secretary saying school might reopen on Monday

[SistemaAddict]

I received an email on Friday with the weekly news from school. The secretary writes a brief email and then attaches the news from the HT. She has said school might be open on Monday depending on what Boris says. Considering this was published the day before it seems premature to say the least:

A DfE spokesperson said:
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has not set a date for schools reopening.
Schools will remain closed, except for children of critical workers and vulnerable children, until the scientific advice indicates it is the right time to re-open and the five tests set out by Government to beat this virus have been met.
We are also working closely with the sector as we consider how to reopen schools, nurseries and colleges and will ensure everyone has sufficient notice to plan and prepare."

dfemedia.blog.gov.uk/2020/05/07/school-reopening-covid19/

The media is bad enough and now the secretary is getting hopes or fears up (depending on your stance) and adding to the confusion. Does anyone really think that boris will say tomorrow that schools will be back the next day?? If schools are back then workplaces are going to want their staff back which will create a nightmare for childcare that will need to be sorted. People need some kind of notice, not just 12 hours ffs.

My friends house FOR SURE almost word for word

Shit, where's his uniform?" "Hell, we've got to drive him in, better stop drinking now." "Is there any bread left for her packed lunch?" "Where's the bloody book bag?" "Get him off Fortnite now and in the bloody bath." "Are you going to tell her, or am I?" "You know that home learning you should have done, you need to get it finished now, then go to bed early...because I say so, that's why."

@OneandTwenty

Could you please post a copy of the letter?

@Feenie

My auntie's dustman's goldfish is a school pet and has been told to prepare for June 1st also

I'd trust the goldfish over anyone else at this stage!,

A couple of weeks ago there was an I ndependent expert talking on the radio about the second wave. (I didn't catch her name, she mentions schools and my ears pricked up) She was saying the schools going back in June would be good as by the time they finish in July, the second peak would be July-August, height of summer and the NHS would be able to cope. Then as we head into the autumn more of us would have immunity therefore the NHS wouldn't be so overstretched next winter.

I have NO idea if this is government policy, but I wouldn't be surprised if we go down this road.

Oh my days! I’m a school secretary and if I wrote that in the newsletter I wouldn’t have a job left. I wonder how much input the HM put in?

Wales and Scotland have been limited in what they can say because Boris is like it or not the leader.
Scotland and NI have different school holidays to England so not surprising that they might have different arrangements

FWIW OP our head said the senior management are discussing Boris' announcement on Monday and not to expect the school to act as quickly as when school shut down.

Oh my days! I’m a school secretary and if I wrote that in the newsletter I wouldn’t have a job left. I wonder how much input the HM put in?

Exactly!

@Bercows have you emailed the head about this-if it was me, I’d want to know!

Well our school won't be open, it's having a deep clean!

My understanding is that all Government guidelines re schools in England with respect to COVID-19, apply to state, academies and independent schools. So I don’t think independent schools can open earlier. All schools ‘closed’ at the same time.

I am a school governor and am in close contact with the HT. Nothing has been received yet. We will be having meetings next week to discuss what will be needed following the speech on Sunday. Yes schools have been looking at what might need doing in the last few weeks, but couldn’t put definite plans in place as don’t know what will be changing.

Our head has been passing on all of the guidance emails she has received from the govemment about when the school will reopen. I have received no emails about it.

Im pretty sure that the OP must have misread the email.

This is not happening. As others have said, there will be a 3 week warning.
Don't read the press, listen to the daily briefings,

I think the Secretary has been reading the papers and believed that come Monday it’ll all be over.

I honestly think you r misread it

They are opening schools fully to staff not pupils

Staff will need to be in to do all the prep - presuming that it that the 3 weeks notice is given tomorrow

Schools are to be given three weeks advance notice of re opening

@daisymay133 schools have never been closed to staff. In fact they have never been closed. Still students in every day. But only a few so easy to manage that 2m. They still forget sometimes though.

I thought they were fully opening to all staff - not skeleton

I’m in teaching tho not schools andweve bern told all staff are expected to be in long before our learners

I'm amazed that the class WhatsApp group isn't full of questions and worry about this.
Because you must have ready it wrong .
Post the message so we can see , I did say go back and look again hours ago .

I can't imagine any situation in which this would happen and there be no response from any of the parents in a Whatsapp group. Can you post what this message actually said Op?

At our school staff have been strongly discouraged from coming in on days they are not on the rota.

At our school we are discouraged also from going in unless on the rota. If we have to, we have to inform the head, and have a good reason. Most of us can work from home though.

When we get the 3 week warning that we're going back, we will then be advised as to when to go in. But certainly we are not going in at all unless we are on the rota, and the Head has made it clear that the staff briefings before the kids go back will be staggered so we are not all in at once. Must make clear though, this is a huge high school with over 100 teachers and a further 100 TAs/admin/Tech and office staff.

We are not allowed in unless on rota. Sorry wasn't v clear on that. But everyone has been on rots who can.

We had an email from school on Thursday saying that they had no idea when schools were opening and if they did know they would tell us. Fair enough.

Our school is fully closed. Head had made it perfectly clear that everyone is WFH and no one is allowed on the school premises. All buildings are mothballed and so we will need three weeks to get up and running in whatever capacity.

Wales and Scotland have been limited in what they can say because Boris is like it or not the leader.

Health and Education are devolved powers you absolute Tory Numpty

Wow. That’s... wow. Does anyone in the country really think that’s a possibility?! That’s madness.

@candyflosscookie I am not a Tory and I get they are devolved powers but this is as all have been saying a 4 nation approach and they have all been involved in the COBRA meetings. Boris will (as overall leader) want to set that out first.

I said limited in what they can currently SAY not DO. Until he announces the overall framework it must be tricky for them to fill in the gaps. By all account the CV Act 2020 affects devovled powers quite signficantly and they are in charge of a lot but Boris will want his moment in the limelight to set out the roadmap.

I apologise if that didnt come across. I think they are finding in frustrating that they want to get going with plans but need to wait for his big announcement.

I may have to reread more then if I come across as a Tory (which I find more offensive than numpty) and working in law I am well aware of the differences

But this is not about that this is about showmanship on Boris' part