Are they using R, Y1 and Y6 as an experiment?

[Crunchymum]

To see how the R rate is after these year groups go back?

[AhComeOnNow]

@Nicedayforawedding No possible other explanation?

What about: year 6 going back because the move to high school is incredibly stressful for a lot of them at the best of times without having to just turn up there after lockdown in September. Plus gives them a few weeks to revisit key maths and English learning before a huge change to a new curriculum.

And year R and 1 because the limited information we have on the virus tell us the youngest are the least affected. Plus the foundation stage teachers are least likely to be used as additional teachers to cover year 6 classes that may have to be separated out and taught by yr1-5 teachers.

Just off the top of my head - I'm sure there was lots of other reasoning. But 'as an experiment', no.

[nether]

Basically, yes.

Because the disease is so much less serious in the U10s than in the post pubescent.

Not just death, severity/duration of the disease, plus possibility of enduring lung damage.

So start with the lowest risk, then add highest benefit. Then add in the rest.

But all spaced out with a few weeks between each step, so that transmission patterns can be examined (2-14 days incubation, typically 6 days after symptom onset to hospitalisation)

[EYProvider]

It’s madness. These are the kids playing in sand, with water. They’re sharing bricks, cars, dolls.

All the playgrounds are closed, but groups of kids are allowed to play in close proximity with toys that get shoved into mouths? And with noses that need wiping every few minutes?

Madness.

[Saladmakesmesad]

Yes of course it's an experiment. They don't know what's going to happen and all the other nations in Britain have said they're not sending any children back. Whether it's MEANT as an experiment or not, it absolutely is experimental! Blows my mind that people are happy to have their kids used like that.

Year R and Year 1 children don't need to be in school or learning anything AT ALL, let alone right now. I have a Year 6 child and will absolutely not be sending them back.

[Nicedayforawedding]

Surely y10 and 11 will be most adversely affected by not returning first?

They have life changing exams coming up.

There is very little information about the effect of Coronavirus on children out there. I think it’s dangerous to think that children this young cannot fall ill or spread the disease.

And you said we have ‘limited information’, yes, why should parents send their children back to school on this proviso? It IS an experiment

[starrynight19]

I just wonder if people are basing this on what happens every year in year 6.
So our school has an end of year 6 Mc Donald’s , a leavers assembly , a residential. , a play , a prom , a sports day , meet your new tutor , trip to high school etc none of this can happen. They will be split into separate classrooms if they return is this helpful.
Also interested to see the source of why it’s year r/1 who will suffer most out of this. Have to say I’m surprised at that.

[TiredMummyXYZ]

I’m a year 1 teacher and have a son in year 1. My son won’t be going back in 3 weeks time. For me - health and safety are more important than phonics or SATs results or even childcare. Social distancing with little children is impossible. They need hugs. They need their friends. They need toys to play with and all of which involves contact. This virus is still killing hundreds of people and is very unpredictable. Links with Kawasaki syndrome aren’t fully understood but cases are rising. The role of children in transmission also isn’t understood. So reopening schools already and starting with the youngest children who are least likely to understand social distancing seems particularly irresponsible. Yes - it would be lovely if life got back to normal but to rush schools back before it is safe is just risking more lives and another wave.

[toolatetooearly]

Only in the sense that coming out of lockdown at any point, in any order, is an "experiment".

[Keepdistance]

I think progress on the immunity. Because most kids have siblings you get buy 1 infected get another free+ parents.
If you have 1 kid in they are maybe linked to 180 kids who are in (plus siblings at home, parents work places). For 2 form entry. Plus 6 teachers maybe 6 ta and a HT.

Even if you split class in half the siblings still link the classes together.

[firstmentat]

They'll monitor the R value after those year groups go back and if it stays below 1 they'll open up schools to other year groups
I don't think this is the intention. Given the latency period, it would take 4+ weeks for the first data to emerge, and by the time it is analysed and a decision made it's already summer holidays.

[theluckiest]

Oh yes. Absolutely.

They'll monitor the R value after those year groups go back and if it stays below 1 they'll open up schools to other year groups, yes.

Problem is, if it does stay low because schools have put social distance measures in (well, small groups in separate classrooms) this will be seen as a green light to send other years in.

Thus creating a huge problem in not being able to use small groups due to space, rooms, etc. anymore and rendering this a wholly pointless exercise. And putting families and school staff at unnecessary risk

[OntheWaves40]

No they have to start somewhere and those years makes most sense

[ineedaholidaynow]

I think with YR and Y1 pupils if they are not getting any educational interaction at home, they have more to lose than Y2 and above as they will already have grasped the basics. They are probably the hardest to help at home, and almost impossible if you are also trying to WFH. Also need to look after their social and mental welfare, most likely the hardest to understand why they are not at school and possibly not get the same interaction if seeing their friends on the class zoom etc.

[AhComeOnNow]

@LJL1 that's great - that's what the government and schools are hoping. If you can still keep your children at home and deliver a reasonable level of education and care for them, then continue to do so for now. It will massively help the schools to cope.

With regards to a few other points

• year R and 1 won't be socially distancing in the same way adults will, it's just not possible. They will however be massively upping hand washing and site cleaning. Sitting apart to eat.
• a lot of things are being implemented for social distancing of teachers: no staff meetings, limited numbers allowed in or closing of staff rooms, etc
• school leaders are spending a huge amount of time putting risk assessments in place which include plans for parents being able to social distance at drop off and pick up- staggered starts, changes in routine and site layout.
• there will be limited numbers per classroom with teachers from y1-5 used for this

So it won't just be straight back in as normal on 1st of June for those year groups (and if it is then the school has major leadership issues)

[BackforGood]

Seems bizarre to me.

The 3 years who are missing least in terms or school work.
2 of them would be completely unable to take any personal precautions in terms of not getting too close, in terms of not being the greatest at washing hands, in terms of sharing equipment etc.

I would have presumed Years 10 and 12 would have been first back in. The year groups where parents haven't got much chance of being able to teach them, and the most likely to be able to understand the need for some social distancing care and hygiene.

[Lumene]

There are some good policy arguments for young children returning:

• critical learning stage, so if R/Y1 kids who don’t have parents who can support their learning at school miss out now they may never catch up
  
• for some vulnerable children and families, school is a lifeline
  
• parents need to work to put food on the table
  

This is balanced against:

• the risk and huge logistics of working out how to run schools as safely as possible given an unknown virus - risk to kids and staff
  
• what happens to shielding staff
  
• what happens to families with a shielding member

[Happymum12345]

As a year 1 teacher, the children will catch up & be fine, so missing this time will be fine with regards to their education. If parents have time to help them & play with them etc, then that’s ideal. I appreciate that this is not always possible, especially if you work.

[Bitterglitter]

Everyone talks of developmental disadvantages for r and y1 children missing school for six months.. in Northern European countries they don't even start teaching that young. Or in New Zealand. It's about getting parents back to work or wfh more productively. Expecting 5 and 6 yet olds to learn to their best ability in a 30+ classroom setting is actually holding them back so where's the advantage in exposing them to a virus that's now throwing up potentially fatal complications for them?

[Parkmama]

I think this is indeed an experiment in relaxing lockdown with the age group that appears to be the least vulnerable, that probably struggles the most to learn remotely and that parents who are WFH struggle to 'teach' themselves day to day. I have a daughter in Reception and feel very mixed about her returning ahead of her sister in Y3. I will wait to hear more on the logistics of how this is meant to work, and importantly the consequences if we choose not to send her . . . then make a decision on what's right for her. From an educational and learning perspective I'm not worried at all and feel she has made more progress at home in some areas. Socially I think it's been hard going and would love to see her back in the routine of school and mixing with her friends. I do worry that teachers in PPE observing strict social distancing guidance might freak her out a bit. My current gut feeling is to keep her at home until the R becomes much more positive. As a household we have isolated apart from to take trips to the park, we have not shopped or mixed with any other households. I think I'd rather my DDs saw their grandparents than return to school just yet . . .

[Piixxiiee]

Yes. R & yr1 will catch up- it can't be based on education advice. No idea why the youngest. ... maybe get a controllable spike before summer holidays? Obviously there would be lots of cases if this happened... cant imagine the unions allowing it to though.

[EvilEdna1]

If it is an experiment, it makes no sense as these year groups are likely to be split into small groups as there will be enough space to do so. Then if everything goes okay and the other years are invited back there will no longer be sufficient room to teach in small groups.

[RAOK]

Yes 😢

[Imsosorryalan75]

As a teacher, Can I remind you that most European countries do not begin school until age 7 and academic achievement is certainly better than ours by the end of primary. The return is purely because of the gov introduction of baseline testing in rec this sept. and Phonics tests in yr 1 and end of year sats (or this year - teacher assessments) ready for secondary school streaming. Young children are still carriers so it will be interesting to see how this goes..

[Nicedayforawedding]

Won’t the phonics test be scrapped this year due to the virus? Can’t see how it will be implemented if the kids are in on different days due to distancing

[Dorual]

If a child has a cough, so we send them home? Every child has a cough, all the time, at that age.