So the school guidance is out...

[Norecallpup]

Sorry if this has already been done. I could cry, I really could. Absolutely nothing. Just wash your hands, wipe down surfaces and encourage kids to cough into tissues! I don’t know why I’m shocked. Our government are a bunch of twats!

I'm happy to go back whenever really. I'd prefer it to trying to teach from home. I'm not too worried about catching the virus, but I'm far more worried about spreading it to a vulnerable family.
I just want it to be very, very clear to parents that some precautions will be taken, but it won't be possible to be perfectly clean and distanced. I can just forsee lots of unhappy parents sadly. Some will want proper distancing, and others won't want any because it's scary for children. Some staff may have to isolate occasionally, and children may not have their regular teacher etc. It's always hard to please all parents and pupils obviously, but it'll be harder still. That's why clearer guidance would be useful.

Honestly I think a fair lot of parents won't send their kids back anyway. I don't know that I would, if I had kids that age.

I wonder if they will do staggered days or times for year groups- so maybe different years will do different days or half days? I don't see how it could work otherwise, and that would be a nightmare for sorting out school runs and childcare.

Children in other countries seem to cope with seeing people wearing masks, and indeed with wearing them themselves. Are British children really so different? I doubt it. If anything, children adapt to change far better than adults. Whether masks do enough to protect either staff or pupils is a different question, but whatever the answer to that is (and I don't think anyone really knows) the idea that it will be too scary for pupils doesn't seem rational to me.

Well we are clearly all going to be less safe by about mid-June whether we have any connection with a school or not, as infection rates are bound to rocket with these mad proposals

What’s this based on though? We’re not seeing an uptick from Denmark doing a similar thing.

An uptick is fine as long as it doesn’t uptick past 1. There will always be au uptick as you come out of lockdown, that’s logical surely?

Yup. No doubt. Just don't state there wasn't one!

Plus, Denmark don't plan to plough all primary children back into schools all at once any time soon.

Sorry sunshine not saying you did btw.

I didn’t but I’d imagine what people mean is an uptick significant enough to cause concern.

I have no idea how they'll do it. Mine are in yrs3 and 5 so won't be back till at least September, I'm guessing

The document says the ambition is to have all primary school children in for a month before the summer holiday!

Schools need to open, but like other work places clear guidance need to be put in place so that all schools across a country are doung exactly the same thing. So guidance may cover how euipment is cleaned, how often and using what. Different councils allow different cleaners, lots of schools have no washing machine access to wash fabric items. And, as government advice is wear a mask if you can't socially diatance then yes, staff should be offered this option.
Risk assessments need to be carried, building assessed for suitabily, e. G. Some schools won't be able to safely have 15 to a class. Lets look at whatbevery other country is doing and attempt to do as well as them not as little as possible.
No clear guidelines about when you send a child home, so it will be the usual some heads will say x is a symptom and others will say, chronic cough, high temperature(ehen the calpol wears off) na, they are fine see how they are at hometime. Basically clear, manageable and concise guidleines so staff and parents know that what they see in their school is replicates across the country.

OP are you vulnerable or over 70? If so then you should be shielding and won't be asked to return to work. If not then the risk to you is incredibly small.

Yes, sunshine which has happened in Germany , though, to be fair.

What’s this based on though? We’re not seeing an uptick from Denmark doing a similar thing.

Do you read the news? Germany also had one too.

Sunshine is correct its ok as long
as its not over 1.

No other country has sent packed classes if 30 in yet. Certainly none with our death and icu rates.

They seem to be managing to get back children to school in other countries in Europe so why would it be impossible in UK?
That will be because our useless prime minister failed to take the virus seriously and lock down early enough with the result that we now have much higher infection rates than most (all?) other European countries. HTH

I don't really understand what alternative people want?

I don't want to wear a mask all day. We learn so much from facial expression and lip reading.

People have gone hysterical.

25 people a year die from chicken pox complications, fewer under 18s have died from coronavirus.

It's a worry for the staff I understand that, I'm a teacher. But shield the ones who need it and we need to get some life back. Lockdown can't carry on forever.

Our m school just doesn’t have the space to split reception and nursery. Desks will be too big, chairs too high, no accessible toilets, no access to free flow outside. I think if the government had said part time school for the little ones so they could do a morning or an afternoon. Things could be cleaned in between and children would be in their familiar classroom with their own teacher. That would be better.

Genuinely interested to know what teachers think the solution is? Should we remained locked in forever or try and move forward

where are all these extra people coming from to do all this supervision of smaller classes (especially as some teachers will be doing online teaching presumably) & cleaning? hey but what would Boris know he went to a public school & classes were probably 15 or less per classes & his blessed Boris Bike ideas again (does he expect people to commute by bike from outer London & further - or somehow not crowd into less public transport?)

How are we supposed to disinfect a box of Duplo/sticklebricks/the dolls house/sand toys/train track/etc etc after each use?

There will be a maximum of 15 children per classroom.

I didn’t interpret it as this. They say divide classes into small Learning ‘groups no larger than 15 pupils‘. They Don’t mention 15 children per classroom, this would only be possible if they do staggered days In most schools. There’s no mention of this. Can anyone clarify? I feel like they have left it up to Schools to interpret this as per all the other advice it’s very much putting it onto individual schools.

What I would have liked was the government to have ploughed some of the borrowed money into a centralised remote learning system. This would have enabled those who wanted or needed to continue with home based learning ticking along and those who wanted to send their kids in to school could do so knowing they’d be less children so social distancing would be less if s problem.

We aren't. The children are not to play. It specifically says to tidy it away...

how will it be any different come september though when everyone is back in school

It will be even worse because it will be the start of the coughs, colds and flu season.

It has clearly been put together by people who have not actually worked in schools for a period of time

Do not use public transport - if you operate in a big catchment you will find a lot do use public transport

Lunch - that will be a packed lunch similar to those handed out on drop down days

cleaning during the day - how the jeffing hell is that happening?

sorry but there has to be PPE - simply can't say to people you follow one rule in school and another rule out of school. Each child will have contact with their 'bubble' group and depending upon the number in the class / school which therefore have contacts with lots of 'bubbles'. Parents will be sending in kids with symptoms or have been in contact with sufferers. Hence a lot of staff will have PPE - we are sorry if your children find it frightening but you need to forewarn children that Miss will be using a lot of hand gel, wipes and will not be dishing out cuddles at least in the short term.

Madness