Did anyone else see the really positive news about primary schools reopening on BBC this morning? at 9am

[bigbananafeet12]

They were asking advice from a lovely primary school teacher in Denmark on how the'd approached it. She was so positive and encouraging it gave me hope for our dc for the first time in ages. Worth a watch if you can.

Reception teachers have to help with personal care issues like coat zips and putting gloves on.

It’s the summer

Most European children are much more compliant and well behaved. My sons went to an international school in Spain when they were small and the teachers ( mostly English) all said how better organised and how better disciplined the children were. They loved working there as it was so pleasant. This was a long time ago now , but I'm sure it hadn't altered that much over the years. I also lived close to a state school over there and the older teens were just different. They had some respect, more space and better facilities.
I can see why English schools and teachers are so worried about going back : the classes are cramped and trying to get little ones to SD will be a nightmare.
I'm not suggesting all school children are unruly , not at all, but it is a problem getting them to do anything at times and many will have extremely anxious parents who will pass on their anxieties to their children as well.
The money for extra soap and hand gel or new sinks won't be forthcoming that easily and the teachers will be expected to provide everything themselves I suppose!
I know they want to go back to normal , but I know i wouldn't trust this government to do it safely and it will all fall to the heads and the senior staff to get it all into place with limited resources to hand. I do think a lot of parents won't send them in too soon anyway!

It is sad the kids are missing out on their education but staff safety has to be paramount too and I fear that will be 'airbrushed away ' as pressure grows to get the schools open again and not just for the key worker children etc.

Parents really need to look at proper statistics regarding risks to their dc and themselves and make a choice on what is best for them based on that.

Absolutely! So do teachers. Many of us here are both.

Now we’re children bashing. Surely all children can have challenging behaviour no matter where they live and surely teachers are trained in dealing with this🤷‍♀️

Most European children are much more compliant and well behaved.

I think thats pretty accurate. As a teacher myself currently not working. I once went across to teach in Norway and when I ask the class teacher what strategies they used for children who were disruptive she looked at me like I had 2 heads and replied "we tell them to behave and they do."

They were back on the news again at a school in Denmark today. All the children sat alone at desks my poor heart breaks for the F2 and Yr 1 children if this is what people want for them.

@Barbie222 no one is suggesting vulnerable teachers go back in June.

Poor children sat alone at desks. My heart bleeds FFS! Don’t be so dramatic.

Poor children sat alone at desks. My heart bleeds FFS! Don’t be so dramatic.

So you would be happy for 4, 5 and 6 year olds to be sat at desks then. Yes my heart bleeds for them, that's not dramatic. If this is what people want for them, it makes me so sad because its about a million miles away from the education system they know and from how these children learn best.

But children in our schools are not used to sitting at desks on their own. Going to be quite hard to get a 4 year old used to that. When you see the images from China where all the children are sitting in rows I assume that probably isn’t very much different to what they are used, only the wearing of masks will be different.

We don’t need to do that here though. Dc can continue to sit on the floor if that’s the problem (altogether I always felt sorry for dc having to do that especially the tallest ones) as they were much more comfortable sat at a table.

Usually at four it's all free flow across various activities with very little structured sit-down and do type activities, in my experience.

Dc can continue to sit on the floor if that’s the problem

Great so we remove all the furniture in the classroom to make enough floor space, we will ignore where to put that for now. It's still the same situation, sitting alone on a space on the floor is still the complete opposite of how 4 - 7 year olds currently learn in UK schools.

@bigbananafeet12 the thing is our 4 year olds are used to being in groups either at tables, carpet time, outside. Suddenly we are going to be trying to get them to sit on their own, it’s going to be very hard for them, especially if they were really excited to be coming back to school and playing with their friends.

I don't think anyone is proposing such massive changes to the pedagogy of nurseries, year r and year 1. The aspect of controlling risk will be the smaller groups and limited adult contact.

If my 4 year old is supposed to socially isolate when he starts Reception in September I’d rather home school him. I’m hoping that the teachers union wouldn’t allow this to happen as it is far more likely to damage our kids than the virus.

I must admit I sat at a desk ( back in the 70s)
It didn't upset me as that was all I knew.
Children today would know differently and would have to adapt to a new set up. I'm sure they would but can you imagine the school budget for new desks?
Out school has a great caretaker who could whip them together in no time I'm sure ( with help) but it would take time and effort and the cost for individual desks too. !
It might work but again it's all costs and space for these things.

Our schools can’t even afford a caretaker it would be another job for the teachers!

the thing is our 4 year olds are used to being in groups either at tables, carpet time, outside In Denmark it took them just 5 days to get the dc fully grasp social isolating through games and songs. It's not impossible at all.
Anyway we do need to realise that we'll probably all catch CV be it in June or next year, so we need to start living with this or we're absolutely stuffed.

I don't think anyone is proposing such massive changes to the pedagogy of nurseries, year r and year 1.

Of course they are. By suggesting limiting time outside and removing access to resources, whether they intend to or not they are actively going against the best practices of free flow, childrens choice and continuous access to the outdoor environment that make up the eyfs pedagogy.

In Denmark it took them just 5 days to get the dc fully grasp social isolating through games and songs. It's not impossible at all.

Yes but children in Denmark are 7 and used to sitting at desks the only changes I could see is that they are now sitting 1 per desk and are in groups of 10. Although in the video they could see the other 10 children from their class as they were only separated by some tape. They also play in groups of 4 outside instead of with all their friends. It looked nothing like any eyfs classroom I'd ever seen.

It's not impossible at all.

No one said it would be impossible.

The guidance doesn’t suggest 4 and 5 year olds socially distance. Or sit at a desk alone

@smokescreen no wonder teachers are always so stressed it seems a very negative environment to operate in. Can you imagine school meetings!

The school I work in is very big so they have always had two caretakers. They would be there for about a week (?) putting desks together , but it would be a squash getting them in the rooms! They would have to be small desks.
Could be a money spinner there for some local carpenters ? There are ways round things , but money would be a problem.
They managed this for lockers , but it took ages to sort out.