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.

Thanks for posting that OP.

Really lovely and warm and positive.

I have children in year 1 and year 3, I'm really nervous of sending my kids, but the piece on the BBC this morning did make me feel somewhat better. Who knows what it will be like on the 1st june though as that will be just over 2 weeks since things were eased, we could be on a second spike by then if people aren't "staying alert"

@Terriblehairdontcare well said. We need to start having a ‘can do’ attitude in this country and start thinking what do we need to make this work. All workplaces are making changes my hospital completely rearranged in a week and trained 70 staff to work on ICU. I am sure schools can make it work even if like you say pupils will be in part time. We have no choice in this, coronavirus isn’t going away.

Yep great to have some positive ideas.

All schools will be different but that doesn’t mean a blanket ‘lets not send kids back this year then’

Rural schools in low risk areas may manage well. We are a middle school so at first just year 6 will be in with the rest of the school empty. They can work through the processes. Yes to outside lessons, portacabins on the fields is also a good idea.

In an inner city large school with less space then yes it may be more tricky. But let’s not shut all the ideas down.

My primary school has over 500 kids in it

But apparently in a recent survey 87% of parents said they won’t be sending their children in 🤷🏻‍♀️. So that’s down to 65 kids!

Pretty sure the kids start school a lot older in Denmark. It’s a great system, l totally agree with kids not starting school until 6/7 years old.

Germany here: We just had an e-mail via the school platform. The head went round and arranged all classrooms (+ gym, mensa seating areas etc) so that every pupil going back (they are staggered) has a table + chair + space around it. The year 7 will go back next week. There's a one way traffic system to and from the classrooms, and masks and hand washing rules apply.
DS (year 11) has already started last week.

People aren’t being negative. They’re being realistic.

Our government have chosen to implement a system for the UK which does not fit the available resources-school sizes, classroom sizes, current teacher ratios.

Before this pandemic the English education system was creaking- old school buildings, sold off playing fields, staffing shortages and severe underfunding.

Teachers aren’t being dour on purpose. We’ve read the guidelines and realised no one gives a shit about our safety or the safety of the children we teach.

Every other country is allowing masks. And other safety measures. Why aren’t we?

They're moving desks in DD's school too to keep them distanced but they do have quite large classrooms so there's room

I look forward to the extra sinks and portacabins arriving before the last week of June. Cloud cuckoo land.

Delatron you should really google "false dilemma"

I’m sure there are bigger issues than classroom numbers but common sense says to me, that if class sizes are 15 instead of 30, then that means ALL pupils could attend 2.5 days a week, no?

my DS’s school has a good amount of outdoor space and lunch breaks are already staggered. I appreciate different settings may find it more difficult and therefore may have to offer a more reduced timetable.

Again, it’s good to see a positive thread

I think realism is important in dealing with a pandemic. Realism is not the same as negativity.

Blind optimism is what got us locked down too late and coming out with the highest death rate in Europe.

Denmark has had a fraction of our deaths and I’m afraid I don’t think they are a valid comparison.

My kids won’t be going back in June

My sons primary school are so negative. Honestly every message from them is how impossible the task will be. It’s sent me into quite a depression about it.

I saw the article but not the link of the teacher speaking. I’d love to look at it if someone could post it.

If we can build nightingale hospitals then we can install extra sinks in schools, maybe even cabins, rearrange classrooms.

School might needs to be part time for a while.

The government has no plans for any of the above. Have you read the guidance? They're not looking for your jolly good ideas or inspiration from other, better countries. They're cracking on and telling everyone to wash their hands. If they can in the meagre facilities their largely inadequate schools offer.

It's a very nice bit of film, OP, but utterly irrelevant to the UK because that's not how they're planning to do things here. Don't kid yourself that it's going to be like this for your children, because it isn't.

But apparently in a recent survey 87% of parents said they won’t be sending their children in 🤷🏻‍♀️. So that’s down to 65 kids!

Not the impression I get from talking to the parents of my class. And they won't have a teacher, because I'm in a vulnerable category and according to the government document from the 11th, should be working from home and, if I can't work from home at all (they suggest lesson planning etc remotely) should be in the 'safest available on-site roles'. Of the teachers from my year group, two others are in the same position, as are all bar of the TAs.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-protective-measures-in-education-and-childcare-settings/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-protective-measures-in-education-and-childcare-settings

Honestly I don’t know why people are so worried about the numbers when so many people are saying they won’t send theirs back until September anyway? Surely that’s being factored into plans? Isn’t it the ideal scenario? Those who want to keep their children at home can (apparently 87% of people), and the rest can go in with small class sizes!

I think I am coming off mumsnet as it’s to negative, the children aren’t back to school yet, they might but not definitely, some may go back on the 1st June. You can’t even make any suggestions on how it might work without people jumping down your throat. I have never come across such a negative punch of people. There is a ray of light of a few positive people like the lovely op 😊 good luck everyone I wish you all the best whichever way you look at this situation.

FourPlasticRings I’m just going by the survey that was done and reported on BBC news, and also the multiple threads on here where the vast majority of parents are saying they won’t send their children back 🤷🏻‍♀️

I don’t get the need to send kids back in June. The government can’t be trusted to keep the numbers down and neither can the public. We’ve barely managed it with “full” lockdown. Just suck it up till September. Ireland has no plans to reopen till September and its far less severe there per head. In September we’ll have a fighting chance at least. Open schools in June and you’re risking carnage as they didn’t lay the necessary groundwork in March/April in getting it quickly under control. It’s too late to “catch up” now. Wouldn’t put it past this government though.

Right so we can build multiple Hospitals but can’t sort out a few portacabins for schools.

Most years won’t be back until the end of June.

I mean already people are so short sighted. Oh we have larger class sizes than 15 so this won’t possibly work. Loads of solutions to that problem that we’ve all addressed on here. Part time, alternate days, 2.5 days a week etc etc etc.

I’m just going by the survey that was done and reported on BBC news, and also the multiple threads on here where the vast majority of parents are saying they won’t send their children back

And I'm just going by the conversations with my kids' families, many of whom have both parents working minimum wage/zero hour contract jobs in order to get by.

@Alex50 fortunately most parents in real life aren’t so negative. Mumsnet is like a parallel universe sometimes. Let’s all hide away until there’s a vaccine. Brilliant plan.

Nobody I know in real life thinks like this and all will be sending kids back in June.