Y6 child, any other parents feeling like this?

[whodunit3]

To be clear we are (and I understand privileged to do so) in the too soon to lift lockdown camp, I’m a Scot living in England but for the 1st time wish I had Nicola Sturgeon in charge of the country I live in.

Regardless I will very much take into consideration what my Y6 DD wants to do, she loves school and like any child about to start high school was excited for the last term with all the fun activities, trips and events.

What I want her to realise before she goes back though that it’s not going to be the last few months that she expects. There will be no pool party, no traditional BBQ, no end of year choir/church service, sports day or dance show. She won’t be able to hug her friends, she might not be in the same group or even school as them, she might not be able to hear her lovely teachers talk properly due to their masks, definitely no hugging then goodbye, she might not even have her teacher or TA..

Will there be any transitional help for the move to secondary, visits to new school will be out, as will, I think high school teachers visiting primary, what are they going to do to make that part beneficial?

How is this a memorable way to end her primary school journey?! In the weeks before we went into lockdown the school was filled with fun, XC races, silly PJ days, class presentations on Roman history and the messy haired, untucked shirt, rolled down sock wonderful nonsense that comes with being an 11 year old girls that has been with her friends all day...

That’s how I want to remember her primary days, not the shit show that they are proposing...

Same position here,except I have a boy. He's not missing school,but is missing his friends and playing football. He won't be going back on 1st June for various reasons and I'm lucky enough to be able to home educate for as long as necessary (trained as a teacher). But one of the reasons he won't be going as he won't be going back to recognisable school or final term. And I'm not going to cause him more anxiety because he can't spend time with his friends/normal teacher/will be constantly worried about being told off about socially distancing. I'm sad that this might be the end of his primary school days but in the grand scale of things,it's a small amount of months in 11years of his education. I imagine that it's mostly parents who are finding it harder than the kids as then starting and finishing primary school is a much bigger deal to us than them! But I just wanted to say,you're not alone,it's a sad situation.

Same here with my DD, and although she wants to go back I'm not sure I'll agree to it. It's rubbish for them either way

I really feel for the Yr6 students, my two DS’ both really enjoyed the last few weeks at primary when they were in Yr6, such a shame for them, missing out on transition, the closure & saying goodbyes.

My son knows that it wont be the same, but he wants to see his friends. And the teachers will make it as special for them as they can.

The school will do their best to make it fun and support the transition, that's the reason for getting them back. I do feel sorry for them though, they've worked so hard towards SATs - that was all taken away from them. On our last day, many of the Year 6s forgot about work and had fun things to do, where saying goodbye and asking for signatures on paper (rather than the normal shirt), so they mentally did their goodbyes then.

Such hard times, all of us have missed out on something or lost their job or a loved one.

I'm sorry but usually people are complaining about the stress of SATS - I don't think mine will be missing that to be fair. I have a year 6 and my concern is more about secondary and the plans for them going forward.

they only have a few weeks at primary left anyway but the first year at secondary is a big change and hope they can plan for them in an Ok way

Really relate to all of this. I have twins in Y6. I still can't quite believe the schools will open as planned while the infection/death rates are as high as they are, but if they do, I am intending to talk to my children about what we think school will be like (once we have some more details from the school) and be guided by them. At the moment, one doesn't want to go back based on what we know so far and one wants to go back under pretty much any circumstances. I'd be prepared to go with that, I think.
I feel desperately sad for them (and us) that they're missing all the normal end of school stuff - they saw their elder sister do it a couple of years ago so they're keenly aware of what they're missing. I think the poster who said they're more concerned about the transition to secondary probably has a point though.

You may have had the same- round here the DC's teachers are phoning us all to check on how they are doing atm, we had a call this week.

She asked to speak with DS and he told her he was missing school, it was a bit sad really. Said hoped to see him soon. I hope hasn't got their hopes up..

I feel the same OP. My dd is desperate to go back and see her friends and take part in all of the 'leavers' activities that they should have been doing this term - its so hard to explain to her that school will feel very different to her expectations. My younger dd is vulnerable (possibly shielding) so we are really unsure about letting any of our children return to school in June, but I know my year 6 dd will be devastated if her friends go back to school on 1st June and she doesn't. I'm not sure what to do.

Yes, they will have the whole starting secondary thing which is quite daunting anyway, new uniform, new friends, etc, while also all this extra distancing and stuff. Ours usually have a trip away together in the first weeks of secondary too to get to know the new ones, it is fab but not sure if that will take place sadly

My yr 6 spends time chatting to friends online e.g. Minecraft atm and they use Teams for work and comment etc on there and chat to teachers etc so still have that contact I guess

Teachers are recommended not to wear masks except in very specific situations. I share some of your concerns but I think having a bit of school is better than nothing. Teachers will do their best to make it as enjoyable as they can for the children.

Yes I hear you. I have a DS, he's not really missing school, but he is missing his friends and football.

We're undecided about whether he'll go back in June (if they do open).
If he does he and his classmates were supposed to be going on a week long residential on the 1st, obviously that's been cancelled and I just feel so sorry for how much they are missing out on. (All of which you've named above)

I'm also concerned about his transition to secondary school. There aren't many of his friends going and it's a bus ride away. It's still a few weeks away but I am concerned about how it's all going to come together.

As we have no idea how this virus is going to behave over the autumn winter months I'm worried about much school he's going to miss after September. It sounds bonkers but there is part of me that wonders if it is better writing off the rest of the school year and the beginning of the next year and then them going back to finish off Yr6 after Christmas and then they can have the experiences that they are being robbed of this year. I know this WON'T work (before anyone jumps on me) he's been ready for secondary school since the beginning of this year like most of his peers have.

We just heard from the school trust of the secondary that they might be taking yr 6 straight into there for transition (secondary) not sure what to think. i think primary should be better...not sure

I have a year 6 and yes we are sending him back - he loves being at home.. however I have his best interests at heart .. he needs to be in school!

I do not understand why people are against this? Even those that are sheilding .. unless you are completely self isolating, you can still get it?

Have you checked they are taking year 6?

It is up to each school to decide how they handle the return

I don’t know what to do. My dd isn’t really missing school at all. She isn’t fussed either way if she goes back or not. Their transition to high school was only one day anyway. I have two other primary children at home who can’t go in and it’s likely my youngest won’t be back until September (different school and specialist).

We are a shielded household. We have had very very little contact with anyone outside the house. I have shopped rarely and I use plenty of hand santiser etc.
I know some of DDs classmates have been meeting up all the way through this, if the parents don’t care then I assume their parents don’t either.
It’s far too high a risk for DH, who is at a very high risk of dying if he contracts it.
DD isn’t going back. Sad there is no fanfare for leaving primary, however I don’t remember leaving primary at all. I remember the first day of secondary very clearly though.

That's such a difficult situation Wotnopasta

I think we will organise a leavers bash for my year 6 in September if it's safe then. School will not be the same - regardless of the DFE saying social distancing isn't necessary it will be happening. As a vulnerable person myself I couldn't teach them without it. We are aiming for not more than 6 per group with no mixing, probably half days. Our secondary will not be open for transition days - that will happen in September. I will do the SRE, PSHE and other subjects as usual but to be honest, unless my own child was vulnerable I wouldn't send them in. I'm deeply in a quandry about what to do with my own kids when I go back. I don't want them using keyworker places as my mum lives with us and is very vulnerable but equally I can't leave them here with her because she has dementia. I also can't find anyone to pop in to check on her - that all stopped with lockdown.

I will try to make it fun for the group of children I have but I'm really not sure how given the circumstances.

Sorry that wasnt clear - unless my own child was in need of school, had an Ehcp or was classed as vulnerable socially - not vulnerable medically! Gosh, if they're vulnerable medically - never!

I don’t like the idea if DD going back. Her trCher left at Easter anyway, so she will be with a new teacher (maybe) May possibly be split up from her friends and then being told to isolate while they all sit on their own table and do stuff they could do from home. It is like a transition before a transition. If the school gets it wrong, it could be detrimental to her confidence in September.

They should have focussed on yr 5

Not sure my ds does not want to go back, not that it's his choice. So far from what I hear of school plans it won't be beneficial to him, may not be with his friends, staggered start/finish times, none of the fun y6 stuff my dd did last year. Also heard many teachers say it won't be national curriculum teaching anyway.

The school have asked me today if I am sending him back, need to let them know asap! But not given a single detail about what will be happening. I know it's hard for the teachers I really feel for them, they may not go back on the 1st anyway.

At first DS wanted to go back to see his friends, but I kind of feel like the moment has passed now. He’d definitely be excited to go straight up to secondary school though although it’d be a scramble to get all the uniform, including the 3 PE kits 😂.

I just can't see how the benefits of going back outweigh the potential risk to our children and to the poor teachers. School is going to be such a different place from what our children are used to and they will not be able to enjoy any of the fun and rites of passage they have been looking forward to for so long. I wonder if it's just better for them to keep their memories of school as they were?

I hope you're not seriously planning on spreading this exaggerated negative attitude to your daughter.

She deserves confidence and positivity from you, not to have a picture of doom presented to her to block out the positives and make her miserable unnecessarily.