Schools opening in the summer holidays!

[Biscuit0110]

GAVIN WILLIAMSON confirmed the Department of Education is looking into the possibility of propping up summer schools to help pupils catch up with their work after the pandemic.

It seems that after ruling out using the summer holidays to allow the children to catch up, it is now firmly back on the table!

What a positive development - will you send your child to school over the summer?

Well as a teacher I won't be working. I need a break thanks!

No, I won’t be sending them in over the summer. They need and break and so do all the school staff.

Well it was confirmed today - at question time.

Do you have a link to that statement so we can read it for ourselves ? Thanks

Why is it a positive development?

And who is he anticipating will run these summer schools?

Staffed by who? And who’s paying them? Sounds like a bonkers idea to me.

Depends on what the school situation is like by then. If they've worked out a way to have the children in school safely without them being sellotaped to a desk then i might. (DD yr1)

A couple of days a week over the holls is quite a good idea.

Not for all of it though. For a start i'm really hoping we can go on our UK self catering holiday at the end of June ....

Will you OP?

Given that secondary school pupils will have lost half a year of schooling, it makes sense to use the summer to catch up, so they are not so far behind by the time they get to September.

I don't think the children need a break, they have been at home for two months already - I am really delighted. It tells me that the children in this country come first.

Actually, he said staffed with volunteers, graduates and retired teachers, potentially. Why did you miss that bit out?

I've seen mention in previous weeks about the idea of retired (semi retired) and supply teachers possibly being used to provide catch up work in the summer holidays.

Probably plenty of supply and fixed term contract teachers that won't have worked since March that need money

This is this first I’ve heard about it actually being considered . As far as I know the government have said they are not looking into it . There would be too much opposition to it plus the government couldn’t afford it if they are considering measures to recoup money to pay for the economic fallout of Covid . Staff members would need to be paid . I’m also a teacher.

Yes I will be sending in my children. If we get a second wave, the time over the summer might be essential to them.

If we're still in a mainly locked down situation by the beginning of July then DD might as well spend part of what was meant to be her summer holiday in school.

If lockdown is mainly over and we can go out and about properly again then i would rather keep her home and do some fun stuff which she's missed out of since March. Knuckle down in September. Again depending on what's happening.

So much guess work.

Summer schools for who?

Bearing in mind how much money this will cost I think it's a stupid idea.

Most teachers won't want to do the overtime, and it will have a serious impact on planning for the 20/21 academic year.

I think it's a non starter. Unless you want an army of non DBS checked volunteers looking after your children for six weeks?

Some schools run paid summer camps anyway, sports themed, craft themed and A few education based. Maybe it will run as extension of these.

Ah yeah because vulnerable semi retired people will really want to mix with groups of kids during a pandemic 😬🙄

I don't think the children need a break, they have been at home for two months already

They may have had time at home, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't benefit from a break over the summer.

That's lovely of you to volunteer, OP!

It is being considered that they may asked retired teachers, volunteers and graduates to form some sort of summer school catch up. Not that schools with their usual teacher are opening over the summer as op implies.

I won't be using summer schools if they end up happening, but DD is only 5 so has years to catch up.

Can't find anything in the news about this though, does anyone have a reliable source?

I would rather DD goes to her usual holiday club all summer, while I work.

She gets to play all day, and eat, and go to the beach, and the park and soft play. She loves it.

Plenty of time for School after that.

Fine by me - as long as not compulsory (for either kids or staff), and well-paid (for staff) and that the schools are properly paid for the use of their premises (as letting them out to holiday clubs etc is a way a lot of schools patch holes up a bit in their budgets).

I'd consider sending my kids depending on the setup they run in. I'd consider applying (as a currently inactive teacher) to staff them if the money was right to be honest.

But who will teach the children?