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?

Amen to that Sauron

My state educated, pupil premium yr9 has been doing a full timetable from home. Teachers are available via email for help, and are posting the lessons they should be doing, at the time they would normally have the lesson, so he’s sat at his pc for 3-4 hours a day in total. I’m sitting in supervising and helping with things he struggles with, and he’s doing really well. Better than he does at school actually, due to the lack of distractions from classmates. So, no, I wouldn’t be sending him in over summer if it was an option, as I don’t feel he’s behind and I think he deserves a break as he’s worked hard since school closed down.

I just wanted to say to parents.

Your child will have had around 2 - 3 months off school (not including holidays) and yes, that will have made quite a dent in their education. Some children more so than others, as there are parents who will have been religiously helping their children learn and those who still won’t even know that distance learning exists.

It is something none of us asked for and all of us hope never happens again.

I’m not going to lie to you, there is absolutely no chance that I will give up my summer holiday for your child. I have my own and intend to prioritise them. But...

When we get back to school, whenever that may be, I promise you this. I will ensure your child catches up. I will baseline test your child. Identify where they have fallen behind and work my arse off to ensure that by the end of the year, no one would ever know we had a pandemic.

They will have lunchtime clubs; after school clubs; differentiated work plans; support; praise; rewards and more care than ever before.

Try not to worry. They will be fine.

Who is going to plan the work, how are they going to work out what each child needs, who is going to do CRB checks and check their ability to teach?

this!

Many teaching assistants do not get paid during school holidays .Teachers I know are exausted working in school , providing online teaching, delivering work pack to homes and now trying to prepare their classroom for self distancing and preparing to deliver the curriculum to children who will be attending part time plus caring for their own children . Teachers need their holiday.

ITonya who is going to tell these volunteers the gaps. Many kids won’t want to be there and won’t be telling anybody what they need to learn let alone want to learn. Their teachers identify their gaps and teach accordingly whether they want to learn said gaps or not.

@Biscuit0110

My daughter has been sent work through but what I’m trying to say is as a student she learns better from face to face teaching not that I thought she will fall behind

I was angry with @ITonyah that she presumes that all state school kids will fall behind as they are not receiving the same how learning as her privately educated children without knowing what some of our schools are setting their pupils

They have missed nearly a term and a half

They have missed 5 and a half weeks. Not even half a term

No idea. It does seem very complicated.

Hopefully state schools can work something out.

One more thing about volunteers.

A bad teacher can do more harm than good. Give the wrong information and cause the normal class teacher to waste time trying to get the children to unlearn that learning.

I once had a supply teacher for my class (not qualified in my specialism) when I was on a course and they taught my children that dark woods were hard woods and pale coloured wood was soft wood. Every time ‘ash’ came up on an exam, the kids would say it was a soft wood, because it is so light.

Bare that in mind before sending your children to volunteers for an actual education.

@YgritteSnow you know what let’s ignore all the data. Sure schools will be thrilled they no longer having to demonstrate how they are closing the gap, because your kids and another posters are doing well.

There are those of us who work with vulnerable children and are seriously worried about the impact of the lockdown. We are campaigning to get additional money for PP children and this is exactly the sort of thing that money could be used for.

If we start making schools go through each individual child to establish if they need additional help - it will become unworkable before we even start.

If you don’t want to send your children to summer schools that’s fine, but don’t expect those of us working in this area to not continue pushing for additional support, and considering ideas like this, because you think you are being “grouped” with people you don’t want to.

I don't blame you one bit @DBML of course you are entitled to your summer holidays.
How lovely to promise you will be doing the best for our children when they eventually go back and il bet a whole lot of teachers will be doing the same. I have no doubt my children will be fine. Lockdown is not a break for teachers or pupils it's very stressful for a lot of reasons

My Y8 son has had very little work set, nothing marked, no feedback and no help with ascertaining the correct answers to things he's struggled with.

His secondary school is part of an academy containing 5 secondary schools.

The school phone number gives a recorded message but won't take messages, I've received no response to my two emails asking for help.

I have had a call from an unfamiliar teacher to 'check on him'. She just wanted to know if he was ok. I tried to express my concerns but she said she just needed to know he was ok and that we shouldn't worry about work as everyone is in the same boat.

Everyone isn't in the same boat through- some schools are ably supporting their pupils. Mine aren't. I've no idea what they are doing.

So yes, if it's available I shall be looking to use summer schools.

@ITonyah It is fairly straightforward to find out the syllabus and which exam board and teach things the children want to cover. Tutors manage this! Things the children want to cover?! Hahaha Ok love.
Who is going to plan the work, how are they going to work out what each child needs?

Is this 'army' of volunteers, whilst well-meaning, going to be qualified to teach my dc the current up to date curriculum? Or be aware of his learning strengths and weaknesses? Or be able to identify and fill any gaps he may have?

@practicallyperfectwithprosecco we built hospitals in 10 days but we can’t possibly work out what to teach some children in summer school?

I despair of this thread. The fact some people can not recognise that this lockdown will be seriously damaging to some children’s education to the extent that it will impact their long time future is shocking. That they aren’t even prepared to consider how this could possibly work is really sad.

Siriusmew some parents seem to be doing OK with teaching.

If kids don't want to learn obviously nothing much will help.

The fact some people can not recognise that this lockdown will be seriously damaging to some children’s education to the extent that it will impact their long time future is shocking

I am also surprised by this.

@YappityYapYap there are not four school terms (assuming you are in England). There are three school terms.

It's not sufficient to say they've only missed 'x' weeks up until now because it has been confirmed that secondary pupils won't be getting any further schooling so they will have missed a whole term plus two weeks of the previous term- so well over one third of the academic year.

*Siriusmew some parents seem to be doing OK with teaching.

If kids don't want to learn obviously nothing much will help*

I'm aware of this, thanks. But if a child has a gap in their learning and understanding are they going to be aware of that?

It's NOT been confirmed that secondary pupils aren't going back this year

Where did you get that from?

@strawberryblondestar

Oh by all means utilise whatever staff decide they’ll volunteer in schools over the summer.
I’m not telling you not to.

I’m simply making the point that it takes time and energy, assessment and the building of a relationship to provide quality education for a learner. Any parent relying on volunteers to make up for the education lost from a pandemic are going to be disappointed...and as I mentioned above, there is the danger of the children being taught the wrong things, particularly if the volunteers do not teach specialised subjects.

The only time children are going to get the education they deserve, is when they are back with the teachers who know them. But I’m sorry, those teachers deserve six weeks off school, where they can put their feet up and have a rest.

The children will be find in the end, because we are professionals and most of us will work very hard. I’ll more than make up for time lost because of the pandemic, but not through the unpaid summer holiday, which I’ve earmarked for my own family.

@ITonyah "some parents seem to be doing OK with teaching.

If kids don't want to learn obviously nothing much will help."

Seriously? Have you not realised many parents have to work FT so cannot possibly teach their children.

Well I guess you could test them when they get back Strawberry. If we do go back in June, the gaps will be tackled then. If we don’t then by the time the kids are tested, gaps identified, a curriculum set and new teachers introduced most of the holiday will be gone.

It’s time consuming getting good teachers as it is and there is nothing worse than a bad teacher. It’s not about not bothering but being realistic.

One good lesson is worth more than 10 of some supply lessons I’ve sat through.

A bad teacher can do more harm than good.

I agree with this. Who is going to be keeping an eye on what the volunteers are teaching, or even if they are teaching at all?