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?

@echt brilliant - do we want a pile of money or do we want a pile of revere ... lol

Cant put revere into a pension - hilarious

Lelivre - can I ask you a question?

My current system is:
Change existing powerpoint so it's more explanatory
Turn it to video with me talking over it (no visual of me)
Give a 5 question multiple choice quiz on content (Group feedback of quizzes given i.e. explaining common things they got wrong)
Every two weeks give an exam question for them (marked and individual feedback given, group feedback also given)
Students are encouraged to email me any questions on the work.

I'm genuinely interested as to why a live lesson would be better than this?
My way means I can answer their question pretty much straight away, assuming it's not at stupid o'clock in the morning, whereas if they were allocated an hour slot they'd all be asking at once and would have .
Also, it's difficult to get 32 kids to pay attention to you simultaneously in the classroom, I'm sure it would be infinitely harder remotely.

@HeffalumpsCantDance - I am caring about inspections and targets. As I said in my last school if I don't feel wanted then I will go and guess what? They could not understand why I left. The buggers have not had an ALPS 3 in my subject since I left! I am not a class friendly teacher but I know my stuff and I mark for the board and kids know where they stand in the pecking order and so I get results. The MAT had contacted me to see how things are and if I could work at one of the schools - yeah jog on

@ITonyah

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I doubt very much that next years exams will go ahead as ‘normal’.

There will certainly be some consideration as to how to make them ‘fair’.

My year 10 classes should have started their first controlled assessment this month. They may not get the chance to do this until much later in the year.

In addition to that, some form of social distancing will more than likely needed even in September and that could still mean pupils having to attend school on a part time or rota basis. It could mean that classes are halved and that pupils cannot access option subjects as they can’t keep mixing with different groups of pupils. Their learning time may be impacted.

There is still significant disruption ahead and pupils will doubtfully be back at school in a normal capacity, even come September (although we are all hoping for a miracle).

Either way, exam boards are having to find ways to ensure that the circumstances do not hinder the opportunities of those pupils in examination year groups.

If I were being really honest (and bear in mind, this is just my personal but professional opinion) I’m not at all sure exams will take place next summer.
But who knows. If they do, it is only appropriate that consideration is paid to the disruption these children have had to contend with.

I think children will need the summer holidays to hopefully meet up with friends and relax. I’m currently homeschooling a yr 2 and a Yr 4 and they are working hard. I’m not a teacher but have some skills so the dc are learning. Maybe summer school child care where the emphasis isn’t on curriculum would help working parents and vulnerable children. The two I’m homeschooling won’t be returning until they have to .

As I said StAR what could a backlash do that has not already been done?
After 30 years of being batted around by SMTs, governments, targets and faddy teaching philosophies I’m now pottering towards retirement on supply and turning down ft jobs on a regular basis. My loyalty is towards specific schools, not The Job.

Precisely yes - there is no backlash just the same old same old

For anyone new is the profession the 1-year retention rate is 85% falling to 68% at 5 years. Plus we have more teaching part-time which is also driving the shortage.

Clearly there will be yet another pay freeze for the next few years whilst we are in recession

Beawillalwaysbetopdog My children would respond well to this I am sure. At the moment we just have packs of learning on a website we log into. PP from twinkl, worksheets etc. White Rose Maths that sort of thing.

So I went back to the live lessons we used to do. They have also enjoyed Steve Blackshalls Q and A and English with Holly on FB again live. The interaction seems to add something for them.

However my kids would no doubt enjoy hearing a recorded lesson as you describe from their teacher. I also think it would perhaps make them want to go back to school, still feel connected to their teacher.

The live lessons we use are available as recordings afterwards should they happen to miss it. The tutor edits them a little they arrive within the week. It doesn’t have the same draw for my daughter. She likes to be engaging live. However I know some HE kids with anxiety and special needs can’t cope with live and much prefer a recording.

I would welcome any tutoring in person from the teacher live or not, I think they would too.

I do appreciate you are getting a hell of a lot of grief teachers but just want to reassure you that I think it is rare to feel appreciated or justly paid in any profession. I definitely don’t.

Socially it would be very good for the children to have the opportunity to mix again with their school friends, to feel part of the school community, otherwise surely some are going to find it extremely hard if not impossible to go back after six months out of school in September.

I am imagine some children will be very damaged after all of this time, and may not recover completely. We don't know what will be the result of this lockdown will be for them? No one has ever locked up children for this long without friends/peers. Even in detention centres for young people we encourage time to hang out and spend time with others.
As we have don't have anything to measure, as it has never happened in the past, it is unknown. Some children will have regressed, developed mental health issues, many will have been neglected for months on end, academically they will be a very long way behind and many children will find it extremely hard to connect again with their peers.

Even if the academic loss is not huge for some children - and they are the minority, certainly the social/mental health element will be severe, as they can not mix outside of their households, and may not do so all summer now.

The impact is going to be huge, and the longer this goes on for the worse it will be. I hope they open all schools, and I hope most children will attend.

@biscuit0110

How much ‘socialising’ can be done when the school will have to enforce social distancing? Ten pupils to a class. Not allowed to go out for break/ lunch. Sat 2m from everyone else?
It doesn’t exactly sound like a fun way to spend your usual summer holiday.

And there are over half a million teachers in the U.K. and that’s just the full time ones.
In order to keep all of the schools open for all of the children (considering the split classes required etc) the government would need in the region of 500,000 to 1,000,000 volunteers.

Does that sound feasible to you?

How much ‘socialising’ can be done when the school will have to enforce social distancing? Ten pupils to a class. Not allowed to go out for break/ lunch. Sat 2m from everyone else?

Exactly that. It's like the parents wanting Y6 to go back for 'transition', then realising that NONE of the usual activities can happen.

DBML Socialising is not all about touch, it is about laughing and doing things together. It is certainly so much better than nothing!

I am sure a great number of kind hearted teachers will help. It won't run for the entire school holiday, and I imagine it will be done on a rolling basis with people registering interest. A few days here and there will make all the difference to some children (it can also be a welfare check, which is very important) as you well know not every child of concern is under the care of SS.

I can't say I am surprised by your endless negativity, or your ability to pick holes. I am rather more impressed with the people in this country that can and will make this happen actually!

it can also be a welfare check, which is very important as you well know not every child of concern is under the care of SS.

If, as you are suggesting, it is a rolling basis with parents registering interest, it is precisely these children of concern who won't attend, I am afraid. It's like the takeup of school childcare places for the moment is very low amongst the vulnerable group - schools were allowed to indicate and invite who they defined as vulnerable (not just those with SS involvement) - but takeup is very low and there is absolutely no mechanism for compulsion.

Making things happen is exactly what the heads who have offered current childcare places to these families are doing - they have reached out extremely actively to exactly the families you are concerned about, but so far at least there has been little takeup. there may be more for the final half of term, especially for siblings of those for whom schools will be open, as those bringing one child in may well take up the invitation for childcare for their other children as well.

I am rather more impressed with the people in this country that can and will make this happen actually!

It won't happen. I'm being realistic, but i'm sure you will call me negative.

Biscuit - I think you're being a bit melodramatic with the locked up rhetoric. As of yesterday, they can go outside for unlimited exercise. They can go for a walk with a friend if they keep 2m apart. They can even play tennis together.
Even before then, although Gove suggested an hour was reasonable, technically you could go out for a 6/7 hour walk if you wanted to.

If this was Spain, where they weren't allowed out of the house, you might have a point.

As for social isolation, aren't they all talking on their phones with each other? playing games on their Xboxes? If this was the 80s with one (expensive) landline in each house you might have a point.

Of course some kids will be affected by this. As a survivor of domestic abuse as a child, I can understand this lockdown would be intolerable for someone in a similar situation.

But for someone with a 'normal' family this shouldn't be a traumatic event.

It is going to be a fabulous opportunity for all of the children, and I will definitely sign up to volunteer and for my children to attend.
It is just what they need!!

It will certainly ease them back into school life, it will help them academically and they will be delighted to see their friends and teachers. We are very fortunate to have wonderful teachers

I do think space and recruitment may well be an issue, though - for a standard-sized 2 form entry primary, with 14 classes all needing to be split into 3 groups, if 'most' parents take up the offer you will need 42 spaces and at least 42 staff, plus obviously 1:1s for those with SEN and others to enable the staff to have some form of break without allowing the groups to mix.

In a standard 8 form entry secondary, you would need - just for 1 adult body per group for the 5 year groups of relevance (current 7,8,9,10,12) not even considering anything subject related, enough staff for 120 groups.

It is going to be a fabulous opportunity for all of the children

It will certainly ease them back into school life, it will help them academically and they will be delighted to see their friends and teachers.

Oh I didn't realise you'd seen all the plans for how it was going to work. Would you mind sharing them with us I'd love to see how fabulous it all looks.

It's going to be a recruitment challenge to get all those recruited and DBSed, and all the spaces set up safely in every school in 9 weeks, while also setting up for 3 of the year groups in primary, and possibly 2 in secondary for a bit of time, to be in school from 1st June.

Interesting, also, that while it is not seen as possible to get every year group back before the end of term in secondary, it will be possible for every year group to have this full time holiday scheme up and running ready to go from that point?

Would the effort put into creating it perhaps not be better spent really, really working on how to get everyone into school safely in September, so that disruption from that point on can be kept to a minimum through really robust and well thought through infection control procedures, perhaps by building and modifying facilities (such as additional washing areas) and installing screens, room dividers etc to allow safer teaching of whole year groups?

After the pandemic you say? So not this year then? (Whenever it is,I won't be sending my child both they and the teachers need a break!)

Certainly I would prefer DD's secondary to be closed throughout the summer for building and preparation work, replacement of surfaces with more washable ones etc etc so that she can enter Y13 more confident of getting a fairly full year of teaching, rather than attempting to run a holiday scheme but failing to prepare the building and its contents adequately for infection control in the new year.