What would you need to know before making a decision on your DC returning at some point after half term?

[UndertheCedartree]

I my DD would love to return to school to be with her teacher and friends having lots of fun. But I can't help feeling it will be none of those things. The school are saying they may not be with their teacher (I don't get this, though as if not with their teacher - where would they be? It's not like there are any spare classrooms?), they'll be in smaller groups so may not be with best friends, no soft furnishings or toys and all the rules and regulations sound like they will suck any joy left well and truly out. They say 'school will be very different to the one they left in March'. I'm not sure at this point that my DD won't be more upset and unsettled than any benefit to returning to school. My biggest question is how on earth can drop off/pick up happen with no gathering?

I really feel I need more information in order to make a decision. What information do you feel you need?

I think because children need to be in groups of 15, she may not be in the group the teacher is assigned to - they can't swap.

I would like to see what happens to the rising number of cases of Kawasaki like syndrome although we won't know much more on that before June sadly.

The post above yours is someone saying waiting 7+ d for test results.
That is part of the answer

@Barbie222 - but if all the teachers have 1 classroom - where would all the extra teachers/groups go? I had assumed they would be with their teacher/in their class just on a part time basis? I mean there are a few specialist classrooms but not enough to create double or triple the number of classes needed if all DC are in at once. Unless it will literally just be YR, 1&6 and even then it would be tight depending on how many they can fit in each classroom. So many unknowns!

DfE guidance is that pupils should not be in part time - that's for the first wave years R 1 & 6
So need to use spare classrooms and teachers from other year groups which means children maybe taught by a teacher they don't know

It's one of the great mysteries. All children in before summer, 15 in a group and no mixing teachers or sharing spaces. Then apparent clarification that year groups should be offered full time places in order of priority. It doesn't add up to school leaders either. Here the LA has said across the borough it's going to be a blanket part time offer so that's where the flexibility will before us.

Children are put in a group, maximum 15, although some schools are choosing smaller groups. These groups will then be allocated an adult, not necessarily a teacher, could be a teaching assistant. This group is then meant to stay with that adult all the time they are in school. Adults and children shouldn't mix with any other groups.

If they are doing a full day, they will eat their lunch in the classroom they have been allocated. When they go out to the playground they can only be with their group, can't mix with other children.

I don’t mind DS being taught by a TA bit where will they physically put everyone? There are no large enough additional rooms in DS’s school.

You have hit the nail on the head op!
Extra rooms are needed just for those 3 year groups, imagine how it WON'T work when all years go back at end of June. And there is new ruling this evening that it must be full time with no rota.

Thats is why some schools are having to say it will be part-time. The latest guidance document does say that schools shouldn't offer part-time, and if there isn't enough space, then schools should prioritise different years, starting with the youngest, so in the schools I work with that would be pre-school which seems ridiculous to me.

There is a paragraph in the guidance which then does say schools can choose which parts of this guidance they use. Bearing in mind this latest guidance came out today after many schools have already sorted out their plans!

I would need to know that the school was open...

Our school have said they don't think they can fit 15 in each classroom so looking at classes split into 3. This would require 45 classrooms just for YR, 1 & 6. The school has 35 classrooms and a few specialist rooms. How on earth can they all be in full time...with the rest of the year groups joining in a few weeks. It makes no sense!

@CoronaIsComing they will use the empty classrooms from years 2-5 if that’s enough rooms. What happens when those year groups return and need their rooms back? Who knows! Although they probably won’t be able to return until children can be in large groups again, otherwise it’s impossible. My neighbours school is only opening to reception as they don’t have enough classrooms

We don’t have any spare classrooms! Our schools are already overcrowded and we are a two form entry school. If we are splitting kids into groups of 15 then we don’t have double the number of classrooms for the other 15 kids to go to (and that’s before we even think about staffing). So kids have to be part-time so that everyone gets a turn of at least being in school because. We can’t magic up classrooms out of thin air!

Our school has said the earliest they would reopen to further children would be 3rd June and then it will be only for reception and they will do a full review as to if they can manage y1 as well a couple of weeks later. The only way they could manage Y6 aswell is if a significant number of DC don't attend which is likely. I'm assuming that all other years will return after the summer if restrictions are looser as by the time reception, Y1 & Y6 and the key worker and vulnerable DC are in the school will be full to capacity.