Completely understand that the primary intake June 1st cant happen but does that mean the y10/12 contact won’t happen either?

[worldsworststepfordwife]

If there’s a thread for this already sorry I’ve tried to avoid them for a few days

So yes just need to understand if this is an all or nothing situation to give my y10 dd a heads up

I can't answer your question, but I do have a friend who works in secondary, she's on the rota for covering at the moment. She cried last week when there was nothing firm for those years. This week she's been in again, and even with 10 children in the class, she was constantly reminding them about social distancing, she left the room briefly and two got together. So she's been upset this week as she can't see a way forward. She thinks the only way it can work is if they stay at the same desk and teachers move around, but not all subjects can be covered as they'll be too much disruption with teachers talking to some, while the others try and work. Anything better than nothing though.

It has to somehow be sorted for schools. Guess it'll be a case of trial and error for a while as every school is different.

I think the only honest thing you can say to your DD is that no one knows at the moment - probably not even the government. Government don't seem to have thought the whole school return thing through at all, eg with primaries they told schools to divide returning year groups into groups of 15 that didn't meet. Lots of schools didn't have the staff/space to allow a full-time return on that basis, so spent hours working out rota systems for which children could be in when, only to find that the government then issued additional guidance saying no rotas! So if that's primary where you don't have the issue of kids taking different subject options, I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for anything sensible on secondary schools.

In my school they have started to make ans for this. Apparently it is being discussed st a regional/national level.
From what we've been told Year 10 will not follow their timetable. They will probably have one to one, very small group mentoring and intervention sessions. They will possibly attend small group workshops with subject specialist teachers. A chance to discuss work done remotely and fill any gaps. A chance to set key reading/tasks and give out resources etc.
At govt level i think they are looking at the middle of June and it maybe that year 10 students attend 1 or 2 days for those last few weeks. Nothing definite, just intial ideas.

The only thing you can say is that nobody knows at the moment.
Before my maternity leave, my year 12 and 13 classes had 10-15 students in them. I'd have zero issue with them being trusted to follow as close to social distancing as possible. It wouldn't be 2m but I could see it work.

For year 10 that's more problematic in terms of staffing and rooms, but with y7-9 out of school it would free classrooms up to have no more than 15 in a room. Really 15 doesn't allow for much of a gap in some rooms, 10 would be ideal. The issue for y10 is if you split a class into 2 or 3 groups then there's only one teacher. It could be manageable on a rota system though, depending on school buildings and staffing.

Nobody knows but your DC's teachers will be wanting to see them.

Someone told me their DC's school are having Year 10s in classes of 10, the only year back in from 1st June, so spread throughout the school, and they have to stay in their groups of 10 all day, for lunch as well. That seems the most sensible way to go about it. That is such a good teaching ratio, they should, I imagine be able to make up for lost time.

We haven't heard yet about our school. Hoping my DD Yr 10 will have at least a bit of contact with teachers in the last month or so before the summer holidays.

It depends on the school - we’re having year 10 in on groups of 40 after half term, 4 classes of 10, for 1 day a week.

I think the detailed guidance for secondary schools is out next week (typically, the government has at no point published the timetable for release of guidance, so schools have been making plans, then having them over-riden when the next set of guidance comes out).

I think that the Y10 / 12 opening will be much more variable and tailored, and is probably therefore more likely to happen in some form (very limited) than the primary school plan. One of the things it will depend on is travel to school - some schools draw most of their pupils from a walking distance radius, others have the vast majority of pupils using some kind of school or public transport to get there, and it is that additional risk that schools will have to take into account.

If they say 'no rota', as they have for primary, then no, schools won't be able to do it.

My son is in Yr 12 and us college have said that they are doing end of year exams In June online so they know who needs most help and they will be given the opportunity to go back earlier. If they’re doing ok on the home learning front they will stay there for remainder of the term at least.