Any primary teachers preparing their return to school

[whattodo2019]

Can I ask what changes you are being asked to make to your classrooms, the way you will teacher, social distancing etc? How do you feel a it returning to work.

There are so many mixed Messages, I would love to hear from the teachers who are going back on 1st. June

But no, obviously it isn't the teacher's job. I don't blame them for not wanting to do it.

Cleaning isn't my job, but I'm the one going to be in the classroom all day. So I will be cleaning my room regularly throughout the day, before school and afterschool. The cleaners will be as well, but the usual cleaning standards leave a lot to be desired. I'd like to be able to control the cleanliness of my working environment. I'm not cleaning the kids toilets though. That feels like increasing the risk rather than decreasing it!

Even if the budget was available to pay cleaners extra to clean the toilets 3 or 4 times daily, they wouldn't necessarily want or need the extra money. Bit of an assumption there Lemon

I think you're underestimating how desperate alot of people are for jobs atm
I'd do it

Sorry OP, distracted.

Our school had a planning meeting yesterday. I've been very impressed with the plan. We feel able to get N, R, 1 and 6 back, in groups of 8 (15 for year 6), allowing 2m distance. I teach Y6 and think it will actually be just fine. They understood our enhanced hygiene procedures well before lockdown, and will be keen to be back. Teaching will be different - teachers are expected to stay at the front. Much more whole class teaching, no partner or group work. But they will all do a bit of maths and writing, lots of PSHE and PE outside. Social distancing encouraged between the kids, with consequences if they repeatedly don't do this. But no squares on the playground or other extreme measures as published elsewhere.

I don't know how EYFS teachers will manage though - the guidelines don't allow for much sensible EYFS teaching, though as I'm not one I'm not best placed to comment.

I didn't realise coronavirus could sense when there's an open window and escape out of it and sneezes and coughs gravitate towards open windows as well!

None of this will stop the spread. It's a bit like putting a landmine in an area and telling 10 people they can stand close but not too close and they won't get blown up. If someone in the school/class gets it, it will be everywhere. Even more so because young children don't show many symptoms and sometimes none at all. All you need is one child carrier/with minor symptoms to sneeze in a classroom (sneezing travels more than 2m!) Or to pick their nose a few times in a day and touch some handles, taps and that's it, outbreak! The children then pass it around their household, the household passes it to other people in supermarkets, at work etc. You can't stop a virus from spreading by simply having people stand/sit 2m apart.

I understand life needs to resume at some point but all this is just a bid to have some children in school for 6 weeks before the holidays. Why? Surely kids can learn at home and social meet ups in open spaces where they socially distance outside with their parents keeping a close eye on them (1 adult to one child) would work out better? No shared toilets, no confinement in one room, no chance of touching things other people have touched. If it's for childcare needs, it would be far safer to allow households to mix with one other for childcare needs and use childminders where there's less children mixing.

It seems convoluted and really stupid at the moment. If they dropped this and went another route, there would be nist over 3 months to prepare and have an actual plan that scientifically suggests the spread will be lowered rather than relying on open windows for the virus to run out of

Sorry Grey, I was just commenting about myself

Even if the budget was available to pay cleaners extra to clean the toilets 3 or 4 times daily, they wouldn't necessarily want or need the extra money. Bit of an assumption there Lemon

Fair enough. My cleabner is also a school cleaner and she'd be glad of the money.

To be honest, if I was still a teacher I wouldn't be cleaning anywhere. Not my job.

I'd be really interested to hear from an EYFS (YR) teacher/TA about what has been planned. I know it's not going to be the same as before, but I'd be interested to hear what might be expected of the youngest children.

Reception teacher here
In my school we are implementing the following:

• bubbles of 10 children with no mixing
• little to no transition experiences for our new September starters (ie. home visits, visits to school before term starts, teachers visiting nurseries etc)
• increased focus on outdoor learning (in all weathers as opposed to nice days wink)
• no continuous provision (ie free access to toys)
• removal of items that can’t be cleaned easily (ie natural and objects and materials - there has been a big shift towards this type of environment in most Reception classes and this now accounts for 85% of my resources) and reliance on plastic resources.
• small group teaching, no whole class carpet or circle times
• staggered lunch and break times
• no parents in school
• if children can not be left independently (ie not needing comfort from an adult) they will need to be taken home again (this caused quite a stir when I posted this in another thread earlier. I don’t make the rules, just being honest about how it will be)
• formal (Worksheets) teaching at Individual desks (not best practice in Reception classrooms for many years)
• teaching staff will not be usual staff or EYFS experienced due to staff sickness/shielding.

All in all a very grim picture

@YappityYapYap
Keeping windows open increases ventilation, same science as to why you can meet people outside!
Clearly you also haven't seen any of the research and news that children under 10 are not the supersrpeaders of this virus, this is not a flu virus it is a coronavirus.

@bbn81

You're right on ventilation (although it decreases risk of spreading, but definitely doesn't eliminate it)

But the research on children under 10 is still really low certainty. I hope it turns out to be accurate, but we cannot be sure that children are poor spreaders yet.

There are already 70 cases in France as a result of schools opening and some primaries have closed again.

I’m not actually that confident we’ll get open.

What are your school's plans to support children with SEND who have 1:1 support. Will their TA stay with them within their bubble?

What are your school's plans to support children with SEND who have 1:1 support. Will their TA stay with them within their bubble?

The 1:1 staff in my school are all vulnerable and won’t be returning. All other TAs are ‘teaching’ bubbles. The parents of those with EHCPs in our school have opted not to send them in.

This is really interesting, thanks to all the teachers posting. We are sending our children back when schools reopen. My yr 1 child likes everyone in her year so she will be pleased to see any of them and she's very flexible but will take her out again if she's unhappy.

Teachers - will there be any punishments/sanctions for the children if they keep getting too close to others? This worries me. At the pre school my other goes to they aren't socially distancing within their small bubble.

Teachers-will there be any punishments/sanctions for the children if they keep getting too close to others?

Our LEA are releasing new behaviour guidance this week which I presume will give us more information on that.

@REdReDRE

In short, yes. But that will look different in different schools and for different year groups.

I usually teacher Year 4 but will be teaching Year 6. Persistent space invaders will be moved into isolation/collected by their parents and told not to return until they can maintain social distancing.

I'm not a teacher and I'm not in the UK, but our schools and kindergartens went back this week. Schools, only years 1, 2 and 3 (6 - 9 year olds) because supposedly the older ones can study effectively at home.

They have split the classes in half so no more than 10-15 children per room. They have the windows open and spend a lot of time outdoors. No parents allowed inside the building. All their books, bags, pencil cases etc have to stay in school.

Not really sure whether it's going to be effective, or necessary, or whatever. Only time will tell.

My daughter is in reception with 1 to 1 and has been in throughout. When I dropped her off this morning she and her TA sat on the floor with DD a sobbing mess and the TA cuddling her. I know full well the TA is comfortable with it but I worry rules from above will take away the TA's freedom to choose. I also worry her TA is going to be stretched around multiple children and won't be there to meet her needs when she needs her. .

It's going to be interesting.

@REdReDRE - I wouldn’t sanction children (certainly EYFS) for not social distancing if I was asked to. But if they aren’t somewhat safe, they can’t be there.

But the kids least able to social distance are the SEN ones and that isn't their fault.

Teachers, thank you for all that you are doing. It makes me feel reassured that many schools seem to have a pretty consistent approach, although I am very sad to hear you are expected to become cleaners as well as everything else. I know this must be a stressful time for you. Slightly off-topic, but are any of your schools preparing for years 2-5 to return this term, and how would the lack of space be managed? I can't see how it is possible in my child's school.

But the kids least able to social distance are the SEN ones and that isn't their fault

SEN children are not necessarily the least able to socially distance. That’s a massive generalisation.

It’s no small child’s “fault” they can’t SD. If we can’t keep them and others safe at school, then we need to be sensible. It’s a highly unusual situation.

Thanks to all the teachers doing this. I have a reception child and this is all very useful. School have not really told us what their plan is yet so I don’t know what to think!