What is the plan at your school?

[SistemaAddict]

Ours is complicated but essentially children are in Monday and Tuesday or Thursday and Friday. Key and vulnerable can still go all week. Wednesday is for cleaning, planning, key and vulnerable children.

Staggered drop off and pick up, lunch in classrooms, staggered play times. No mixing with key and vulnerable children.

I feel so sorry for the staff trying to manage this and organise it to start with.

They seem to be keeping it secret round our way, so I have no idea!

They haven't even asked parents with kids in relevant year groups (mine included) if we are sending our DC in.

How on earth they are planning when they don't know if it's a couple of hundred or zero kids turning up on June 1st I don't know!

My DS isn't in the year groups going back but all the information is on the school website.

Staggered drop off and pick up times. Packed lunches. Bubbles of 15 children. Attendance will be one week on one week off Monday to Thursday with school closed on Fridays (apart from key worker children) for deep cleaning.

I've just seen a post from a school saying one of the guidelines is all children must have clean uniform each day. That's my step kids buggered. They have to wear one uniform all week long.

Ours is only remaining open for vulnerable /key worker children until at least mid June. They will review at that point and may then say R, Y1 and Y6 can go back but no guarantees.

Just found out ours are prioritising key workers kids. So no space for R, Y1 or Y6.

Yet to hear back from my dc school definite plans but they have indicated that not all the priority years will be able to return and those that are invited back would be part time and possibly child care only not education

They are prioritising key worker children then may offer some places to others in the relevant year groups on a part time basis but only if there is space (part time is estimated to be two days a fornight)

From 8th June ours are doing:

Keyworker kids in as normal

Reception and Year 1 split into 12 pupil and 1 teacher/TA "bubbles" mon-fri mornings

Year 6 split into bubbles as above mon-fri afternoons.

Staggered playtimes and arrival and home times.

All non essential furniture removed from classrooms to make more room.

My school has said that they will have children/parents queuing 2m apart and will take temps (with a forehead thermometer) before admitting anyone onto the premises. Anyone with an abnormal temp will be sent home and told to stay at home for 2 weeks. I am getting worried about this as I am menopausal and having major hot flushes.

@ChipsAndKetchup they are doing nothing wrong. Guidance is clear, priority goes to key worker and vulnerable children. Many schools will be at capacity, space and staff wise if those places are taken. Direct your anger at the government, not the school.

How on earth they are planning when they don't know if it's a couple of hundred or zero kids turning up on June 1st I don't know!

The guidance says to plan as if all pupils are returning, because if we plan for the bare minimum, we will have to completely rethink the plans (which takes hours) if more decide to attend later.

Millicent10 Hot flushes shouldn't bring your temperature up to an abnormal level (even though it feels like it!) so you should be ok, don't worry.

We have had zero information not even a holding type response.

No idea yet (secondary teacher).

Ours have said even preschool will be expected to socially distance, sit at desks etc.

I don’t think I will send mine in. It sounds grim, and she is better off at home. I wish there was a way to make it clear that I am not keeping her off because I don’t think it’s safe, but because I think the school environment sounds toxic for a 4 year old’s mental health.

My school has said that they will have children/parents queuing 2m apart and will take temps (with a forehead thermometer) before admitting anyone onto the premises.
@Millicent10 so putting people at risk by not keeping a two metre distance!
My dc high school is vulnerable and key worker children only. Assuming primary will be the same.

Ours have said other school years might be able to attend Later on if everything is ok for them to do so. The plan from June is of course dependent on the 5 pillars being met so it's all theoretical anyway. If you say no to a place now then change your mind you have to wait until the next stage (where they consider adding other year groups) before there's a chance of a place. We've been given 24 hours to decide. That's not a problem for me but for some parents that's a big ask.

Ours are doing a phased return in week one which is essentially two days per year, short days with staggered drop off and pick ups. No uniform but clean clothes every day. Packed lunches. Rearranged classrooms. Staggered playtimes, bubbles of 15. Lots of focus on hand washing etc.

They've also outlined what they'll be doing education wise. First week will be concentrating on settling back in, learning new routines.

I feel they're dealing with it quite well. You can tell by the tone that they're not entirely happy about reopening, but they are giving lots of communication.

It's a very daunting time for everyone but whatever happens s going forward I feel we all have a responsibility as adult to sell this 'new normal' to children in a positive way.

R, Y1 and Y6 going in. Kids of key workers the bottom priority, weirdly, and those who aren't in those three years will be shunted into local 'hub' where its just childcare, in a town a couple of miles away.

No idea. They haven't asked us who wants to send their kids back, and haven't divulged any plans yet.

Ours will decide later this week if they are opening. If yes, then school closed to even keyworkers children next week, so school and staff can be prepared. It's been pointed out that even if they prepare for return, the final government decision will be made on 28 May.

1 of ours sent out a survey for parents to complete - literally Childs name, class & Yes or no to whether they will be attending.

I contacted them to get more info regards their plan even though I was 90% certain I was keeping him home with me. I'd already completed the survey by the time they got back to me with answers & I'm so glad my answer was no.

1 day per week - rising to 2 if safety & staffing allows.
Sitting at a desk socially distanced from others.
Groups of 6 due to size of classrooms.
Staggered start & pick up times. Staggered lunch / playtimes. Outdoor play whenever possible but no children to mix - within their group or otherwise.

Teaching not as it was as the teacher will be at the front of the class & due to social distancing will not be able to go help the child if needed.

So so different to how my son knows it! It affected his education was the only reason I considered sending him but it will be too different & difficult for him. He's loving doing work at home so we'll continue with that & hope it doesn't affect him too much.

It affecting* not affected

My kids school seem more relaxed than most! Small school so only 15 kids per year group anyway. They will have 4 bubbles- reception, yr1, yr 6 and key worker kids. There are 4 classrooms in the school so each kept seperate with staggered start and finish times, and staggered lunch and break times. Easier to do this in a small school as they will only have 4 bubbles. I've heard 11 out of 15 reception kids will be returning. My yr 3 child will go into key worker bubble which has 15 children. No school uniform, no school dinners except for free school meals which will be provided as packed lunches.
Children will not be expected to social distance within their bubbles - reception can play together, all toys, sand pit, play equipment can be used as normal but kept within reception so other yr groups won't use it. Older year groups don't need to keep 2m apart but will be asked not to touch each other. School will close on Fri afternoons for deep cleaning.
School said they have no idea how they will deal with the other year groups when they return - they say current guidelines are impossible but they assume there will be further guidelines closer to the time - prob will need to have everyone attend part time or if infection rate lower by then perhaps the rules about how many children per bubble will be relaxed by then.

• cutting classes into groups of 8-13 kids
• assigning each group a classroom and teacher (not necessarily their known teacher) they will stay in that classroom all day. No assemblies, PE etc
• having a 15min morning and afternoon break outside just that group on a schedule, no sharing the playground with other groups
• lunch in the classroom
• teacher will be at front of class with kids behind the line at desks, limited physical interaction between teacher and kids. They've never had desks before always been carpet based activities with tables and chairs available if they want to use them rather than having to be at them all day.
• all soft and porous/malleable toys removed - sandpits, water table, playdough, cuddly toys, beanbags....

I don't think DD would like it, she's very active and loves outdoor time and group play so we've said no for now. School have said we can contact them and give a weeks notice if we change our mind.