Why are primary schools obsessed with social distancing when it’s not a requirement?

[whenthejoyreturns]

I’m sure I’ll be told I’m stupid but I’m genuinely confused.
Our local primary will only allow 8 in a class because apparently there’s not enough room to socially distance more. I thought dc were supposed to be in bubbles of 15 or so dc. Why have our primaries gone down the route of sitting dc at desks spaced 2m apart?

By cruel you mean the distancing measures in the gov guidelines.

Some of the school plans I've seen are cruel

Oh? Which school plans have you seen?

Having children sit so they're staring at a wall seems unnecessarily cruel to me

I’ve not heard anyone threatening to be cruel. Well, except the example of the children being made to face the wall (is that for real?).

I do know that I’ve had almost daily emails from our head teacher in the last two weeks. They are absolutely full of negative language, shouty capital letters and descriptions. Direct examples include:

‘I cannot keep your children SAFE
It will not be NORMAL
We cannot EDUCATE your child
Thank you to those parents who have said they will NOT require a place

It is quite clear that our children are not welcome, and that they are not wanted. I have great faith actually in the individual teachers at our school, however the head teacher (who behaves emotionally and erratically at the best of times) has behaved disgracefully in her communications with parents and, i am very concerned at how she will behave around our kids.

They deserve better.

Having children sit so they're staring at a wall seems unnecessarily cruel to me

What does the rest of that school plan say?

Do you not mean all at own desks facing front of classroom wall as opposed to groups. What is cruel about that?

What else in all these plans is cruel.

Facing them sitting a wall isn't necessary. Not allowing children outside is cruel and unnecessary. Making families feel completely unwelcome is unnecessary. Refusing to attend to a child who has injured themselves is cruel.

I know full well my DDs school have and will continue to do their best but whilst being realistic and whilst not making school miserable. She still gets the cuddles she needs. They are encouraged to distance but won't be reprimanded for not. They will still be taught and do lots of activities and play outside. The day will have structure.

It is as positive or as miserable as the school want to make it.

user1000000000000000001

But which school plans have you actually seen?

@sophiestew - what do you suggest then? We seem to be looking at some form of social distancing for many months, potentially over a year. So children don't go back to school in that time? Give us your alternatives to children missing a year of education because I'd love to hear them

Lots of parents are sharing them on an SEN group I'm on as the particularly bad ones are awful for SEN children.

Of course injured children will be attended to but not necessarily in the same way. They absolutely shouldn’t be getting automatic cuddles. There are other ways to comfort children. And accommodating several bubbles of children that should be kept apart with very little outdoor space may mean access it’s limited.

*I do know that I’ve had almost daily emails from our head teacher in the last two weeks. They are absolutely full of negative language, shouty capital letters and descriptions. Direct examples include:

‘I cannot keep your children SAFE
It will not be NORMAL
We cannot EDUCATE your child
Thank you to those parents who have said they will NOT require a place*

These stories are awful. My child's school has been incredible. Positive, strong plans, and 100% a can do approach right from the start of all of this. I've been bowled over by how they've just got on and sorted stuff out with zero negative language.

user1000000000000000001

I see. I’d be interested in seeing them - I’ve looked through loads as we’ve been developing ours and haven’t seen anything remotely as you describe.

School isn’t going to be ideal for children - especially not children who need more support. It’s a very difficult time for those families :(

I'm glad schools are social distancing.

Watching scenes over the last few days of kids on beaches and not social distancing I don't think a bubble alone with be enough.

I know some teachers who have worked with key either kids and have cuddled them if they’ve been upset.

Presumably because, instinctively, they are human. I’ve thought about it, I know I’d do the same with the tiny ones. I’m not a teacher, though.

The question is, what would the parents say?

The lower the infection rate the lower the risk surely? If we were to wait a while longer or return year groups who can social distance then maybe it would be safer? Of course a rise is inevitable but the lower the rate the better?

You have to laugh.

Cries of why are we not following the lead of our European counterparts? They have their children back so why can't we?!

Reply: We do this, like a lot have, with bubbles of less than 15 pupils and parents are then pissed off.

Cries of Why are schools enforcing social distancing when they don't have to?!

Reply: read the bloody guidance fully and spot the contradictions:

We know that, unlike older children and adults, early years and primary age children cannot be expected to remain 2 metres apart from each other and staff. In deciding to bring more children back to early years and schools, we are taking this into account....

Hang on.....

If you can keep older children within those small groups 2 metres away from each other, you should do so. Prevent your class from sharing equipment and resources.

The guidance also clearly states:

determine your half class groups (maximum size of 15), taking into account any limitations of your school buildings and outdoor space

So it's a MAXIMUM size of 15 depending on individual school buildings. We know that no two buildings are the same so maybe ask to view the classrooms that are being used and to see the 485772 risk assessments we have had to write.

What’s the experience of SEN parents/schools. I worked in an SLD school many years ago. Worked in a couple, actually.

What’s going on there?

Schools differ though. Those heads with massive purpose built modern buildings, loads of space and outdoor areas are dealing with a very different scenario than this in cramped old buildings and little outdoor space.

@Daffodil101 my daughter is SEN. Her TA has been incredible as has her school but I know it can be really difficult for a lot of schools.

They have actually designed her entire "bubble" around her needs as a calm DD naturally = better able to social distancing. She still gets all the comfort and tactile-ness she needs. 5 year olds can't social distance well as it is but she truly can't.

I know shes really fortunate.

The reality is that things have changed whether we like it or not.

The schools our children left in March are NOT the same schools they are coming back to. We can't guarantee pupils will be safe - that's a given and actually I think it would be irresponsible of a schools to claim they can do that.

What we CAN do is mitigate the risk. We CAN do what we can to ensure we have a focus on learning but the government have clearly set out their expectations and their focus is very different to what we are used to.

The reality of this in my school will be:

EYFS classrooms stripped back of half the resources and soft furnishings removed. Not sure how I make book corners look attractive with little hard plastic chairs but I'm going to give it a go. A select number of books on rotation. 5 boxes with one used per day so I can isolate them for the required 5 days.

Mud kitchen is closed as is the large sand area as I believe it's potentially a hot bed. The chn cough and sneeze and it's not changed/replaced more than 2x per year.

We can have water as apparently this isn't risky so that's fab.

No play dough table as I would have to make over 50 pieces each day to give to individual children and throw it away after use. I'd also have to reduce the tools and wash those after each child uses them.

Corridors blocked off at certain points to make sure children in bubbles don't mix. I'll make it look as 'nice' as possible but children will be limited to where they can go in corridors now.

Certain toilets only for a certain bubble to support no coming into contact with other bubbles as per guidance.

Bubbles being taught by unfamiliar teachers as we have 12 bubbles, but 6 teachers and 3 support staff. 2 members of staff are shielding so I have to pull 5 teachers from across the school to ensure all bubbles have a qualified teacher where possible.

I've had to kick year 1 out of their classrooms to keep the EYFS bubbles as close together as possible to ensure less spread of adults and children in the building and allow entrance and exit points to be close together.

No parents allowed on the school site so children will have to come in on their own. Now I will sing and dance and hold hands to try and encourage them to come in but some have to be physically taken from their parents and that's generally traumatic enough without me doing that at the school gate.

If a child has a toileting accident, staff will wear aprons, gloves, and a mask and face shield. We will still reassure them that it's fine and they are not in trouble.

If a child has symptoms I have to follow the guidance and put them in a room with an adult who should don full PPE and remain at a 2m distance until they are picked up.

That's the reality and no how many songs I make up about washing your bloody hands or how many times I smile, cuddle them and say I understand that things might look a little different and emptier in our classroom but it will be ok, it's the reality.

And it bloody sucks.

Sigh.

The question is, what would the parents say?

Our nursery’s Q&A is explicit about this:

Will staff still be able to have physical contact with my child?

A. Absolutely. Our staff will be able to care for the children in the same way that they always have done, and this includes cuddles, hand holding, feeding, nappy changing, playing games – all the usual physical contact.

The safety measures put in place by the government allows us to operate normally but with groups.

I, along with many other parents, am absolutely fine with this, and grateful for the human and pragmatic approach they are taking.

@BertNErnie you're brilliant. It's so refreshing to see this approach

It’s not refreshing because that is what most will be doing.

It’s shit and no fault of schools.