If you're not sending your dc back to school until September because of the new rules

[Fluffyglitterystuff]

Will you send them back in September if the new rules still apply?

I'm genuinely not being goady and if you're sick of school threads please feel free to bypass this thread.

As 1st June looms I think even those who are sending dc back are a bit apprehensive if only because of the new rules and bubbles.

If this becomes the new normal until a vaccine/treatment. Will you feel any better about it come September?

I will decide at the time, based on what unfolds over the summer.

I have a Y6 and a Y4.

I realise at some point I will have to accept some level of risk and send them to school, but delaying feels safer to me for now (realise I am lucky to have the choice and totally respect the decisions of others) ..

I won't have a choice, I'm currently furloughed from work but if schools are open in September my Dd will have to go as I'll need to work by then. I'm hoping I can stay on furlough due to childcare reasons until then as she's not in the right year to be going back before the summer holidays. If they don't open in September I have no idea what I'll do as I won't be able to go to work

Mine aren’t going back yet but I accept that come September, even if things haven’t changed, they will.

My dh at the moment is just a bit panicky because both he and dd have asthma so he is being over cautious.

I would happily send reception aged ds back Monday, but dh would rather wait and as it’s his health as well as dd’s, I’ve chosen to respect his choice

I very much doubt the new rules will still apply in September. It would be impossible to implement.
Maybe more hand washing and greater attention to cleaning, but as for bubbles and distancing, no.

Thanks for replying.

Interesting to here you don't think that the bubbles and distancing will apply come September. You could be right. Hopefully the cases will be low enough that it doesn't need to be in place.

I don't really trust this government at all I think you just have to make decisions based on personal risk to yourself and your own circumstances.

I very much doubt the new rules will still apply in September. It would be impossible to implement.

Yet advance plans are in place. This is what head teachers are being told to plan for so that work needed in the buildings can be done over the summer. Social distancing will be around for quite some time yet and schools will be no exception.

The rules can't apply in Sept. We can only do bubbles by using the classrooms usually used by the other year groups.

We're not expected to do distancing though. Unless my school has really misunderstood. Ours are being fully isolated within their bubbles but are able to play and work together within those bubbles.

I think there will be uproar if schools are not open to all pupils in September (even if it is only part time). Probably at that point parents will have to either send their chdren or give up their school place (unless there is medical need).

Yes sorry manic, you're correct. Distancing shouldn't be applied within bubbles.

@Aroundtheworldin80moves

I think there will be uproar if schools are not open to all pupils in September (even if it is only part time). Probably at that point parents will have to either send their chdren or give up their school place (unless there is medical need).

The HT I was speaking to says that the aim is for part time for all, except those not attending for medical reasons. The school is over the road from where I live and he was in with people from the LA and builders/carpenters to plan for September.

Staffing is going to be a big problem and will also be a factor.

Bubbles of 15 or less will just not happen in September.
We currently have five classrooms out of twelve currently prepared for Tuesday. That's for just over 60 children. That leaves seven classrooms left for the other 240 odd. Part time will be the only way around it, but surely the bubbles will then be compromised.

Mine are going back as long as the school is open as they need the routine desperately and my sanity depends on it.

I am hoping that test/trace will be working properly by September

I see part time school happening inn September. This isn't going away anytime soon, and planning at school isn't for normal return to school at all for September.

Yes it's going to be messy for everyone but this is just the way it's going to be.

September I will re-evaluate. It also depends on if I’m working by then.

It’s too early for me to send my YR back and as I have a Y3 who can’t go back yet anyway it seems daft to send him. Homeschooling is going well, we have lots of fields to play in so I appreciate I am lucky. We still have over 150k active covid infections in the UK at the moment according to the Oxford App which has been pretty reliable so far. That seems too high to me to do effective track and trace. I think keeping the children off for a few weeks/a month more would make a big difference.

I think the getting the children back to schools by 1st June is an economic and political decision. The government may hide behind the ‘vulnerable’ children story but, as an ex teacher, they don’t give 2 hoots about them struggling during the 6 weeks holiday. If they really wanted to put all children first they would use this ideal time to redo the school year........ staggered return in September to old year groups so allowing time for transition to happen, new school year starting in January from now on, evenly spaced terms with more regular breaks and a shorter summer holiday plus a new exam system where the children get their results before applying to Uni. But they won’t

It's impossible to predict what the situation will be like in one month let alone 3.

Seems pointless asking what people might do in a hypothetical situation.

Probably not. Depends on the level of cases in the country and how close a vaccine seems. If I knew how many cases there were locally and that tracking and tracing was working properly I would consider it. The way things are going I fully believe we will back in lock down in September so it won’t be a decision I have to make.

Like others I will reevaluate come September. But it can't continue in its current form as where would all the extra classrooms come from? (My DDs school can't accomodate Y6 due to this) Part time makes more sense.

I'm so worried if it will be part-time schooling forever if we don't find a vaccine. My daughter is only 4 (nearly 5). What kind a future career can she have if she only goes to school 2 days a week? I cant adequately home school for the remaining 3 days of the week when I have to work too. Even if I wasn't working from home, I'm not a qualified teacher and my daughter doesn't respond well to me teaching her and has regular emotional outbursts. If key worked children are allowed to go in full time, then they'll be at a massive educational advantage. I feel almost sick with worry.

I'm at the other end of the spectrum. I'm a Secondary School Governor. School has approx 1,300 pupils.

On our Xoom meetings our Head and head of MAT are thinking that there will be part time schooling in September. We're currently worried about school buses and social distancing, We are a rural school and rely on school buses.

I really don't know how I feel about any of it tbh - my son is Yr2 and there is talks of whole school being phased in, if capacity allows, before end of school year. I keep thinking that the risk was higher in Feb and March when they were still at school and that the risk is more minimal now that we've been in lockdown. Thoughts?

I honestly think they will scrap bubbles of 15 and make it bubbles of 30 still with staggered start/finish, separate play and lunchtimes. At least in primary.

Reasons being, even if school has space for temporary classrooms and can get them in place we cannot get double the number of teachers in place.
Part time school won't help with childcare and getting parents back to work - which is the government's objective.

Secondary schools I believe will be part time as much less childcare issues.

I actually think kids will get a better academic experience in smaller groups and not able to whisper to friend sat next to them. So will be happy with this for my will be yr10.

Not so happy with changes to primary for my will be yr6 but needs must.

I probably won't. I was a teacher and I can taeach him at home if necessary. I'm not going to piss about with half days and part time. If they start fining people, I'll have a more difficult decision.

Part time for younger pupils may not be as bad as people fear. Back in the dark ages when I was training to teach a wise headmaster told me that you needed to teach the important things before lunch if you wanted it to be retained.

Crafts, PE and other more recreational subjects may be neglected for a while but half time for under 11s could be ok.