Told by staff children may not return in September

[NiknicK]

My ds is at a specialist school. I’ve chosen to keep him home until September and I have my reasons for that. I spoke to a member of staff on Friday about arrangements for September and she said that there is no guarantee children will go back in September. Currently they have some year 1 and year 6 kids and also vulnerable and at risk children in other year groups. My ds isn’t in relevant year groups and is neither vulnerable or at risk but I genuinely thought that all kids in some format ie part time maybe, would return to school in September. My ds, like lots of other kids, would’ve been at home for 6 months by then, and whilst I’m happy to keep him home whilst we see if the number of cases decreases, I’ll admit I’ll be pulling my hair out if it’s any longer. What are people’s thoughts do you think it’ll longer before all year groups go back?

I think we just don't know yet. Hopefully the next 4 weeks with some year groups back will give everyone a better picture of how Covid is playing out.

September is only 3 months away. A lot can happen in that time - good or bad. Its entirely possible that kids will go back part time, or even be fully home learning still. I don’t think anyone has a feel for what is more likely as yet.

I've just been into the school where I work. It's set up for just over a third of the children, only three spare classes and no spare teaching staff. They have no idea how it's going to be in September. Guess it'll depend on keeping that R level as low as possible and if those shielding can get back to work.

I spoke to a member of staff on Friday about arrangements for September and she said that there is no guarantee children will go back in September

That seems a very sensationalist way of saying of course no-one knows what will be happening in September, so how can they possibly say yay or nay without the aid of a crystal ball?

My sister works in education (not a school, but offering specialist classes to adults and children). It's not official yet but they won't reopen in September: moving to online only, WFH for the foreseeable future.

I think it may well be part time so 1 week on off or half weeks.

But there is no guarantee. And right now they are planning the next few weeks not thinking about September.

She isn't saying anymore than we already knew. We hope they will be back, but no guarentee.

The updated guidance today says in the section about class sizes that the maximum numbers will be reviewed.
This combined with it still saying their ambition is for all primary children to attend suggests that they will be increasing class sizes and getting everyone back.
It does say something like if the science allows but as we know the science appears to say what they want it to say.

Lets see how it goes first.

No one knows what September will bring.

Specialist school advice is different - it's not based on the mainstream advice of yrR, 1 and 6. Specialist schools are supposed to be encouraging as many children as possible to return especially as they tend to have small classes anyway and ALL children are classed as vulnerable by nature of their EHCP necessitating a SEN school. My son went back to his today and he is bouncing off the walls with excitement now he is back.

OP, they don't know yet and shouldn't be making definitive statements really.

Why do so many people keep thinking that September is going to be miraculously better? It's like people think a new school year is going to wipe out Corona virus, what exactly is going to happen in September?

I don't understand you choose to keep your child home which is your right but you want him to go back in September but what if things are the same or worse even ? I doubt it but that's what she's saying there are no guarantees. If the cases drop then it's most likely that school will be back to normal but it may not be .
You've gotten into your head that new school year will be fine by then and now your upset that he'll be too much by then .
I can understand that as it's 12 weeks away so yeah it's a long time .
People like to put dates on things oh by September everything will be hunky dory . Who knows did we predict where we are here today 10 weeks ago?

Nobody knows yet. I'm a school governor of a primary school and at our meeting today the head said she's taking it week by week.

I don’t think September will be miraculously better but I hope it will be less risky by that point. I’m not in denial though I know it’ll be around for a long time yet. My ds’s school were struggling with him before he left in March. It isn’t the right school for him and I am trying to get him into another school but it’s going to take a long time. My ds isn’t vulnerable imo despite his Ehcp, but he’s at a school were a lot of kids have come from troubled backgrounds and have severe behavioural difficulties. My ds is perfectly safe and cared for at home which staff said they’re aware of, and whilst he could go back, they’re behind encouraged to try and keep kids stay home if possible.

I guess I just think by September we’d have 3 months to see how things pan out and then I’ll be in a better position to make an informed choice. A lot of the kids in my ds’s school are not capable of social distancing at the moment (that came from the head teacher) so at the minute I don’t think it’s safe to send my ds back.

Who knows did we predict where we are here today 10 weeks ago

Nope, I thought schools would be back today - at the very least for Y10 and 12. Got that completely wrong!

Our school says they have no idea yet what will happen in September, but their best guess is that some children will still be at home (eg high risk families), some teachers will still be unable to work as they’re high risk, and the classes will still need to be smaller and more spaced out than normal. So they’re aiming to be open to all children but also warning us it may be part time only on some kind of rota, and we can’t rely on school for childcare (except for keyworkers).

Advice for our EHCP children is an individual risk assessment for each child and they stay home if it is safer there.