Can’t see how children will be able to go back to school in 2021

[Ouchy]

Let’s face it. The R0 may not be controlled for months. Vaccine unlikely until 2021. Teaching unions up in arms. People unwilling to accept the risk of the virus (low for many). I’m getting more and more concerned and the government haven’t published any forward plans for how school can be restarted in the various scenarios we may be facing come September (have they?). What on earth are the DfE and the Education Secretary doing during the working week if they’re not planning this stuff? Is there something I’ve missed - am I mistaken? I’m getting more and more concerned. The children are low risk - there needs to be a plan and fast as their educations and social development are being kind of ignored for something they’re super low risk for as individuals themselves. Looking for reassurance really - am I mistaken or being silly?

Sorry, not been clear:

In my vague plan:

EVERY child (keyworker or not) has half a week in school, and half a week elsewhere. Those in need of full time keyworker childcare would do that half week in another setting (not in school), to enable every child to get that half week.

The other setting would have to be set up so that those children can do the same home learning set for the 'other' part of the week for their half of the class.

Where I work, every keyworker child has done their home learning at school, with school staff playing the role that parents do at home. That is continuing now some year groups are back in school - keyworker children in non-returned years still complete their home learning work while they are in school, with each group having allocated access to the ICT equipment and classrooms to allow this.

Rainbow12e

We can hope, the next flash point could well be in two weeks, with all the demonstrations, beach goers etc.

Bleurgh. Still not clear:

Child A: non keyworker - half week at school, half week at home.
Child B: keyworker - half week at school, half week in childcare.

Both children taught fully in school, and have allocated tasks for the remainder of the week. Childcare for keyworkers would have allocated time and equipment for those tasks to be completed.

Can’t keep away

That sounds interesting. I have been told the reason they can’t teach the keyworker kids is because they are mixed age so unless it was possible to have enough kids to have several keyworker bubbles I can’t see how it would work.

My dd is the youngest by a few years in her keyworker bubble. They are also not allowed to do the home learning while in school as it disadvantages the other kids.

Currently she’s in the keyworker bubble having (very lovely) childcare while her year group has returned and is in the room next door being taught. It’s so unfair and I feel they have totally been forgotten - it’s like keyworker childcare sorted. No idea that these kids also deserve an education

@nonotthatdr - DH’s colleague, a doctor, with his wife also a doctor have their three DC’s at school as keyworkers children. They are in a mixed age group bubble but doing the same school work as their friends have set to do at home. Their school’s approach is that keyworkers children don’t have the opportunity to do their school work at home and shouldn’t be in a worse position to non keyworkers children.

I agree. What have they been doing? Planning?
It's fine to send out a couple of spreadsheets, to the kids, on March 17th, when no one knew how long this would go on for.

But it's been months.
We should be told what the current plans are. Even if we are told they may change, we need to be assured that they are planning.

At the beginning I thought we would be back to near normal in education in September, as time goes on i am less convinced that we will be, and especially after talking to a deputy head teacher the other day. Just seeing how difficulty it is for schools and preschools to function at the moment, I honestly now think there is no way that this will be sorted by September, I’m not sure how it will work, not sure anybody at the moment knows how it will work, perhaps one week in one week out of school and aim to get all children on that system. They could have a week of pretty intensive teaching/tutoring and then be set follow up work to complete at home the following week. But really don’t think normal school will commence in September.

I have been told the reason they can’t teach the keyworker kids is because they are mixed age

We don't teach them. However, since we set every child in the school work to be done at home (essentially 1 activity for each lesson they would have been having in school - 5 x Maths, 1 x Science etc) on online tools with a bit of parental support, we can reasonably expect the keyworker children to do the same, with school staff support, using the same online tools on school IT equipment.

Our home learning doesn't take as long as a school day, so in the rest of the day they have plenty of time to do art activities, PE etc etc, just as the children at home have plenty of time for other things.

I cannot agree more with the previous posts from BOL87. I am now very concerned about the future for our children who are being disadvantaged by an illness which is mainly a problem for the older population. Children's education is being damaged and it's no longer acceptable. Please write to The Secretary of State for education - Gavin Williamson. His email is [email protected]. As parents if we all start doing this then it might make them think harder about their actions.

Won’t be that bad. Many schools in mainland Europe are already back (especially primary) because they recognise that the youth are the ones who will be dealing with the fallout long-term if they aren’t back in school. Parents need to be able to get back to work too.

@nonotthatdr

Assuming we can get back into school, the ones being forgotten about are shielding children. I have already been told by my primary that they won't take my type 1 diabetic (not shielding, just that bit more vulnerable than most children). They will have a fight on their hands if they don't sort the situation out, I can assure you.

cantkeep under current guideline that would not be allowed. I ahve been told by school that my children (y7 and 9)can be EITHER in the keyworker bubble OR join their yeargroups on the days they might be in. NOT both as that would be mixing bubbles. I have also been told that they expect current guidelines to continue stating that children can not attend more than one setting. My Dd due to go into Y12 and has an EHCP we had a provision set up for her which meant doing one A level at one centre and the other 2 at her oringal school. She has now been told she can't do this as she can't attend 2 settings. I have been told very clearly I have to chose between my children being in a mixed yr group keyworker bubble, with no teaching, attending full time OR attending part time with their year groups with a mix of home learning - this will be impossible because both myself and DH are kewworkers working out of the home full time and I can not continue to leave my dc at home alone for months on end with absolutely no support for their home learning.

so basically, for me as a doctor working full time in the NHS, who has been flat out through all this shit, and my DH, a secondary school teacher, we are facing having to send our Dc back to the keyworker bubble, without their friends, with no proper teaching, while their year groups get to be with their peers and to be taught at least part time.

The risk for children is the same as for adults. Stop reading the daily heil. R-rate is above 1 and rising! The English government is stupid to say it mildly. Uneducated cretins, that think science is not important! Going back to normal is killing more people. We are already in the 2nd wave and rising. You don’t hear about it as the Black lives matter demonstrations and the new dragging up of Madeline McCann is taking everyone’s focus of it.

@Weepinggreenwillow I think this is totally unacceptable. Completely unfair on keyworkers and their children. We arent keyworkers but I completely support to idea that keyworker Children should be being educated at school

@syskywalker

The number of deaths and number of positive cases are released daily so how are we not hearing about it? At present there is no evidence of a second wave at all, cases and number of reported deaths continue to fall.

I honestly wish they had never introduced the R number as a measurement. It is complicated, needs to be considered with various other factors and varies a lot when case numbers are low. It’s out there now though and every time it tips slightly above 1 anywhere (and it will, it has been above 1 in Germany quite a lot over the last few weeks) people will panic.

@syskywalker

The risk for children is the same as for adults. Stop reading the daily heil. R-rate is above 1 and rising! The English government is stupid to say it mildly. Uneducated cretins, that think science is not important! Going back to normal is killing more people. We are already in the 2nd wave and rising. You don’t hear about it as the Black lives matter demonstrations and the new dragging up of Madeline McCann is taking everyone’s focus of it.

Oh my god you need help.

@vinoandbrie. My daughter who is year 1 was due to go back tomorrow. School then said they were taking reception only.. both of us cried. She's absolutely gutted.

@Sunshinegirl82
Thise figures not true! They are still refusing
To test widely and they are still putting secondary causes of death down instead of Covid-19. Its like saying people are not dying from AIDS because the pneumonia caused by it killed them!

so basically, for me as a doctor working full time in the NHS, who has been flat out through all this shit, and my DH, a secondary school teacher, we are facing having to send our Dc back to the keyworker bubble, without their friends, with no proper teaching, while their year groups get to be with their peers and to be taught at least part time.

I hear you. I'm a teacher and mine are in three separate bubbles at their school not doing any of their work and I'm supposed to cram that in somehow as well. The system can't continue like this as it isn't fair.

But I am with keyworker kids myself and I am making sure they are doing the work in school and teaching them the materials within. If we can do it then everyone can.

At my school the key worker children are being taught full lessons by a teacher from 9-3 then the hour/s before and after that they are having childcare by the same teacher in their same bubble. We can do this as we have a lot of key worker children so they can be in a bubble by age group.

Each hub must be different as mine in Scotland is literally childcare, they are allowed phones/tablets etc and it’s optional if they want to do work they’ve been set by their own teachers and I know
Mine aren’t doing any until we get home

@syskywalker

The ONS data shows all excess deaths and there have been numerous articles on the subject. There are a number of excess deaths that have not been identified as caused by COVID according to death certificate data but it is acknowledged in the reporting that these may be as a result of undiagnosed COVID.

When you say “they are refusing to test widely” what do you mean? Everyone with symptoms can now have a test and there is additional population sampling. There is an argument for extending testing to cover all symptoms and even for testing everyone periodically but I assume a line has to be drawn somewhere. What is your particular concern?

It can be done to integrate keyworkers children and everyone be completing the same work. DC been back couple of weeks as keyworker child along with few others in their year. Slightly delayed start to some other years returning to school inc for their year, due to start tomorrow. Up until now they have been in a year based keyworker bubble so tomorrow, their friends that are now returning will be joining them up to group size of 15. All will continue to work through the same work as being set for those remaining at home and when it's done they can do football and art etc. Start and finish times throughout school have been staggered but keyworker children can continue to attend from normal school start time, stay until the normal end of day, or leave any time in between that suits parents' shifts, but are probably getting up to 1-1.5 hours longer at school each day than the rest of their year, are with their normal year/friends and all doing same work