So it’s going to be back to school for privately educated children whilst state kids get thrown under the bus

[S1nkorSw1m]

So no more primary children in and secondary left until Sep at the earliest.Of course this gov aren’t bothered about the nation’s children as they prioritise the hospitality sector over schools. Most of their children will be in private schools getting an education.

What an utter shambles.

I have experienced a much better response from CAMHS under lockdown. I was able to chat with my DC's psychiatrist within 30 mins of calling and when my DC self-harmed was able to get support from the Duty Psychiatrist, also within 30 mins.

My daughter is in private school, year 13, and she's only just going back next week and only for one day week for 4 weeks until they break up for the summer. Doesn't seem worth it, but at least it gets her out of the house.

I would love nothing more than all my children at school but this virus isn't letting us just now.

It's not a virus that closed schools, it's government policy.

We could reopen them tomorroe (and should) with no social distancing if we wanted.

But a lot of people really, really don't want to.

The private schools I know of locally all have the relevant year groups back near as dammit full time because they have smaller classes so no need to do a rota. Plus the online home learning provision and pastoral support has been considerably better than our state school. You get what you pay for here.

Have you only just realised that those in private education have more opportunities?

Of course the government should be doing more to support all children in education at the moment but the threads on here comparing state to private are stupid.

They are pandering to the grey voters. Obviously their needs are going to be prioritised as they are the ones who’ll vote them back in.

The two families I know who use private school are having full school days online. Virtual timetable with registration, classes, work they need to submit to teacher for marking, assemblies, with their normal class teacher. They happen not to be in reception, y1 nursery, or y6 but those years were opened again from June 1, although I think not every day with the kids physically in the school. Every day doing proper learning though. It’s very worrying what the social division will be like because of this loss of education.

My DS is at private school and gets sent some worksheets at the beginning of the week; that’s it. Teacher does no marking and doesn’t always acknowledge work sent in.
Not all private schools are doing full days.

@Nihiloxica

I would love nothing more than all my children at school but this virus isn't letting us just now.

It's not a virus that closed schools, it's government policy.

We could reopen them tomorroe (and should) with no social distancing if we wanted.

But a lot of people really, really don't want to.

We’d also be the only country in the world to do so, if we did...

I have one secondary age child in private, one in state.

The private school have on average 3 online video lessons a day. The state school provide Roughly the same amount of work but maybe one video lesson a week.

I agree that logistically private schools are more likely to be able to open up more widely now, just by virtue of their class sizes being similar to the current ‘bubble’ requirements of 15 children anyway, therefore they are more likely to have enough teachers, classrooms etc etc.

It is appalling (yet sadly completely typical) that this government are once again passing the buck & blame to individual schools / headteachers, having simultaneously taken away all options most state schools would have to facilitate wider opening (namely specifically forbidding any kind of rota system in their guidance).

We need a plan for September at least & we need it now.

The issue is that up to now all schools have had to do the same so private schools haven’t had more kids back although their home provision has generally been better.

That will change now the Gov have said schools can take more pupils back “is they can manage”. On the whole only private schools will be able to manage given they have more space and smaller classes. So from now in the disparity will appear.

Given their charitable status they should be made to help state schools be lending some space each day at this stage.

Some independent schools are closing permanently due to the financial fallout of CV. Including the prep school Boris Johnson attended which had been open for 180 years. Really not as clear cut as you think to say private school kids will all be fine and all able to attend, a fair few will have to find entirely new schools and teachers, new jobs.

This is evidenced in the nursery population too.
My sons private nursery is back full time. Opened doors on 1st June.
My daughters (state) school nursery will not be opening until next week and then it will be 2 days a week.

Our experience of CAMHS under lock down has been woeful. Still no face to face either but pubs can open and teachers can sit in classrooms with 15 kids to CAmHs 1

The private school my DSS attends has been very keen on reopening as soon as allowed. All YR, 1 and 2 have been in from 1 June (with about 80-90% attending, as the school has been so positive about it), plus a good percentage of other year groups in as children of essential workers. I'm sure they'll open up to the rest of primary as soon as they're allowed. They have slightly lower class sizes normally (about 20-25 I think) but mainly they have a less unionised workforce and a strong desire to get the kids back in.

Yes it's completely shit in terms of equality for state school kids. The only silver lining I can see is that if the private school kids and teachers were back to normal by the end of this term and don't seem to be dropping like flies with Covid, it'll hopefully put some pressure on state schools to open too.

Sweden never closed their schools

This country is a pathetic joke, getting more pathetic by the minute

@StrawberryBlondeStar - ahhh, anecdote! All state schools round here are open (have been all the way through but are taking R, 1 and 6).

Bingo! Refence to Sweden on a school thread....didn't take long.

There most be something the government can do, extra temporary classes set up, my daughter’s school has a massive field, can they not put temporary mobile class rooms up? Only 5 children under 15 have died from coronvirus in the UK, the risk to children is minimal, I know it’s more about the spread but the least affected group are taking the brunt of it, it’s so unfair.

Is this an economic decision rather than an academic one? Private schools are part of the economy, state schools aren't (not directly anyway - obviously they massively are indirectly). Boris and co don't want to see any businesses fail that don't have to. Is it that he's not prepared to sit and watch private schools fail when they don't have to, even if that increases educational imbalance?

What gets me is most of the school age population are low risk. Expecting children to make sacrifices for older people is unusual, many older people would probably prefer to make sacrifices so their grandchildren can have a future.

Carrie they can’t have many vulnerable or key worker children in them. Ours are full just with these children.

I feel so angry about this.
2 kids receiving about 2 hours of Self-directed education per day, Y7 & Y9. Their education & mental health at the lack of socialisation is really suffering.

The head sent round excerpts from the DfEE guidance on having no more than 25% of students in at any one time. They are guided by infectIon control.

But....the transmission and illness rates among children are low!! And the social costs huge.

I will write to MP and school but what else can we do?

We’d also be the only country in the world to do so, if we did...

Um... nope.

Not even close. But nice try.

Do you not read news from around the world?