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.

No sorry, I'm not Gav . So no, I'm not sure, but just going on the basis that the govt seems to have a habit of leaking its announcements a few hours ahead of time. We'll see for certain this afternoon I guess.

season the pressure is by comprehensive Risk Assessment, which has to be carried out legally. Schools can only open with this in place, highlighting and minimising risk to keep children and staff safe. Where schools are not open, or have limited opening it is due to the confines of the RA, not parents ( who yes,may choose not to send their own child).

@Juliet2014 The key word is “guidelines”. They are not rules so the school isn’t breaking any rules. They have conducted a risk assessment and satisfied their insurers. The measures that they have put in place are far more stringent than many of the local primary schools. They even have a separate parking area solely for the use of the year 5 parents.

Given that according to the govt there are so many parents unwilling to send children back, that would make me think it was more possible rather than less to open up. If they genuinely believe eg 50% of kids won't go back, surely problem solved!

www.usforthem.co.uk/

For anyone interested please sign this- a petition to get children back to schools (safely)

But all the children I know who are at private school (3 families) are having full school days online so are getting a full education whether they are in school or not.

This. I understand why the schools can't take more years, and we are fortunate that my dcs are young enough that they'll catch up and are cared for adequately if not amazingly at home right now. But when I see the older kids stuck at home with not enough devices, or fast enough internet or parental supervision (whether due to the need to work, or ability, or desire)... It's so very unfair and will hit the already disadvantaged the most.

I think the government needs to provide more resources for the children who need them for home education, and look at ways to strongly encourage the families of vulnerable children (in the at risk sense) to send them in - not an easy task, but a necessary one.

Why does everyone think private schools have more space?
Because it's suiting their unsubstantiated argument. This is just one of many threads today trying to push the 'let's get all DCs back to school' argument. This one has added a private/state school twist but there don't seem to be any substantiated facts to back it up. In fact, the CEO of the Independent Association of Prep Schools has said their schools are following the government's lead. Most private schools following Govt guidance

It's breathtaking how the govt can so casually do this. Think of the time, resources and ingenuity that went into the nightingale hospitals. Why can't they apply the same here? It honestly feels like they've just thought about it and sighed and said "it's all just a bit too hard". Unbelievable, inexcusable neglect of duty to millions of children. This government is the absolute pits. I'm so angry.

The problem is the lack of certainty though. At our primary, loads of parents said no, but now they're increasingly saying yes. If parents initially say no, then schools put their plans in place, then parents change their minds, what's the legal position? If schools say sorry you said no, your child can't come in now, is that legally defensible?

Signed 👍

@BunsyGirl

It’s actually a directive
And the IAS body, presume your school is a member of, has stipulated, that school closure or void insurance are both possible consequences of deviating from the government directive.

So your independent school is definitely not the norm!

Snowballer - completely agree

Ah, the usual suspects are teacher bashing again.

smaller class sizes

Yes it’s an issue so do part time. Half a class at a time.

There is always a solution if people want to find it.

I suppose we shouldn't be surprised, this is how Boris Johnson behaves in his private life, children unacknowledged swept under the carpet not considered important etc
He's extending his value system to the country as a whole:(

@Juliet2014 As I said above, the school has already got the go ahead from their insurers so there is no issue there. It is guidance for independent schools, not a directive. I very much hope they are taking the lead on this. That’s what I would expect of them. However, I already know of a smaller local prep school which is going to teach their year fives through the school holidays in order to prepare them for 11plus and entrance exams at the beginning of year 6. I have also read reports of other schools who have brought their holidays forward and are planning to reconvene in July/August.

Our private school is following guidelines.

If anything, we're getting less time in school as we break up in the first week of July.

That said, I'm not concerned educationally re DC (years 9 and 10) as they've had a full timetable of online lessons/work set and marked/end of year exams/co curriculars/form time/assemblies/concerts etc since the school closed. It's business as usual, just from a different location. Teachers are working from home or if they prefer in the school building, but they are still working a full day and providing a full education, as they should be since they are being paid their full salary.

I don't know yet what our school plans for September. I would imagine that if they can, they will be back full time, but its too early to know what would be best yet.

@snowballer

It's breathtaking how the govt can so casually do this. Think of the time, resources and ingenuity that went into the nightingale hospitals. Why can't they apply the same here? It honestly feels like they've just thought about it and sighed and said "it's all just a bit too hard". Unbelievable, inexcusable neglect of duty to millions of children. This government is the absolute pits. I'm so angry.

I completely agree. They could have marshalled the resources and ideas to make it doable. But they can’t be bothered because there’s no economic imperative for it.

Under usual circumstances, there is undoubtedly a gap between (many) state and private schools, and differences in the quality of provision. Some of those gaps could be offset by additional parental investment. But now there is no getting around it:

Some children in the UK right now are receiving an education.
Some are, by all counts, receiving a very good education.
Many are receiving no education whatsoever.

This is utterly unacceptable for a modern society.

The private schools my DC attend (two) are following govt. guidelines. Only admitting Reception Y1 and Y6 even though we have class sizes capped at 15/16 and plenty of space to accommodate more. They say their governors and insurers won’t allow them to deviate from the guidelines.

Two weeks ago the cry was
“Private schools are remaining closed while normal children are forced to go back and risk death because the proles don’t matter to this government!”
Now it’s
“Private schools are opening while normal children are denied an education because the proles don’t matter to this government!”
Neither is in fact true.

2 at different private schools here, both getting full on-line lessons, one in year 12 so critical. I am happy they are not going back before the summer, there's no need, they are getting taught and I would have to drive them there (in different directions) and collect them, logistically difficult. This is what happens when an organisation is agile and has a 'we will do anything', they have to be, this is what we pay for.

That said, I will not be happy if they don't go back in September and I am hoping that this latest announcement gives private schools the option to open full time. I would be happy for teachers to wear PPE and tell my children they had to wear masks.

I'm in another EU country. We locked down sooner and more strictly and have now come out of the first wave. Children have been back at school for a while now - different year groups went back at different times - with 3 weeks in between each group. The idea of the 3 weeks was that this is how long it takes to show any potential spike in an increase in new cases. All lockdown measures have been relaxed at 3-weekly intervals.
The children are back at school part-time though - 3 days a week one week and 2 the next, with groups alternating. When they are "off school" they have tasks to complete at home.
The only problem with this is that they and their parents are out of routine and child care is problematic for some. However, at least the children are getting some kind of education.
They are being assessed at the moment to see which children have fallen behind during the period of home-schooling. Those children will be expected to come into school for a two-week catch up period at the end of the summer holidays.

The way the UK government has handled the entire thing has been so chaotic that it's very difficult to get out of the mess they have created.
There needs to be planning and structure so that people can see how things will pan out and have the confidence to send their children back when the opportunity is provided.
I just do not understand why they cannot come up with some kind of sensible plan for children to go back to school safely. There must be a way to do it. Other countries are managing even though the new systems are perhaps not perfect.

* I have also read reports of other schools who have brought their holidays forward and are planning to reconvene in July/August.*

Sounds promising and hope for my school too
Where did you read this?

OP i'm getting the sense you hate private schools anyway for some reason...