On a day of extreme worry for parents not a mention re schools not opening in the daily briefing.

[Av0cetSi3sta]

Not a sausage, not even a question.
But plenty on business.

As clear as day where this government’s priorities lie.

absolute shit show. All afternoon Gavin was "is is essential we look to the long term, and plan to get as many children back into school as we can" but NO mention of what the plan is, how they will do this, when this will happen, contingencies they ahve if this doesnt happen. Nothing conrete at all. They havent got a bloody clue.

Speaks volumes that there really is no plan with him not doing the briefing.
Schools are full with the classes they have asked to return. That’s without every child currently attending in those year groups.
What are the government going to do about this situation it’s no good saying it’s up to the schools. They don’t have the staff or the space it’s simple.

I must admit I was expecting a flurry of questions about schools, along the lines of the Dominic Cummings questioning (dog with a bone type thing). But I was sadly disappointed.

How do we find out who's up for the briefings? I wonder if it's all being saved up for Williamson next time he's at the podium?

Gavin has only ever done one briefing. They like to put him at the back of the class...

The focus (naturally) of MN lies on education and childcare. It seems the government and the media give not one shit, unless it suits a political spin or agenda.

Don't forget the last time news was broken in a briefing about education was to distract us from Cummings.

well lets hope Cummings pisses off for another family BBQ soon then as it seems that is the only way to get the government to take any positive action on schools.....

Can’t wait for Gavin to share his plan!

Spoiler alert : he doesn't have one.

I'm gutted. I am teaching my bubble and doing my best with the strange world that teaching is now. I am devastated that I will not teach my class again. I am not exaggerating. I give my all to my class and they are my focus and my life. Now I see them for half an hour on zoom.

If they are not back till September they will have moved on from my classroom and me. I won't get to take them to the seaside. To have those warm summer days doing capacity and DT. To say goodbye. It has been taken away from me and them and I hate this.

We received an update from school confirming we ( year 5 ) aren’t returning until at the earliest of September, so am full of questions. I thought the briefing would give some answers, as we are being told the decision is not their choice. But not even mentioned. I would ask the school, but I don’t think they have any idea what the plans are, will we even know who our children will be taught by next year, will
Their first intro to their teacher be a catch up phonecall. They’ve missed so much.

Its absolutely disgusting. I accept most schools can't fit more children but surely we should be at least having everyone in on a rota.

Personally it is the fact there is no plan for the next academic year that is more of a problem.
I have written my letter of resignation this evening, will hand it in by the end of next week if they haven't announced normal for September. I just can't work and have the children in part time school in September and I can't wait any longer for them to make a decision I need to work my notice before the end of term.

It's a disgrace I watched Gavin Williamson in commons today and all he could say were that they are 'working on plans to bring all children back to school in September'. No indication of what that might entail. Yet we can have non-essential shops open and go to the pub in a few weeks time.

Absolute shambles. I really hope (and think) that they allow schools to return as normal in September. By that point, many kids will have been out of school for 6 months!!

He says exams will go ahead in 2021 -all well and good but we need the kids in school properly so that we can actually prepare them to sit the exams.

I am teaching my exam classes online and it's a very poor substitute for what we do in the classroom.

This makes me livid.

It is an absolute disgrace, and people ought to be shouting it from the rooftops, badgering the government, bringing it up in the same way they were bringing up Dominic Cummings.

Yes, private school children will be at yet another advantage.

My youngest is about to go into Lower 6, and we have been told as a matter of fact that the school will be fully operational in September. If a full boarding school can do it, with all the logistics involved in having large numbers of staff and pupils living on site, eating together, doing Games together, etc, etc, etc, then a day school can. You can't have staggered lessons, week on/week off etc at a boarding school - and it shouldn't be proposed for any other children, either.

Friends with children at independent day schools have said their schools have likewise declared that they will be opening fully in September. Though there may of course be other independent schools which haven't declared this, and there may be factors beyond their control (such as a massive second wave of Covid - though even then, we really will just have to get on with it at that point, because we will otherwise all be bankrupt and insane).

@stayingaliveisawayoflife This is horrible for you, too.

May as well bring robots out to brief the media and program them to repeat "we're following the science"

I know the update is from 2016; but If one day off can make this much difference. what are they expecting from those that have missed at least a term. Up until now it was attendance, attendance, attendance, now while whole schools can’t attend it’s suddenly fine. I hope SATs disappear as it might give the children a chance of of catching

up.

www.gov.uk/government/news/just-one-day-off-can-hamper-childrens-life-chances

@Duckfinger the problem is that the government actively discouraged rotas and/or part one places and they will not now go back on their decision as to do so would be admitting they were wrong. The issue with rotas is that no parents can work with a child in school for a week on/week off approach, possible part time would work better but at least parents with children in school full time can work

@Twinnywinny14

Oh I know, I work in a school I wish they had done things differently.

Utter shambles , I'm not sure the government even have a plan anymore .

@DianaT1969

I don't see the connection with golf courses? They are outside. Easy to social distance. They opened garden centres before golf. If we taught children outside all day on large fields there wouldn't be this issue.

For those who don't understand the connection with golf courses (or car showrooms or non essential shops etc etc) I think this article explains it well

blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2020/06/02/sebastian-walsh-we-are-asking-the-wrong-questions-about-easing-lockdown/

In short if everything we open up might have an effect on the overall infection rate (or the R value if you must use that), then surely we should concentrate on the important aspects first. "Spending" some of our wiggle room on non necessary things gives us less to spend on essentials, esp if you open lots of non essential things. We seem to have decided adult leisure is more important than children's education (and working parents being able to work)

I was also shocked that education wasn't mentioned in the briefing today. My local MP's response to an email was that the government is continually improving home learning resources. Not much help when you're trying to work full time and teach two children (reception and year 2). My reception child isn't back in - no space after they've taken key worker children. Half of reception are in and half are home learning while the parents work... what a shambles.

I have emailed my MP...again. I will be a thorn in her side on this. We should all be.

When is the next review? Surely they're looking at other countries and learning from them?

The government should be prioritising the return of schools, before pubs & restaurants

I live in Germany, where schools reopened 4 May, before even most shops were allowed to reopen

If R0 may rise with any relaxation, use the wiggle room for schools first,
then wait a few weeks to see if pubs etc can open

Agreed @loulouljh. I have emailed my MP again this evening.

Completely agree @BigChocFrenzy .
It's all farcical, by the time kids go back it will be more than 5 months of no school .
The deaths and cases have dropped but not as much as we'd like after 11 weeks .

@Duckfinger the problem is that the government actively discouraged rotas and/or part one places and they will not now go back on their decision as to do so would be admitting they were wrong.

Given they've backtracked/u-turned on almost every single plan up to now, I'd have thought they'd be well practised. They don't need to admit they're wrong, they just say "the science has changed" and palm it off on someone else like they do best.