WTAF schools...

[SoberCurious]

My friend who works for the DfE says they are planning for kids to go back to school in December 😭😭😭

Government!!! Over here, we parents are getting twitchy. Let the kids back to school. For heavens sake. Part-time by all means but get on with it. It's the summer term, learning can take place outside with porta loos and gazebos.

Many, many kids will struggle to settle back into a school routine. It doesn't have to be all or nothing. Create pupil bubbles, have small classes, 1-2 days a week. Hire additional cleaners, supplement with excellent Internet learning. Get on with it!!

👏👏👏👏👏 @SaharaSarah

I suspect it'll be the first the unions and teachers have heard of it too

Yup.

It's all very well if the plan is to keep schools open to help disadvantaged pupils catch up, but they got to engage with those families to ensure their children will attend

Absolutely. The children who most need to “catch up” will be the least likely to attend summer school.

We have around 22 out of 30 back in DS's Y1 class. The 8 odd that aren't in are the same 8 who never signed up to the online system the school set up at the start of term and therefore didn't engage with any home learning. Sadly I imagine this pattern is replicated everywhere.

The problem is polls suggest still over half of parents don’t want their children back at school (You Gov had at 55 %) so the government won’t do anything.

StrawberryBlondeStar I believe it too. Parents around here are happy to keep on making memories with their darlings at home. Each to their own, I know, but it's not for us. We have made lockdown memories now we'd like to get on with things.

@Longwhiskers14- Yes; that is also the case in our school; although it it isn't being advertised to parents as such at the moment. We are in the North-West. There simply aren't enough staff or enough space to accommodate more than 3 year groups and maintain social distancing. Those year groups will also be only coming into school every other week.
This is our position at the moment; although[ if and] when Boris reduces social distancing guidelines to a metre, there might be a re-think!

@ListeningQuietly

I think you are missing the point of shielding. People who are shielding don’t do any of the things you have mentioned.

Surely if 55% of parents don't want their children back at school then that's problem solved? Open the schools to the 45% of us that do want our children back, there should be enough room to take 45% of children with 1m social distancing. Everyone who wants to keep their children home can do so.

Great so women are f*ked and any children in state schools currently in Years 9, 10, 11 and 12 are f*ked too.

Shouty people: Teachers are lazy bastards! They’ve had an extended holiday! They’re refusing to go back! They’re cowards! They should be ashamed! They’re Union happy and taking advantage of the situation! They’re stealing our kids’ futures! Bastards!!!

Same shouty people: Why don’t we have sviygh teachers? We need more teachers then! Can we fast track teaching qualifications? Can’t supply teachers do it? Can’t we get retired teachers back? Wait, why doesn’t anyone want to be a teacher in the only non Covid secure workplace there is? Bastards!

@PenfoldsFive

They could be cleaned by the cleaners that the government should pay for.

Our school regularly has a shortage of cleaners in normal times. Often we only have two cleaners for an entire two form entry school. If we couldn’t get regular reliable cleaners before what makes you think we could get them now.

• enough teachers

Now I'm not saying that this is a well thought out idea, but it came to me in the middle of the night during a peri-menopausal hot sweat, that maybe we should repeat the whole year for everyone , and school starting age becomes 5.
Like I say, not thought out, normally my middle of the night musings include things like "how can we fit a trampoline in our tiny handkerchief sized yard" or "I wonder if I could do anything with a piece of cod, an orange and some fresh thyme so I don't have to go shopping"

Thousands of coaches parked up with no use = mobile classroom you’re welcome lol

One of the big things this does highlight is the daftness of kids not going to their local school (I don't mean daftness by parents, but that schools are so different those choices are made)

This whole issue would be much easier if the difficulties in getting kids to school wasn't a big part of the problem. And I say that as someone whose kids used to walk to the nearest school to get the bus to their school.

Boris’s grand plan is probably to announce on 31st August social distancing is no longer needed - he’s keeping his fingers crossed the “science” will allow it.

I don't understand some people honestly, who knows what the 'r' nubmer is going to be in Sept right now we are on a declining trajectory but plenty of mumsnetter going on about a second wave and 'r' being over 1 in their area and its only just below 1.

How can anyone predict where we will be in Septebmer. Yes if we keep declining it should be fine but its impossible to say. So imagine the government makes that decision now and come September it cannot go ahead because we have a second wave.

Maybe they are waiting 2-3 more weeks to see if there is a second wave since protestinting has taken place to make a firmer decision.

And if they have annouced something today then details will follow, they never annouce something and give every single minute details in the same briefing otherwise it would be too long - just be patient a little bit.

They have to consider so much like if they make use of other buildings how will people travel there what is one kid goes to school another in a completey different area. There are so many variables so many scenarios its not something that can be done in a few weeks.

There would be plans if the schools were allowed to implement their own ideas and use best practice. The government needs to stop the constant changing bloody announcements.

I wonder how this 'Summer plan' will work? Have they even consulted head and teachers. How about the teachers who are changing schools? Moving house? Lots of young teachers move around and won't have anywhere to live. When will they get a break? Some of them have been working in school and setting online lessons / re-writing lessons.

I had a call from the school today to say they are not sure if reception will be starting in September now and they will update us again when new guidelines become clear. Annoyed to be honest my daughter has missed out on so much I can't afford for my son to miss out too.

I'm not at all in favour of repeating a school year. My children have kept up with their learning and are ready move on and up. They just have to go over stuff and help the kids who are behind to catch up. Where there is a will...

The key thing is to get them back to school, albeit part-time to begin with.

@StrawberryBlondeStar

The problem is polls suggest still over half of parents don’t want their children back at school (You Gov had at 55 %) so the government won’t do anything.

I agree. I totally understand the sentiments expressed here, both in terms of the impact on children and the impact on those who cannot WFH and have no childcare available.

However, outside of mumsnet, those who care are a minority. I have quite a few friends and relatives with children in primary (mine are older) but none of them have any problems with their children being off. They either have a SAHP or GP who can home ed, money to hire in help, or have the type of WFH job that isn't impacted by having small children and they are balancing home ed and WFH well, with no pressures to return to the office anytime soon.

I do agree that whilst those parents who are struggling are a minority, it is bloody awful and it will result in many more families living on benefits. And yes, it will be mostly women who have to give up their jobs and who will be the single parents left claiming.

The PM made it clear today that it's not teachers. It's not trade unions. It's the government saying they cannot abandon social distancing yet, and they will not give schools the money they would need to operate with SD in place.

It's a total shit show.

It's awful

Let me guess- he found out from Linda down the road whose dog groomer's sister in law's second cousin's hairdresser found out from her nail technician's aunt who has a cousin who works in a school?

Sorry I dont believe it. I prefer to listen to what my school actually says, not online gossip.

@OverTheRainbowLiesOz

There would be plans if the schools were allowed to implement their own ideas and use best practice. The government needs to stop the constant changing bloody announcements.

I wonder how this 'Summer plan' will work? Have they even consulted head and teachers. How about the teachers who are changing schools? Moving house? Lots of young teachers move around and won't have anywhere to live. When will they get a break? Some of them have been working in school and setting online lessons / re-writing lessons.

This completely.

The three HT's locally have a good plan that would work for families locally. They're not being allowed to implement it because it doesn't match exactly what the government are saying

It's the government saying they cannot abandon social distancing yet, and they will not give schools the money they would need to operate with SD in place.

Exactly this. Even the absolutely minimal social distancing represented by bubbles - no effective social distancing within bubbles but some effort to keep them apart - cannot be operated with school buildings and staffing as they would be in normal times, and the government won't pay for the doubling of capacity.