Why can’t schools...?

[Howsaboutwejust]

Why can’t Primary schools just take 30 per bubble? They could eat packed lunches in classrooms and not mix with other bubbles. Where toilets are an issue one year group use the boys and one year group the girls (this would work in my school because two classes share one set of toilets). If they need more toilets then surely some kind of portaloo wouldn’t be too hard to organise?
And why can’t secondary schools (for years 7 & 8 at least) teach children in their register groups. Work as in year 6 where one teacher teaches the whole curriculum. I realise that would take some planning and reading up on different subjects, but surely at the level of year 7 & 8 it would be do-able?
If only Boris would say full classes can be together then all this would be fixed. I know that it would mean mixing more households but with siblings in different bubbles as it is now lots more than 15 households are mixing.

[ohthegoats]

It would have been far better educationally this half term to have all children in school part time rather than children of key workers, reception, yr 1 and 6 in full time.

Yes. But they don't listen to experts. In fact, when they got wind of the fact that most schools were planning on doing rotas, they put out guidance 2 days later saying NO ROTAS. The next day another bit of guidance came out saying DEFINITELY NO ROTAS. Loads of schools stuck to their original plans.

Rotas meant that the N, R, 1 and 6 classes could be in with their own class teachers, while leaving other teachers 'free' for when schools opened further for other year groups. Except not all schools stuck to their guns, so now everything is all over the shop... but the schools who went against guidance, are now in a position to actually follow the NEXT bit of guidance.

Erm, it's fucked up.

[chocolateequinox]

chocolateequinox that’s not as daft as people think. I’m a music teacher with A level maths at grade A and maths for physicists as my uni subsidiary subject

My DCs physics teacher was the music subject lead, he did great musical stuff.


We are not totally one trick ponies.

Are you not ? 😂 I am joking, i worked as admin for a primary pgce course many years ago and it was oft repeated about secondary teachers. The secondary students made comments about primary pgce students behaviour being about right for infants 😁

[ohthegoats]

I've been thinking that for primary if we have to do part time, then I think 2 days a week or 2 and a half days a week works better. That doesn't work for planning time for teachers, because we'd usually have half a day a week, but more time in school.

Tending to think that little children need to be reminded more about what school is, and it's also only 2 days of learning at home/stuff going unmarked due to lack of tech ability.

We think in our house also that for childcare, it's easier to know that you're getting at least part of every week when you can work for a chunk of time. Only being able to work one week at a time isn't sustainable.

None of it is sustainable, but still.

[Danglingmod]

Yes, I think one week on, one week off with half classes and consolidation/homework set for the week off is the best option I can think of for secondary - at least, initially in the Autumn term.

And, as said up thread, we have been told we are not allowed to wear our own PPE. Banned.

[Beawillalwaysbetopdog]

What is a teachers ideal solution? One week in and one week off for half classes?

Nothing about this is ideal, it's teaching with all the fun sucked out. More planning and marking than normal but not spending time with the kids, which is the actual enjoyable part.

But on to your question, I can't speak for the rest of them, but until it's deemed safe enough for society by the powers that be, then yes. For secondary at least, that would allow us to run though stuff quickly then set consolidation for the week they're at home. Not as good as 100% normal but much better than 100% online.

[Thirtyrock39]

Also to add I became a food tech teacher as couldn't get a job in my specialism - textiles - but had taught a bit of food on pgce- yes it's not a massively complex subject but I was able to teach it up to a level with very little background in it . I also ended up teaching art at key stage 3 and resistant materials - again with no prior knowledge

[Thirtyrock39]

When I was a kid down south we stayed at primary school till year 8 so our last year of primary school was year 7 taught by one teacher.
As an ex teacher of food technology and definitely not that confident in science and maths I still believe most teachers could cover the range of subjects for year 7 ...it wouldn't be perfect but it would be better than now and don't forget the autumn term will be a lot different to a normal term- they'll be I imagine a big focus on emotional wellbeing recapping stuff some kids will have missed out on etc- the subject specialists would still be doing the planning and possibly the marking

[Cookiecrisps]

It is counter productive. Bubbles of 30, 31, 32 allow the whole class to return but with no social distancing. At least with social distancing in schools now children are able to practise it so they are mindful when out in other places to keep a distance. Why should schools be the only place where children don’t have to social distance? Adults work in the schools. We are still gathering data about transmission from children to adults.

[ChittyChittyBoomBoom]

I saw this posted on Facebook earlier and think there are some good points here. I also recognise that this plan will be flawed because of the impact it will have on Universities and places there. It’s going to be difficult to find a solution that works for Education as a whole.

“This is what the national plan should look like for the entire education sector. If any of you knows anybody important, please tell them:

1.The current school year should be extended until the end of December. This should apply from pre-school to higher education.

1. In the autumn term, children should return to their current year groups. After a prolonged absence for many, children would be returning to familiar teachers, classmates and routines.
   

1. The autumn could be used to focus on well-being, to support children with their whole development. It should be used to consolidate prior learning and reignite children's interest in learning. It shouldn't be about 'catching up' with 'missed' phonics/times tables/spelling patterns.
   

1. At a local level, schools should be able to plan their provision in a way which is practically achievable (rooms, staff, distancing) and which keeps everyone safe. This could well be a blend of remote learning at home and part-time attendance at school. It should reflect the local context in relation to Covid19.
   

1. Transition should be delayed. This is not the right time for new children to start Nursery or Reception and the moves from KS1 to KS2 and primary to secondary will be harder than ever. Transition needs to be better than ever.
   

1. The next school year should begin in January 2021. It would be a shortened year. Statutory assessments would be abandoned. The absence of testing would create many more teaching weeks.
   

1. OFSTED inspections should be suspended indefinitely, other than those called in response to safeguarding concerns. Schools and leaders will need all their energy and expertise to meet children's immediate needs. Those awaiting inspection will have to compromise their priorities in order to satisfy the current inspection framework.
   

1. Schools should be given permission to postpone or modify their school improvement plans. New and as yet unknown issues will emerge in the months ahead. These will shape and influence our priorities as schools.
   

1. We need bespoke services and infrastructures to support all of our children. Before the pandemic, one in three children were living in poverty and mental health was becoming a crisis of its own.
   

10. We don't need attempts at quick fixes, such as summer catch up programmes. We need immediate and long term investments to make our schools the best places they can be. Our children deserve the best and they need it more than ever.”

@bladon_steve

[Cookiecrisps]

@Blownaway1 The option to wear a clear visor to teach in if you are working with 15 children and a TA in an enclosed space, government consultation with school leaders over summer catch up schools, guidance for schools and other initiatives before announcing them to the general public to allow schools to make workable plans. All these things would be a good start.
It would have been far better educationally this half term to have all children in school part time rather than children of key workers, reception, yr 1 and 6 in full time.

[Appuskidu]

*What is a teachers ideal solution? One week in and one week off for half classes?”

That is what our local secondary are planning for in September.

[Prokupatuscrakedatus]

Cookie
Isn't that counterproductive, if the aim is getting education going again?

[MsJaneAusten]

“What is a teachers ideal solution? One week in and one week off for half classes?”

My ideal solution is for a magic wand to appear and rid us of Covid-19 but yes, my second choice would be your suggestion - essentially running the timetable twice, for half of the class one week and the other half the second. This would be tricky in terms of what the half not in school do, but that would need to be factored into our planning (so what we teach them one week, leads into their home learning the next week).

If it’s done by surname with a bit of common sense (eg half siblings allowed into same group) then at least families would be able to plan, knowing all DC would be in school at the same time.

[Blownaway1]

What is a teachers ideal solution? One week in and one week off for half classes?

[Cookiecrisps]

@Prokupatuscrakedatus because the guidance said no PPE my headteacher has banned it for staff and children. No discussion. We aren’t allowed to source and pay for it ourselves either.

[Cookiecrisps]

Realistically in bubbles of 30 there will be no social distancing in an average sized classroom. Not enough space for even a metre distancing. If then children will not be required to social distance in schools why should they social distance anywhere else?

[Appuskidu]

How about at least having primary back in bubbles of 30 then

That’s not a bubble, that’s a class.

[Blownaway1]

How about at least having primary back in bubbles of 30 then. Secondary to continue with home learning for a bit as the older kids should be more able to get on with work independently. If primaries stay like this past September how on earth are people meant to work. Working from home whilst looking after young children and also trying to educate them is unsustainable.

[ChittyChittyBoomBoom]

@Prokupatuscrakedatus

Chitty and Dangling

If a teacher wanted to wear a mask and / or a face shield to do their job - who's to stop them?

(I'm in a different country, so I don't know the answer.)

It was in the Government’s guidance for schools. Heads then need to action the Government’s advice and we have to follow that. In our school’s Covid action plan, it specifically says that school staff are not to wear masks or PPE apart from when dealing with children displaying symptoms or if they are providing intimate care for a child.

[SimonJT]

My reception age son went back to school today, a primary teacher can teach reception without too much additional stress as all subjects are of course familiar.

An ex is a teacher (and sendco), hes a maths teacher, that doesn’t mean he can teach computer science, MfL, history, resmat, chemistry etc. It also means children don’t receive an equal education. Those taught by a maths teacher will progress well in maths, yet another class will progress well in biology. So come September everyone is at a completely different place in the scheme of work.

[Prokupatuscrakedatus]

Chitty and Dangling

If a teacher wanted to wear a mask and / or a face shield to do their job - who's to stop them?

(I'm in a different country, so I don't know the answer.)

[ChittyChittyBoomBoom]

@Danglingmod

Have you seen the images on the television today? Debenham staff are wearing face shields, have till shields AND 2m distancing in place.

Schools aren't allowed any of those things!!

Absolutely! Other professions have been afforded some protection yet people want to throw teachers to the dogs 🙄.

[Appuskidu]

That's why I think the government needs to put some major investment into new "childcare" centres

We could call them ‘children’s centres’ and open them near schools in areas of higher socio-economic deprivation?

Oh, hang on...

[EducatingArti]

Ohthegoats. That's why I think the government needs to put some major investment into new "childcare" centres for primary and learning centres for secondary for those that either need the childcare because parents are working or need support and tech outside of the home.

[FrippEnos]

Flinstones

Oh no gutted.