Still no news or a plan for reopening in September

[EmpireFa11]

Just a big cheque for “tutoring”.

Who is going to be doing it? The best qualified are already working in schools. Those not will have limitations on knowledge re present methods and curriculum. How are they going to be trained and CRB checked in their droves?Who is going to be assessing for need?

Wouldn’t it be better to spend the money on getting children back into school.

I’m asking because none of these questions will be asked or answered at the briefing.

[Reastie]

How are they doing these one on one tutoring sessions? Because if it’s online then that could defeat the purpose of who they’re aiming the whole intervention at.

[PurpleCalm]

Was told by my child's head this week that schools won't know anything about September (eg part time/full time/bubbles/no bubbles/back at all) until guidance is released in August.

[NOTANUM]

@ohthegoats - Oak or BBC Bitesize is useless for a child in secondary. The technical subjects need to be taught to be grasped, the languages need to be heard and spoken to become proficient and it's very difficult to further critical thinking for English, RE and History without a teacher's input.

[LindainLockdown]

It is an absolute disgrace, and neither the government or the opposition seem overly bothered.

[bingandflop]

At my kids school it will be 15 weeks, which equates to 38.46% of the school year. I really think teachers should be given PPE and increase class bubbles to 30. Any child who is a bit scared by the PPE will soon get used to it and it would be by far the easiest solution.

Wonder how the tutoring will pan out in real terms? Many, many children will probably not be eligible for it.

[Lemons1571]

It’ll be more than 10 weeks by the end of term - maybe 14 weeks teaching lost in total?

[ohthegoats]

Personally I think they'll shove everyone back in in September. Go hell for leather until the flu season makes things unviable again due to absences (COVID or otherwise), and there are local closures or whatever. School staff will get ill, some of them with COVID, some of them will be seriously ill or die, but that won't matter to the gov, or to some parents it seems. Schools should just be brave.

It's 10 weeks worth of lessons.

What tutors can do for children who have not done the work, is just do all the lessons set since March 20th. Use Oak or BBC Bitesize, and support the children through it.

[CornishYarg]

Mayor, not Mayo! Although I think his skills are more suited to being mayonnaise than anything else!

[CornishYarg]

@Lemons1571 I think they’re playing for time, while they rush the Oxford vaccine through in Sept / Oct.

I agree, the "plan" is to cross their fingers and hope for either the vaccine or that infections are low in September. There doesn't appear to be any contingency planning. The government don't seem to understand/care that schools/organisations/businesses need time to plan.

I remember during the leadership contest last summer that people who'd worked with Johnson when he was London Mayo warned that he was hopeless at the details. Details bore him, essentially. They weren't wrong. As mayor, he fortunately had a number of capable people around him to take care of that part of the job. Now, his cabinet is largely full of people who are out of their depth but were put there because they supported him and Brexit so wouldn't cause him trouble.

[Alex50]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-52972551

[UrbanDox]

According to Action Tutors website, the tutors are volunteers (mostly students getting something for their CVs) and trained online.

Not qualified teachers.

[MarshaBradyo]

I say many not all as I know some schools are doing more.

[MarshaBradyo]

Many children are missing learning atm

We get sent undifferentiated links which are not useful so we are using our own content online from a different year. Better than nothing but it doesn’t fit with what us being missed which is differentiated learning meeting each child.

[Lemons1571]

I don’t think they can get all kids back to school full time. I think they known this. Schools are too small, rooms and corridors too small, crammed with kids. Distancing not possible.

I think they’re playing for time, while they rush the Oxford vaccine through in Sept / Oct. Hence why the furlough scheme is also ending in October (a suspiciously accurate date given by Rishi back in May).

My best guess is part time in September, full time in November. GCSE’s will be modified - no tutoring scheme can create 5 months worth of time to all kids to cover all the missed content.

[disconnecteddrifter]

Oh god. I really really hope schools are back in september. I'm a teacher and planning work at home is ok, marking each piece of work in lieu of verbal feedback is mind numbing. We do live lessons and live feedback but not everyone can access or it issues and it's not the same. Obviously I want everyone to be healthy but surely the virus is almost dying out now.

[Lemons1571]

research suggests having sessions three times a week for 12 weeks can help children make up five months of lost learning

Not sure the maths quite adds up here!

[MarshaBradyo]

The good news that 1m children are back makes zero difference to those children not back (MH delighted his dc is back, recent interview pointed out this stat). It’s hard not to feel forgotten.

September needs to be when they are all back.

[CountessFrog]

Ah mumteedum, that sounds hard. I feel for you

[Mumteedum]

To add, our school has indicated a rota system for September because, I expect, they can't even do 1m social distancing because their rooms are tiny. Part time school in September better than nothing but I'm worried for him.

[whenwillthemadnessend]

According to arrival money is being given to heads to distribute amongst those they feel need it.

Like everyone else however I just want a clear and definite plan for September 😡

[Mumteedum]

I could scream in frustration at this news. My son doesn't need a tutor. He needs to be in his class with his teacher and his peers. It's not the maths or the gove obsessed grammar facts he is missing. It's how to feel part of the world.

He's an only child who is alone a hell of a lot because I have to work. It's just us two. He's tearful so much now. I am really getting worried about him. He's 8 and has asd. Cried yesterday because his new teacher for Sept was announced and he realised he wouldn't have his current teacher ever again.

[CountessFrog]

I’m a bit confused about how they will decide who needs it.

Because it sounds like another situation where middle class, mainstream educated kids lose out. Privately educated won’t need it, disadvantage groups targeted.

Lots of children have suffered a lack of education, not just the disadvantaged.

Reminds me a little of the way our labour council built several new leisure centres and playgrounds but built precisely nothing in the wealthier boroughs and allows our local pool to rot away. They surely can’t assume that kids in these areas don’t need/deserve facilities too.

[MarshaBradyo]

Just typed as I’m listening.

No guarantee but not an announcement that they won’t.

I want them back in too

[PotteringAlong]

The education minister was just on radio 5 and said categorically that all children would be back at school full time in September, but then did backtrack a bit when pushed about social distancing.

[MarshaBradyo]

I haven't seen this on the news, are schools not opening in September now?

‘Clear intention will be back in September but safety at heart and cautious approach’ R4