Every child in every year group will return to school in September, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has said.

[itswhereitsat]

I didn't catch the briefing but read the above comment in the news. The big question is, did he say whether children returning would be part-time or full time? Or did he just gloss over that bit?

Said yes in bubbles. So I think split lunchtimes, no assemblies. Possibly staggered starts etc.

There's so much sensible doable reasonable adjustments that can be made to facilitate it.

My ds is due to start college. They emailed yesterday to say starting September so schools have obviously all ready had this.
But apparently he will be expected to do blended learning. I'm currently fighting this as he has an ehcp and needs someone to support him. I worry disabled kids risk have the CV act which alleviates LA to meet the needs specified may be extended beyond June 30th.

bert totally agree. I am actually sat here crying. I just dont know how I will go on doing this. Im working full time, trying to support my DC but feel I am failing them so badly. Everyone in the house is irritable/snapping/unhappy My dc are really struggling to find any motivaiton to do anything and there is absolutely no end in sight.

[quote Uhoh2020]@3teens2cats I think a possible solution in high school could be the pupils stay in 1 class room (as much as possible) and the teachers move between classrooms rather than the other way around. Maybe not for all subjects like science/tech/art/computing that need equipment but certainly for desk written based lessons like English maths history geography RE languages[/quote]
Do you have a secondary school child??

The reason they all move about is because they are doing different subjects! Some are doing history, geography, French, Spanish, media, IT..... then they all come back and do English and then spilt off again to maths.

Schools haven't already had anything- we get told the same time as everyone else, on the briefing

Although I did think he was quite arsenal with the sky reporter.

Probably had a fair point. All schools could have offered live lessons.
I think what the failure was was no statutory guidelines from government with a minimum standard expected.

So there's a divide nationally with what pupils received rather than state v private.

Yes the primary way forward is imaginable (save any bizarre government curve balls) The secondary schools seems like the government hasnt got a clue

@itsgettingweird we haven't had ANY information at all.

We are working on a non social distancing plan and a SD plan and are hoping before we are due to reopen this government has made their mind up.

Our SLT will no doubt be working over the summer, going over the ever changing plans...

That's not the problem weird.

It's that not all state schools have the tech to deliver it and too large a proportion of homes don't have tech to join in! Private schools are working in completely different circumstances.

Also re secondary, the gap between top and bottom sets in maths for example is huge. Having them all together won't work as they will be at very different stages of the curriculum

Personally I think a good plan would also be an isolation one.

Primary stay in bubbles - don't mix with others. Bubble isolates.

Secondary - mix. Provide proper cleaning and hand washing facilities. Isolate all those who had contact with infected person.

Then. Have a back up teaching plan. How will those isolating learn. Curriculum still needs to be delivered and it's vital to have a plan for this.

Has he ever been in a secondary school?

Don't get me wrong, I want both my kids back in school. But I do not trust this government one tiny bit to keep my kids, their teachers and me as a member of staff in a secondary school safe. They've killed thousands in care homes. We have one of the highest death rates in the world and now Gavin says they'll all be back September. F**k him.

My year 7 dds school is split in a million ways. Sets for English, maths and science. According to house for pe and pche, in halves of the year for other stuff.
For the love of god, if they started planning months ago it would not be enough time.

@GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat yes hes in y8. At the moment they have the same sets for each subjects

and yes, the schools get no prior warning of this (dh is secondary teacher) although tbh this is the same for NHS. (eg recent announcement about face masks in hospitals and other guidelines announced in last Friday pm breifing to be implemeneted on Monday - cue our trust managers going into meltdown over the weekend and redisigning the whole building!)
Why is it so difficult for them to consult with the right people and make proper plans BEFORE making half hearted announcements that then never work?

They emailed yesterday to say starting September so schools have obviously all ready had this.

School leaders absolutely didn’t already have this info, and don’t have any more than you do following the briefing. It’s been the same all the way through: make a vague announcement, wait a week or so to issue guidelines, act surprised when unions and leaders ask questions...

I hold my breath and wait for the guidelines in 2 weeks...guidelines that by all intent and purpose haven’t been discussed yet. Only 4weeks until the summer break.
Looking at the data today the last week shows number of reported infections have plateaued is scrapping all social distancing really a good idea? And hushed up in media but published by PHE outbreaks in schools since reopening to more pupils. Not realistic to send all pupils back in September back to the “old normal”.

So primary will be in bubbles of 30, with no contact with children in any other bubble. So lunches will have to be eaten in the classroom, but how will outside play be managed? And drop off and pick up?

@Life the same as it is now! Staggered drop off pick ups . Playgrounds sectioned off and used at different times

This would mean no phonics in my primary school as all ks1 move around for that.
We also move to different classes for numeracy and literacy so that wouldn’t be able to happen either.
Then no intervention groups / booster groups for ks2 who come from different classes also.
This will have a big knock on effect for primary schools also.

I wouldn't pin any hopes on it. It all sounds like unplanned waffle to me. As ever.

@GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat Thats what I thought!

@Uhoh2020 That is not a solution for secondary schools at all! Especially GCSE students with their options. No way DS would sit through History now he has dropped it just so that he has to stay in the same room!

How is everyone on here able to say 'but secondary..' and not one single journalist thought to ask this question.

Apparently Schools Week has asked to be on briefings several times and been declined each time.

@Ohfrigginghellers

Yeah assuming the social distancing is reduced and we don't get a massive rise in infections again!

Exactly.

The man is a total doughnut to say something like this without caveats.

He makes my skin crawl for some reason.

Given that we were told that all pupils would be back at the end if June. That didn’t happen because they failed to make a plan that worked. He can stand there and promise whatever he likes but I’ll believe it when they deliver it

They've had to come out and say something because Boris did his usual trick of spouting shit at the press briefing last week and landed Gav in it. You'd be mad to put faith in this govt for anything. Utterly useless.