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?

Or they loiter in the corridors. They can’t damage expensive equipment there.

Fair enough, sounds grim. Glad my kids dont go to a school like that (they to to a large comp btw).

@Porcupineinwaiting

So can I ask what you do with the kids during breaks and lunch when it's raining MrsHerculePoirot? At dcs' secondary they have access to classroom space over breaks and lunch in wet weather and, although there are staff around, there isnt a teacher sat in each classroom.

Ours have rooms open to them depending on their year group staffed by pastoral non-teaching staff. The pastoral staff have their lunch break during lesson time (either the lesson immediately before or after lunch). Mostly though they hang around in the corridors or outside, there is a bit of cover outside so if it is raining they go under there.

Very little room indoors open in breaks and kids (and teachers on duty) just get wet.

Not sure parents really grasp how shit schools are nowadays. Kids only allowed to eat in lunch hall which doesn’t even have enough room for half of them and lunch is only half an hour.

@Porcupineinwaiting

Fair enough, sounds grim. Glad my kids dont go to a school like that (they to to a large comp btw).

I have occasionally allowed kids to sit in my room when raining/or for pastoral reasons, and although I may not sit there I would be very much 'around'. I would also be aware of exactly which students were there and how much of an eye they needed. This is likely what is happening at your DCs school, I very much doubt they are just left at lunchtime in a classroom although it might feel like that to them.

I think some kids shield their parents from the reality of what school is like

@TheHoneyBadger perhaps, but I refuse to believe that a normal and reasonable expectation for a group of 30 teens is that they literally cant be left alone in a classroom for 5 min in case they wreck the place.

I refuse to believe

Do whatever you like.

Well you’ve got people here who work with multiple groups of 30 teens and have done for many years telling you that is reality.

Of course you can refuse to believe them based on what you imagine or would like to believe but why you?

I’ve had to be signed off following complications after bowel surgery because I sometimes needed the toilet very urgently. Health and safety meant I couldn’t leave a class and budget realities meant I couldn’t have ta or such so school said I had to stay signed off.

They wouldn’t blow money on sick pay and supply for no reason

I don't think most groups would wreck the place, though some would. But many teenagers would do things an adult would know was risky, and as they are children in our care you can't take those risks. So things like standing on a desk, posting things out of the window, having a playfight with the chairs. None of these are malicious but all could lead to injuries.

So teachers never turn up late?

My dc are allowed in their form room unsupervised the whole of lunch time.

@Petun1asShoes

So teachers never turn up late?

My dc are allowed in their form room unsupervised the whole of lunch time.

If I'm late they wait on the corridor for me. They are not allowed in my room without me there - the door should be locked. I try to not be late though.

I know. It’s not my rule. I simply stated that wraparound care isn’t possible until the bubble system is abandoned.

They are not allowed in a room without supervision.

So unless the form teacher is in there or nearby they shouldn’t be in there.

And some of us have classrooms we have to keep locked for H and S purposes. Art, tech, food, science

And my experience is they quite often wreck the place.

If this works in under an hour in situ, this could be the way to get secondary schools back www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-53131237 test everyone on arrival everyday, stay in bubble until results (end of first lesson) then have the rest of the day as normal. Just need this to work and to solve the buses...

@MsJaneAusten

I know. It’s not my rule. I simply stated that wraparound care isn’t possible until the bubble system is abandoned.

Just wondering if you missed my earlier question about wraparound?

Are wraparound not allowed to open?

Maybe need a dedicated thread, reluctant to be accused of Teacher bashing though 😁

I think the concern is that if bubbles are the only protection then you can’t have wraparound due to mixing bubbles. If yours is anything like it was when my ds was at primary there is far more demand than available places so not exactly spacious ruling out controlled sd to compensate for different bubbles.

Someone suggested outdoors but reality of our weather makes that unreliable to say the least.

Hate to say it, given some people are venomous about this, but thinking likely children of keyworkers would be prioritised.

@MsJaneAusten

I know. It’s not my rule. I simply stated that wraparound care isn’t possible until the bubble system is abandoned.

Childminders are so that doesn’t really make sense??!

Maybe need a dedicated thread, reluctant to be accused of Teacher bashing though

Just don’t teacher bash then. Simple. We have no more control over any of this than anyone else.

Childminders are so that doesn’t really make sense??!

I know. But ridiculous or not, it’s the reason that wraparound can’t open.

It is ridiculous. Completely ridiculous and counter productive. It will actively make mixing worse. But then so will part time school and apparently that's a really good idea too so what do I know.

@tootiredtothinkofanewname

Childminders aren't? Ours isn't allowed to pick up ds as its mixing bubbles. Or is that just because she has her pre-school bubble she can't mix?

They can. The guidance says something like limit settings if possible. Well my argument would be sorry I have to work so it's not possible. As would a lot of parents I imagine.