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?

It is possible to teach phonics in a bubble of 30.

Next year in my bubble of 30, I'll have children who can't read at all - not even phase 2 phonics words. I have children who are working in mid year 4. I have children who can't speak English. I have a child who runs out of the room all the time (currently budget for support, bu no appropriate applicants), I have a child who licks and bites, I have several children who are in speech and language bases in the mornings. I have no allocated TA at present.

What are the 25 other children doing (some of whom are the runner and the licker/biter), while I'm teaching SATPIN to the other 5? Shudder, sounds awful. Not a fun challenge at all, just awful.

How will primary school bubbles work if you have siblings in different bubbles? If someone gets ill, how many bubbles need to isolate?

I foresee another U turn coming.

@DomDoesWotHeWants

Some people are going to be really disappointed. Words were chosen well.

Nothing about them being in school all at the same time. Because that won't happen.

How is it that you seem to know everything? What's your secret?

italiandreams exactly that. Yes we will have to make it work but it won’t be anywhere near as good as what we do now.
Not sure that will help children catch up at all.
We are mixed age classes so stream for numeracy and literacy to.

I don’t think they are planning that there will be bubbles by then. It’s just a tactic to avoid panic at this stage whilst placating parents that kids will actually be returning. By September I think secondary pupils will be back without bubbles or distancing

What's happening with schools in other countries, does anyone know?

That would be good.

@DuDuDuLangaLangaBingBong

really doubt that. Would mean mass redundancies, and they wouldn't have enough staff for these subjects.

No, it would mean redeploying staff that have teaching qualifications for other subjects to the core ones, same as we have witnessed in the NHS.

There is no way that I could teach maths at upper secondary level. Likewise science. And I bet most other teachers would be in the same boat. Actually I probably couldn't teach maths even for 11 year olds, because the teaching of maths has changed so much in the last decade. I have no idea how long division and multiplication are taught now. Obviously I can calculate them myself, but I can't teach it now.

Yr2, KS1. Class of 31. How is that going to work?

I think the government is grooming us for the scrapping of social distancing altogether.

They reduced the risk level today.

I am foreseeing a reduction to 1m social distancing at some point in the next week or so.

Then sometime in August they will scrap it altogether ready for schools opening in September.

I don’t think there will be a need for any cross specialist teaching. The government know that. It’s a red herring.

Hmm, well I also read today that guidance for schools has changed 180 times since March.

@Eileithyiaa

I think the government is grooming us for the scrapping of social distancing altogether.

They reduced the risk level today.

I am foreseeing a reduction to 1m social distancing at some point in the next week or so.

Then sometime in August they will scrap it altogether ready for schools opening in September.

Bingo

I think they chucked this out and right this moment the gov advisors are working through this thread to see if it's possible.

Ah yes the guidance.

The government need to stop beating around the bush and give clear direction one way or the other.

Personally I'm hoping they go down the road of all children back in school full time in September, no ambiguity. Back to normal.

I was really pleased with the questions the reporters asked.

Then Gav came back with his misdirection skills and batted them off.

I'm going to start calling the fucker Darren Brown.

There is no way that I could teach maths at upper secondary level. Likewise science. And I bet most other teachers would be in the same boat.
Actually I probably couldn't teach maths even for 11 year olds, because the teaching of maths has changed so much in the last decade. I have no idea how long division and multiplication are taught now. Obviously I can calculate them myself, but I can't teach it now.

Yep, it will be rubbish! Teachers redeployed from one subject area to another will have to do the best they can to deliver lessons set by someone else. Same as the NHS staff have had to do.

At least it will be a step up from home learning, unlike parents, at least all teachers will know the theory of how to teach, even if they don’t understand the subject, plus it will allow parents to go back to work.

The government won’t care about the quality of lessons in the early stageS of school returns, just like they don’t now.

Thank Christ for that!

We are seriously starting to lose the plot here.

Kids are really pleased to be going back and so am I.

@ohthegoats

I'm trying to work out if it's worth leaving and just doing tutoring for a year. I'd make more difference that way. This way is just going to be endless firefighting.

@ohthegoats can I ask where/how you would go about tutoring? I’m a trained primary teacher but quit in 2017 to stay at home with DS4. I’m now working as admin for a tourism based company but, especially as I’m in wales and our education minister has said almost definitely part time blended learning from September, I’m wondering if I could do this wonderful tutoring Gavin mentioned.

*We are seriously starting to lose the plot here.

Kids are really pleased to be going back and so am I.*

The virus is still out there. Are you not at all concerned about that?

@Eileithyiaa

I think the government is grooming us for the scrapping of social distancing altogether.

They reduced the risk level today.

I am foreseeing a reduction to 1m social distancing at some point in the next week or so.

Then sometime in August they will scrap it altogether ready for schools opening in September.

Well this is the only way it can feasibly work. Either they’ll scrap social distancing or this plan won’t happen. I wonder what the unions will make of it.

To the OP who said timetabling / teaching in bands continues into KS4: not in my secondary it doesn't. So we would have all Y10 in one bubble - 225 kids.

Phonics can be taught mixed ability. We do this at our school anyway and then there is extra intervention run by the class TA within the actual classroom in the afternoon. Without wanting to divert the thread, the issue with always setting for phonics is that the slightly behind do not get the exposure they need to all of the phases at the same time as their peers. We expose them to all of it and then work with them on their gaps. Had very strong phonics screen results since doing it this way.

We also do not set for literacy or numeracy, or sit in ability groups within the class. We have seen an improvement our KS1 and KS2 data since doing this.

Having class bubbles would mean we would need to adapt some of the ways we teach, it may not actually be a bad thing.

PPA will be an issue, as will covering staff with leadership responsibities.

Ignore my typo! I meant responsibilities!