So...what do we all think of what Gav had to say?

[Eileithyiaa]

Gavin has just given his briefing, apparently all children will be back in September however he looked reluctant to admit they would scrap social distancing in favour of full classes, although this does seem to be the plan.

What do we reckon? I'm chuffed, think some voices are finally being heard.

Good. Need to be sensible and help people get back to normal even if there is still a risk.

I don’t know to be honest. I guess I’ve got to the point where I have to see it to believe it.

Do we really think they will all be back in September?

Bloody hope so.

Well, you can't get 30 kids in a class with any social distancing, so I'm not sure why he was reluctant to say. Teachers are not magicians, they can't make their rooms any bigger.

Personally I think they should be open to all now but without the pressure to return if they don't want too. No mixing classes staggered breaks/ lunches / pick up times/ but bubbles of 30 ie whole class

I know, he is very clever at skirting around commitment.

He also mentioned the dreaded guidelines again, will be out in the next couple of weeks apparently.

Ecstatic re them all going back but not sure I trust BoJo. They say a lot of things. I will implode if this isn’t followed through.

Angry re over 16s getting nothing and the non answer to the question ie kids at sixth form colleges.

Thank God. I think he skirted around the 2m thing because as soon at thee is confirmation that it’s going to reduce, people will start to do it straight away.

Wondering how secondaries will work with bubbles of 30. So everyone in the bubble has to do exactly the same lessons. And a rotation of teachers? So teachers are going to meet hundreds of kids per day and spread any virus around all the bubbles?! Still a lot of questions.

There definitely needs to be a plan to get kids back to school. I just don't trust the govt to come up with one that's safe, really. Or even just well thought out.

I don't think he understands how secondary schools work though. Most stream differently for English and Maths so it's not a case of just moving the teachers around instead of the children.

Haha crosspost Kolo!

My child is due to start GCSE's in September, given children are taking differing options and are differing abilities I cannot see how on earth a secondary school can accommodate this whilst maintaining a "bubble" of an entire class? 🤷🏼‍♀️

Good, they should.

You've also got option subjects in secondary.

I think it was abloody disgrace. He said it was the government's INTENTION that all children would return to school in September. BUT there were no details on how this would happen, what it would look like, full time/part time etc... He said over the next 2 weeks they would START talking to schools to enable them to draw up guidelines. Given the last guidelines for the return of primary years were re-written 42 times, before the government U turn (and then the un- U turn) and the fact that in many, many school the minimum suggested years have still not returned I hold out absolutely NO HOPE that children will be returning to school in any meaningful was in September.
It was all bluster and bluff, hoping to placate us with vague throw away comments.
Absolute shit show

and agree, once again it is as if school/educaiton means only primaries and no one ever thinks about secondary schools.

I wonder about secondaries too. Ours has 1200 pupils.

Secondaries have been thrown under the bus and those primary schools that often have over 30 pupils in KS2 are also buggered.

He very cleverly skirted around the questions and didn't actually say all schools would open to all pupils full time in sept. He said every day - what does that mean? My children's school is open every day at the moment but the day is much shorter than usual and also they have a half day on Friday for a deep clean.

No plan at all.

He’s a robot.

Our primary also has over 900 students.

Sensible people 😅
I don't think that can be said on anyone in our government. They are not capable of planning anything and decisions are made to favour their cronies and donors not for the good of the country

@weepinggreenwillow I agree with you completely. The communication between govt and schools has been a joke throughout. How many school leaders (or any school staff) do you think they consulted with on this before announcing? He couldn't give even the most basic details so I'm not convinced there's been any thought out in at all.

It also seems that other countries have had different ways of opening for example Germany I think sent secondary pupils back first whereas in Denmark (which UK was copying for primary opening 'bubbles' etc) seem to be sending secondaries back later and with rotas.

The only way this can happen, is if he tells all shielding people (school staff in this particular instance) that they have to return to work as normal. We have unusually high numbers of shielded members of staff at my school. We will either need

A. All of them to return as normal.

Or

B.Them to all be sacked

Or

C.The government to pay for them to stay off indefinitely whilst giving us their salary again, to pay their replacement as we have no money in our budget. This will need to happen quick so we can advertise.

Or

D. We only open to some children as we are currently doing.

I’m guessing they’ll go for A.

I can't imagine him reading a class of 30 reception pupils a story. They would eat him alive and I'm sure some would be rolling all around the carpet or declaring its 'boring'

I think he is just saying what he knows everyone wants to hear. There have been a lot of saying one thing and doing another throughout by all and I don't see this being any different. I just hope they take on board unions views and suggestions as I feel they are reasonable.