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.

Primary schools here often have 3 classes of 30- 90 in a year group, due to bumper years in recent times now going up through the school.

I would've thought teachers who were extremely vulnerable would need protected rather than 'sent back' or 'sacked' bit unpleasant.

I took from it that primary bubble size will be increased so that a class would be a bubble on its own, which sounds a sensible way to get them all back into school in September.

It sounded promising to me. And I suspect the 2m rule will have been adjusted by Sept too.

So no phonics / accessing different lessons as we move around for maths and English. That’s just in primary.
Secondary won’t be bubbles of 30+ unlike primary.
I guess they are just going to say that secondary schools need to wash their hands.

We were told all children would be back at he end of June before they’d actually tried to make a plan and then when they worked out it was impossible they withdrew that. So I don’t know how much I trust what they are suggesting now. Gavin Williamson was very cagey and he totally avoided parts of the questions regarding a full time place with no rota for every child, working his answers very carefully. I suspect because they actually have no plan as yet and can’t commit to anything

Having spent this week homeschooling on The British Empire I found it startling that he said we should be proud of our past!

I would've thought teachers who were extremely vulnerable would need protected rather than 'sent back' or 'sacked' confused bit unpleasant

I’m not aiming to be unpleasant. It boils down to money. We sadly cannot afford to pay them full pay, plus replace them all.

At the moment, it’s fine-as we have all the children we can possibly have back, using the staff we have available, but if we have to have all children back-we would need a solution. How can we ‘protect‘ those members of staff whilst simultaneously opening to all children?

Scrap SD.

Have a bubble plan, keep bubbles separate and have facilities available that if a class needs to isolate learning can switch online.

Same with secondary - ok some children will mix classes but all those who've been in contact isolate. Same re plans for learning during isolation.

I'm much more in favour of having a back up plan now than keeping them home just in case there's a case.

Statistics show 1:1700 have the virus. Realistically the number of infections entering a school now will be low. And I would think much lower in another few months.

Poor old Gavin, he really didn't have anything to say. I bet he's now relaxing with a whisky or two or three or ..............

All the guidance and everything they talk about usually only relates to Primary Schools, I don’t think they even think about Secondary Schools. Maybe the person writing the guidance has primary school aged children.

Why can’t they have the plan ready to publish once they say they have a plan. Makes me think they don’t really have a plan

I'll believe it when I see it especially given they said all primary children would be back for one month pre summer term which never happened.

I was actually quite concerned he was going to cry at one point.

@ineedaholidaynow this is a common issue, they create an announcement without a plan. This then means they have to change what they offered because it doesn’t work. They should have the guidance ready as soon as an announcement is made. This happened at the start of lockdown and schools were left hanging for days waiting for guidance to support their decision making. Again re the June 1st reopening, BJ told the country but yet more waiting for the guidance. It’s not good enough

Most people have said what I think, namely:
-secondary schools are a completely different kettle of fish re timetable/opted subjects/access to labs, workshops, studios etc.
-I’ll believe it when I see it.
-guidance within 2 weeks will mean it’s issued 2 weeks from now, which gives schools 2 weeks to plan. Practically impossible for secondaries surely?

What an absolute shit show. I urge everyone to write to their MPs

I think it was inevitable given his previous July and Summer school test balloons sent people frothing. You can't have Top Shop, cinemas, pubs, nail bars and whatever open in July and no school in September.

I think he chose his words carefully to avoid saying very much. My take from it is all DC will maybe be back in September but whether on a rota or not who knows? I suspect schools will be left to make plans at the last minute with guidance that is difficult to implement and changes constantly. I think for primary it will probably be a phased return and be part-time but will hopefully include all years. As for secondaries...goodness knows what they will do.

It appears that Boris's promise of summer catch-up wasn't part of the plan. The money promised for tutoring appears to be from a goverment appointed body rather than schools being able to use the money in the best way to accomodate their pupils and using actual teachers. All we can do is await the plan in a couple of weeks when there will only be a few weeks left til the holidays! I wouldn't want to work in a school right now for anything!

Secondary schools have up to 8 different lessons a day, made up of 8 different groups of kids, so crossing into 8 different bubbles a day. That's not one bubble of 30.

Great news, hope they follow through.

@Lifeispassingby I know. I am a school governor and I make myself watch every press briefing just in case they throw out a little nugget about education, it is so infuriating.

It couldn’t happen in business. You wouldn’t see a client and tell them you have a plan but you are not going to give them any details about it for another two weeks, then give waffly non answers to any questions the client might ask

I’ll be delighted to get back to work properly! I miss seeing the pupils and I certainly won’t miss sitting in front of a computer for 8/9 hours a day. I do wonder how this will pan out for secondary schools. My average class size is 35/36 and the pupils are taught by ability, but they might be in set one for my subject but set four for another. Then there’s the different option subjects etc. I look forward to seeing the plan!

Bubbles of 30 and no SD is a recipe for disaster if transmission numbers are as high in September as they are now. If they are going down this route with high infection rates then they need continue to suspend any fines or further action and let parents assess the level of risk (in all aspects) to their children and their family.

I was disappointed that there was no mention of shielded pupils, and what will happen to them if we are not at Nando level 1 (the current point at which it is safe for the shielded to emerge)

I guess it’ll be priority use of the new National tutoring scheme but it would be nice to have had this mentioned. It’s a bit crap being stuck in strict isolation (permitted exercise now but not to meet friends even with distancing) at the best of times, but not being sure what might apply to you when all your mates are normalising even further, is a bit crap

I think the ‘aim’ to have all pupils back full time in September is as likely as Boris’s ‘aim’ to have all primary pupils back for a month before the summer.

Non existent

This from the same guy that said all primary kids will be back...how'd that work out? Guy hasn't got a clue what he's saying, just saying what you want to hear to keep you quiet for a few weeks.

I think if students aren't in full time in September it will be a pisstake, surely get the new academic year off to a strong start seeing as some kids won't have been in since March