School compulsory after Summer

[Orangeblossom78]

Boris Johnson has said it will be compulsory for all children in England to go to school when they reopen after the summer holidays.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/coronavirus-heads-caution-against-fines-for-parents-who-keep-children-at-home-pszxwx2mx

May be a 'period of grace' before fines though.

I do wonder how this will work with track and trace. They need careful messaging yes kids have to go to school but total fine to stay gone of isolating because of track and trace and schools will be supportive of that. If parents fear a fine for non attendance it could blast a while in the whole isolating contacts policy.

"The Times understands that the Department for Education will give generous exemptions, making clear that children of families with vulnerable members, or who have conditions themselves, would not be fined." it concludes

I think that fines are ridiculous anyway, covid aside. It is just a money maker. Aside from that though, I think it is really important that children go back to school in September if it is safe to do so. Unless parents are happy to fully homeschool. The mental health impact is so much more important now that we know the risk to children is barely existent. The main worry was staff at schools but they'll have to be in anyway.

My reaction to hearing this was that I will have to deregister my child sooner rather than later

I think it’s fair enough that you either use your school place (documented medical exemptions aside) or fully off roll. It’s not fair to keep a space you aren’t using that potentially someone else wants and not fair to expect school to continue having to ensure your child’s welfare, provide work etc. I don’t think anyone is going to be fined for isolating when told to and I’m sure absence rates will be high but the people who want to pick and choose what days they do, or expect school to keep a place open indefinitely until the personally feel “safe”, “ready” etc are going to have to choose one way or the other. Fine with me.

The deshielding letter says exceptionally clinically vulnerable can attend school, but only with rigid distancing.

With what is being said about the practicalities of what schools are likely to be like in the autumn, it seems that the most vulnerable are being put in an unfairly precarious position

I couldn’t stop my daughter going back to secondary school, she can’t wait to get back. As long as we can test and trace, i’m happy but to self isolate every time someone gets a cold won’t work. There’s a testing centre 5 mins from my house, I think the whole family will be there regularly in autumn.

I think many will de register and home school. Although they run the risk of not being able to re enrol back at their original school in the future. Unless there's a medical reason why your child cant attend school then thats a choice parents will have to make..... send them back or deregister and home school. Schools will not be providing home school provisions when they are open for those to attend.
I imagine those who cant return for medical reasons will get home school help as they would of done anyway previous to this.

As long as it is safe to do so, and there is a proper test, track and trace system, then I don't have a problem with this. I think we've a long way to go before that's the case, though.

Is it possible to request social distancing at school if you have a vulnerable grandparent who I’m a carer of? I want the kids to go back but would love if they could distance though themselves are not vulnerable. I feel sad that social distancing will probably be scrapped completely. Even bubbles are unreliable because I think of the children in my yr3 daughter’s class who didn’t isolate or follow any rules right from the get go. They kept insisting COVID-19 is all rubbish. So confused and genuinely sad about this scenario. I just don’t feel happy with the children all sitting together already x

This is fair. If you're not using the space you should give it up. Teachers can only provide home learning for so long whilst also teaching in the classroom. The scientists told us it is safe for the vast majority of children.

@Loving its unlikely any SD will be enforced it cant possibly be done with a full classroom there just isn't the space. I'm sure schools will take what practical measures they can but 2m distancing between 30 children is probably not doable, certainly wouldn't be in my DC school anyway

@lovingmummy9 sadly it is not possible to have social distancing and a fully open school with all students in full time, there simply isn't enough space or staff. This is the reason schools closed to most students. It is not possible for most to live as normal and to protect the most vulnerable from covid, as the most vulnerable are the most likely to need care from those who are not vulnerable.

They need to restore the rights of disabled children if they want all children to be able to attend

I hope that by the time September comes, track and trace is functioning properly, and the stats are reassuring.
Personally, I'd happily send my DCs back now, as they're (and we) are healthy and I feel their risk is low. DH will be working from home for the foreseeable so it's not a problem for us if one of the DCs has to isolate as part of a bubble. But, I know a lot of parents in a much less fortunate position to us, with DCs with underlying health conditions etc.
Also mine are primary so again much more straightforward than secondary.

Good. This is the right decision from the perspective of both children & school. Schools cannot be expected to accommodate parents who pull kids in & out and expect home schooling on the days they don’t send them. Its too much to ask. Nor should schools keep places open for children whose parents might send them back when they think it’s ‘safe’. Obviously, I exclude those who are vulnerable or living with the vulnerable.

So you either send your child back or you deregister. And if you deregister, then you fully home school your child.

Parents make a choice. If you think you can homeschool & give your kid a good education for their future, fab. You crack on. Otherwise, it’s back to school. Which in my opinion is what all children need. Not just from an educational standpoint but socialisation as well.

@lovingmummy9 - problem is schools can’t have all kids back & maintain SD. There isn’t space. Bubbles are there so that children within them don’t have to distance. Two bubbles do but not the kids in their bubble. I suspect a large percentage of children have grandparents who are either elderly or vulnerable. It’s the nature of old age sadly. I’m one of the carers for my granny (and DD’s great- granny) who is 85 but I’ve still sent my DD back to nursery. My granny was insistent she was to go back & play with children as she thinks the whole thing is cruel! I’m just careful. I wash my hands before going in, I wear a mask (which my granny hates), I wash her shopping & pop it away. Pop on any washing. We sit & chat a good 3m apart. I antibacc door handles as leave. To be honest, I’m more careful than the flipping carers we pay to come in & help her everyday as well!

Gavin Williamson was interviewed on LBC this morning.

www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/nick-ferrari/education-secretary-gavin-williamson-live-on-lbc-29jun20/

Every child to be back at school in September for every lesson,
Bubbles of 30, but again no mention of Secondary school,
Parents of non attending parents to be fined,
£1.5b to improve school buildings
(And then a bit of a chat about his hair 🤷‍♀️)

*parents of non attending children to bd fined

@lovingmummy9. Remember lots of carers will have children in school. Try not to feel guilty about sending yours. You're doing the best you can in the situation

To be honest, l don’t believe anything, that comes out of his mouth. The government have backtracked so many times throughout this pandemic! Who knows, what will happen in September, no one has a crystal ball! Will have to wait and see.

Isn't it the case that for pupils whose parents want schooling, who are (temporarily, or even permanently) unable to be schooled on site, the LA has to provide home tutoring?

Which of course will have to be done in a Covid safe way, and include full specialist teaching once GCSE and A level age.

That's going to be expensive (90,000 currently shielded DC in UK)

So I'm not surprised that they're being Micawberish about it. And perhaps hoping that people will shut up about it, and it be drowned out in chatter about all the other aspects of schools reopening. Leaving the most medically vulnerable and isolated DC still in tight isolation (no socialising with friends for them, not going back to schools with no social distancing in place) and parents having to work out how on earth to secure an adequate education for them.

Which is going to be remarkable shit for those whose DC are approaching the main public exam years.

MN seems to be one of the places where these DC aren't totally forgotten.

It makes sense. Schools can’t be held responsible for children who don’t attend, and parents can’t hold on to a school place they don’t intend to use.
There already are exceptions for children with disabilities and long term illnesses, and having to self quarantine will just be treated similar to illness.

I will not be sending mine back if cases are still high. I am hoping for the best but i think we will see another spike again and another lockdown, probably a stricter one too. 2 out of my 4 children are classed as vulnerable and so am I. I dont want to risk sensing them back in september for cases to be on the high again.

They can try and fine me . I will tell them where to go. My children's are asthmatic and have low immune systems. My eldest has other health conditions and I am just not sure about September. Whilst I would love them to go back, I am enjoying teaching from home knowing they're safe and so on and so forth.

I’m finding the complete ignorance of secondary schools hard to stomach at the moment! Bubbles of 30 will not help when children have to move between classrooms!

I wonder how many Deregistering homeschooling parents Will try to banlance home working and home schooling. I think employers will be less flexible About reductions in productivity by then