Huffpost - leak on School Guidance

[PatriciaHolm]

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/school-reopening-whole-year-bubbles-full-guidance-covid_uk_5ef9dd4ac5b6ca97091288e4?oo9&guccounter=1

Full document due this week, but some "highlights"...(I use the word advisedly)

• secondary bubbles of up to 240 children (essentially a year group) -No in-class social distancing requirement for primary pupils, with secondary pupils advised to stay 1m apart but not at all times -Teachers advised to keep 2m away from pupils, at the front of the class, and away from colleagues as much as possible as if in a supermarket

• Compulsory engagement with the NHS Test and Trace system, with whole classes or year groups liable to be sent home if a pupil tests positive, but whole school closure not seen as generally necessary

-No face coverings for pupils or teachers, on Public Health England advice, as they “interfere” with teaching and learning -Children seated facing forwards in same direction and not at circular tables, with pupils wearing normal uniform and washing hands throughout the day -Teachers advised to spend no more than 15 minutes at any one time closer than 1m to anyone - Fines of up to £120 for parents whose children fail to attend school. In contrast with the “softly softly” approach taken during full lockdown the message will be “education is not optional”

• Heads told not to put in any staff rota or physical distancing that would require extra space or make it impossible for all pupils to return full-time.

- Contingency plans for some or all of the school being put in local lockdown and any temporary return to “remote” teaching needing to be of a high quality -Some subjects for some or all pupils may have to be suspended for two terms to allow catch-up on core subjects such as English and maths, with a full spread of subjects returning in the summer term of of 2021 -Some pupils may have to drop some GSCEs altogether in Year 11 to allow them to catch up and achieve better grades in English and maths. GCSEs and A-levels to take place as planned next summer but with some “adaptations” - First year pupils at secondary school may have to be re-taught English and maths from their final year syllabus at primary level

I know. Have you ever tried teaching in a mask. No one would be able to hear you. Plus what about children who rely on some lip reading. Wear a face covering to protect those around you on corridors if it helps you though.

havefunpeleton
I know. Have you ever tried teaching in a mask. No one would be able to hear you.

Many other countries have managed it.

Phe are going to end up being sued though arent they as it clearly is not safe!
If nhs are still testing positive weekly
1 then they will be passing it to their family and children and into school
2 if a class of children get infected, likely with few symptoms they will continue in every day spreading it to more and more.
the gov are paying 60k for families of nhs staff when they die, because it is the gov fault for having no ppe.

It isnt that unlikely that a pupil would be infected with 1/1700 that would be one in most secondary schools.

Surely linited mixing makes sense anyway or the nhs will be overwhelmed as usual with winter bugs.

Many kids will live with elderly relatives but parents will be fined for not sending them in!

Honestly it's very difficult to have a normal conversation wearing masks.

TAs spend lessons right up next to kids.

Seems masks work wonders. 70% reduction in death rate.
www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3090440/coronavirus-face-masks-save-lives-japanese-study-says

And what about all of us with underlying conditions? Do we just crack on and cross our fingers? If I get it and my baby has to be sectioned at 33 weeks because I cant breathe is that now ok? Should i just be fine with that?

They say kids done pass it on, but then why are schools shut down as spikes happen?

My local morrisons has more in place for their workers than those government guidelines propose for teachers.

@SqidgeBum I assume vulnerable teachers will all have an individual risk assessment. Doesn't that happen now anyway. If you aren't happy with the outcome you can resign.

What would be the alternative?

Piggywaspushed I agree with you. TAs spend a lot of time, more than 15mins and less than 1m away from a child delivering interventions. This is likely to be numerous children throughout the day. What is the mitigation? As far as I see none.

Honestly it's very difficult to have a normal conversation wearing masks.

I dunno, I managed when I had to take DD to the docs. Why was no one telling them not to wear masks because it makes conversation difficult?

Oh I can just resign and have no money to pay for the roof over my newborns head. Right so. Problem solved for me then.

@SqidgeBum I assume this is why most teachers won't resign.

Teachers now can’t resign till Xmas.

@havefunpeleton so my choice is put my baby at risk as there is basically no PPE, no protection at all, or quit? No other workplace is working like this. Its disgraceful.

Think of it this way
No sd or ppe

• teachers all off 2w

-off even longer as family now ill

• 20% long term covid
• pass on to pupils and their families
• passon / catch other bugs so has to SI and test as pupils when tgey catch it
• some teachers die - noone to teach those kids
• town hasto shut down no shops open or non essential I

Kids parents/GP die

Masks
Annoying to wear
And harder for deaf
Save lives
Less time off
No shutdown
No nhs collapse

I guarantee countries who go with masks or visors and SD will have fewer shutdowns. Fewer deaths. More school for kids.

Weather here is worse obviously than much of Europe, our cases higher so we will have more transmission in winter anyway

@SqidgeBum how many weeks will you be in September? I think you'll be on maternity leave by then!!

Bit late for everyone else to get pregnant though isn’t it.

@noblegiraffe 20cm face time face? Are you being serious? If you are telling me teachers spend more than 15 minutes 20 cm face to face with pupils... I'm calling the daily fail grin

As an EYFS and SEN teacher, yes-I absolutely do. Why would that warrant calling the Daily Fail?!

[quote havefunpeleton]@SqidgeBum I assume vulnerable teachers will all have an individual risk assessment. Doesn't that happen now anyway. If you aren't happy with the outcome you can resign.

What would be the alternative?[/quote]
Wow, telling teachers to resign is harsh.

We are desperately short of decent teachers, we need them so much.

Parents and teachers need to work together on this, the govt is responsible for the chaos - not teachers, not parents.

Honestly, I can't help but think those making up guidelines in government just aren't very bright. There seems to be a huge lack of ambition and support for schools coming up with innovative solutions given coronavirus isn't going away and there is a very real chance of local lockdowns (see Leicester).

I watched the independent sage committee (very much recommend it, very interesting) and they were saying why haven't they thought of other solutions than schooling as usual e.g. using leisure centre halls to enable large, socially distanced lessons. Village halls, outdoor forest school providers etc. Using spaces where it would be easier to reduce transmission than just everyone back as normal in school.

Why aren't they considering a blended approach, which allows home learning and children in school in a socially distanced way some of the time, with perhaps some other outdoor learning as above? This has been done in other countries, and in private schools. It has the advantage that if a local lockdown happens, it's not a total sudden change for the children and teachers aren't scrambling to change everything at once. It allows teachers to be better protected and hence less likely to be off sick for weeks. All it requires is resources and a bit of clever thinking.

I can't see that sending everyone back pretty much as normal (which is essentially what the guidelines are saying) and then a total lockdown again when infections spike is better for children than a blended approach which is more likely to keep infections lower and less likely to result in constant change and disruption.

I have to say the local schools where I live seem to have done a pretty good job with regard to year 1s and 6s - very sensible ways to reduce transmission, small bubbles, staggered drop offs and pick ups to reduce parents at school gates. But they're using outside space that will be more difficult to use in the winter, and with more children coming back to school.

Schools here have also been focusing on wellbeing and mental health which seems hugely absent from the national discussion. Children aren't oblivious to how coronavirus is spread and my DD is very aware that, while she is unlikely to be very ill, she could easily pass it on to someone who could be extremely ill or die. What about children whose parents are vulnerable? Can we really expect them to return to schooling as normal in September knowing they could expose their parents?

I don't think SD is recommended at all for primary is it? As obviously teachers do need to get closer. Not sure about 20 cm close though!

@chancechancechance I absolutely don't think teachers should resign. I think they are hero's that should be respected. Genuinely. But that's not to say they shouldn't have the option of resigning.

Why aren't they considering a blended approach, which allows home learning and children in school in a socially distanced way some of the time, with perhaps some other outdoor learning as above?
This is something I would like to see, especially as it means that children that may have to unpause shielding or self isolate due to contact with Covid, would still be able to maintain learning...in fact, I can't see how we can move forward without this in place!

The primary schools near me seem to be managing SD for the upper years very well. I think there is huge talent and innovation in schools - the question is whether the government will support them or simply impose ill thought through policy top down with no regard for teachers' opinions on the best options.

This is something I would like to see, especially as it means that children that may have to unpause shielding or self isolate due to contact with Covid, would still be able to maintain learning...in fact, I can't see how we can move forward without this in place!

Agreed. They will leave a lot of children behind if it's just 'back to school as normal' or nothing. Lots of children have family who are shielding or vulnerable.