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

No I won't be sitting on a plane this summer, although I believe planes have reduced their capacity and told people to wear masks. They're also hardly "in a box" have you see the pictures of schools where this is happening? They don't get locked into an individual plastic pen for the day

I would have thought a perspex screen is better than having to self isolate a whole school year group every time a pupil/teacher gets a positive test result. That is much more disruptive to a child's education.

Planes,buses, trains, airports, cinema, medical appointments, to visit a hospital...

the Perspex screen isn't a get pout of jail free card for isolation though. They have sides , unless you want us in a cubicle, and we still have to move classrooms, go to the toilet, do duties etc.

Other countries wear masks. Germany with its sensible approach to education. Some really do feel children are fragile here. They won’t be terrified. But the impact for some stuck at home is far greater.

Our incidence is not THAT low - we have around 1,000 new cases a day and that's only those tested estimates of actual new infections range from 2-4x that. We still have hundreds of deaths a day, infection rates are no longer declining (watch the independent sage for facts and figures on this).

It only takes going back to normal - as is proposed for schools - and we're back to where we were in April.

I visited a hospital recently - masks for all staff and patients was mandatory.

It was fine. I was there for hours and after about 5 mins feeling a bit weird I almost forgot I had a mask on. A nurse and I had a lovely long chat about our kids while she did her job (taking blood pressure etc). It didn't impede communication at all.

To be honest, the fact everyone was wearing masks made me feel a lot less anxious.

And yes, perspex screens don't eliminate risk (if kids are back in schools nothing can do that) but they REDUCE RISK HUGELY. A cough or sneeze can go 6m if not stopped by something - mask or screen. There are multiple studies that show that masks and screens are the difference between lots of people being infected and low numbers or none.

It’s a screen not a box and is no more terrifying than a trip to Sainsbury’s with screens. I find this children are terrified of Perspex and masks etc a complete overreaction. Absolutely bonkers.

Exactly, while there are children who have lost their parents to this disease unnecessarily. Even the government scientists are saying we could have avoided 30,000 deaths by locking down a week earlier.

Funnily enough, those people banging on about how wearing a mask or seeing a perspex screen will damage mental health don't seem too bothered about the lifelong impact on the mental health of those kids.... there have been multiple healthcare workers who've died who have children. I hope their children don't hear about people who are so unwilling to even consider minor inconvenience to try and reduce further deaths.

I agree with you on everything. Am just pointing out that track and trace (which is going to shut whole year groups down, potentially) will not care whether someone had a mask on/Perspex screen etc.

It's all a bit of a shitshow....

How does test and trace work with hospitals in terms of the public spaces?

Yes and each time we close schools calls to childline go up. Lower protection of mh for some children.

Marsha you’re assuming that calls to childline go up because things are worse for kids at home.

Perhaps they stay the same mental health-wise but when the children are in school they talk to a teacher instead of phoning childline. Perhaps more children need support because of bullying and school work stress but the schools handle it.

Either way having that outside support in the form of school is crucial for some.

However I agree re bullying and hope that parents who see improvement atm can respond to it although not everyone can.

And is a bit of a sideline because the main issue is that dc will not be scared of a screen or visor in a way that will impact mh

My son's special school are trying to use masks and visors when doing intimate care and visors during the rest of the time. They don't use masks generally because the children rely on facial expression. They said that some of the children won't engage with mask wearers but they aren't expressing being terrified. They all seem to be ok with visors but keep trying to touch them out of curiosity. There is not a chance though that any of the children would keep a mask on themselves.

Look at the picture at the top of this article - schoolchildren with masks and perspex screens. There's no reason, none, we couldn't do this here other than the government not wanting the cost - but I suspect the cost of more infection and more hospital admissions would be greater than the cost of measures which will prevent it

It’s even cheaper still fit the government to try a policy of ‘crossing their fingers and hoping this will work!’ and sending schools back as normal.

What could possibly go wrong?!

I think the death in service benefits my pension would pay out would cost more than a Perspex screen.

I remember quite a few posts from pp saying they would not send dc back June 1 as they’d be distraught at changes. Afaik reading further posts the dc love it, don’t mind changes and probably appreciate extra space. Some overestimated how bad it would be for dc but it was fine.

Here Y5 at home but y10 has found it great.

@rawlikesushi - those working in psychiatric hospitals spend 12 hours with patients with no social distancing. This doesn't mean it's ok for teachers but I do see a lot of teachers saying they are the only ones being asked to do this and it's not true. If a patient gets Corona symptoms they can't even get sent home in a psychiatric hospital - staff still have to deal with them.

those working in psychiatric hospitals spend 12 hours with patients with no social distancing

No visits or masks either?

I think overall the mood of the country is changing. Towards getting back to normality. Obviously there are still a few teachers not happy. But it definitely seems that most can't wait to get back . Thanks to all of you out there we know how hard you're working!

Yeah put they are dealing with quite a low number of patients.

I deal with 150 kids a day in a small room. So not quite the same.

@Appuskidu - initially there was nothing. Masks more available now but prioritised for use with Covid + patients. But from what I understand masks protect others from the one wearing the mask. Patients don't wear masks so the staff aren't protected. No visors here. It of course may be different in other hospitals.

It will be interesting to see how it works with the all children back. Parents will never know where they are as their child's bubble could be self isolating at any time, then it's suddenly pick your child up now please and self isolate your family for 2 weeks.

[quote UndertheCedartree]@rawlikesushi - those working in psychiatric hospitals spend 12 hours with patients with no social distancing. This doesn't mean it's ok for teachers but I do see a lot of teachers saying they are the only ones being asked to do this and it's not true. If a patient gets Corona symptoms they can't even get sent home in a psychiatric hospital - staff still have to deal with them.[/quote]
Are they not wearing masks? I went to hospital yesterday and every single member of staff and patients had to wear masks.

I wonder what the liability is should a teacher catch this at school? Will it lie with government, who have out ruled PPE, or with individual schools?