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

@MarshaBradyo

Remember schools aren't getting any additional money for cleaning or precautions

What are you likely to be spending extra discretionary funds on?

Even if it’s small what will it go on?

My sister works in a school.and their current policy is that each class has a nominated toilet that only they can use at certain times. The toilets are being cleaned hourly and the school cleaned properly every night (which it wasn't before).

So if that continues in September then extra money will be needed just for cleaning staff, let alone anything else.

The situation in Leicester, and Matt Hancock's statement, appears to disprove the assertion that children don't transmit it, so how is there a low.or no risk to teacher

Well- given the report published yesterday also shows no increase in hospitalisation, that could equally be spun, if you so wish, to showing that even if they do spread it, they spread it so mildly that it's not a problem...

@PatriciaHolm

The situation in Leicester, and Matt Hancock's statement, appears to disprove the assertion that children don't transmit it, so how is there a low.or no risk to teacher

Well- given the report published yesterday also shows no increase in hospitalisation, that could equally be spun, if you so wish, to showing that even if they do spread it, they spread it so mildly that it's not a problem...

If it is genuinely not a problem, why have they closed the schools in Leicester?

Well- given the report published yesterday also shows no increase in hospitalisation, that could equally be spun, if you so wish, to showing that even if they do spread it, they spread it so mildly that it's not a problem...

How can you spread it mildly?

Once you've infected someone how their body responds isn't under your control. Personally, I think it's too soon to judge on hospital admissions in Leicester. It's up to a two week incubation period and then hospitalisation occurs typically in the second week after symptoms doesnt it?

The fact is, if children can catch it and transmit it then that puts teachers at risk. You can't say it doesn't.

It’s not hospitalisations that closes a school/bubble, but positive cases. While it is obviously good news that hospitalisations have not increased, we should still be attempting to avoid positive cases where possible.

I'm not saying it's necessarily true, but it will be presented that way, I suspect.

"You can't have lessons finishing and starting at random times throughout the day."

You wouldn't. The first and last lesson of the day would be of varying lengths but lesson change could be at fixed times throughout the day as it would be possible (in theory) to stop a lot mixing of bubbles by having systems in place to prevent it. I think break times would need to come out of lesson times. To and from school are going to be the biggest issue.

but lesson change could be at fixed times throughout the day as it would be possible (in theory) to stop a lot mixing of bubbles by having systems in place to prevent it

What sort of systems?

I'd also like to point that school transport budgets have been slashed by the Tory governments.

Keeping year groups apart sounds like a good idea and then I imagine what my school looks like on changeover on a good day and just can't see it.

@Spikeyball

"You can't have lessons finishing and starting at random times throughout the day."

You wouldn't. The first and last lesson of the day would be of varying lengths but lesson change could be at fixed times throughout the day as it would be possible (in theory) to stop a lot mixing of bubbles by having systems in place to prevent it. I think break times would need to come out of lesson times. To and from school are going to be the biggest issue.

How does that work then? How can first and last lesson be of varying.lengths - are they taken out of the timetable?

And how do you stop the whole.school.from.mixing at lesson change or lunchtime?

Pupils in the same bubble being taught in neighbouring classrooms. It is common for year groups to do this anyway. One way systems around buildings which already commonly happens to some extent. No waiting in corridors.This would cause less mixing of year groups. In theory they should only pass briefly. I worked in a large school which had much of this in place already because otherwise it would have been chaos.

This says that subjects will not be dropped after all

www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-53253722

"How does that work then? How can first and last lesson be of varying.lengths - are they taken out of the timetable?"

Some pupils would have say a short first lesson and some would have longer. At the end of the day this would reverse. Ideally those wouldn't be in subjects that they only have once a week. I am not doubting the whole thing is going to be timetabling and organisational headache and I am not arguing that they should be school full time. I am saying that this is the way it may go.

@Spikeyball

Pupils in the same bubble being taught in neighbouring classrooms. It is common for year groups to do this anyway. One way systems around buildings which already commonly happens to some extent. No waiting in corridors.This would cause less mixing of year groups. In theory they should only pass briefly. I worked in a large school which had much of this in place already because otherwise it would have been chaos.

How does that happen though in secondary school? Once they have taken their.optikns they aren't all taught the same subjects in the same area of school are they? As for one way systems etc, that's all good if the busing design accommodates it. My son teaches in a school that is a few hundred years old in parts. It's not designed for social distancing or one way systems.

And how do staggered starts and finish times fit into the school day? Into transport timetables? How does lunchtime work or teachers moving around the site fit in with students not waiting in corridors?

Some pupils would have say a short first lesson and some would have longer. At the end of the day this would reverse. Ideally those wouldn't be in subjects that they only have once a week.

So basically the short first and last lessons are pretty much written off then?

The options part of it is more difficult. I think generally there will be a lot of emphasis on lessons ending on time and no lingering between lessons so pupils coming and going shouldn't be in the same corridor at the same time, certainly not for long periods. Lots of schools do not generally allow waiting in corridors.

"So basically the short first and last lessons are pretty much written off then?"

I can't see another way around it with staggered starts and finishes. When I was at school we had single and double lessons and it is return to that.

Even if not using public transport, there could be 2, 3 or even 4 siblings in different years.

Secondary school my DC go to already has staggered break and lunches, which for some leads to weird lesson breaks, eg 15 minutes into a lesson some break for lunch, then resume for 45 minutes after, or vice versa, or half an hour before and after. There isn't enough room in the lunch hall for them all. There is some overlap, so it means lunch is done over about 2 hours for 5 year groups.

The first lesson is tutor time or assembly for half an hour, so they could stagger lesson changeover by having this session at different times for different year groups throughout the day?

School transport is going to be a big problem and having seen the advice of separating groups on school transport I don't know how that ones going to work. I've worked in schools with 20 buses all going to different places.It is going to be impossible in rural areas.

@chubley

Even if not using public transport, there could be 2, 3 or even 4 siblings in different years.

Secondary school my DC go to already has staggered break and lunches, which for some leads to weird lesson breaks, eg 15 minutes into a lesson some break for lunch, then resume for 45 minutes after, or vice versa, or half an hour before and after. There isn't enough room in the lunch hall for them all. There is some overlap, so it means lunch is done over about 2 hours for 5 year groups.

The first lesson is tutor time or assembly for half an hour, so they could stagger lesson changeover by having this session at different times for different year groups throughout the day?

That only works though if staff timetables fit? If you've got students in assembly mid morning for example then the staff with them can't teach other classes, or year 7 finishes period four at 12pm but year nine finishes period four at 12.30 while year seven need to get into some of the classrooms or have some of the teachers currently occupied by year nine?

Doesn't the timetable only work because all students move en masse?

What a nightmare for the people who will be trying to timetable this.

As for transport lord knows how that will work. We don't have school buses here. London transport run a service between 8am and 9am and again at 3pm - 3.45pm that takes a different route through the borough to normal services. It's open to anyone but is to enable school.pupils. There's usually two.or three buses running together and I think there are two relays during the dedicated slot eg it runs south to north in the morning. We live in the route so about 8.15 three buses stop outside our house and then continue to the end of the route passing by many schools. At about 8.30 another two buses turn up, running the same route. This happens in reverse at the end of school.

This timetable has been set up in consultation with the schools and in accordance with school.starts and finish times. At our school we needed to adjust our school finish time and part of the process was meeting with the bus company to consult them. How on earth will.this.work.of all schools are staggering their start and finish times for each year group?

I think the lovely Gav is relying on cases being much lower by September.

Except they aren’t going down.

One way systems around buildings which already commonly happens to some extent. No waiting in corridors.

Not in my school. Or in many. I am sure it could be altered but lunch, break, transport, walking to school, all huge issues.

We have 6th form. Students have 50 minutes lunch. Even if it was reduced to 1/2 an hour, it would take 3 1/2 hours for lunch time, not including cleaning or getting them in and out.

This is going to be fun😂not😡

I agree I think it's too soon to say that hospitalisations haven't gone up in Leicester yet. One of the nasty things about this virus is that it can very suddenly get very serious 1-2 weeks after symptoms have started. And it's an up to (and some say occasionally longer than) 2 week incubation. So it can be 4 weeks between someone being infected and getting ill enough for hospitalisation.