Schools guidance released

[Orangeblossom78]

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

No dropping of subjects at GCSE then. Posting for info

@HipTightOnions yes - I did wonder about this element of the guidance and how that works at secondary.....

The health protection team will provide definitive advice on who must be sent home. To support them in doing so, we recommend schools keep a record of pupils and staff in each group, and any close contact that takes places between children and staff in different groups (see section 5 of system of control for more on grouping pupils). This should be a proportionate recording process. Schools do not need to ask pupils to record everyone they have spent time with each day or ask staff to keep definitive records in a way that is overly burdensome.

All those who believe "no vaccine, no school", you know you don't have to send you children back to school? Nobody, literally nobody, is forcing you to. Deregister then, and home school them. But please, understand, that you don't get to take the choice away from the rest of us who don't feel the same way as you.

This is an absolutely I'll-thought our disgrace of a plan...

Bubbles of 30 are pointless if there are pupils with siblings utterly pointless.

Mum and Dad can go to work, pubs and restaurants where social distancing is required.

But somehow it's "safe" for children to be in school . I think not.

It's clear we are all doomed to a further lockdown this is a dangerous and hideous plan.

To enforce fines too is unreasonable at this stage- just disgraceful.

@cansu I thought that. Viable option now and perhaps for the first couple of weeks in September but marquees into October and November?

@TuckMyWin

All those who believe "no vaccine, no school", you know you don't have to send you children back to school? Nobody, literally nobody, is forcing you to. Deregister then, and home school them. But please, understand, that you don't get to take the choice away from the rest of us who don't feel the same way as you.

This.

As a teacher I'd have felt happier if the guidance had given more funding to schools to employ extra cleaning staff during the day and to install more sinks (like those outdoor trough ones you see on the news at schools in Europe and I've seen used at walk through exhibits in zoos). The guidance says they want everyone to wash their hands more (on arrival, every room change, before and after lunch) and that will need more sinks. Also more cleaners so toilets and shared areas are regularly cleaned, in normal times we don't have cleaning staff in during the school day so this will cost more money. These 2 measures should help improve hygiene and should reduce spread. But the government don't want to spend money on schools.

No vaccine no school?

No vaccine no work? No economy? No life?

And when and where are we expecting this vaccine? And what if it doesn’t appear? Do we just all kill ourselves or something.

Absolute hysteria.

There is no vaccine anywhere on the horizon. We're on our own with this one.

[quote Yurona]**@MinnieMousse* i was answering to @katerobs*

• We should not be sending our children unless they do.

Practise what you preach*

Yes, private primary school kids are mostly back. In bubbles of 15, just like state schools (which is smaller than most class sizes).
Happy to be guinea pigs, lets see if private school teachers ( and childminders, and nursery staff) are all sick in 2-3 weeks (they are all back since almost a month now). If not, maybe the risk isn’t quite as big as many fear?
Vaccines might never happen, and even if, its not going to be quick[/quote]
My Dds are in private. They are open to the recommended years fully but every one else can only go for two days a week. Other years are allowed to go in but for only two days a week with no actual academic learning, it’s purely for socialisation. All learning still had to be done on line.

The new one we’re are starting in September is only open to the years recommend by the government.

My friends sons school which is private is only open to the recommended years.

None of the above reduced their fees either.

However, they did say that it would be obligatory unless with a good reason, and I would assume that 'with a good reason' would include situations like yours- people who were on the shielding list. The schools have the discretion not to fine people, and have already said they won't be.
@TuckMyWin I hope you are right, the guidance seems to suggest only those children who have a Dr letter saying they can’t go to school will be exempt. Hopefully my LEA will be more understanding.
I agree bubbles of 15 are unworkable, and I do think children should be in school from September if it’s safe. I also worry for vulnerable school staff.

There is another petition going around, exactly as hysterical and ill thought out, for completely the opposite scenario.

The guidance says shielding children will be expected at school.

@TuckMyWin it’s not fair to say people should just deregister and homeschool . My dc have been disadvantaged enough. I don’t want to stop others from going to school. I just want my dc to have a healthy mother and a school place still available when it’s safer.

One thing I thought about the hand washing is it says all students on public transport and wearing masks from transport have to, on arrival, wash hands then remove the mask then dispose of mask (or put reusable one in a plastic bag for washing at home) then wash hands again afterwards. Just logistically, how would this work?!

@swg1 - I'm so sorry to hear about your husband's death. It must be very difficult for you and your DC. I just wanted to let you know about my plan for Covid. I did catch it and was ill for 4 weeks and hospitalised for 3 days.

I made a box where I had essentials for 2 weeks. I had lots of easy food and drink that my DC could help themselves to aswell as easy foods for me to cook. I had some craft sets/books for the DC to use as well. Do you have someone you could ask to be on hand if you need to go to hospital? The ambulance had to wait while someone came to look after the DC and it was ok. I hope you don't get it or if you do it is super-mild but putting plans in place may make you feel a bit better.

@AldiAisleofCrap I hope so too- I'm pretty sure it's down to the headteacher. Is yours reasonable? If not, would your GP write a letter saying that the risk to you means your child shouldn't be in school? It's pointless me saying it, because in your situation I'd be planning for every eventuality too, but I really think it's worth waiting and seeing nearer the time. We've seen before, the government revises the guidance over and over. This time it seems more like 'guidance' that the schools should adhere to as much as possible, rather than 'rules'. And we have no idea, really, at this stage, what the infection levels in the community will be like in 3 months time. They might have increased, putting us all back in lockdown (god I hope not!). Or they might be so low as to make the risk to you much lower.

@TuckMyWin

All those who believe "no vaccine, no school", you know you don't have to send you children back to school? Nobody, literally nobody, is forcing you to. Deregister then, and home school them. But please, understand, that you don't get to take the choice away from the rest of us who don't feel the same way as you.

@TuckMyWin I agree with you on that. The government should have given us that choice too. Instead of forcing actions and fines on schools and parents. Let the parents/school choose whats best for them.

[quote AldiAisleofCrap]**@TuckMyWin* it’s not fair to say people should just deregister and homeschool . My dc have been disadvantaged enough. I don’t want to stop others from going to school. I just want my dc to have a healthy mother and* a school place still available when it’s safer.[/quote]
That comment wasn't aimed at you. It was aimed at those saying that schools should remain shut for everyone until there is a vaccine. Which I'd hope you agree is also unreasonable.

MoreW1ne

However, given how desperate everyone seems to be right now you're all still going to be relying on us aren't you And my job is 100% safe! Which I suspect is the part that pisses people off most

Are you taking the piss out of people losing their jobs?

[quote AldiAisleofCrap]**@TuckMyWin* it’s not fair to say people should just deregister and homeschool . My dc have been disadvantaged enough. I don’t want to stop others from going to school. I just want my dc to have a healthy mother and* a school place still available when it’s safer.[/quote]
@AldiAisleofCrap You have summed it up perfectly. Its the threat of government's my-way-or-the-highway stance on this that I find quite disturbing.

@AldiAiseofCrap the subject of the petition linked below is "keep schools closed in the UK until an effective vaccine is available". That was what I was addressing. Not the clinically vulnerable with a genuine reason not to be in school.

The guidance says they want everyone to wash their hands more (on arrival, every room change, before and after lunch)

It says all students on public transport and wearing masks from transport have to, on arrival, wash hands then remove the mask then dispose of mask (or put reusable one in a plastic bag for washing at home) then wash hands again afterwards. Just logistically, how would this work?!

Absolutely this. I have tried to imagine it with 2000 pupils on site and I just can’t.

Also how are poor teachers going to stop teens coughing in each other’s faces for a joke, it happened before lockdown, what punishment will a stroppy angry teen get for coughing in a teachers face out of spite.
It will happen.

The guidance says they want everyone to wash their hands more (on arrival, every room change, before and after lunch)

We are managing that well in my Primary, but then every classroom has three sinks. Takes time, but with good organisation, it works. Kids well-trained in it and do it automatically without need for reminders.

But what about schools (particularly secondary) where sinks are few and far between?

My DC school has taken back at least half of every year group already, doing full curriculum. The school have done an amazing job and it has been very successful. Kids have adapted very well. I am sure they will cope with a full school.