Schools guidance released

[Orangeblossom78]

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

No dropping of subjects at GCSE then. Posting for info

Does the guidance mention which children have to self isolate if a secondary school teacher gets a positive test? I'm assuming that they are not assigned to a year bubble?

It's not death that worries me.

My husband died a year ago. I am now the single parent of two small children. 6 and 4 year olds aren't great at looking after themselves.

1. If I'm sick (not hospitalised, not dead, just bed-ridden), wtf do I do? Play at being Dominic Cummings and put actually vulnerable family members at risk with my plague ridden children?

2. If I am seriously ill (not dead but maybe hospitalised or just very unable to get up) my 6 year old's anxiety is going to hit the roof. He's seen his dad stuck in bed and then hospitalised before death. He doesn't understand the difference. He's coping very well considering, but it is considering because he is 6.

So, yes, I'm worried. Not so much about dying but because I have no plan for this and I have two small children. I cannot afford to not have a plan for this.

Oh, I don't know? Masks for all secondary age students unless they are currently exempt from wearing them for SN or medical need? Just off the top of my head!

Unless we have a vaccine of course
Children probably won't be vaccinated initially to begin with (if at all) because the risk to them is minimal. Teachers may be offered it as a profession like front line workers but a vaccine wont stop children spreading it. It just means if they do spread it to someone classed as vulnerable they wont get as severe case like the flu jab does. Also there will be those anti-vaxxers who will refuse any vaccine possibly ever or until theres proven scientific evidence of any possible side or affects.

Yes I know that. But reopening them and putting plague plans in place is just causing further fear amongst parents and children. I know there is supposedly s low risk. But it could well peak in September when they all go back. If they are so confident that they are better of open. Then why can't children have or kits at school or reading books to take home to learn??? That's because they truly think it's too risky to do such simple basic parts of schooling.

Parents should be allowed to decide. Because if they do have asthma or they are pregnant etc then they won't want to be catching coronavirus. It's not been around long enough to be testing it out on our kids. Look at Leicester. Middle of summer with. A few extra kids back. Imagine cold and flu season and all the kids getting normal viruses. All the stress of classes closing. Parents trying to work and live around the changes and different times.

My kid gets a cold every month in winter. So if she has to stay of for ages each time then she won't be there.

Give parents a choice. Don't just send them back full time with these ridiculous measures in place. These measures scream out it isn't safe and we want more infected people to keep the virus passing through the public.

Do you know what Id love to see? Some heads/teachers having a can do attitude. How about some ideas being put forward? Fundraising for some marquees or other space? Its the negativity that gets me - there are thousands of people that have had to work WITH people with covid, that are front facing in shops etc/ delivering food and parcels to people up and down the country - theyve got on with it. There has to be more of a can do attitude. Where are the "superheads" what are they coming up with? How about screens for the teachers like they have in tescos, hand sanitiser for all kids on lanyards around their necks, temperature checks on doors, more hand washing stations? Anything? Come on , there MUST be a way through this.

My kid gets a cold every month in winter. So if she has to stay of for ages each time then she won't be there

Why would that happen? Surely you get a test, it's negative and then she goes back?

also the much predicted second spike still has yet to happen despite VE day, Easter, beaches, protestors etc etc.

@swg1

I agree with you. We don't want our little darlings bringing it home for us either.

I'm so sorry to hear you lost your partner. It must be horrible. Sending love to you all x

Unfortunately these plans will only lead to a lot of closures of schools over the Term. It’s evident the virus spreads indoors in poorly ventilated environments. The Infection rate in the young ie under 18 is going up it was a huge increase in Leicester. 23 schools in U.K. two weeks ago had Covid outbreaks with minimal kids at school currently. Another plan by our Gov that we will look back on in December as ill advised and poorly planned.

I'm relieved no masks, focus on hand washing, and all back full time

So let's get this right. The Government says there is a risk on public transport where people are potentially breathing on each other in a small space with little or no ventilation for short to medium time scales. Therefore wearing a face mask will hopefully reduce those risks. Even if just a little bit.

But teachers can sit in a room for 6 hours a day with 30 plus people, with no ventilation and a heating system in many schools which blows out heat and not be at risk at all? And where you don't have a gap of a metre, let alone 2 metres, between you and the children? And where you are being told you'll probably be OK if you significantly change your positioning in the room every 15 minutes? In a classroom where you are unable to walk anywhere other than down the middle or against the front wall (half of which is covered with an interactive whiteboard you can't stand in front of)?

Can I ask if you are a teacher, are you happy with that lack of regard for your well-being? And if you're not a teacher, would you be willing to do the job in the current circumstances, bearing all that in mind?

Having PE kits at schools means another surface that needs washing though? It's easier for the cleaners to keep things clean if there's a minimal amount of surfaces to clean.

Some kids will have only left shielding on 1 August. For the sake of them what's so wrong with wearing PE kit on or days? PE kits with trainers is much more comfy than school uniform with school shoes. It's hard to imagine any NT kids having a problem with it.

@TrustTheGeneGenie

And when your child comes home every week telling you a child went home poorly. Do we just live our lives on edge?

palace I would happily agree to that!

I have full faith that the schools will be able to implement this in time. There will be a lot of behind the scenes stress though I'm sure

I also think children are entitled to be allowed near the teachers and adults. They shouldn't be taught to stay back. Teachers also shouldn't have to freak out about kids getting too close.

It's crap!

Palace I honestly think the heads and teachers mainly do have a can do attitude. They just needed the guidance. Which they finally have!!

@swg1

It's not death that worries me.

My husband died a year ago. I am now the single parent of two small children. 6 and 4 year olds aren't great at looking after themselves.

1. If I'm sick (not hospitalised, not dead, just bed-ridden), wtf do I do? Play at being Dominic Cummings and put actually vulnerable family members at risk with my plague ridden children?

2. If I am seriously ill (not dead but maybe hospitalised or just very unable to get up) my 6 year old's anxiety is going to hit the roof. He's seen his dad stuck in bed and then hospitalised before death. He doesn't understand the difference. He's coping very well considering, but it is considering because he is 6.

So, yes, I'm worried. Not so much about dying but because I have no plan for this and I have two small children. I cannot afford to not have a plan for this.

I am really sorry about your husband - and I can completely understand your worries about caring for kids whilst sick, but as gently as possible - what is different about if you got ill with covid v if you got ill with something else?

I think we can expect repeated school closures throughout the Autumn term.

I think that's very possible. If we can't get the numbers very low over summer and get tracing working then winter is going to be unpleasent.

[quote Autumnwalksx]@TrustTheGeneGenie

And when your child comes home every week telling you a child went home poorly. Do we just live our lives on edge?[/quote]
Yes. Yes we do, unless you have a magic wand to make Covid go away? The alternative is of course that you withdraw your child from school and home school them. That is entirely your choice. But we cannot make schools 'safe' from the risk of Covid any more than we can make them safe from the risk of flu, sepsis, meningitis, or any of the other things that have a small chance of killing a child or teacher.

And if you're not a teacher, would you be willing to do the job in the current circumstances, bearing all that in mind?
I would but I'm 24 and relatively healthy.

And when your child comes home every week telling you a child went home poorly. Do we just live our lives on edge?

I don't feel on edge personally. If someone at his school gets Ill, then I'll trust the school to take the correct precautions. If my son gets Ill, I will take the correct precautions and deal with whatever happens.

I do not feel "on edge' at the chance of catching covid.

The issue here is one of governance and leadership. Education is a national thing. It involves teachers, pupils, parents, grand parents, carers. A working policy would have drawn from all of these areas in its formation if it was intended to succeed. Since no such conversations have happened, it's pretty obvious who will be blamed when it doesn't go well. It'll be snowflake parents, or entitled teachers, or the bloody union. It's probably still Corbyn's fault, oh how I bet they miss him.

Palacegir- pointing out the problematic bits of the guidance is not the same as a negative attitude.

If the government really cared they would be giving the schools money to clean or sourcing bigger venues (say the local theatres) for schools.

Are you fundraising for your pta? Have you offered to buy big bottles of hand sanitiser for your classroom? Are you aware how tight school budgets were pre Covid?

In Primary, how will PPA time be managed?
These are normally covered by another qualified member of staff covering for half a day at time - but obviously this then breaks the bubbles, and that teacher is then moving between several bubbles each week.

The only way we are maintaining PPA presently is to be closed every Friday afternoon.

There is no such thing as "safe"

A 21 year old I know died this week of an undiagnosed heart condition.

People die on the roads
People die of random cancers
People die of strokes
People die from unhealthy lifestyles

There is no SAFE
so lets try to ensure the next generation get the best education they can
so they learn from the fuckups of the older generation