Back to School, self isolation and pods

[Thewoodstar]

So, just had a letter from school outlining what they have planned for September. School have been fabulous and I can’t see that they can do anymore. The teachers have been brilliant and I thank them all.

However I am concerned about sending DC back. They will be in pods of their class. But sharing bathrooms with other year groups. Hand washing is unsupervised. And just the smell from the boys bathroom is at the end of the day Gives me zero confidence in any hand hygiene.

However my primary concern is the families of other children in the pod. I am confident school will do whatever they can to keep everyone safe. And life isn’t without risk. I get that.
But having spent the last 12 weeks watching older children or siblings from my child’s school, hanging about at the beach, in parks etc. No social distancing whatsoever. Massive big groups. The adults freely having parties and bbqs etc has made me worry. I know it’s all subjective and I have been using my parents for childcare as I had to have several hospital appointments, And I have now started meeting others. So I’m by no means overly anxious or the corona police . But I guess I am just worried that we are at the mercy of all these families who don’t have anyone vulnerable and don’t care about the rest of us. And even without the risk to health, if we have to keep self isolating because our children have been at school in a pod with someone who is symptomatic, are the parents of the said child going to financially compensate all the self employed people who won’t be able to work or get paid? I guess once schools in back, if people decide to ignore the social distancing advice etc, they are making decisions not the whole class and not just themselves. Which seems wrong.

Am I missing something?

Sorry you're worrying about this. I think lots of us are struggling with this school return, I know I am.

I swing wildly between 'it'll be fine children are not often badly affected' to 'but it'll just spread and parents/teachers/vulnerable children will catch it'.

I am surprised at the shared bathrooms, both the schools i know have given separate bathrooms to the different bubbles. I would question that.

But your main point is correct - with no social distancing in school, you are at the mercy of classmates' families' choices.

Im not happy with school's plans
Bubbles of year group so 60 kids all sharing 3 i think toilets.
And before/after clubs by key stage so 120- 240 kids.
So once you factor in siblings we will be exposed to all the choices of the whole school and parents.
It's not good enough.
The gov guidelines are not strict enough.

I’m completely with you, I’ve been irritated in the past when I’ve overheard disregard for the sickness policy at the school gates etc.

Once it was made especially worse as I had a one year old has struggle with a tummy bug brought from home school for a week. I sucked it up but was annoyed. And I can’t begin to imagine what it’s like if you have an especially vulnerable child at home.

It’s one of the (many) things that trouble me with the plans but obviously the consequences are higher. At least a lot of us believe that to be the case.

I started teaching when the recruitment slogan was “those that can, teach”. Now they need a slogan “if you can, please homeschool”.

With no guilt if you can’t / don’t want to. There could be a priority order for children of key workers/ vulnerable, through to those that need support to earn money / and stay sane (completely get that - I have help if I can keep the bubble with my mum secure). Hopefully they’d be room to accommodate personal preferences as well.

Some people don’t want to send but have to. Teachers can’t just walk away from jobs and most probably don’t want to.

The government has a duty to make school as safe as possible. Lower numbers = safer school.

There is no such thing as bubbles in schools, it’s a stupid word which implies a level of safety that is impossible for schools to provide when they are told to reopen at full capacity.

PHE have already reported 55 incidents in educational establishments last week and there’s barely any children back. That’s higher than care homes!

I suspect that in September with everyone back, no scope to social distance and masks being banned will not be a success.

Bubbles are not unfortunately ‘safe’, bubbles can pop.

I am a secondary school teacher. Next academic year I will be teaching Yr 7, 9, 10, 11 and 13 on top of a form.

I have 2 children. If I contract Covid I could pass it onto my one children who could then pass it onto their classes. I could pass it onto DH who could then pass it onto all the students he teaches.

Teachers pop the bubbles.

I'm going to be teaching in up to 15 different classes in September. My role is to cover classes in a large infant school. My children will be at school.

I don't think it will be long until the virus spreads like wildfire. We'll all have to take our chances.

If the government guidance were stricter, schools would not be able to open to all children.

Because my school is small, we are allowed to be one bubble. So not a bubble at all. Just a school.

@Keepdistance

Im not happy with school's plans Bubbles of year group so 60 kids all sharing 3 i think toilets. And before/after clubs by key stage so 120- 240 kids. So once you factor in siblings we will be exposed to all the choices of the whole school and parents. It's not good enough. The gov guidelines are not strict enough.

Will you deregister your children in September?

Mine have been back for a month now. I have no idea what their toilet arrangements are, I didn’t think to ask. They must be washing their hands a lot as both DC’s hands are red raw when they come home, I have to slather them in cream and put cotton gloves on for bed every evening.
No one in the school has had any symptoms so far.

Considering supply teachers crossing between numerous schools, external specialists, volunteers, visitors, wraparound care and interventions will all be allowed under the government guidance for September, I think it will spread quickly.

@Bluewavescrashing

I'm going to be teaching in up to 15 different classes in September. My role is to cover classes in a large infant school. My children will be at school.

I don't think it will be long until the virus spreads like wildfire. We'll all have to take our chances.

Exactly and this will the case for a lot of teachers and cover supervisors.

It’s like the Government hasn’t considered school staff can be parents too ... with children in other schools ... married to other teachers, in other schools!

@TheFallenMadonna

If the government guidance were stricter, schools would not be able to open to all children.

Part time school with social distancing would in my opinion be preferable to full time with high risk of transmissions and closures.

The proposals feel like a big gamble.

@Drivingdownthe101

It won't be necessary to deregister immediately.

[quote labyrinthloafer]@Drivingdownthe101

It won't be necessary to deregister immediately.[/quote]
Ah I thought attendance was going to be compulsory from September? Have I misunderstood it?

Attendance is compulsory from Sept.

I will be teaching a primary bubble next year. A class of 30 and with another 2 classes - that's our bubble. We have three toilets for boys and three for girls. 1 for the 5 staff there. Plus some of the children are bussed in. Then i'll go home to my kids. Who are in secondary year group bubbles of 200 each and also getting buses home with every other year group. It's all a total nonsense.

If the government had properly invested in school buildings and not crammed children in, it would be easier to have smaller bubbles. Look at Denmark.

Chronic underfunding has resulted in this shit show.

@phlebasconsidered I’d forgotten about the public transport. Our pupils travel in by public bus, school bus and train.

@motherrunner

Attendance is compulsory from Sept.

Yes, as it is normally. I assume you've read the actual process at your school?

It's really the teachers and TAs who are the ones at risk.
They are in an overcrowded, enclosed space (often poorly ventilated- our windows haven't opened for years), no social distancing, inadequate hand washing facilities (no sink in our classroom), and no masks allowed.
I often have to perform first aid, clean up a child after they have wet or soiled themselves (you would be amazed at how many Yr R children can't change or dress themselves) and I am also having to clean toilets.
The toilets will probably be a lot cleaner than usual OP and hand washing may be supervised or at least there maybe hand washing lessons for those who haven't been back at school during the pandemic.

My daughters entire school is planning on being a bubble. It’s a small school, but I’m not convinced.

Well yeah fundamentally you are forming a bubble with all of these families who you don’t know or trust. So I see why you’re worried. Not sure yet whether our boy will go back in September, we’ll see how infection rates are looking, and we’ll be able to pull him out if it starts increasing as I’m a sahm.

@Bluewavescrashing

"Chronic underfunding has resulted in this shit show"

This could apply to schools, health, police, social care, local councils, justice...

The gov guidelines are not strict enough.l

They might not be fit for purpose but one thing they aren't is lax.
Plenty of settings don't have enough toilets, classrooms or staff for the proposals many of you are laying out.

Bubbles are there so track and trace is easy. They are not to keep children safe within them.

This could apply to schools, health, police, social care, local councils, justice...

Yes but there isn't the same risk of transmission in any of these other settings. Obviously they are all important issues but I can't think of any other places where so many individuals gather in close proximity for many hours every day.