Is September going to be a big risk?

[Melonslicexx]

Just curious to people's opinions on all this. I know nobody has a crystal ball. Partners sister has caught coronavirus this week. It's a reminder that it's still very much out there. She works in a high risk job. But still.....

I want my child back at school. She went for a session Monday and she loved it. But they were stood on spots and the teachers spoke to them through a computer screen. They didn't actually get to see them.

I know life cant stop forever. But they are going back right at the start of virus season. There will be children every single week with colds, fevers, coughs and the like. We won't be allowed to keep them off without getting a test. Ofcourse testing is important. But my mum's had four as she's been in hospital with something else. She said it makes you gag. It's not always terrible. But you gag. She said one nurse shoved it really far up her nose she felt pain in her eyebrow. So she's said it's not pleasent but it's fine because it's important. Children will be having these tests done several times over the winter. It feels like all we have ahead is stress. I'm so sorry to write it when people want to move forward. but it comes with risk. Eventually it's going to end up in all schools over this winter. When it does parents will be having to keep kids off and isolated. Parents will be trying to work around all this. There will be the worry waiting to hear if a child has tested positive in your child's bubble/school etc. But the scariest part is what if we as parents get it and we feel absolutely terrible. Yet nobody is going to take our children for us as we won't be allowed. Or what If our kids get a horrible version.

Sister in law has fever
Aches
No taste.
No sense of smell,
She's vomiting.
Her backs squeezing.
She is exhausted.

Sounds absolutely awful and the reality is after hiding away since march we all are very likely to get it over the autumn and winter.

In your opinions. Do you think this winter will mean most of us will get it?
Are you worried about your child going to school?
Do you think it's going to be a nightmare everytime your child or yourself gets a cold?

I know that last year there were times I had a cold and DD was ok. But that won't be ok this year. Any virus will mean stay home.

What does they mean for attendance?

Sorry for all the questions. Just wanted s harmless discussion about what others are thinking.

I do understand that children need and deserve to back in education. What's happening is a mess. What they should have done is tried to have more kids back through June and early July. I'd they could see it was bringing cases up then they should have made better flexible choices and decisions about September. For example

Receptionist, year one and year two n Monday Tuesday. Clean the classrooms on Wednesday. 3,4,5,6 in on Thursday and Friday. Tried that for a few weeks. if they saw rising cases then they would need to accept schools are not safe to open at this time.

Do you not think mental health in children will happen anyway? I've had to cancel my child's swimming place this month because the teachers can't go in the water with them anymore. They are still opening up and charging the same price. But the teachers can't support the non swimmers in lower levels anymore in the water. How an earth is a child who needs an adult to help them going to learn to swim. They also have stated they won't be doing the games and singing they used to do. What message does this give to a 4/5 year old?

People seem to think this crazy plan where children are separated, queing, wearing masks and being afraid to touch things isn't going to affect them because they adaptable. But I really would rather keep my child home until she's able to be a normal kid. So that her mum can actually come into the school playground and stand with her friends mums. These poor kids will be taking it all in and it will change their mindset forvever.

I appreciate people need to get working. But if he had tried out returns to school in the summer at least the children could be outside more and things. They could have had desks in the shade. Worked under a cover. But nope. He's just going to put them all in classrooms and expect them to be responsible and not touch their friends.

I also agree with the lady who said keep your family healthy. Vitamin D seems to be something worth taking. Along with vitmain c. Getting outside for fresh air too.

I do appreciate we all look at it differently. But really their should be a choice.

I really don't think he should be starting the reception kids this September either. They should really have kept them home until they know the plan. It's quite sad that children starting school won't have the same experience of previous years. They need the hugs and contact at that age. They need to sit close to eachother and play alongside friends. They always have colds. They need help with the toilet. They need help with clothes and coats. They need alot of time with adults and children to learn. My DD missed half of reception. I am sad she's going from play and exploring to sitting down in year one after such a long break. I've thought from the start everyone should go back in their old year for 6 weeks then move up a year. That gives everyone time to get familiar with what they know again and gradually be eased into the next year.

I apologize for my million typos in that!

I'm no more scared of coronavirus than I am of any other virus. Life cannot be put on hold for a virus. And my mum has had it so I've seen what it's like.

*you've seen what it's like for her

I’m so angry with this government. I hated them before, but now l despair of them. They could have easily sorted this and made it easier. But they didn’t.

Emoji if you could ask them to do it a certain way, what would you have preferred?

I would rather my 11/12 year olds were at home alone 1 week out of 2 than 2 weeks out of 2. The government's guidelines will result in school closures.

It seems Im in the minority. However we’ve withdrawn children from school. We’re largely worried about impact on their MH, even in the R&KS1 they’re socially distancing at what was their school. Maybe it wouldn’t impact all children but would definitely impact mine. We feel it’s better to homeschool, and meet with people who are happy to meet as normal.

They’ve also done so much better educationally at home, which is causing me to question how effective school is anyway.

@Melonslicexx

I do understand that children need and deserve to back in education. What's happening is a mess. What they should have done is tried to have more kids back through June and early July. I'd they could see it was bringing cases up then they should have made better flexible choices and decisions about September. For example

Receptionist, year one and year two n Monday Tuesday. Clean the classrooms on Wednesday. 3,4,5,6 in on Thursday and Friday. Tried that for a few weeks. if they saw rising cases then they would need to accept schools are not safe to open at this time.

Do you not think mental health in children will happen anyway? I've had to cancel my child's swimming place this month because the teachers can't go in the water with them anymore. They are still opening up and charging the same price. But the teachers can't support the non swimmers in lower levels anymore in the water. How an earth is a child who needs an adult to help them going to learn to swim. They also have stated they won't be doing the games and singing they used to do. What message does this give to a 4/5 year old?

People seem to think this crazy plan where children are separated, queing, wearing masks and being afraid to touch things isn't going to affect them because they adaptable. But I really would rather keep my child home until she's able to be a normal kid. So that her mum can actually come into the school playground and stand with her friends mums. These poor kids will be taking it all in and it will change their mindset forvever.

I appreciate people need to get working. But if he had tried out returns to school in the summer at least the children could be outside more and things. They could have had desks in the shade. Worked under a cover. But nope. He's just going to put them all in classrooms and expect them to be responsible and not touch their friends.

I also agree with the lady who said keep your family healthy. Vitamin D seems to be something worth taking. Along with vitmain c. Getting outside for fresh air too.

I do appreciate we all look at it differently. But really their should be a choice.

I really don't think he should be starting the reception kids this September either. They should really have kept them home until they know the plan. It's quite sad that children starting school won't have the same experience of previous years. They need the hugs and contact at that age. They need to sit close to eachother and play alongside friends. They always have colds. They need help with the toilet. They need help with clothes and coats. They need alot of time with adults and children to learn. My DD missed half of reception. I am sad she's going from play and exploring to sitting down in year one after such a long break. I've thought from the start everyone should go back in their old year for 6 weeks then move up a year. That gives everyone time to get familiar with what they know again and gradually be eased into the next year.

Not all schools are denying reception their normal experiences thankfully. The school I teach in are running as normal from sept for reception and for the first term in y1 - play based with lots of cleaning. My son is going into reception and his school is doing the same. My friend is a nursery teacher and she has had nearly her full class since june and has ran things as she always would have - with a nursery graduation and a party last week too. Not all schools are planning on putting reception kids at desks and not helping them when they fall over.

They’ve also done so much better educationally at home

One of mine, yr5, has done well with home schooling (Oak selected a different year) but y10 really does need school educationally and for improved mh. I’d say I underestimated the positive effect going to school as normal with friends. Even with changes which the yr10 barely cared about.

I don’t blame people of course If it’s the opposite for them, it removes some risk too.

The government just uses money and threats to push people into whatever they want.

A few weeks ago you'd get a fine if you drove to a field in your car. Or go to a families home.

Now it's you will get a fine if you don't send your kids to school. In normal times I would fully support children not missing school. Fines should be for the parents who don't send them through laziness and neglect. But to fine parents who are frightened about this is just wrong.

The government should have made a plan to build up slowly. Abit of school over the summer before the holidays for all years.

In September he should have built the children up gradually. A little bit of school for children. A little bit of home school. Especially for secondary kids. They can stay home without a parent in many cases.

Don't start the reception babies for a couple of weeks until he was absolutely confident they will be happy and safe. Then do part time weeks for the other years for a couple of weeks. It's no good throwing them all in and saying whoops in a months time.

I

I do feel this could have been sorted @MarshaBradyo, but the following absolutes are all in place:

• no changes to curriculum
• no changes to exams
• no additional space created
• no additional staff funded
• no additional cleaning budgets
• no blended learning allowed

The government want everyone back 'as normal' irrespective of risks.

I would have preferred a better solution so I would not start with those absolutes. But politically, more space and smaller classes would be very risky - as people would then not been keen to go back.

UK schools are some of the most overcrowded in Europe, except of course in our private schools.

Totally rational to be worried and aware it isn’t safe, particularly at secondary level.

How could they have sorted it?

Paid for disinfection and regular effective cleaning every day.

Paid for Nightingale Schools to allow for proper social distancing and smaller class sizes

Paid for extra staff to man the nightingale schools.

Worked with the HSE and unions to create safe working environments for staff and children.

Schools should have been the next big priority after the NHS. You can’t open the economy until schools are open. They should have put their hands in their pockets and supported schools properly in opening.

Then they could have sorted the economy.

Then bloody betting shops should have been bottom of the list

Don't you wonder what is being cut or squeezed from your child's school experience with all that extra cleaning jrob? Because the government sure as hell isn't funding it.

@AnIckabog totally agree.

Secondary teacher here with a secondary teacher DH too.

Very very scared.

Agree with app- the govt should be prioritising safe schools- extra money for cleaning and staff to do it. Help us make it safe.
If schools work properly then lots of other businesses work better.

@TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince absolutely spot on. NHS first and schools should have been prioritised second.

I'm a secondary school teacher. Daughter is at primary. Her Dad lectures at a college. We both believe schools will be closed at some point whether this is individually or nationally we will see. I'm anxious for us all. Staff will be off and we will be back to what was happening in March. Johnson didn't want schools to close but they were being forced to .

Flumposie im a teacher too. I think they will end up being closed again.

When they first closed we were told not to go into school if we had a cough or sore throat. Within a week there weren’t enough teachers to cover the school. And teachers were really scared. Plenty at my place over 50 and 60.

As soon as it starts to rise, parents will start pulling their kids out again, and not give a shit about fines. How will you be forced to pay a fine for removing your child from a place where their health is being threatened? It’s completely unenforceable.

Johnson doesn't even think his own children are particularly important so I can't see him making the children of us 'mere peasants' much of a priority☹️

See I think schools will end up shutting for short periods if they have a cluster of cases but then they'll be expected to reopen when they can. I think it'll probably be stop/start but it'll be done on an individual basis and very much left up to the HT which will mean huge variation in approaches, the same as how its been handled for school reopening in June. For example, in my town we have 4 primary schools, all the same size but each with totally different approaches to opening/what they can handle. It has varied enormously.

I would be very surprised to see another national closure.

@TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince agree totally. It was similar at my school. I think next term will be awful.

I don't think there will be another national closure, no. It is far easier to close than it is to reopen, as we are now seeing.

But it will be extremely difficult to run schools with the amount of absence (staff and pupils) that is inevitable. I would not be a Head Teacher for ANYTHING!!!! (although they will have less exposure to actual living breathing children than the teaching/support staff will).

I definitely think it could all kick off again but, for the sake of my mental health, I'm trying to focus on positives. There have been some major breakthroughs in treatment over the past 8 weeks. Initial vaccines trials look positive. Localised lockdown strategies may mean we don't have to all shut-up shop for months on end.

In the meantime practising social distancing, wearing masks, washing hands etc etc.

There's a lot of unknowns and it's scary. But I simply can't spend the next 12 months of my life on an emotional cliff edge - it's not healthy.

I don't know what to think. I have two DDs, ages 14 and 10. They are both desperate to return to school and I genuinely feel that, for the sake of their mental health, this is the right thing to do. However, I also understand the risks and the fear and everything else. I have a heart valve defect, so was careful throughout lockdown, but have been out and about in the last few weeks and I have to say, it's felt good.

This link about COVID being worse in winter just landed in my in box

covid.joinzoe.com/post/weather-covid