What's the plan b for schools?

[headshoulderskneestoes]

Is there one?

I know plan A is full opening in September with various rules that aren't very easy to implement or are a bit of a nonsense. But if the numbers continue to go up or things go wrong quickly, what then?

It's my understanding that the national curriculum was suspended at Easter? Is it back in place now? What will stop us going back to 'here have a worksheet' as there's no other really option?

My son is going into year 5, so 5 years of schooling and has already missed half of that (2.5yrs!) due to SEN, illegal exclusions, no school place for him and now covid. I'm desperate that he doesn't miss any more. He's at a autism school now and isn't able to work at home. Wish it was clear what the plan b might be!

[quote NeverTwerkNaked]@StaffAssociationRepresentative I am definitely lining up my own plan b. Why shouldn't I? My job and DH job are high pressure at the best of times and I had hit burnout by may half term trying to be everything. Online school and tutors made for a far better second half of the summer and the children got so much out of their virtual lessons.[/quote]
Well you are definitely not the only one. Just make sure you use someone who can deliver the current specifications and knows the current assessment style.

[quote Piixxiiee]@headshoulderskneestoes it sounds like I may teach at your school! SEN school stayed open for key worker and vulnerable but as everyone has EHCP'S closed to all others until a few were given an option of a day or 2 at end of term.

Pushing ahead for reopening in September for all. But quietly have been asked if our plans which we submitted last week can be adapted for home work. We sent big packages with resources home, online teaching each week, and available for online help and meetings 2 days a week and in school other 3 days. I'm expecting similar by October.[/quote]
Sounds like you might!

Do you think the children engage in the online / home learning? My DS won't unless he's physically in school and his teacher said it was the same for his class of 8. She stopped giving out any work or doing any lessons as no one did any of it - typical school is school / home is home autistic mind!

I guess for us, schools closing means education stops in total again. I've pretty much written off his primary education now thanks to covid.

Plan B for schools according to the Sunday Times is online learning for all.

There is something in the Time today about possible roots for secondary schools..as an option

www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/millions-more-could-be-told-to-stay-at-home-and-shield-5w76wxlhs

"...schools would stay open but secondary schools would move to a rota system"

rotas, not roots

I would hope a special school might be more able to cope in Sep - were I live they were able to include more and more children as time went on..

it was hard at first as had such a high level of absence and the govt guidelines were even more nonsensical for special schools but by the end of term most were nearly able to have the kids in that the parents wanted to send...

As he is HF maybe could try some different online schooling as a new thing rather than from school ifyswim ?

if the school is back then they/LA need to provide some provision so they cant just say online doesnt work they have to come up with a solution....contact your local SEN advisory service ...should be on your council website - or Special needs jungle/IPSEA

@StaffAssociationRepresentative ... As opposed to the school who just posted random worksheets

We have plans A, B and C and have shared these with parents as best we can.
Plan A - full opening with restrictions like slightly staggered times etc.
Plan B - partial opening which is likely to be each class having 2-3 days in school and the rest online learning
plan C - full lockdown and back to key worker and vulnerable children but would probably try to get certain classes in and would still widen the 'vulnerable' to all those I was worried about (as has happened so far but with more children who I think really need to come back to school as soon as possible).

@averythinline

I would hope a special school might be more able to cope in Sep - were I live they were able to include more and more children as time went on..

it was hard at first as had such a high level of absence and the govt guidelines were even more nonsensical for special schools but by the end of term most were nearly able to have the kids in that the parents wanted to send...

As he is HF maybe could try some different online schooling as a new thing rather than from school ifyswim ?

if the school is back then they/LA need to provide some provision so they cant just say online doesnt work they have to come up with a solution....contact your local SEN advisory service ...should be on your council website - or Special needs jungle/IPSEA

I really hope that they stay open even if others have to close. All the kids are vulnerable and there is 8 to a (big) classroom with its own toilet. It feels so much safer but 🤷‍♀️

He's actually super bright so it's quite hard educating him at home coupled with his autism and really what he needs more than anything is social communication and emotional therapy - all which school provides in abundance. At home, he has no one except us.

Can someone explain why it’s not possible to split schools into smaller groups by moving classes into community centres/village halls/sports centres etc? Or installing portakabins/portaloos/marquees as temporary classrooms? This seems such an obvious solution but has seemingly been discounted. Why?

I don’t understand why this hasn’t been done to expand the space available to schools.

I’m also seriously concerned it’s going to be a blanket nationwide decision ref school closures regardless of whether your area is actually hit by Covid cases or not. Our seven-day rolling average in our town is 0.3

@Fredocorleone

Can someone explain why it’s not possible to split schools into smaller groups by moving classes into community centres/village halls/sports centres etc? Or installing portakabins/portaloos/marquees as temporary classrooms? This seems such an obvious solution but has seemingly been discounted. Why?

I don’t understand why this hasn’t been done to expand the space available to schools.

I’m also seriously concerned it’s going to be a blanket nationwide decision ref school closures regardless of whether your area is actually hit by Covid cases or not. Our seven-day rolling average in our town is 0.3

Because the government said it wasn’t allowed. Because, money-I expect.

@Fredocorleone

Can someone explain why it’s not possible to split schools into smaller groups by moving classes into community centres/village halls/sports centres etc? Or installing portakabins/portaloos/marquees as temporary classrooms? This seems such an obvious solution but has seemingly been discounted. Why?

I don’t understand why this hasn’t been done to expand the space available to schools.

I’m also seriously concerned it’s going to be a blanket nationwide decision ref school closures regardless of whether your area is actually hit by Covid cases or not. Our seven-day rolling average in our town is 0.3

Definately money. And staff; even if we just look for people to supervise, we woul dneed to find them.

Spaces just don't exist in most places. We don't even have space for parking in our town centre location, let alone somewhere for a portacabin. We have no fields etc; we use the local leisure centre!

But that makes me so cross. Literally everything else has had money thrown at it apart from schools. Is Gavin Williamson furloughed???

It’s like the government aren’t even trying to do anything to get the schools back. By the time September comes around they’ll have had six fucking months to figure something out, it’s a national disgrace that they haven’t got a cohesive plan in place.

But that makes me so cross. Literally everything else has had money thrown at it apart from schools. Is Gavin Williamson furloughed???

Yep! You and all the teachers-it really is a shitshow.

@NeverTwerkNaked I have never posted a random worksheet. I have delivered online lessons following the specification and set appropriate assessment.

@Fredocorleone him and the DfE.

Their guidance document is not numbered and tweaks keep appearing - bloody nightmare to find out what we should be doing

@StaffAssociationRepresentative that's great that you did a good job but our experience was dire unfortunately. No feed back. No explanations. And no logical pattern to anything set. So of course I am sorting out my own plan B.

@headshoulderskneestoes I would definitely recommend you have a look at online schooling. My son is very bright and is thriving at an online school now we switched him. There is quite a range of options from adhoc to one subject to a full curriculum

@NeverTwerkNaked
What online school do you use?

@headshoulderskneestoes you're in basically the same situation as us, except we don't have an autism specialist school within 50 miles so that's not a possibility for DS. But he's missed most of the last 2 years of his primary education (he's just finished Yr 5) and nobody seems to give a shit. He's incredibly bright but struggles hugely with the social and emotional skills that make going to school possible.

Following with interest for online learning ideas...

Guidance updated here 27th July;

Section 5: Contingency planning for outbreaks.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools

@FridaKahlosearrings my son is at Interhigh it's a full curriculum about 2-4 hours a day of lessons plus quite a lot of homework (but the teachers are really supportive and give lots of feedback). Other schools I know of are Netschool and Myonlineschooling , they each other something a bit different but the basic idea of live Interactive lessons (that are also recorded so you can watch them later if you miss them) is the same.

We also use Outschool for all the children for things like science, art, geography and very much let them pick topics that interest them. Outschool is american so you have to work the filters to find classes at suitable times (and to narrow by age range/topic etc). There are ongoing classes, camps (eg 5 classes in a week), short courses and one off classes. The key is definitely to really work the filters otherwise you get overloaded with options! My children were chatting to children and teachers all over the world during Lockdown . If you would like a code for a free class this should hopefully work:
outschool.com/?signup=true&usid=oJXLafjD&utm_campaign=share_invite_link

Our nursery has been preparing for a second wave. So far, we have been offering an online option for preschoolers (at a more affordable cost than our usual fees) and we've been working towards it, but we find that people don't know if they should continue online or try to go to the settings, so they decide to do neither of them.

Can someone explain why it’s not possible to split schools into smaller groups by moving classes into community centres/village halls/sports centres etc?

I don't see how that would work in secondary schools with different subjecr teachers needing to teach multiple year groups but being spread across a town in different locations. It would be impossible to timetable.

Plan B has to be rotas and blended learning, surely.

Can someone explain why it’s not possible to split schools into smaller groups by moving classes into community centres/village halls/sports centres etc?

The government says that it can't and won't be happening