Has there been acknowledgement that Sixth form and FE are different?

[Shiningstar84]

Genuine question.
I teach in a 6th form college, yet everywhere I read talks about how 'children' don't transmit the virus etc.
I don't consider the students I teach to be children, they're young adults aged 16-19 (20 in some cases). These are young people who are socialising frequently and can spread the virus surely.
I'm frustrated at my college at the moment, as although government guidance (updated) will be released soon they are adamant we are going back to our 'normal' timetable. This consists of 1 hour lessons. However, during lockdown we trialled 2 hour lessons which meant obviously less contact with students. They've completely gone against this idea without any consultation with staff. They've also said they don't want any of us wearing masks around the site.
Fundamentally I don't feel like my college takes the safety of myself and colleagues seriously but on a larger level I don't see why older 'children' aren't having a plan in place for some remote learning. Feedback from over 100 students I teach was overwhelmingly positive. They liked the option to come in perhaps once per week but that working remotely worked well and they felt safer (obviously).

Perhaps government guidance will differentiate clearly later and how establishments who teach older students can have a different approach.

My 18 year old DD is repeating Y13 and her college has 2000+ student in.

I'm shielding (solid Organ Transplant) and worried sick about her going back.

I feel for all the staff.

My college are taking it extremely seriously. We are doing a blended approach. This is great for students who have access to IT equipment, on mainly academic courses and are self motivated. It will not work so well for others.

I teach in a college in Scotland - we are doing a blended approach from September. No firm timetables as yet, but I think I will be 80% from home. The college has put in place one way systems, masses of hand sanitiser stations, and rooms have been adjusted so 2M between students. I am not 100% comfortable about going in, tbh, but do feel confident that management have done everything possible to make it safe.

I teach HE level and all my students did really well with remote learning. I think working with new student cohorts will be a lot harder though - my classes were well established in March, and actually helped me out with getting to grips with the tech!

DS starts sixth form college next month, they've announced 3 different plans depending on the situation. Currently the plan is to have one, 2 hour lesson, per subject per week - to limit how many students are on site at one time

I work in a special FE college.
No idea how things will be.

Hi - I have been thinking this a lot since lockdown started as I used to work in a very large sixth form college and my child is due to start there in September. I was wondering what counties you have experience from? I've never heard anything from the government expressing anything about when you move from having a low risk as a CHILD to higher risk as a YOUNG ADULTS?? Certainly on college they are treated as young adults apposed to children ' students rather than pupils and first name terms with teachers etc. One of my children will be starting the college in September with another continuing at the Secondary school - all within 1/2 mile of each other, yet VERY different guidance being given out by them. Actually the school for now is sounding the most laid back - however - like you have experienced - what they tell the parents (and staff??) differs to how carried out in practice.

Have not received guidance from your college? Ours, while I may disagree with some of their guidance, have communicated every week.

Ds's stand alone sixth form (not on a school site) is in a modern office type building. We were contacted back in July with their plans for re-opening in September.

Years 12 and 13 are on staggered start times, it is proposed they are in school 3 times a week, a full day for each subject. There are one way systems in place, exiting the building is now by a firedoor rather than the front door. There are hand sanitising stations as you enter and around the college. Plus this is all done on a phased return.

I cannot fault them, they bent over backwards to accommodate online learning and setting of work. Opened up for face to face for 2 hours and twice a week for lessons in July. Did a couple of trail zoom lessons to see how that would work.

I genuinely feel like they have both the safety and wellbeing of both staff and students at heart. It does feel like they get it and care.

Some of your places sound fantastic!
I've had confirmation from my college - normal timetable which means high frequency of students in college. Oh and they're in 5 times a week
They've totally ignored the 2 hour lessons which would mean they have one day at home.
We have to have our lunches in the classroom with the students and choose when we send them. It's not going to work as our canteen is tiny and we have 2000 students on site. My college pretend to be amazing but in reality they don't care about us.
Fortunately there are plenty of staff who will speak up.
We are due back in just over 1 week and will be completing enrolment and we've been told zero about how we are meant to do this whilst social distancing. Normally we are knee to knee to the students and in very close proximity.
Shit is going to hit the fan when I go back - lots of staff won't be happy, especially as they've not consulted us on any of this.
In my opinion a blended approach would be best. 2nd year's who are now used to remote learning should be working from home the first week of term and the new first year's will be in college. Then they seal over week by week. Meaning only half of the college is in at any one time. Surely this is sensible?

I nominate @Shiningstar84 to set up the covid practices at her college. Honestly it sound like you'd do a great job, very pragmatic but bearing in mind safety. I've no idea why some places seem to think the guidelines mean "oh just do fuck all, it'll be fine" and make no changes rather than minor effort to keep their own staff and students safe.

Thanks @mrex. I suppose I just have to get on with it all and see how it goes. I'm not classed as vulnerable but I have many colleagues who are. I suspect between now and a few weeks time that changes will have to be made.

I thought of you with a teacher friend explaining her school basically have changed the rules on going to the toilet (during class not lunch nor break) and staggered going home times. That's it. My DS's soon-to-start nursery have made more effort and little ones are less risk. It seems crazy.

Yes same. My DDs nursery have put so much effort in and are being brilliant. I really don't want this horrid virus but feel like it's going to be easy for me to catch it.

@Shiningstar84

The problem is that not all students cope well with blended learning, dd really is struggling with remote teacher (higher ed) because she has asd and struggles with non verbal cues and the nuances of language anyway. Lack of structure to her day is a recipe for disaster and all her important things in life (extra curricular) are cancelled, she doesn't do pubs etc. Masks are really hard for her too, she can wear one but struggles with others wearing them because she heavily relies on facial expression, something we spent 18
years working on!

@minnieok I accept that completely but really to eliminate risk, a hybrid model is the best compromise. By having 2000 students in each day it would drastically increase the chances of transmission. That being said, our college was open every day for vulnerable and at risk students.
When we were in lockdown we still taught our allocated lessons and it was all through video. So there was plenty of structure in that sense.

Well I've done my first week back in work and there was so little social distancing. It was genuinely concerning and thats only for Enrolment. This week we will have 2000 students in
I really really feel for the vulnerable staff in my college. Including a colleague who had a liver transplant just 9 months ago

This sounds really rubbish for you op and others. My DS is about to start college and they have adapted well. Enrollment was purely online with a time slot given to go in for ID cards. The timetable is going to be a combination of classroom lessons, live virtual lessons and online set lessons to try and keep student numbers onsite down.

Will have to see how well it works in reality though

@absolutwitch wow I need to work there! They had MONTHS to organise an alternative enrolment and the only thing they altered was a one way system which everyone then just ignored. There were tonnes of complaints from staff.
We should totally be doing a hybrid model from day one, it's ridiculous.
We've also been told they've drastically reduced social spaces for students in the college to reduce them socialising, problem is that because of the ridiculous timetable we have, that students have huge gaps in their day (4 hours for most) and will now have absolutely nowhere to go. We have a meeting on Wednesday so I'll be bringing it all up then

@Shiningstar84

Well I've done my first week back in work and there was so little social distancing. It was genuinely concerning and thats only for Enrolment. This week we will have 2000 students in I really really feel for the vulnerable staff in my college. Including a colleague who had a liver transplant just 9 months ago

As a person who has received the same transplant I'm worried for your friend too.

I'm scared of my kids going back as well.

@finished31 I can imagine you are. Hopefully your kids can keep you informed a bit by how well they're distancing.

My College has also decided to just go back to normal working with a nod to the virus by way of lots of hand sanitiser stations and a sort of one way system which if you’re not careful takes you back to where you started.
I’m annoyed because certain aspects of remote learning (my area doesn’t adhere to the academic year) suited some learners far better than coming in to College and I wanted to move to a hybrid model of delivery whereby about 30-40% of learners would be supported online, another 20-30% would get some remote and some in-College learning, and the remainder would get the normal old style delivery. All planned out and would work! But no, the new normal is the old normal with no exceptions. Bugger. Actually I’m not that worried for myself but one of my team is vulnerable and is very upset.

Ours are doing blended learning, with yr 12 and 13 not in at the same time. So they are in 3 days one week and 2 the next with ms teams live lessons when they are home. Also more double lessons, and students encouraged to go home if they have free periods at the start/ end of the day. They are in a school sixth form centre that is separate from the main school in a converted office block.

@borntobequiet it's really disappointing isn't it ? If the option is there then they should be doing it. Our second years are about to come back and we still haven't got the one way system or staggered breaks right. It has been a terrible week, students refusing to wear face masks etc . I hate that there is still no acknowledgment that this is the age group that can very easily spread it.

DD Y13 went back yesterday. Home/online learner if Monday/Tuesday whilst Y12 in college. DD in Wednesday/Thursday in full classes and whole college off Friday for self clean but student must work from home.

This is perfect and I hope it continues.

@finished31 that does sound perfect and a common sense approach too.
Honestly if people knew what went on in my college this week they'd be appalled. We are one of the top Sixth forms in England too