This is the senior school reality.

[Morfin]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-us-canada-53759662/students-from-georgia-school-district-in-viral-photo-speak-out

I've posted before about how our media post misleading images of SD in schools. This is a fair reflection of what our senior schools will look like . Would you be happy being one of those people in the picture, with no mask?

[quote Morfin]@BellaintheWychElm or they are false negatives and the deaths are caused by covid.[/quote]
Of course - has to be covid. Only virus in town at the moment.

@BellaintheWychElm no not at all but the NHS says the covid test is only 70% accurate, so 30% of positive results are listed as negative. 30%!

Not our school. R through Y8 were back full tme before summer, and y10s and 12s one day a week. We have had the info about full tme return in September, and they are continuing with temp checks and hand sanitizer on entry, a one way system, year size bubbles, staggered lunches etc. It is not a very big school, granted, but I will not minimize the effort the school has made to ensure the children's and teacher safety while allowing the kids to be educated as normally as possible.

@HipTightOnions

We get it ok, lots of you don't want the schools open.

No one is saying this.

I know, how can there only be two options? My hairdresser isn't closed nor is it operating like it did in March.

@Chaosatthezoo

Why do people have to keep posting patronising tripe like this?

Firstly there are a million threads like this already. We get it ok, lots of you don't want the schools open.

Second, do you think we are all brain dead idiots? As parents we know that lots of schools are overcrowded and that they're going back without social distancing, we aren't thick.

Third, it certainly won't be exactly like that in my child's school or in every school, because our particular school isn't overcrowded, and the school have organised staggered times for literally everything. Which although doesn't make everything perfect, will help avoid scenes like that.

Then, why do people keep going on about the kids all going home and infecting granny? I can only speak for myself but we won't be going infecting granny with anything because once the dc are back at school we will be treading very carefully.

You can complain on mumsnet until you're blue in the face but it won't make the virus go away, it won't stop the schools opening and it won't make the government build hundreds of extra schools, which is what they'd need to do to have social distancing in schools. And even if they did it wouldn't work because children on the whole won't social distance.

I do want the schools to be open. I want something in place to offer stability to their education and protects those who are vulnerable. Shove them all in and hope for the best doesn't offer this. Emailing Mps only gets you so far and if people shut up talking about it publicly, thickos will believe everything is fine. The current plan in my son's school will close it down very quickly. His personal school bubble will consist of 300+ people. I cannot chose to keep him at home without a fine, but him being sent home for 2 weeks, everything will be ok. The school like many don't have the infrastructure to home ed, hence his dvd idea. Many families don't have the funds for laptops hence the mobile and scan suggestion.

That is great your school can do it. A lot simply cannot

I take it the school have also staggered in the fire alarm drill? This is when your staggered. everything, your one way systems etc all come undone.

It's not just about going home and infecting granny. THey will also be using public transport along with everyone else. They won't have had time before they leave the school to clean their hands and faces properly before they are required to put on a mask to use public transport (excluding those exempt) in a lot of schools.

Closing pubs and restaurants won't make a huge difference to public transport when the rest of the country are going to work/school. Instead it will cost more jobs which isn't good for the economy either. And I thought that was why we have to keep schools open at all costs for the economy.

School isn't operating like it did in March either. Well certainly my children's schools aren't.

You might not be happy with the measures in place, but there are measures there.

And to be perfectly honest from what I've witnessed in a lot businesses the 'Covid secure' measures they've put in place are quite frankly no better than what going on with schools.

@Pipandmum

Not our school. R through Y8 were back full tme before summer, and y10s and 12s one day a week. We have had the info about full tme return in September, and they are continuing with temp checks and hand sanitizer on entry, a one way system, year size bubbles, staggered lunches etc. It is not a very big school, granted, but I will not minimize the effort the school has made to ensure the children's and teacher safety while allowing the kids to be educated as normally as possible.

And the year 7 and 8s would have been split into groups of 15 in the classrooms not occupied by the older years. They were not 33 to a room. Plus the senior age surely can't be in close contact with the primary age groups unless it's a tiny private school

Personally I think the young people in this country have suffered hugely, possibly more than any other group. So I would like to see virtual schools (like inter high) an option for any young people who want them and staff who were shielding (either for themselves or family members) given the option to have a temporary secondment to these virtual schools for their protection. Then other staff and students return to school in smaller groups. Clearly this is only possible if the government injected some cash into the system (not the daft tutoring scheme). I would like to have seen this the financial priority rather than the ‘eat out to help out’ scheme.

So don't put them on public transport. Make other arrangements.

I know what you're going to say, you have no choice. But how is that any different to me saying I have no choice but to send my children to school full time?

To be fair Georgia didn't get control of COVID in the first place. It's not really a fair comparison to here.

I don't understand why people don't send their dc in wearing masks even if the school don't request it, is it against the rules? My dd is going back soon and the school are introducing several measures, i can't recall them all off the top of my head, but they all have to wear masks, desks are as far from each other as possible, they will stay in one classroom rather than move around, there is a new one way system in all hallways, and classes will begin and end at staggered times. Also they have to sit with, eat and socialise with the same small group of students every day, their 'pod'. Assemblies will be held outdoors or not at all. Only time will tell if these measures will work, but i am confident that the school are doing their best.

I don't understand why people don't send their dc in wearing masks even if the school don't request it, is it against the rules?

Yes, schools need to have a procedure for getting their pupils to remove masks as they arrive.

No i mean leave them on, and wear them in school.

@Deadringer

No i mean leave them on, and wear them in school.

Because the guidance says they can’t.

Just like the guidance forbids lots of other sensible things like having to show a negative test result before sending a child back to school.

From the government guidance:

Public Health England does not (based on current evidence) recommend the use of face coverings in schools. This evidence will be kept under review. They are not required in schools as pupils and staff are mixing in consistent groups, and because misuse may inadvertently increase the risk of transmission. There may also be negative effects on communication and thus education...

Schools should also have a process for removing face coverings when pupils and staff who use them arrive at school.

As a teacher in secondary my gut feels that we'll see a lot of individual closures. Most probably due to staff absence rather than a forced closure, that was what closed most in March before the government directive.

I hope I'm wrong, mainly for the huge inconvenience it will cause parents with the unknown chaos.

I didn't realise that. I am in Ireland, obviously the guidelines are different here. I think the schools here have a fair bit of leeway about how they handle things, apart from hygiene issues which is fair enough.

As a teacher in secondary my gut feels that we'll see a lot of individual closures. Most probably due to staff absence rather than a forced closure

I think you are right.

@MoreW1ne

As a teacher in secondary my gut feels that we'll see a lot of individual closures. Most probably due to staff absence rather than a forced closure, that was what closed most in March before the government directive.

I hope I'm wrong, mainly for the huge inconvenience it will cause parents with the unknown chaos.

Yes to this.

We closed on the Weds before lockdown as we couldn’t physically staff the school. On that Wednesday school admin staff were sitting in to supervise classes. I don’t want to her repeat that week!

Our have staggered class times to reduce the numbers moving around, they are using the doors directly onto the playground the exit ground floor classrooms to reduce corridor traffic further.

I don’t see why they won’t let them use masks in schools though especially when moving between rooms and meeting other groups of pupils.

Yes, I would be happy.

I’m a teacher in high school in Scotland and I went back this week. I’ve been very happy with everything so far.
Increased hand washing and lots of hand sanitizers.
The kids all looked so happy to be back. Was a joy to see.

@Dancingdeer77

Personally I think the young people in this country have suffered hugely, possibly more than any other group. So I would like to see virtual schools (like inter high) an option for any young people who want them and staff who were shielding (either for themselves or family members) given the option to have a temporary secondment to these virtual schools for their protection. Then other staff and students return to school in smaller groups. Clearly this is only possible if the government injected some cash into the system (not the daft tutoring scheme). I would like to have seen this the financial priority rather than the ‘eat out to help out’ scheme.

A perfectly sensible alternative.

Dancing 👏👏👏👏 right down to agreeing EOTHO should have been a lower priority for budget than education.

The tutoring scheme. - sounds good until you realise it's with a lot of strings including the school having to find additional funds.

The laptop scheme - another shambles that doesn't give the schools enough devices, assuming they've had their small quota delivered by now. Many are still waiting.

So don't put them on public transport. Make other arrangements.
What other arrangements? Putting on private coaches isn't a possibility because no money. Using the school bus transport system no money.

And how long will your school be able to finance all the hand sanitizer and extra soap?