2 weeks until schools reopen

[Maizeyflowers]

Can't believe it's finally coming to an end (having the kids home not the virus)

I've got mixed feelings. It's going to be bitter sweet schools restarting. I'm hoping normality will help people feel better. I have my worries but lockdown has made me ill. I really hope a few weeks of routine will settle my troubled mind. I'm sad its going to be so different though. Not even allowed lunch in the hall and can't see friends in the other class. But I just hope its positive for everyone. I also hope that a vaccine is available soon to put an end to all this worry. But I know it's unlikely. I'm very nervous about the winter months too.

How's everyone else feeling?

Even if they’re only back one day, it’s one day more than they’ve had since March 18th. At least that’s something.

I agree that if they don’t go back now, then when? What happens to this years 11? They’ve got so much gcse content to catch up on. How does that work with lockdowns? Will next years exams be the same mess for a different reason?

I am ok with my primary child being off for local lockdowns as I am wfh for the foreseeable. As long as the school don’t expect me to “Mary Poppins“ 6 hours of twinkl worksheets running concurrently with my demanding desk job. That just isn’t going to happen.

On one hand I'm looking forward to it because DS has been quite lonely with just me for company and he has suspected additional needs so it's going to be tricky getting back into it.
I am pregnant though and him going back 5 weeks before I'm due isn't ideal. Still, we will just see what happens now i guess. I can't manage to carry on homeschooling him very easily once baby arrives. Even if he has done quite well with it.

Feeling incredibly worried and angry that we will be threatened with fines if we want ds to stay home.

He has been shielding, he has a rare genetic condition, scarring on his lungs, a small hole in his heart, chronic gastric issues and severe asthma. He is in his final year of primary in a resource base in a mainstream school, where he and all the children have complex needs and learning disabilities. We have discussed our concerns with school, they did the side head tilt and said they understood our concerns, but they would be pursuing fines for non attendance.

Dd1 and 2 are supposed to be going back to year 9 and 10. They are ok about going back, and school seem to be doing all they can, but we, and they, worry about bringing it home to ds.

It's a really worrying time. The whole family have done so brilliantly, throughout shielding from the middle of March to August. I am so proud of my kids, because it has been really hard, and they have worked so hard.

For my part, I am hanging by a thread.

@Bupkis have you considered de registering him and home schooling for this year? Not that I agree you should have too btw. The only reason I suggest is because it is his final year at that school so gaining a place back won't be required and he would be starting at a new school next September anyway. I know its not that simple just to say you'll home school not everyone can for varying reasons.
Its sad that your only 3 choices, sending him in despite a higher risk to his health than most, not sending him back but being fined, or de registering and home schooling, are all pretty bad choices. Im sorry you are in that position.

@Uhoh2020 His actual reply is a bit more assertive than I've made it sound here. Basically he's not willing to fine parents and he's seeking advice just in case he receives a challenge about it.

I'm aware that at some point the matter may be taken out of his hands but usually it's the school driving the fines as they have a standard policy they've adopted from their local authority.

I think the local authorities would find it extremely hard to fine parents right now - I don't think it would stand up in court. There are very valid reasons to suggest that a return to school isn't a good idea yet, and many experts willing to testify that's the case.

I'm actually a school governor and we have a COVID absence policy which is separate and distinct from the usual attendance policy. This includes a section on parents who don't feel comfortable returning their children to school. The language is very different - it's much more conciliatory and less combative. The policies have been developed with input from the local authority. I'm reasonably confident that at least for the first month or so, the approach will be to try and persuade parents back rather than dictate.

By half term I'll have a better idea of whether it is safe or not. It's all just too early for me right now. There's no data either way and some worrying indications from research.

But thank you for mentioning it though. If I hadn't thought of that perspective it would have been important to consider the possibility ❤️

he believes parents should be allowed to make the decision that's right for their children in the current climate, without fear of fine

This is the bit though that we should be arguing and petitioning with the Government. Schools should open but they should be optional for those who have either children or adults in the household who are vulnerable/shielding and for whom going back is far to soon.

We all should have the choice as to whether the risk of sending back is more/less than the risk of keeping away. I'm in a low area (7 cases over the past week 0 today) that got hit badly in March and children who have likely had it (DD wasnt well for a week at all). For me I am happy to send them back but strongly feel it should be optional

DD went back for 1/2 term and they do cope. DS cant wait either - he told me he is going to run up to school as soon as it is open because he has missed it too. DD cant wait to start high school and proper learning

Wales are not fining.

This is what we should do in England too.

Parents need to stand together. The vast majority of parents are good people.

@Uhoh2020

he believes parents should be allowed to make the decision that's right for their children in the current climate, without fear of fine

I'd be wary of this, just because that's HIS belief its not the belief of the powers that be who say its mandatory to return. I dont know who issues fines whether it's headteachers or LEA or how much they are but I know schools can't hide their attendance figures.
Whilst im not saying you should send them back its your choice, but I wouldn't take his reply as a given you won't be fined.

It is the head usually.

Our current head always fines those taking holidays in term time. The previous one was lenient and didn’t always fine. That make me think the head has a large say in fines.

There have been quite a few cases in Scottish schools already .

@Beebityboo

There have been quite a few cases in Scottish schools already .

So what? Did people honestly think there wouldn’t be?

[quote Uhoh2020]@Bupkis have you considered de registering him and home schooling for this year? Not that I agree you should have too btw. The only reason I suggest is because it is his final year at that school so gaining a place back won't be required and he would be starting at a new school next September anyway. I know its not that simple just to say you'll home school not everyone can for varying reasons.
Its sad that your only 3 choices, sending him in despite a higher risk to his health than most, not sending him back but being fined, or de registering and home schooling, are all pretty bad choices. Im sorry you are in that position. [/quote]
Thankyou Uhoh2020. We are looking into it, but there are many reasons why it could be very tricky.
It has taken us years to get a decent EHCP, with some enormous cock ups along the way.
Ipsea say that....
If the child has an EHC plan, choosing to electively home educate means that the LAno longer hasa legal duty to secure any special educational provision which was specified in the child’s EHC plan, because the parents are deemed to be making their own suitable alternative arrangements.
As we are also in the midst of a delicately balanced fight to get ds into a special school after years of being failed in mainstream, deregistering him could puts us in a very difficult position.
Plus there is the fact that, after years of battling, ds is finally back in the complex needs resource base, he has friends at school for the first time in 7 years, he has SALT and ELSA input via TAs who he loves. If there is the opportunity for him to go back, even if for a short time, I would very much like him to...it will make transition to secondary better and he would hopefully leave primary in a positive way.

Vital that the schools go back but quite scary for the teachers and support staff, especially those towards the end of their careers.

There probably is not much alternative but I do hope that SLTs/SMTs do make an effort to keep staff safe ahead of teachers dying of COVID. It is alarmingly easy to pretend that Covid is not an issue and just pretend that everything is normal again.

Its been a wonderful summer for my 2 at home and we've talked about this being their once in a lifetime longest ever summer holiday. But they really are getting bored now. Excited to get back and properly see their friends.

I'm very grateful they are primary not secondary though for obvious reasons

The only thing that worries me is if children are being sent home for 2 weeks at a time, probably more than once, then where does it leave working parents?

With community transmission as low as it currently is, I don’t have huge concerns about our schools returning.

What does worry me is the large influx of university students that we start at about the same time. In our Health Board area we have 3 universities and are expecting 70,000 student to return from far and wide. With their shared housing, and different groups of friends for their courses and socialising I think this has the potential to cause a significant increase in cases.....

@Shieldingending

As a teacher who was in the shielding group I’m terrified. I absolutely think that children should be back however I’m supposed to have a covid secure workplace which a special school isn’t ....

I work in a special school and I can absolutely sympathise with you. Very worried about returning in two weeks. It’s a totally different ball game compared to mainstream in terms of being able to social distance (we can’t really), also due to the nature of some of the children’s conditions means we’ll be dealing with bodily fluids daily and supporting children with medical needs. I guess the only upside we have is our class sizes are smaller?? Don’t get me wrong, I totally feel that schools must go back, the well-being of the children is paramount and I do love my job (certainly not in it for the money lol) but I can’t help feelIng that we’re being made extremely vulnerable and a bit forgotten about.

Saying 'so what?' to people concerned at cases rising or schools closing is just embarrassingly ignorant.

In case anyone hasn't noticed - every bloody person working in health and science thinks rising cases this autumn/winter are a possible cause for concern.

Sick of wilful stupidity making all this so much more tiresome.

I’m in Scotland. My kids are back at school. It was patently obvious that cases would increase as soon as they were back. What actually did people think would happen?

@latticechaos

Saying 'so what?' to people concerned at cases rising or schools closing is just embarrassingly ignorant.

In case anyone hasn't noticed - every bloody person working in health and science thinks rising cases this autumn/winter are a possible cause for concern.

Sick of wilful stupidity making all this so much more tiresome.

Of course we need to monitor the situation carefully and can’t let it get out of control especially going into autumn but there have been a few cases in a few schools in Scotland so far - caution obviously required but really not a big deal.

The more I read these threads the more I think that previously shielding families have been utterly failed. They were advised to isolate in an extreme way for months and are now being told to dramatically alter their behaviour. Of course they feel anxious and unsupported. This group should have been separated out in policy terms and been given the right to home educate temporarily with support.

Scientists expected cases to rise.
Doctors expected cases to rise.
Politicians expected cases to rise.
Parents expected cases to rise.

Saying 'so what?' is an ignorant response.

The questions as yet unanswered include how much will they rise? How fast? How big an impact on schools?

All these are of interest and concern to many people.

caution obviously required but really not a big deal so far

But of interest no doubt to many parents and residents in Scotland.

caution obviously required but really not a big deal

The thing is, if there was a situation like the 8 cases in the Dundee special school, here - it would be a very big deal for us, and I would still be threatened with a fine if I felt that we should keep ds home.

"There have been quite a few cases in Scottish schools already"

From the BBC:

Glasgow/Lanarkshire: 6 pupils from 3 schools; thought to be from a house party. 3 further cases not staff or pupils. 1 in a school in Pollockshields [not mentioned if pupil or staff]. 6 more confirmed cases in NE Glasgow; 'some' are pupils at a school in Baillieston.

Dundee: 8 adults connected to a school.

Perth and Kinross: 2 pupils in 2 different primary schools. Dr Emily Stevenson, from the health protection team, said: "There continues to be no evidence to suggest that there is any transmission of Covid-19 within either of the schools ..."

Inverness: 1 primary school pupil, 1 teacher in a different primary school.

Renfrewshire: 1 pupil at one primary school. 'Positive tests' [no mention of the number] at 2 other primary schools.

Aberdeen: 1 case 'linked to' one school. [Adult or child not mentioned]

Of course we should be watchful but it doesn't sound as if Covid is burning through schools after 2 weeks back.