Stay and play for kids and parents

[locked2020]

Feeling a bit conflicted. DS starts reception next week. Rest of school starts on Thursday. Parents have been told that they can go to a stay and play with reception kids to meet teacher etc...so 60 people in one classroom. Feeling a bit nervous about that but don't want child to miss out. Wish they'd have just run a few sessions so class not so crowded. What are other schools doing for reception kids?

We’re having an hour long stay and play with one parent staying with each child. A class of 24 with half in during the morning and half in the afternoon. So a total of 25 people in at once including children, parents and teacher. Maybe 26 if TA there too.

Not reception, a preschool, but they are having a stay and play outside in their playground with very small groups at a time going into classroom with keyworker to show them toilets, peg etc. Fortunately their playground is big, interesting and has a large covered area. If it’s wet we will wear coats!

Those ideas sound much more sensible. It just seems crazy to have over 30 adults crammed together with 30 kids. It would have been simple to run it for an hour with 30 total for first half hour and 30 for second. It's a cramped room at best of times (have an older DC). I can't however meet more than a few family members together.

@locked2020 maybe it will turn out you all go outside or in a sports hall or something. Otherwise it does seem mad!

My DS starts reception next week and we also have a stay and play.

Just choose to play outside lol

I'm more baffled by the hour long welcome meeting in the hall with 90 parents

@Jrobhatch29
"I'm more baffled by the hour long welcome meeting in the hall with 90 parents"
That's crazy!

I would be very concerned about that plan too! I would email or phone the school to check how it will work. If it's mostly outoors with small groups inside that could be fine but 30 adults and 30 children crammed together in a room sounds reckless to say the least! My dd is starting reception too. Her teacher had a socially distanced meeting with her in our garden earlier in the summer, which was lovely. We haven't had any stay and plays.

Socially distanced garden meet sounds lovely.

Info came out yesterday afternoon. Prior to that it was a date we were given with the caveat it may not happen due to Covid. I'm feeling anxious about it for two reasons:

1. just seems unnecessarily risky, but son loses out if I don't do it.
2. if this is deemed ok by school, it makes me wonder what else they'll be doing and that risk assessments etc are just lip service.

Agree op
Our school is doing 15 kids in at once with parents.
They dont even usually let parents in ffs!

Jrb -our hall meeting has been cancelled ...

And yes op doesnt bode well for taking seriously. Ours is bubbling all 60 yr r when they could have done 30.

I know that all 30 (15 p/15k) wont fit inside distanced for 45min.

We're doing an hour long one for reception, not sure how many though. I'm going, but now that you have mentioned this, I may wear a mask...

The viruses will go around as usual - they are in scotland.
At least 3 kids in our school are off waiting for test results and we arent in locked down area or a town even.

If you are sending the kids you are accepting they may well catch it.
Though i do agree it is stupid for schools to be doing these s&p as that is just asking for trouble.

DS’s secondary school normally has an information meeting for parents at the beginning of term. We are now having virtual meetings with his tutor. Parents are not allowed on site. The school also has Primary setting do I assume the same rules apply.

The local Primaries also aren’t allowing parents in. Offering a 1:1 visit for parents who want to see the new layout of classroom etc, but that will be arranged before children go back. Masks to be worn.

@Keepdistance I know there is a risk and I know there's not much that can be done to keep schools safe but f all kids are in all the time. I just feel that the whole Russian roulette thing is taken a stage further with having all the parents in together too. It's also an easy risk to mitigate a bit so I have no idea why they've gone for this approach.

The new P1s (reception equivalent) got dropped at the door at my local primary when they started a few weeks ago! There's a one way system through the school grounds so they go in at as many different doors as possible to reduce the numbers in the corridors and they've got staggered start / finish times.
90 people in one room sounds ridiculous. Surely that's against government guide lines?

Our new parents meeting (moving to juniors) was on the school field in a distanced circle in the pissing rain.

Yes i agree. Also not even covid but if the parents are brewing cold/flu etc that will go round and have everyone off for test.
Ours makes no sense as they dont even usually do this.

DD is starting reception. We've got an individual meeting and tour with the teacher tomorrow (and I have to wear a mask), then on Friday she has an hour stay and play in the afternoon with half the class. Parents were originally staying and having refreshments in the canteen but now it's a drop off and pick up.

All our meeting are teams, no parents in school unless no other way and then it has to be risk assessesed and okayed by those higher up.
When dd3 started they had a meet the teacher. It was 1 child, 1 adult the teacher and classroom for 5 mins, we left clean down and next child. Our school had small groups of 5 p1s and parent in for 15 mins.