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Original poster

No social distancing in 6th form classrooms/common room

440 replies

kitnkaboodle · 02/09/2020 16:44

I know that there was an earlier thread on this that ran to 1000 messages and shut down, but ...

I'm sitting here with egg on my face, as through the summer I didn't believe my DS (16) telling me that in his (new) Y12, they wouldn't have to distance from the other pupils in sixth form or be spaced out within the classrooms. He said that things would be 'the same as normal', and I honestly thought he was talking rubbish.

He's just home from his first day and, sure enough, the WHOLE sixth form is classed as one bubble and there are no social distancing measures at all between the kids there apart from desks all facing the front. I'm not sure about teachers - will ask later, but I presume they aren't in the bubbles and have to keep apart.

I glanced at the earlier thread title (that was something along the lines of 'the govt are letting the public believe there will be SD in schools') and thought it was all a bit paranoid (without reading it). However, I now genuinely believe that photos of all the 'back to school' stories have been carefully curated to show kids standing/sitting at least a metre apart. I'm one of those who thinks that we just need to 'get on with it' now, regarding schools, but I do feel royally hoodwinked by that. It was very subtle ... (and now I have to apologise to DS for not believing him!!)

OP posts:
guilttripjourno · 04/09/2020 09:22

And some parents wanting to keep their kids safe. For them why not gave an option of blended learning

lazylinguist · 04/09/2020 09:30

Parents wanting to go to work so they can house and feed their kids.

If that was aimed at me, I wasn't criticising parents for wanting their kids back at school so that they can go to work. I was just saying that the one system that could actually achieve social distancing in schools - i.e. rotas and blended learning - is one that parents don't generally want. I'm a working parent myself (and a teacher), so I understand why blended learning doesn't appeal to lots of people.

Comefromaway · 04/09/2020 09:33

Considering this thread is about 6th formers and teens I don’t think parents needing to return to work is such an issue.

It’s easier in most primary schools as the class bubbles are much smaller than the huge secondary year group bubbles. Plus students don’t move around so much.

lazylinguist · 04/09/2020 09:40

True but here are still a lot of parents who wouldn't want to leave their 11 or 12 year-olds alone at home all day 5 days a week. Or some parents of teens who would be (justifiably) worried about what they would get up to unsupervised a lot of the time.

Bluelinings · 04/09/2020 09:49

They hired public buildings and hired temporary teachers

Much like how we “magicked up” nightingale hospitals and extra nurses (students and retired).

Where there’s a will there’s a way.

lazylinguist · 04/09/2020 09:56

Where there’s a will there’s a way.

Not necessarily. Extra buildings...maybe I guess, if the money were available. Enough extra teachers to actually enable schools across the country to, for example, halve class sizes to allow social distancing? Not a bloody chance! The cost would be astronomical even if they could find them. Where is the incentive for retired (and therefore mostly more vulnerable) teachers to go back into the classroom?

Bluelinings · 04/09/2020 09:59

Ok let’s just give up then and give our kids less than those in other countries.

Great attitude.

Bluelinings · 04/09/2020 09:59

If the government wanted to they could do this and find this. They could.

lazylinguist · 04/09/2020 10:08

Ok let’s just give up then and give our kids less than those in other countries. Great attitude.

Pointing out the holes in fantasy scenarios isn't 'giving up'. We've had months of ignorant people blaming teachers' 'great attitude' for the situation. If you're so convinced it's workable, tell me where you're going to put these extra classrooms (e.g. on crowded inner city sites) and how you're going to find/persuade people to teach in them.

lazylinguist · 04/09/2020 10:10

If the government wanted to they could do this and find this. They could.

How can you possibly know that? How can you claim that thousands of extra people would sign up to be teachers? I think teachers would be much better-placed to judge that likelihood, don't you?

HipTightOnions · 04/09/2020 10:17

@Bluelinings

Ok let’s just give up then and give our kids less than those in other countries.

Great attitude.

How dare you accuse teachers of “giving up”. You have no fucking idea what we are having to do at the moment.
Bluelinings · 04/09/2020 10:19

Newly qualified teachers. Higher level teaching assistants. Supply teachers. In some academies teachers can be experts in their field rather than traditionally trained teachers. Rota of teacher and teaching assistant with teacher setting lesson plan. There are many options that could be explored.

Bluelinings · 04/09/2020 10:21

I’m not accusing teachers of giving up at all. I think you’re doing an excellent job.

By we I meant as a country, as the government. Give up trying to help teachers find a way to teach with social distancing.

The government guidance is wrong. Not hardworking teachers.

Not sure where I implied I was accusing them of giving up at all

Bluelinings · 04/09/2020 10:22

It was a reply to lazylinguist who picks holes in suggestions rather than looking for ways to make them work

HipTightOnions · 04/09/2020 10:23

@Bluelinings

Newly qualified teachers. Higher level teaching assistants. Supply teachers. In some academies teachers can be experts in their field rather than traditionally trained teachers. Rota of teacher and teaching assistant with teacher setting lesson plan. There are many options that could be explored.
What do you think the NQTs and supply teachers and HLTAs are doing currently? Sitting at home waiting for a phone call?

Do you think all the “experts in the fields” are clamouring to be teachers? Would they be remotely good at it? With no training?

Do you think there is one teaching assistant per class?

FFS.

HipTightOnions · 04/09/2020 10:25

@Bluelinings

It was a reply to lazylinguist who picks holes in suggestions rather than looking for ways to make them work
Because these suggestions are... impractical.

If they weren’t, do you honestly think that people who work in the field wouldn’t have thought of them?

Bluelinings · 04/09/2020 10:37

They’re impractical? That’s why Italy and many other countries are doing it.

Blockage to this, blockage to blended learning. Blockage to anything but business as usual. Which will see schools close more and put children and teachers at risk.

I can’t discuss things any further with people with cloth ears and no ambition.

Have a nice day.

HipTightOnions · 04/09/2020 10:42

I’m not sure what you’ve been reading. Most teachers are in favour of blended learning for 6th form and are very concerned by “business as usual”.

But I think you know that and just fancy another dig at teachers.

lazylinguist · 04/09/2020 10:43

It was a reply to lazylinguist who picks holes in suggestions rather than looking for ways to make them work.

I don't need to pick holes - they are there for any sensible person to see.

There are no ways to make some suggestions work, I'm afraid. What I want to know is why you seem to consider yourself so well-placed to know they would work.

As far as I can see, if the problem we are trying to solve is how to achieve social distancing in schools, the one and only workable solution is rotas and blended learning. I've yet to hear any other suggestion that could actually happen in this country in the current circumstances.

And in case you're wondering, I'm neither lazy nor workshy, will be going back to work tomorrow, have not worked or been paid since March, am not particularly worried about myself as I'm 99% sure I've had Covid, and have a dd in year 11 who I really want to be back in school. So I am not in the 'shut schools back down immediately' camp at all.

lazylinguist · 04/09/2020 10:54

*I meant today not tomorrow. I don't work on Saturda, thank goodness!

lazylinguist · 04/09/2020 10:54

Saturdays Hmm

Bluelinings · 04/09/2020 11:00

@HipTightOnions

I’m not sure what you’ve been reading. Most teachers are in favour of blended learning for 6th form and are very concerned by “business as usual”.

But I think you know that and just fancy another dig at teachers.

Bit of confusion here. I’m talking about parents opposing it.
Bluelinings · 04/09/2020 11:04

@lazylinguist

It was a reply to lazylinguist who picks holes in suggestions rather than looking for ways to make them work.

I don't need to pick holes - they are there for any sensible person to see.

There are no ways to make some suggestions work, I'm afraid. What I want to know is why you seem to consider yourself so well-placed to know they would work.

As far as I can see, if the problem we are trying to solve is how to achieve social distancing in schools, the one and only workable solution is rotas and blended learning. I've yet to hear any other suggestion that could actually happen in this country in the current circumstances.

And in case you're wondering, I'm neither lazy nor workshy, will be going back to work tomorrow, have not worked or been paid since March, am not particularly worried about myself as I'm 99% sure I've had Covid, and have a dd in year 11 who I really want to be back in school. So I am not in the 'shut schools back down immediately' camp at all.

Good luck at work. I think there have been crossed wires as it wasn’t apparent to me you’re a teacher.

All the teachers I know have worked so hard I’m so frustrated that government haven’t funded it even considered exploring other plans when relatives in other countries have put measures in place.

I still think it could have worked if they’d planned it months ago but I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree.

Bluelinings · 04/09/2020 11:05

I don’t want them to shut immediately, just open more safely. I’m really worried about my teacher friends as well as my children.

lazylinguist · 04/09/2020 11:50

Bluelinings thanks for the good luck wishes. I honestly don't know any teachers (or parents) who wouldn't jump at the chance of a solution that would keep all kids in school full time safely. But I truly believe that apart from blended learning, the other suggested solutions are either impractical or unfundable and the only other way is to do what we're doing and hope for the best.

Incidentally, there are articles saying that the measures proposed in Italy have been widely criticised and that the number of extra teachers they have found will scarcely be a third of the number needed to make their plan workable. Their schools apparently aren't going back until 14th September, so I guess we'll see.

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