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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:
Bluelinings · 04/09/2020 12:10

I’m all for the blended learning too. When I suggested extra space it’s because so many parents had been saying blended is impossible on this and so many other threads and I was at the point of frustration which isn’t your fault. Sorry. I really think I got my wires crossed.

I know some parts of italy are going for half the class in 8-12 and half 1-5 or 12-6 instead. And some teaching on Saturdays, which is normal there anyway. I think where the extra space plan doesn’t work they’ve tried other ideas. That’d be a long day though if we don’t have extra teachers for extra sessions.

I do wish we’d gone for blended learning and some kind of support for working parents and extra technology.

Schmeebles · 04/09/2020 12:17

I’ve come to the conclusion that a lot of parents genuinely don’t know what blended learning would have been.

I really passionately want the schools to be open. But I want them to be safe - for teachers, for vulnerable kids, for vulnerable parents. And I don’t want kids spreading covid to vulnerable relatives and the having to live with that.

The only way I can see for that to work is blended learning. And yes I get that might not work for primary because of working parents. It might not even work for under 15s. But primary don’t move about much outside their classes, so while it still seems more needs to be done to support the teachers, maybe that’s a slightly different problem. Why not at least let age 15 and over do blended learning? Then we need a solution for the 11-14 year olds, but at least we are starting to solve parts of it rather than just leaving everyone stuffed.

lazylinguist · 04/09/2020 12:21

I think part of the problem as well is that it's hard to really envisage what the problems with certain solutions would be unless you are used to being in schools. The one that really made me shake my head was the suggestion that we should use other available buildings - churches theatres etc as extra classrooms.

itsgettingweird · 04/09/2020 16:55

@Bluelinings

If the government wanted to they could do this and find this. They could.
Agree. They found £10 per child for the EOTHO scheme.

Why not I stress have funded schools and given adults a half price meal and children full price.

It's not simple but they were happy to find money for this.

HalfBrick · 04/09/2020 16:59

What's the point of social distancing in schools (which is impossible) when teenagers have been hanging out in groups with no social distancing ALL summer and will carry on the same after school and at weekends during school time? I don't have teens by the way, just eyes.

ChanceEncounter · 04/09/2020 17:06

@HalfBrick

What's the point of social distancing in schools (which is impossible) when teenagers have been hanging out in groups with no social distancing ALL summer and will carry on the same after school and at weekends during school time? I don't have teens by the way, just eyes.
Because only some of the teens having been doing that, and the ones who haven't shouldn't have to pool risk.

If you don't have teens, you don't know, unless you've counted all the teens in your area, ticked them off against a register and therefore know they are all doing it.

HalfBrick · 04/09/2020 17:09

'Many teens' in my area then. Like the 30 on the playing fields last week...

ChanceEncounter · 04/09/2020 17:12

@HalfBrick

'Many teens' in my area then. Like the 30 on the playing fields last week...
But 30 is a fraction of the number in the area, surely?

Yes some are doing this. Mine estimates a third, judging by what they read on group chats. I asked this question today!

lazylinguist · 04/09/2020 17:16

Agree. They found £10 per child for the EOTHO scheme.

That's not really quite the same as finding the money to build extra buildings for every school in the country and provide salaries for enough extra teachers in every school in the country to be able to halve class sizes though, is it?

Danglingmod · 04/09/2020 17:18

It's infuriating, isn't it?

If you work in an environment where social distancing is impossible (school/police/prison), you're at as much risk of catching this as the most risk-taking, rule breaking person in your "bubble" (entire school /prison etc).

It's incredibly unfair that staff and children who are being very careful out of school are made to be at risk from all those who aren't being.

Lindor · 04/09/2020 17:25

In.the secondary where I work, bubbles are being kept well apart, with separate outdoor areas, and different break and lunchtimes. And movement around school planned to avoid crossover, with most classes staying put in tutor rooms.

Bluelinings · 04/09/2020 17:34

@HalfBrick

What's the point of social distancing in schools (which is impossible) when teenagers have been hanging out in groups with no social distancing ALL summer and will carry on the same after school and at weekends during school time? I don't have teens by the way, just eyes.
This is an argument for distancing if you think about it. Not all teens have and the ones who haven’t been mixing are now in a class with those kids and no distancing. They deserve distancing protection.
Bluelinings · 04/09/2020 17:37

100million EOTHO deals were taken up. That’s a billion pounds.

A billion pounds could help schools a lot. It’s the exact same amount italy invested in extra teachers and plans to allow social distancing.

HalfBrick · 04/09/2020 17:49

@bluelinings true.

Morfin · 04/09/2020 17:55

@HalfBrick

'Many teens' in my area then. Like the 30 on the playing fields last week...
But teens (people) naturally stay in bubbles. The group I see at the skate park is the same group that's always there. Maybe about 30 teens. The school bubble is 240-280. It's just not the same.
cyclingmad · 04/09/2020 18:10

And then that group of 30 teens go home and expose it to their brothers and sisters who also then go meet their friends and don't social distance. They also go see other friends and don't social distance so the effect is much wider. They don't just have one friend or one group of 30 they hang out with day in day out.

ChanceEncounter · 04/09/2020 18:13

@cyclingmad

And then that group of 30 teens go home and expose it to their brothers and sisters who also then go meet their friends and don't social distance. They also go see other friends and don't social distance so the effect is much wider. They don't just have one friend or one group of 30 they hang out with day in day out.
No, but my teens are not doing this, and that's all we can control.

And school will blow it all apart.

Morfin · 04/09/2020 20:48

@cyclingmad

And then that group of 30 teens go home and expose it to their brothers and sisters who also then go meet their friends and don't social distance. They also go see other friends and don't social distance so the effect is much wider. They don't just have one friend or one group of 30 they hang out with day in day out.
I agree, but now groups of 200+ are doing the same. Exposing their families to bubbles of 200+ rather than 30, and their siblings are in similar bubbles.

As as pp said, lots are not doing this. Mine aren't.

897654321abcvrufhfgg · 04/09/2020 20:51

No social distancing in schools. Also attending INSET training at local school yesterday and 60+ staff in a room the size of a large corner shop fir 3+ hours with no open windows or masks. This is the reality people.

cyclingmad · 04/09/2020 21:44

So you can only be 100% certain if your children never met up with their friends otherwise how do you know what they have been up whilst out with their friends unless you were there

noblegiraffe · 04/09/2020 21:54

Some people actually know their own kids, cycling.

Some kids are very anxious about returning and how safe it will be. It seems unlikely that they’ve been headed to illegal raves.

Comefromaway · 04/09/2020 21:59

Well actually, I was there as they’ve been meeting up in our garden or the local country park very close to our house where we walk past with the dog and see them or our neighbours have passed them whilst on a walk.
Ds has kept to socialising with the same 3 friends, not a “bubble” of over 100.
Ds is very nervous. His girlfriend returned to school on Wednesday and she’s been uncomfortable.

My dd is on the verge of walking out of college.

StaffAssociationRepresentative · 04/09/2020 22:41

The lack of SD at school this week has led to a lot of parental complaints today. Therefore in spite of all the hand gel, one way systems, hand washing stations, extra cleaning during the school day, temperatures checks, fogging the school every 48 hours, marquees providing extra dining room on tennis courts, from Monday masks will be compulsory for all.

ChanceEncounter · 04/09/2020 22:45

@cyclingmad

So you can only be 100% certain if your children never met up with their friends otherwise how do you know what they have been up whilst out with their friends unless you were there
Really sorry you don't trust your children, that must be hard for you.

I'm so glad I can trust mine.

Piggywaspushed · 04/09/2020 22:45

I know exactly where my DS is every hour of the day.

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