No social distancing in 6th form classrooms/common room

[kitnkaboodle]

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!!)

This Guardian article just popped up in my newsfeed
www.theguardian.com/education/2020/sep/01/teachers-and-parents-in-england-tell-us-about-returning-to-school-coronavirus

To be honest we kind of gave up. Staff inevitably stand near each other. We need to talk and many conversations shouldn't be overheard

There seemed to be a general consensus that if the kids have it, then we'll be getting it.

@ineedaholidaynow

Would be good if pupils could take photos of what it actually looks like rather than the staged photos.

I'm sure they will. Give it a few days and they'll start to appear online.

It’s always been known they were doing year group bubbles at secondary schools

When schools went back in June for selected year groups, generally there was social distancing because there were only 15 max in a class.

They had all the desks spread out like in the photos that are now not true.

People could assume that those bubbles were the same as these bubbles.

Noble - those photos are EXACTLY what I'm talking about. I'm glad I'm not imagining things. I'm going to show those pics to DS later and get his reaction. I can guess ...

@nobelgiraffe

The secondary school is dc school. I think they must have chosen the largest classroom they have for that photo as most of the classrooms are a lot lot smaller than that.

There seemed to be a general consensus that if the kids have it, then we'll be getting it.

Yeah, if you’re in a stuffy classroom breathing the same air for an hour, a bit of hand sanitiser isn’t much protection.

Luckily all teachers have a natural immunity to Covid then! 🙄

Unless you thought school buildings had magically increased in size, how did you expect social distancing to be realistic?

Well, DS's new school looked pretty much like a normal school day at closure today!

I honestly think MN is an outlier in terms of opinion on this. Adults can carry on with the restrictions, I am, and I'm on my own so it's tough although I am grateful for my bubble. But I don't think the majority of parents are expecting their children to continue with it anymore (I don't think the majority of people are SD at all anyway amongst their family and friends) .

slippery - I have barely any contact with school any more. Only one DC at school now and he is now in 6th form. It's not on my radar. I didn't think. I saw nice pictures on the TV!

I don’t have kids at school but I knew the bubbles are year groups

Not much point adults SD if the kids aren't, you do know you can get it from children don't you @tootyfruitypickle

tooty please don't think I am having a go but I am really curious why teenage girls hugging each other is essential their MH . Surely seeing each other is enough? Why do they need to touch?

I think I might be showing my age but when I was at school we were told off for hugging and boys and girls had to stay 12 inches apart (fnarr fanrr). SD would be so much easier if we had those rules now!

Yr bubbles at ds school.
No mixing with other yrs even siblings. And states siblings aren't to travel to and from school together unless wearing mask.. I mean that's ridiculous they live together.
It doesn't affect my ds but does many of his mates who have siblings at school.

The pics of Sixth Formers are from
June when only 25% of year 10 and 12 could be in the building on any one day.

My dd was in y12 in June and her classes were split into half so 10ish rather than 20ish (comprehensive school)

@tootyfruitypickle

I honestly think MN is an outlier in terms of opinion on this. Adults can carry on with the restrictions, I am, and I'm on my own so it's tough although I am grateful for my bubble. But I don't think the majority of parents are expecting their children to continue with it anymore (I don't think the majority of people are SD at all anyway amongst their family and friends) .

I think it's confused by the rules that children in Scotland (under 11s) don't have to SD. I wonder if (when?) that rule will be introduced in England

@kitnkaboodle

Piggy - yeah, I'd like to think 16-18 year olds were sensible enough to show SOME restraint and self-control under the circumstances. They're not primary kids wanting to hold hands any more ...

For the record, I am PRO schools opening and very supportive of teachers soldiering on. I will be watching news reports this evening with a more enlightened eye. Let's see what they show ...

This post has disproportionately pissed me off. All of us that have spent the summer trying to make sure that the public know that the media was peddling propaganda and that schools would be just like the have always been WERE PRO SCHOOL OPENING. If you had taken the time to read the posts rather than think that I wear a tin hat you would see that it was a fair argument and that any of the school plans were smoke and mirrors (because of the government.) look at my history I've posted loads/started loads of threads about the media lying, I've posted on nobel threads. I was never trying to scaremonger just wanted the facts out there.

@CallmeAngelina. And that is why I always regret joining these threads!

As you were.

Yup DS is back from first day in year 12. He is bubbled with his year group (150) . That means no social distancing at all between what is effectively 150 adults. Hey Ho.

I read your posts saying that you’d had horrible PMs and posts about you, Morfin, for telling it how it is, which is just awful.

Probably won’t be long before masks will be introduced into classrooms

I can't believe people fell for the spin in the first place.

Was even more shocked when well respected teachers on MN came out and told the truth alongside the actual guidance and were called liars.

Teachers in schools are the people most well places to know the truth.

My question is why do people think the teachers have more to gain for misrepresentation than the government?