Year group bubbles mixing in school

[loutypips]

Does anyone know the legality of schools allowing two year group bubbles to mix? They haven't told parents at all, but some of one year group have been kept behind in the year below but are still allowed to mix with their friends in the proper year group.

They are spending half the day in one year and half in another. Surely this goes against all government advice and that of unions? They are supposed to have year group bubbles as a maximum, although class-size would be preferred.

There are no legalities around this. How have the school structured bubbles? It is entirely up to the school how they do this. You don’t say age group but in primary they could be a class, a year group or even a key stage bubble. The decision is heavily influenced by staffing. However, if it is using a class bubble model the children should not be mixing outside their bubble.

I've been told that my school are allowed bubbles of up to 180. So I know of a dinner lady who works the first lunch with 1 year group (90 children) then the second lunch house with another year group (90 children). But then as a teacher I work with one of those year groups and another different one (another 90 children). And when I dismiss my class they run off to their households of children from all year groups in the school.

The bubble idea is a joke.

Bubbles are a fallacy designed to make you feel safe, not actually keep you safe.

I teach five different year groups in secondary. 200+ kids in each year group.

The bubbles might help us work out who needs to isolate, when, but they’re not going to stop the spread.

Depends on the bubbles. The bubbles can be large now (ie secondary have year group bubbles of 2/300 children). Our primary have separated year groups and classes routinely but they have a 'phase' bubble. So early years/y1 and 2/ y3 and 4/ y5 and 6. So they can operate breakfast and after school club. Whole phase would have to isolate after a pos test tho so there's more chance

Bubbles in my primary school are linked to allow for sharing of toilets. We don't have a set of toilets for each class so the only way around it is to link them. There's nothing "legal", the headteachers have quite a lot of freedom to decide what works for their school.

Children can also cross bubbles to allow for specialist teaching provision, so a child can access intervention groups etc outwith their year group.

In my school we are in class and year group bubbles...it just wouldn't be possible to teach adequately otherwise due to staffing (playtime rotas/lunchtimes/after school clubs/phonics etc) I teach Year 2, so my class is a bubble and then at playtime's/lunchtimes both year 2 classes mix and myself and the other year 2 teacher, plus our shared TA, share duties, and we stream into 3 groups for phonics.

Presumably bubbles mix after school, on transport if secondaries, in the community etc.

I don't like the use of the word 'legalities'.

There is no limit to bubble size and your school aren't going against the guidance. As soon as you add siblings into the mix, bubbles are all bollocks anyway.....

I know the bubbles are crazy, but the school (primary) have told parents in all communications that they are strict year group bubbles and that they are not allowed to mix. They are going against the information they have given and not even made parents aware what's going on.
From having very little confidence in the school, I now have virtually zero (not the class teachers as they have been great, not teacher bashing at all!).

Also, I'm worried as we have a extremely clinically vulnerable person at home (who is at risk of death) and as local schools have had quite a few cases I'm getting increasingly concerned.

@loutypips I'd suggest speaking to the headteacher if you can for clarity and to make comments. Parents spoke to our headteacher after the first day because drop off was awful, the HT took their comments on board and altered the way children come into school. Our HT was open to that criticism though, I understand not all are like that!

@Daisy169 oh I've already spoken to the head about that! Only one gate in or out and no staggered finish time. You can imagine the chaos!

Usually the head is quick at getting back, heard nothing yet...