If only schools had planned for blended/part time learning

[pontypridd]

I watched the discussions here, before September, and was never convinced that going back as normal - full schools, classes and timetables etc was going to work.

It seemed obvious what was likely to happen ... but so many others didn't see it that way. Those arguing for blended/part time school - so that bubbles could be smaller and better controlled said that school would be more likely to last until Christmas etc if done in that way.

What do people think now?

Will the current school plan work? Is there a possibility of changing it to something else (blended learning is just one option) if the current plan fails?

I'm dreading going back to homeschooling as before. If only more thought had been put into this.

@Worriedmum999

But as it is now schools will have to close in the near future and all those parents who can’t supervise the children at home will be completely stuck yet again.

At least it's been a small respite in the utterly exhausting juggling act.

It was 'easier' when everybody was off as work was set for the whole class.

And if there had been/could be a plan to part time school - work could be set for the class in and out of school. That way all kids would get some if not all the learning/education.

There has to be a plan. It has to be organised across the whole system. Not just one school being fine ... all schools must be organised and well planned.

@Worriedmum999

Blame the Us For Them group. Or rather ‘Us for Ourselves because we are sick of homeschooling’. They shouted the loudest and got what they wanted. Full time school with no mitigations. I hope they are pleased with themselves.

I think you're seriously overestimating the effectiveness of Facebook posts

And don’t get me started on Us For Them. They push their views onto their kids too. My nephew has one of their kids in his class making a special show about how masks are stupid. Refused to do homework because it was vaguely COVID related. How is pushing this attitude into kids good for then?!

@Pipandmum

Our school is working just fine thanks. Comprehensive changes to facilitate all years returning full time with social distancing and bubbles etc. They operate a one way system, staggered entry and lunchtimes. But they also have online facilities in place for all years (school runs from nursery through sixth form) should there be a year group isolating or another lockdown.

And that's great for your school.

But we're out hundreds in Birmingham and Manchester. My two GCSE year children potentially not accessing what others elsewhere in the country are learning. Mainly because of where we live - high risk areas.

@pontypridd

It was 'easier' when everybody was off as work was set for the whole class.

And if there had been/could be a plan to part time school - work could be set for the class in and out of school. That way all kids would get some if not all the learning/education.

There has to be a plan. It has to be organised across the whole system. Not just one school being fine ... all schools must be organised and well planned.

Yes. At the moment children in areas where schools close are at a huge disadvantage. This isn’t right.

We need a coherent national plan to stop this disruption.

I was also one of those that could see huge problems and would have liked part time, in person schooling. Things are already unravelling and gaining momentum with every day that passes. I said it then and I'll say it now, I believe that schools will be as they were at the end of March from October through to Easter. I don't think part timing will even get looked at if it ends up the way it's heading in being a disaster. They should have at least started with part timing to stress test the system.

This is my post from the end of July:

This is what annoys me. If it was acknowledged that we might face disruptions, we could have spent the summer realistically preparing for them. I have about 2 weeks of work to do over the next month, producing resources to support a full return. I'll be pretty pissed off if having spent a good proportion of my holidays doing that, I am then placed in the position of supplying substandard distance learning at ten seconds notice for a second time around. We had ample time to prepare for a really high quality blended learning regime this winter, and in my opinion, we wasted it.

Do NOT come complaining to me if your child's learning is substandard this Autumn. (I don't know who I'm aiming that at really, it's just a scatter gun rant!)

We are getting ready to do blended learning at the school I work in .
We are having a practice today using three staff who are home due to waiting for covid tests !
It's not going to be easy for staff or the children at home but teachers are doing the BEST we can with what we've got

I never did get an answer to what I was meant to do with my children whilst working in community nursing when they were only at school 2 days a week, which is all I was going to get under ‘blended learning’.

And guess what mine have been back almost 8 weeks now with no rise in cases, no one sent home and no teachers dropping dead as we live in a rural area that has had few cases/deaths this entire time. So is it fair to deprive children of a full time education in my area then?

I am one of the posters who said it was important for schools to have good plans for blended learning, to cover local lockdowns and frequent enforced isolation absences. And I was (usually, but not always) roundly criticised.

The need is however, I think, real and mood is turning.

But that won't get back the lost planning time (though with so much else to be planned for, how much would have been done earlier is moot). The need is however very clear now, especially for secondary schools.

@Worriedmum999

Blame the Us For Them group. Or rather ‘Us for Ourselves because we are sick of homeschooling’. They shouted the loudest and got what they wanted. Full time school with no mitigations. I hope they are pleased with themselves.

Yup.

I'm willing to bet, Alaska, that cases in your area are not actually steady and have probably risen from circa 3 a week to around 9 a week over the last fortnight. You don't see it yet, but you too are on the early slopes of an exponential curve and without action, will be in the same spot in a month's time.

I'm also willing to bet, Alaska, that despite no cases of Covid, you have had many students in your area sent home with coughs and temperatures and approximately 10% of your students unable to access education due to isolating and being unable to get a prompt test. And this is before Covid takes hold.

Of course, I am just being a doom monger, and it's equally likely that your little rural area has some kind of magical defense that makes its population immune to the virus that is sweeping the entire rest of the world.

I have key stage 1 child and no way I could routinely home school her while working full-time in a highly responsible job. Lockdown almost pushed me over the edge. That can't happen again for many working parents. Not to mention those without IT facilities at home, or with less than ideal family situations.

My DS school has all lessons on line already, so if you’re sent home you can immediately jump into home learning.

Who is going to supervise all these children at home for 2 weeks in 4? This website is full of stay at home mothers.

Not every workplace can facilitate supporting a blended learning approach though. Presumably there would have to be key worker provision again. The NHS is increasing with covid capacity already - you can't have half at home every week. Isolation / colds etc currently is less of issue because we have priority workplace testing (in theory - not as quick as it was) so we usually miss a day or so only with that.

Why on earth would anyone want blended learning?

You screw women.’s jobs, whole sectors and a generation of children to boot

My son's bubble has only 10 in it including staff so reducing its size will make little difference whereas none of children in it can be taught remotely.

Blended learning would not work for me. I'm a single parent and I can't WFH. Even if there was financial protection I doubt my employer and colleagues would be pleased at having to pick up the slack for me while I had half the week off. The work still needs to be done!

My kids have been back full time for over a month now and it’s going really well.
If you want to home school your kids crack on.

We're in one of the cases went up four fold last week areas. People going off sick like flies - thats pupils and teachers.

Can't get covid tests for love nor money so true cases are no doubt much higher.

It started so well but has rapidly declined into near chaos.

Teaching from the front is fine for higher engaged sets but large classes of effectively deschooled teens in some of the more challenging groups they're running rings round the teacher. Shouting has never been efective but without being able to gently coax and have a quiet word keeping the whole group in any sort of focus sounds like at best the class are baby sat and at worst negative disruptive behaviour is being reinforced.

There is work available for those at home, school did plan for this but staff too are exhausted and keeping track of all the lessons and pupil engagement isn't happening.

Our High School did plan for blended learning as did loads of other Scottish schools as it was the default position for most of the summer holidays. Our school issued their Plan B to all parents but we do have each pupil with their own device and Mobile WiFi devices are being sent out to those who have no internet at home

I think we have to do everything to keep kids at school. Blended learning would only work if you have someone at home.

And also depends on it set up at home. Not all employers can be flexible either. We have to remember many employers are fighting for survival and need their staff to be working.

Those who work out with the home would really struggle with blended learning. And the thought of going back to what "education" my kids had in April-June fills me with dread! My kids were failed by the education system and I don't want that to happen again.

@FreidaMind

My kids have been back full time for over a month now and it’s going really well. If you want to home school your kids crack on.

La la la fingers in ears eh? Oh well, as long as yours are alright