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If only schools had planned for blended/part time learning

183 replies

pontypridd · 17/09/2020 23:39

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.

OP posts:
pontypridd · 18/09/2020 12:42

has it ever occurred to you op that some families have two working parents, or one single working parent who therefore cannot be around 3 weekdays to homeschool?

Sorry - I have one primary aged child and one secondary. The blended learning plan was (in my head) meant for secondary. Maybe for primary too - but my primary aged child would not learn in the days off school, no.

My Secondary aged child would be able to take what she learned at school and apply it at home. She'd learn independently.

OP posts:
FoolsAssassin · 18/09/2020 12:48

I really do not know what the answer is to this but it occurs to me that yet again the Government has done an amazing job of turning us all against each other to the extent someone is telling teachers to resign which would clearly make things much worse.

There are so many different situations that it’s hard to see a one size fits all approach working .

One thing that is clear is that whilst this is playing out there needs to be something sorted about the GCSES and A levels next summer some children will be at a massive disadvantage compared to others.

cologne4711 · 18/09/2020 12:48

Lots of schools did plan for part time/blended learning but government wouldn't allow it

My son's state 6th form college started off with blended learning. Currently both years in full-time but a blocked timetable so that students are off-site as much as possible. We'll see how it goes but ds said he's not aware of anyone being off ill at all, let alone with covid symptoms in his three subjects at the moment.

BlusteryShowers · 18/09/2020 12:51

@SaltyAndFresh

It's lunchtime. I have a 20 mins lunch break after cleaning the desks and I'm taking it.

I have to set work for absent students from all five classes I teach today. One parent has said her child won't do anything on screen (I sympathise) and wants paper-based work. We don't use text books and rarely use worksheets so I'm going to have to come up with something specifically for him. I also have marking to finish and next week's lessons to plan before I go home. Next week I will have a 25 min bus duty as well.

I'm told that if my family has to SI I will need to deliver all my lessons online so my own DCs will be left to their own devices.

The title of this thread is most unfortunate.

I think that not enough people realise that planning a lesson to be taught in person and planning it to be delivered remotely are two very different things. In many cases you'd be effectively planning every lesson twice.

Our school did a bit of live streaming lessons towards the end of last term which went some way to catering to those on site and at home at the same time but definitely has its limitations and challenges.

cologne4711 · 18/09/2020 12:51

Also - blended learning does not = home-schooling.

Home-schooling = parents teach or have tutors or whatever.

Blended means kids have a mix of face to face and online lessons (or work set) from teachers.

Chocolate4me · 18/09/2020 13:00

It would still spread through schools even if there part time, only takes a sibling to be on a different time table to spread it to the other part timers or for it to spread locally and then impact all bubbles. And I think without a social restricted lockdown, alot of parents would collect their kids and then hang around at parks, socialise with other friends from school etc. Anyway so they would be better off in school full time to get as much education as possible, before having to have isolated bubbles working from home in the case of a positive case.
The government did this by allowing such mass socialisation and holidays over summer, they should have restricted this 2 weeks before kids returned to school again. I'm not particularly trusting of the government’s figures of what's going on, I wish I knew someone who worked in the covid wards to give accurate info on cases and deaths they are seeing, and what they saw over Summer

pontypridd · 18/09/2020 13:12

Read this thread @Chocolate4me

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/4026357-nhsers-how-are-we-doing-feeling-calm-before-the-storm

It gives you an idea of what is really going on.

OP posts:
lorisparkle · 18/09/2020 13:18

I think the government should have used the summer term to 'try out' blended learning instead of just a handful of year groups in.

It took all the schools I know a while to get the systems working well for the original lockdown so in the final weeks of the summer term schools could have ironed out any difficulties in part time school and had effective systems in place.

In the original recommendations from SAGE part time schooling was their preferred option.

Schools have so much more knowledge and experience than at the beginning of the original lockdown so could have targeted full time schooling for those who need it.

The government could have looked at properly financing laptops and internet provision for schools/families to support those who need it.

The government have wasted many opportunities by sticking their head in the sand.

Employers should be encouraged to offer flexible hours for parents who are not key workers to enable them to support their younger children who maybe home half the week and to pop home to check on teenagers who maybe home for a couple of weeks at a time.

With only roughly 60% of students on site at any one time social distances is much more feasible and bubbles much smaller.

duffeldaisy · 18/09/2020 13:20

@FoolsAssassin

"I really do not know what the answer is to this but it occurs to me that yet again the Government has done an amazing job of turning us all against each other to the extent someone is telling teachers to resign which would clearly make things much worse."

This. Exactly this.

This isn't teachers' fault, or heads' faults or parents' thoughts, this is down to appalling, slow, stupid government policy, and we should be coming together on all that.
All parents and teachers are united in wanting children to have good, safe education, and we should focus on demanding that from the government, not snipe at each other.

Everyone has such different circumstances. I think, as they've bothered to go to the expense of buying free access to Oak Academy, that they should start by allowing any parent that can home educate to do so if they want without losing their place or being fined. They could write a statement to say they would be temporarily home educating, don't expect any materials or support from school (perhaps a curriculum overview), and they would take full responsibility for educating their child until Easter, for example.

That then benefits everyone, because classes would be slightly smaller. If the government gave grants to supply wifi access and some kind of laptop or tablet to all students who needed one, that money would never be wasted because those students are able to use it for essay writing and whatever anyway in 'normal' times.
That might allow even more children to study from home.

Some areas might be able to set up study centres in libraries, church halls, offices, to let older children self-study in a safe place.

I hate going back to WW2 as it's so over-romanticised, but when the blitz started, they used tube stations for people to shelter in, as well as home shelters. They thought creatively, according to the new situation. That's what humans have been good at and what's probably kept us alive in various climates and environments all over the world since we came about.

This government isn't thinking creatively. It's going about "full classes" because that's the traditional way of a decent education. It doesn't have to be. We can find new ways of doing things for a while, especially now we have so much technology.

Of course not every parent has the space, time, money or energy to home-educate. They may be front line workers, or people keeping the country going. But by giving more freedom of choice, then everyone benefits, even those who have less choice at the moment.

Nellodee · 18/09/2020 13:21

I love being called a tower by someone who said she would happily send her child in sick to cough in my face because her family came first and if I didn’t like it I could get another job.

Nellodee · 18/09/2020 13:22

Tosser

FreidaMind · 18/09/2020 13:24

When were you called a tosser?

Bluelinings · 18/09/2020 13:24

The first (endless) lockdown didn’t work, why would another shorter one?

It did work. It obviously worked. Then we threw all our hard work away by opening too much.

Nellodee · 18/09/2020 13:27

I’m not prepared to engage with your shit, Frieda.

pontypridd · 18/09/2020 13:28

We wasted all that was gained from the first lockdown. What a waste of money and energy that was!

OP posts:
Kolo · 18/09/2020 13:31

My kids managed 4 days back at school before the youngest was sent back home for a fortnight because of a confirmed case. My eldest's school sends has now sent home 4 bubbles, so I'm envisaging my youngest going back just as my eldest is sent home. So I'm still homeschooling at the moment and who knows when that will end or how many days my children will spend in school.

10% of schools in my authority have been forced to send children home now, only 2 weeks into the new term. By the end of week 3, I'll have been homeschooling, whilst also trying to work, for 2 of them.

So for a significant number of parents, kids aren't back at school. And it's the short notice, unplanned aspect that's killing me. If I knew we were doing, for eg, 1 week in 1 week out, I'd be able to plan things a lot better, and all kids would be a lot safer in school.

PatsEarrings · 18/09/2020 13:32

Most parents working out of the home can’t plan for one week on and one week off. Suits SAHMs which most mums aren’t.

noblegiraffe · 18/09/2020 13:33

Most parents working out of the home can’t plan for one week on and one week off

But the other option is random fortnights off.

PatsEarrings · 18/09/2020 13:35

I guess they could just go on benefits instead.

Kolo · 18/09/2020 13:35

@PatsEarrings

Most parents working out of the home can’t plan for one week on and one week off. Suits SAHMs which most mums aren’t.
So would you be able to plan better for an unexpected phone call at lunchtime to tell you to pick your child up now and don't come back for 2 weeks? Do you think that's a better option for parents?
MarshaBradyo · 18/09/2020 13:35

We still would have had the disruption in the first week if part time meant morning / afternoon or day on / off.

PinkFondantFancy · 18/09/2020 13:35

@Worriedmum999

Today 06:56 KnobChops

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

If you actually read my post you would see that I said that there should be supervision in school for children who have neither parent at home/vulnerable children at home. I’m actually fact I read some research that it would only be a small percentage of families that needs this (I think it was less than 10%) so would be doable with some careful thought and planning.

If we carry on like we are you’ll be back to having the children home full time then you really will have something to moan about Hmm

There's both parents at home in my house. We're also working very full on professional jobs that mean my primary aged children are ignored all day while we work out guts out keeping our jobs and therefore the roof over our heads. I guess they don't deserve any kind of am education though since self directed learning is an absolute nonsense for children that age. Good to know.
PinkFondantFancy · 18/09/2020 13:37

Everything else should shut before schools do. Especially pubs. This situation is absurd. As long as people can go to the pub all night and carry on playing Sunday league football though eh

Waxonwaxoff0 · 18/09/2020 13:37

@noblegiraffe random fortnights here and there are more manageable, or for me at least they would be. I could take annual leave, or occasional unpaid leave. But I do not have anyone who could commit to regular childcare for blended learning.

Kolo · 18/09/2020 13:37

I'm not a SAHM. I work. But if I at least knew in advance when my kids would be off school, I'd have a better chance at arranging meetings and schedule work around when I knew the kids would be at school. The hours I wasted last week trying to re-arrange everything was ridiculous.

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