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.

Part time which allows for more SD doesn’t stop positive cases coming in.

And if the guys guidelines state That bubble must go home with a positive case you’ll still get disruption. It’s why private school wasn’t immune to disruption in first week even with lower numbers in class,

Typing quickly! But get the gist

@MarshaBradyo

Part time which allows for more SD doesn’t stop positive cases coming in.

And if the guys guidelines state That bubble must go home with a positive case you’ll still get disruption. It’s why private school wasn’t immune to disruption in first week even with lower numbers in class,

No, PT won't stop cases. But it will allow for better SD in schools. 15 in a class is better than 30, perhaps even allowing the teacher to SD! We didn't hear about all these bubbles being sent home during lockdown when key worker kids were in, or when year R,1 and 6 went back. If you can SD in a classroom, no need for whole bubble to go home when there's a +case.

Kolo community cases were very low in June

Do you think if It’s half the class in only the positive child should stay home? Everyone else stays in?

Private school doesn’t even do this.

Were the guidelines different in June wrt a positive case? I’ve scanned a copy but it doesn’t seem to say or may have missed it.

If you’re arguing that we would change this to keeping bubbles open after a positive case then maybe. But state will differ to private.

Yes, if only actual real teachers had been listened to we could have a working system by now. Unfortunately they were not listened to and the Us for Them idiots were. Not really a surprise with this government though, is it?

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

Except it wasn't.

We've been through this so many times. Some schools did amazingly well adapting to remote learning, and fully embraced the technology. My kids' schools - not so much. Hardly any work given out at all. No feedback on work submitted. No real-time interaction with teachers.

It was all totally shit. And we are fortunate in that we have enough tech and a table for them all to sit around and do their "learning". But with two parents working at home doing their own jobs to pay the mortgage, where do you find the time to educate three kids as well? Especially when 2 out of those 3 are studying subjects you have no idea about? Not going to work.

My children are so much happier and more engaged with their learning at school with their peer group rather than stuck at home with a screen.

@MarshaBradyo

Kolo community cases were very low in June

Do you think if It’s half the class in only the positive child should stay home? Everyone else stays in?

Private school doesn’t even do this.

I don't know, @MarshaBradyo. I've had a bit of experience of rapid risk assessments, contact tracing and working with local area health protection teams, though, through my own work. It's definitely not a given that one confirmed case shuts a whole bubble. The RRA will look at close contacts within that bubble and decide who needs to go home. In my first encounter with them, the +case went home, everyone at setting isolated, but that was before lockdown at the start of March. My sons bubble was decided to not have been able to SD with 31 in class, so whole bubble went home. I've also had experience of only some members of the bubble being sent home due to individual close contact. So if 15 children can space out more and achieve SF where 31 can't, seems less likely whole bubbles will pop.

SD, not SF. Fat fingers on small phone.

My school provided the bare minimum. It was shockingly bad.

If blended leaning is off the table (even though other countries manage it &it’s the advice of SAGe), then we need masks in schools at the very least to try to reduce transmission. Otherwise schools will shut.
At some point, this virus is just maths. The numbers getting sick, hospitalised & dying will force school closures & lockdown.
So can we all agree on masks, campaign for masks, train your kids how to wear them & send them into school in masks - just do it, don’t wait for the DFE to change its guidance.
As parents, we need to actually DO something to keep schools open for as many kids as possible. It’s a simple cheap measure that is proven to reduce transmission & viral load so we have some hope of getting through this winter with schools staying open.

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

Exactly.

I'm happy my kids are both back at full time school. All has gone well so far.
May need to have 2 weeks off at some point but that is better than just being at home.
School doing a great job imo so i am a happy parent.
I have been working full time throughout lockdown and my children went in as keyworker children but were not taught.

Kolo I think in a primary class, if private sends everyone home with fewer students, state will too.

I’m not against what you say but some may feel they are more at risk if the positive case has been in class for a few days before testing positive. I’m not sure on spread which is why I’m not against it but I do think that even with fewer students that they are not always kept apart when young.

There will only be a significantly lower amount of disruption with part time if people are willing to do state differently to what is happening now with positive case, and differently to private.

Re. Masks my school does insist on the kids wearing them in corridors but not in the classroom which is fine.
The teachers don't wear them though even though they could which i find strange.

@Orangeblossomrose

This is 2020 not 1980s.

Besides, the world of work for the majority of these Secondary pupils will be on screens, live or not, a sort of blended work.

What example are you giving to these youngsters with the defeatist, inflexible, tech-phobic approach?

Wake up England, it is looking backwards and decrepit.

This sort of attitude really annoys me. It takes no account of children that can't learn this way for whatever reason

My son can't for a start.
My daughter can but even she says it is harder to concentrate, be motivated , retain information.
I hate reading things on line. I like printed books, actual newspapers.
I am not a luddite and use tech a lot but one thing lockdown has taught me is the limitations of on line learning and the value of teaching live in person.
Teachers should be building on this finding that many people share to advocate for their profession and how important they are and the job they do - not trying to claim everyone is behind the times if they hate on-line learning.

Blimey me too Sasha how annoying is that post.

If pp Orange want to de-register and use online school go for it.

@MarshaBradyo I'm not sure if I've understood you correctly. But public/private makes no difference. It's not the schools who do the risk assessment after a +case and decide what happens to the bubble. PHE do the RRA and make the decision about who to send home. And it's definitely not the current guidance to send whole bubbles home with a +case. It's the outcome for a lot of cases due to the inability to SD, but definitely not a rule.

I wholeheartedly agree with sasha too. That post depressed me in more ways than I can articulate. Is this the life we want for ourselves and our kids?

@Bluelinings

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.

cant you see how ridiculous what you are saying is?

How do you think it worked? It didnt get rid of covid. It didnt enable people to live their lives. It didnt bring back new normal. You know what it did? It delayed - that is all it did.

It delayed, to frankly, a much worse season for illness.

It solved fuck all.

[quote Kolo]@MarshaBradyo I'm not sure if I've understood you correctly. But public/private makes no difference. It's not the schools who do the risk assessment after a +case and decide what happens to the bubble. PHE do the RRA and make the decision about who to send home. And it's definitely not the current guidance to send whole bubbles home with a +case. It's the outcome for a lot of cases due to the inability to SD, but definitely not a rule.[/quote]
Kolo based on private sector assessment with fewer students still sending bubbles home I assume it will be the same with fewer students for state. But maybe the rooms are big enough in state. Will differ obviously.

Do you think it will be different? If one positive child stays home and rest in then great. I’m dubious but if so then it does lower disruption.

The other issue then is everyone does part time. Any childcare provision decreases hours to a large extent in some schools. In June many here couldn’t get yr1, 2 etc back in due to KW provision.

And I wouldn’t do part time for exam years.

Is there somewhere to see what happened to bubbles after a positive case in June? Interested to see how many classes just sent positive child home.

@TheKeatingFive

I wholeheartedly agree with sasha too. That post depressed me in more ways than I can articulate. Is this the life we want for ourselves and our kids?

God I know it’s like the Axiom - people stuck on screens not interacting irl.

I don’t want that for my dc. I want them talking in class, active, learning. If people are so in thrall to screens there’s that option for them.

Blended learning can work, it is just a case of how much effort, money and organisation the govt want to put into achieving it. They built hospitals in weeks.

Lots of people were warning the govt that their plans were unrealistic and they needed a solid plan B....

The other issue is the widening b/n two sectors if one is part time and one ft.

Some students will learn outside school hours but many won’t.

Hard to find info beyond articles

Saleem Tariq, the director of children and families for Leeds City Council, said on Sunday: “An isolated case of Covid-19 has been confirmed in three Leeds primary schools.

“Each of the schools has taken appropriate and immediate action by closing the ‘social bubbles’ affected, and those children and staff will now stay at home and self-isolate for 14 days in line with the national test and trace programme."

shut schools

But it looks like we were just as vigilant in June but far fewer community cases going into schools.