‘Will we have to homeschool again?’

[Teainagreenteapot]

My DD overheard the news and asked me this yesterday.

I said I hoped not and the government (who are useless - I didn’t say this bit) are trying to keep the schools open.

Are anyone else’s kids wondering about this?

Well , I think it is a balancing act with the figures. If the infection figures are too high there is a risks of repeated isolations due to test and trace. This would be worse than actual lockdown as the isolated person cannot even go out. So if closing the schools temporarily helps prevent this, I'm all for it. Lockdown in this case scenario is the least worse option.

And I think, from what I've read on here, it is easier planning wise, to cater for all doing remote online learning than some being taught in school and some having to isolate and learn from home. So education wise lockdown might be the least worse option too.

How old is you dd? My understanding is that the first option would be part time for high school, two weeks on two weeks off, next would be close high schools and finally close primaries.

She’s primary age so yes that’s reassuring to remember!

Our entire Y8, 10 and 11 are now closed for two weeks due to positive tests. I can't see how we can navigate through all this without serious disruption.

Plus the government haven't yet provided guidance for this academic years GCSE or A level exams.

It's a shit show.

Some of the exam boards are now publishing their particular changed specifications but I don't know if all of them have done so

[quote Honeybobbin]@UnaMujer I certainly hope they don't sacrifice secondary schools to keep primaries open. My year 11 son has already missed half of year 10, how on earth can they be expected to sit GCSEs if they miss part of year 11 as well? If anything it should be the other way round, especially as the learning done in primary school is much more accessible for parents to home school if necessary. I can support my daughter with year 6 Sat's preparation but I certainly can't support my son with gcse triple science or his DT BTEC.
Education must continue.[/quote]
@Honeybobbin I’m not saying I agree with. I think all schools should be kept open.

I have a year 11. Ofqual have said exams will go ahead with some very minor adjustments. I find it heartbreaking to think of him sitting an exam paper while not recognising some of the questions asked, as they haven’t managed to cover the content due to the 6 months off plus repeated local lockdowns.

Surely Ofqual would have to think again? It’s insanity.

@UnaMujer, what do you think of the possibility of repeated isolation due to test and trace, though? At school, your child is mixing with lots of other children and school staff. If one of them test positive your child would have to isolate and not be able to to leave the house for two weeks. This could happen more than once.

[quote Honeybobbin]@UnaMujer I certainly hope they don't sacrifice secondary schools to keep primaries open. My year 11 son has already missed half of year 10, how on earth can they be expected to sit GCSEs if they miss part of year 11 as well? If anything it should be the other way round, especially as the learning done in primary school is much more accessible for parents to home school if necessary. I can support my daughter with year 6 Sat's preparation but I certainly can't support my son with gcse triple science or his DT BTEC.
Education must continue.[/quote]
You may be able to support with Y6 sats preparation. Not everyone is able to, for numerous reasons.

Mine are in Y1 and Y3, I'm a single parent working full time, luckily from home, but I'm not able to support their education whilst I'm working.

When I was in Y11 I would have been capable of learning independently to a certain extent, not completely, whereas my primary children cannot do this at all. Also there are no childcare concerns with a Y11- what are parents of younger children supposed to do? Parents being able to work and actually feed/house their children has to be a priority surely.

We're already doing another 2 weeks of homeschooling due to self-isolation (with very mixed support from school!) so I have warned my DC that it will probably be like this, a mix of home/school, for the foreseeable.

Dd is supposed to be doing A-levels next summer so is preparing for both exams and assessment like last summer's cohort.

Does your dd know that it's homeschooling if her bubble bursts?

[quote veryvery]**@UnaMujer, what do you think of the possibility of repeated isolation due to test and trace, though? At school, your child is mixing with lots of other children and school staff. If one of them test positive your child would have to isolate and not be able to to leave the house for two weeks. This could happen more than once.[/quote]
I think it’s shit but what other option is there?

@UnaMujer, lockdown to bring numbers down?

My mum works in a school and the school have been told to put together all online resources fairly quickly. This has come from higher management from Academy trust. I don't know if this means Gov have contacted school leads/LA/Academies to say to start to prepare for homeschooling again or whether the trust themselves are expecting school closures again.

@Char2015

My mum works in a school and the school have been told to put together all online resources fairly quickly. This has come from higher management from Academy trust. I don't know if this means Gov have contacted school leads/LA/Academies to say to start to prepare for homeschooling again or whether the trust themselves are expecting school closures again.

There was guidance for schools in August that they needed to prepare online/home schooling and be set up to move to a blended 50%/50% model if cases rise, so they should have been preparing for a while.

@Chaotic45

Our entire Y8, 10 and 11 are now closed for two weeks due to positive tests. I can't see how we can navigate through all this without serious disruption.

Plus the government haven't yet provided guidance for this academic years GCSE or A level exams.

It's a shit show.

Do they get any school work Chaotic?

@Honeybobbin that’s ok, it’s an incredibly difficult and stressful time for all of us.

Over 3% of schools already have cases. I guess that may double to 6 this week?

I bloody hope not, the schools offering for if a child has to isolate is still as inadequate as it was during lockdown. Same “work” given to my year 2 child as my year 1 and it’s not even work, “find shapes around your house” etc. I can’t see them doing much more if they shut again, we didn’t even hear from them personally from March till September.

@Honeybobbin I don't think full guidance has been issued wrt exams, particularly whether the day will be moved.

@Mippi

This isn't just 50% off the work this is 100% of the work which the school already had ready they are now just getting it all uploaded. They are preparing for a full school closure and been told to have this all online by the end of next week. They are ensuring all children have their logins and collecting names for keyworker children.