We were doing ok until we opened all the schools....

[Bbq1]

After lockdown was lifted pre September and pubs, restaurants etc were opened we seemed to have a handle on Covid with cases, hospital admissions and deaths all declining fairly steadily. Since we released millions of school aged children and thousands of teachers etc back into the classroom- boom, cases and consequently deaths, are now growing very rapidly again. It didn't take a rocket scientist to work out that this would happen. I work in a school and I have a 15 year old starting his gcse's so I 100% don't want the schools to close but surely there must be a more workable solution? Couldn't schools be one week, one week off for different bubbles or alternate days? Nobody wants schools to shut but surely in the long term if we don't get something safer in place and just continue sending kids and adults in day after day, then eventually they will close again?

@letsghostdance

Blended learning still is and was always the only way to keep everyone safe and learning effectively.

I have enormous sympathy for early years and nursery workers, I just don't know what the answer is there.

Ha blended learning a way to keep everyone learning effectively? Yes, learning effectively every other week and only learning half what you would in any other school year. Seems like a great idea. Not to mention all the women who will have to give up their jobs to make this work. Who gives a shit about them eh?

Why have I got my head in the sand because I have a different opinion?
What's the option close till it's all over reopen and off we go again never mind what that's doing to the children / businesses etc .
So yeah I've got my head in the sand but I understand that a education is much more important especially after 6 months off and many businesses have shut for 5 months.
Why the fuck because I have a different opinion that I've got my head in the sand I'm not calling you for having a different opinion.
We need to try and live through this it's not going to be over by Christmas or March at this rate and we've done lockdown anything longer is not possible.

I actually think your the one with your head in the sand .@monkeytennis97

If you do one week on and one off by the time you add KW etc provision it’s not even that. Maybe 3 days every two weeks. School becomes childcare for many rather than education.

It also doesn’t stop cases coming in and closing bubbles not that as stable as it was in June, cases were much lower..

I would not call denying millions of children a formal education as "doing ok".

Blended learning isn't going to any less disastorous for children just because someone on Mumsnet says it's the way to go

@MarshaBradyo

I agree of course that half time is less contact time, but cases in school would not close bubbles if half time were in place, because distancing would be in place, so only close contacts would need to isolate.

Full time schooling with no distancing requires low community transmission and working testing system to be ok.

Sadly the UK has moved to level four, and we all know testing has collapsed.

So yes I agree half time is half time, but I disagree the risk of being sent home is the same. That is why the part time options exist for when cases rise - because they reduce transmission risk.

It’s unlikely schools causing the rise as some others have said it’s the 20-30’s for various reasons, yes they’re meeting friends, going out for meals, going to pub. But also many of them work in public facing roles in bars and restaurants and in retail shops where up until yesterday they didn’t have to wear a mask.

As much as I enjoy going for drinks with friends and I really feel for people who work in bars and pubs they probably should close to allow schools so stay open. When I went out in August for a meal and drinks with my friends, the meal was well organised we then visited a couple of separate bars where they tried to socially distance clients but it was pointless, people were drunk and didn’t care, they were going over and chatting to people, people (men) kept coming over to our table trying to sit with us or talk to us, we even pointed out that they shouldn’t be coming near us with covid around, not entirely the reason but certainly made people back off! Maybe we could ban the sale of alcohol after a certain time or only allow it with food?

There are no definitive answers to this, it’s new to all of us, we’re still learning about covid.

Repeat but it won’t be half time by the time you do KW etc provision.

That group that needs ft means provision is less than half. At about 2.5 to 3 days per every two weeks and no resource at other times it becomes very pt and not ‘blended’. There is no school access outside those hours.

Blended implies you teach in multiple ways (online / in person). That can happen if your class is 15 big not 30+ plus KW

@MarshaBradyo

Repeat but it won’t be half time by the time you do KW etc provision.

That group that needs ft means provision is less than half. At about 2.5 to 3 days per every two weeks and no resource at other times it becomes very pt and not ‘blended’. There is no school access outside those hours.

Blended implies you teach in multiple ways (online / in person). That can happen if your class is 15 big not 30+ plus KW

If be interested to see a school map out what they can do tbh.

I think if it were half time, then kw children could be in a large room somewhere doing the 'at home' half on school premises.

I know we often disagree on these threads, but I think we just have different outlooks, we'll probably never agree

But factually, with half time schools, you ditch the whole bubble concept. And the bubble concept is what makes full time school so precarious.

I think if it were half time, then kw children could be in a large room somewhere doing the 'at home' half on school premises

I’m always up for extra space and resource. It wouldn’t need to be a teacher even. But I’ve long learnt talking about extra space in particular is met with where. Non teacher probably easier to find as resource government, needs to fund. Once you add it up it would be a lot.

Ah typing v quickly going out to school (tg!)

Several schools very near me have closed bubbles.

3 secondaries within a 2 mile radius have 6 bubbles closed.

Here’s a map for those who think it isn’t happening in schools.
www.boycottunsafeschools.co.uk/reported-covid-19-cases/school-cases-after-12-8-20/?fbclid=IwAR3E8HPZAOomvB4SrFntA3c2no6MAILAO8gin3C68SwGAOd8YexayKfrb5c

The government won’t release the figures.

I agree with @FatBottomedGurl:

Surely the Eat Out to Help Out scheme must be a massive contributor here? I can't believe the governments hypocrisy on this one.

August: "Eat Out to Help Out. Enjoy yourselves, you deserve it! Get the family together for some cheap grub.

September:"Right, get back inside. No more socialising for you lot! We'll send the army out if you don't conform!"

I genuinely can't believe the nation isn't up in arms over it

As a secondary school teacher, blended learning is a nightmare. I teach at a private school with, in the main, engaged pupils with lots of good IT and support at home. Even these pupils struggled to fully take part, motivation was pretty low for some. Some off the radar completely.

My own kids who are dyslexic struggled. I found it difficult to find time in my working day to help them.

These are pupils with support. Those in less than ideal situations at home are doomed with blended learning.

I agree that children need to be in school, it isn't good for their mental health or education not to be, parents need to work and the economy needs to be supported. So there's the conundrum. We can't shut the country down forever and a vaccine is some way off...

But there literally are so many other things that constitute safer opening and in this country we're ignoring it all which is MUCH more likely to result in closed school eventually (and already is for many students isolating with lack of test).

Italy, Spain, many states in the US, Korea - we have a load of different models and lots of scientific papers about it. Advice from Unicef, advice from the WHO. This is what they all say safer school reopening looks like:

• smaller class sizes (no more than 15) - you can achieve this by using community spaces as Italy has done and as my daughter's primary could do if the DfE hadn't flat out blocked using the village hall (offered to use for free) and refused to support the cost of extra TAs
• social distancing (obviously goes with smaller class sizes)
• masks where social distancing of 2m not possible
• if the above not possible: half the school in half time, rest home learning (obviously school open full time only for key workers / vulnerable kids). SURELY that would be better than a lockdown which is where we're headed?

@Goingdooolally

As a secondary school teacher, blended learning is a nightmare. I teach at a private school with, in the main, engaged pupils with lots of good IT and support at home. Even these pupils struggled to fully take part, motivation was pretty low for some. Some off the radar completely.

My own kids who are dyslexic struggled. I found it difficult to find time in my working day to help them.

These are pupils with support. Those in less than ideal situations at home are doomed with blended learning.

Precisely this There are too many variables and risk factors for blended learning - a phrase I personally cannot stand - to be consistent in terms of access to opportunity to undertake it, resources, support and outcomes.

Not much better than closing the schools again

Oh and it goes without saying safer school reopening also requires low levels of infection in the community (we don't have - thanks 'eat out to help out') and excellent, rapid turnaround testing, which we also don't have.

@MarshaBradyo

Repeat but it won’t be half time by the time you do KW etc provision.

That group that needs ft means provision is less than half. At about 2.5 to 3 days per every two weeks and no resource at other times it becomes very pt and not ‘blended’. There is no school access outside those hours.

Blended implies you teach in multiple ways (online / in person). That can happen if your class is 15 big not 30+ plus KW

With great respect I’d rather see schools explain how it’d work first rather than dismiss it because someone gave a worst case scenario on Mumsnet.

If you don't want blended learning, what of the alternatives would you like.

How about funding for extra TAs and using community spaces?

Because at the rate we're going we're heading for lockdown. Look at hospital admissions.

From a teachers point of view how would work blended learning work in practical terms?
My interpretation is half the school in 1 week and half in the week after. In practical terms how can teachers be available to those children at home whilst also teaching those children who are in school? Would there be no contact at all for those at home until they return the week after?
During lockdown my DS teachers were doing some pre recorded lessons on teams and setting work online for them to complete, but they was also contactable at all times (during school hours obviously) by email for students who were struggling with something or needed clarification. Does blended learning not double a teachers already heavy workload?

@IloveJKRowling

If you don't want blended learning, what of the alternatives would you like.

How about funding for extra TAs and using community spaces?

Because at the rate we're going we're heading for lockdown. Look at hospital admissions.

I think those are really good ideas that merit serious consideration Unfortunately that involves a lot of money being injected in schools immediately which this government will not countenance

Bluelinings fine don’t bother reading and quoting my post then if it is not interesting to you.

I have asked repeatedly what about KW best I’ve got back is - ‘work it out yourself’

Seems it’s a difficult issue.

Bluelinings also it’s not worst case. We saw what happened in June. Many children in school as childcare. Many excluded.

Can you describe your best case scenario?