Do you think schools will close again?

[Beebityboo]

I'm disabled and considering removing my DC's from school in the near future. There are various reasons for this but obviously the number one thing I'm worried about is Covid. My DD was terribly unwell last year and I'm terrified to put her at risk again I also don't want to leave them without a mum. Numbers are rising, there is no testing and there are multiple children off in each of their classes. We also live close to an area that has absoloutely exploded in cases this week. I'm completely petrified.
After begging for flexibility and support from the school I've been told their hands are tied. Either send them in or deregister them altogether.
However I'm concerned I'll deregister, then the schools will close anyway and we'll have given up their places at a good school for no reason.
I'm massively struggling at the moment and just really need some advice. Every day I send them in I just feel sick to my stomach.
Please be gentle with me. I don't want schools to close, I just want some flexibility over the winter months.

I’m with Blossom. I know what attendance figures are like but can’t disclose

Is the LA one with high cases?

Anecdotally it seems that attendance is normal at my DC's primary.

I think they will close yes.

I work in one (secondary school admin job) and two years groups have been sent home to isolate (one is due back on Monday).

My kids go to a different secondary school and there two year groups have also been sent home to isolate - but now they have discovered that siblings of children in those years also have symptoms and may have passed them on to children in their own years (they are not disclosing which). So now school is completely closed tomorrow while they sort out what to do, and when the kids go back next week it will be masks for everyone everywhere - in the classrooms and communal areas.

The government didn’t want rotas or to pay for schools to rent larger spaces to enable social distancing, and this is the result.

Attendance is normal at both my schools

Which is why we shouldnt have a nationally led decision at all (by that i mean England)

Attendance normal at our school, in fact both my DD’s classes had a class treat last Friday as they’d had 100% class attendance for the week.

What if someone in Year 10 or 11 tests positive Fallulah? This has just happened in our school. Whole year’s been sent home for 2 weeks.

Same at our secondary.
Year 12 and 13 are all isolating from a local school.
I have heard of a midlands school (Arden Academy, Solihull) has had to close the whole secondary school.

But if some schools remain open and never shut, and some close frequently, then there is no standardising of education.

So when it comes to GCSE and A level, some will know everything and some very little. How will this be addressed in exams. 2 year10 bubbles popped near me, and they’ve hardly started.

I think the Indian summer, has given us a reprieve and a false sense of security.

Today was our first proper cold day, no teaching outside, students mostly ate in the class, even open windows had been closed with students protesting about the cold. One student full of cold and coughing and sneezing.
Suddenly, we are all on top of each other. All at once.

I think the next two weeks will be extremely telling and challenging. And after 2 weeks we will see where we are, but sadly because testing has let us down, it's only on hidden attendance figs isn't it?!

@SoUtterlyGroundDown

Attendance normal at our school, in fact both my DD’s classes had a class treat last Friday as they’d had 100% class attendance for the week.

That’s the final straw for me it really is! Still having attendance awards, which encourage children to go in poorly at the best of times, during a pandemic. And people say we aren’t heading towards another lockdown.

Yep. And all the kids out of school doesnt make it to the figures....

The emoji, they need to get teaching on line.
It can be done, some of schools are just full of excuses. All the students need is a smart phone to watch and talk on the lesson.
There must be a national drive on tech to make sure they all have something to type on. I'm sure we can do it.

Yes, attendance awards during a pandemic, complete madness.

It wasn’t an award and they didn’t know about it in advance (so weren’t working towards it), just on Friday afternoon they were told that as they’d all had a great week and had all been there all week they could watch a TV programme.

The gov needs to put pressure on schools to work out on line teaching now.
Ours had one small briefing and that was it! We managed! It was the best thing all round during lock down. Every day the students were plugged into learning, moving forward, each other.

My own dc in the other hand were letdown.

@Jrobhatch29

I don't think they will close either, sorry. I actually think sending whole bubbles home soon will stop soon and will be limited to close contacts, which I think is meant to happen anyway, but doesn't around me. Unfortunately your only options going forward will be send them in or take them out, you can't keep them off indefinitely. I understand its worrying.

That would be ridiculous. If they are Abu one and can be I. Contact they should isolate. In a secondary school ‘close contacts’ is not really definable as the older ones would be with different people every hour, but for each hour everyone in the room will be exposed to virus as the airborne nature means a classroom gets fully infected really fast. If they don’t close bubbles, they’ll close schools as staff will be ill. Sounds like you don’t much care about that though, as long as you aren’t inconvenienced by bubble closures.

I'm thrilled my dc have been back I really am! Just for the social aspect if nothing else! But the absolute best system in a pandemic is at least some on line learning to thin out packed classrooms and schools.

My dd said its a joke at secondary! They are in a so called bubble of at least 200? Then they all squash together with other hundred strong bubbles at other times and there is no sd possible!!

@deflationexasperation

I think the Indian summer, has given us a reprieve and a false sense of security.

Today was our first proper cold day, no teaching outside, students mostly ate in the class, even open windows had been closed with students protesting about the cold. One student full of cold and coughing and sneezing.
Suddenly, we are all on top of each other. All at once.

I think the next two weeks will be extremely telling and challenging. And after 2 weeks we will see where we are, but sadly because testing has let us down, it's only on hidden attendance figs isn't it?!

They can protest about the cold all they like. My windows will be open. It’s the onLy small mitigation I’m allowed. Mind you, even if they said masks I’d keep windows open. Indoor, poorly ventilated areas are dangerous.

I also do not see this as an indefinite situation..

I see it as a time issue until spring 2021.
There will be some break through at any moment. A vaccine or something about it we can kill quickly.
Or treat quickly.
We are treading water and biding time.

@deflationexasperation

The emoji, they need to get teaching on line. It can be done, some of schools are just full of excuses. All the students need is a smart phone to watch and talk on the lesson. There must be a national drive on tech to make sure they all have something to type on. I'm sure we can do it.

I’m a teacher. My internet connection drops out when I try to zoom with colleagues for meetings. Live lessons would just not happen. There’s nothing I can do about it. ‘Just a smartphone’ is also a bit disingenuous. Many students don’t have one. If they do they need a WiFi robust enough to lInk them and any siblings. They then need a private space so they aren’t interrupted/distracted by siblings’ lessons. And somewhere in that space to put a book to write. It’s not easy. It’s not possible for many. And there’s no evidence live lessons are better than recorded ones.

Cardi the window did get opened, but this was a mild slightly colder day, I've been telling them to wear warm clothes for weeks. Even them arguing about the window puts me at risk with lots of voices all worked up about it directed at me.

Only a few teachers I work with also want Windows open, many want them closed and doors shut.

I really think all teachers must be told, Windows must be opened, as risk assessment and where possible doors must be open..
I'm dreading winter. Also parents need to be contacted to ask for help with warmer clothes.

Cardi we managed with a large cohort, many very disadvantaged pupils and we managed to get most on line and learning.
If your connection drops out, the school should be working now to get lessons recorded.
We used a mix of Google hangouts and Google meet. With some zoom thrown in. Sometimes just work posted but mostly some live contact m

Oh for gods sake as if parents send in ill children so as not to jeopardise the class end of week attendance treat 🙄 seriously get a grip!

@pontypridd

But as a secondary teacher I think we would have to be in real dire straits before we let year 10 or 11 miss even a day

What if someone in Year 10 or 11 tests positive Fallulah? This has just happened in our school. Whole year’s been sent home for 2 weeks.

We’re way down south with virtually no cases in the town thankfully. The small number of students we have isolating probably have colds but can’t get tests, or a family member is unwell and can’t get a test. I don’t actually know the guidance on who goes home and who isolates if we get a positive child - I’ll just keep teaching til told to stop! Even setting work for the isolating kids plus teaching the ones that are in (i.e double the work as you have to change your materials so they work for a child who is trying to learn by themselves) is exhausting.

And my windows and doors are wide open despite it being freezing, the students being allowed to wear their coats and still moaning!

Attendance normal at our school, in fact both my DD’s classes had a class treat last Friday as they’d had 100% class attendance for the week.

Sorry, I know this isn’t the point of the thread but that is absolutely disgusting.

The headteacher needs reporting to the local director of public health.