DS school is mixing his pods - I need to complain don’t I?

[SummerCherry]

DS is in a slightly unusual primary school in that he is in a special unit for children with SN, but attached to a mainstream school. In previous years there is integration, where the children who are able to, spend one or two lessons in a mainstream class.

I had assumed that this wouldn’t happen this year, as it means mixing for smaller pods. Also, one of the reasons I felt a bit better about DS going to school is that he is in a small class of 10, even though they all take school transport.

Also the teachers only wear visors, instead of masks, and don’t seem to understand that this doesn’t really protect them or the children.

I just got a note in his book last Friday that they were going to do integration with the mainstream (class of 30) from next Monday and that they were all very excited about it.

My heart sank, so now DS will also be in a class with 30. I think I need to write to the school and raise this as an issue don’t I?

Are you in the UK?

I realise that this will have him mixing with more children, but not sure what you will be complaining about? Many primary schools have year groups bubbles, and this just sounds similar. Is there something specific to his SEN that makes this more risky than for a mainstream child?

If in the uk, the school can put the entire year group in a bubble so a size of 30 is pretty small because in mainstream 150 to 300 is usual.

Ultimately I doubt there is much you can do if the school disagrees with you as long as they are following the official guidance.

Staff wear visors because for many it is easier than a mask which you have to constantly put on and off if you circulate the room etc. My school provides visors but not masks

I think this comes entirely under the rules. Bubbles are year groups so a class of thirty is still far fewer kids than most are exposed to.

As a primary school, assuming it is, the kids will cross bubbles no matter what. Walking back and forth to the toilets. Walking down the corridor etc. In affect the whole primary school is its own bubble!

My daughter is in a bubble with her class of 30 - but she is allowed to mix with the other class of 30 in her year, therefore forming a bigger bubble outside the class. School guidance is that same year groups are allowed to mix. If your son's small pod group is in the same year group as the class of 30, then they are adhering to guidance. If not, then there is an issue in that they are going against guidance.

You can mix bubbles to allow 'the normal progression of education' or words to that effect.

Our bubbles consist of 2 year groups each and even then they're very 'leaky' due to extra curriculars and wrap around care.

It sounds like you've had a very well contained experience so far. It isn't like that in most schools.

I'm honestly not sure what's better - relative normality with a higher chance of more frequent isolations or a very restrictive but safer system.

Mine has a bubble of her class but also a larger bubble of the year as a three form entry school around 90 kids. Unless your son was previously shielding it shouldn't be a problem

I think there is room for manoeuvre as all the siblings in all various years go home every night and share a household

That's all completely above board. Many schools aren't allowing staff to wear visors or masks (which I think is appalling, as the people making this decision aren't usually even the headteacher who has a private office, they are managers who are working from home!)

Yabu. They can't keep ten children compl

Whoops....

completely separate from the rest of their peers. It won't be good for their progress. Is it not a part of the aim of the unit that the children spend time integrating and in mainstream lessons?

I've been in to about ten schools since they went back and teachers have not been wearing masks in any of them. Or visors. Quite honestly, in school everything is pretty much as it was before.

My dc (secondary) is in a bubble of 500 but she is still doing lessons with dc from the other bubble in her year group. The dc from the same bubble have to sit next to each other.

The risk assessment is about mitigating risk. Some bubbles are several hundreds of children. We have 30 but sometimes there are occasions where they are in smaller groups outside this bubble but 2 meters apart.

Speak to school if you are worried but bubbles vary.

Please don't complain about this. If you aren't happy with him being at school then you need to remove him. The guidance for schools is just that, guidance. I have several teacher friends and some are doing school bubbles, some year bubbles. There are lots of ways to do things.

Remember it only takes 1 person to infect. That 1 person could be in his class of 10.

Why would you complain about that? My DS is in a class of 31 and the teachers don't wear masks, I have no issue with this.

There’s nothing for you to complain about. This isn’t an issue

I’m really surprised that so many schools think that whole year’s are OK as a ‘bubble’. Guidelines are one thing, but the risk is unnecessary.

Of course it takes one person to infect. It could be his class of 10. Then from next week that one person will potentially infect a class of 30 too. For what? For something that can easily be delayed a few months with no harm to the child or their education.

So why take a risk when it’s not vital to his education over the next year? It’s obviously bigger risk the bigger the ‘bubble’. So why increase the bubble?

DD1's special school has key stage bubbles, and they consider the whole school to be a bubble also, so 300 children.

Only previously shielding staff wear visors in our school. Government guidance is to keep bubbles separate where possible, even if this is not possible all of the time, some separation is better than none. Schools should also be providing a broad and balanced, challenging curriculum for all children.
We are a small primary with an intake of 30, we ‘double bubble’ outside for playground supervision purposes, otherwise staff would never get a break!
If the school has included the integration plan in the risk assessment and decided it is safe enough to do, I don’t think complaining will get you anywhere.

@Waxonwaxoff0

Why would you complain about that? My DS is in a class of 31 and the teachers don't wear masks, I have no issue with this.

Is everyone really just putting their heads in the sand?

It is one thing to put our kids back into education. I want my child to go to school. However I do understand that there is a pandemic and I want the risk to be minimized as much as possible. Every action can count not just to protect my child, but to protect the teachers, the other children, and their families and grandparents.

Indoor aerosol transmission is the biggest driver in Covid19, especially for long periods. Visors have little or no effect. Indoor classrooms are an area of risk. That’s just how it is. Why not minimize this as much as we can?

My DCs are also in all-year bubbles, so 60 kids. I'm happy with that as it means they have more opportunities to do some activities as they would have done on normal times, and they can see their friends who happen to be in the other class.

I think it is low risk, as there is no evidence at all at this stage of mass transmission or 'super spreaders' among primary aged children. It sounds as if the benefit of integration is far higher than the risk of spreading covid (which anyway is extremely low risk for children) so their risk assessment is appropriate.

I'm hoping the bubble thing will disappear once it is supported that there are no mass transmission events among primary aged children. And there will be no need to send home the whole class for every positive case. But I guess its a matter of wait and see.

Only previously shielding staff wear visors in our school I am actually pretty horrified that a shielding person, is sent into a school with only a visor. That is an unacceptable level of risk and it is so easy to avoid. A mask would offer so much more protection. And so would a well ventilated classroom with as few children as possible.

DD2 is in a sixth form bubble of about 180 in her school. Her school part of a consortium with 4 other schools, the sixth formers cross between sites across the week. There is a bus which runs at lunch times taking the kids from one site to another, they’ve nicknamed it the Covid bus!
Your school bubble sounds much smaller in comparison.