What would you do to keep the schools open (or wouldn't you)?

[WhatWillSantaBring]

Just that really - what changes do you think schools, LEAs, and the government could bring in to keep the schools open? Practical stuff, such as would you make the children wear masks all day? Reduce class sizes to 15 to a room (fuck knows how, but that's part of the question!)? What else?

And what would you do, if you were the cabinet of the magically elected new national government? After the NHS, essential supplies (food, water, energy etc) what would you prioritise to keep open? Would you put schools over the hospitality industry? Put the whole country on total lockdown over Christmas to put a break on infections, if that meant keeping schools open? Shut universities but close primaries (or some other combination).

Or do you think we should close schools first to slow the spread?

We all know we could do a better job than this shit-show of a government, so let's hear your manifesto!

@Beebeeboo2

toomanypillows combining classes at at a time when everyone wants to half them?! 😱

This is how schools are working, despite what the happy staff on the doors every morning may say.

We have COVID in the secondaries here and a lot of the primaries. Thankfully our school has been ok, still so many absences and people awaiting tests though. There is no bubble unbroken where staff have had to cover or chip in. It’s not sustainable.

Part time learning, classes in two bubbles instead of one, either week on week off or morning and afternoons. I really don’t want schools to close. Another idea would be to let parents decide, if you want your kids at home great less contact for the rest of us!

I would shut basically everything else (pubs, cafes, restaurants, gyms) before I shut schools. (I should say though I think a second lockdown needs to be avoided if possible).

I do however think they should have flipped the holidays. 6 weeks winter holiday. Make summer holidays 4 weeks (August). Push GCSEs and a levels back a month.

Masks in schools - in lessons, not just corridors. Transmission largely airborne.
Choice - let those who wish to homeschool for 6 months do so without losing school place
Outdoors as much as possible
Focus on health, fitness & wellbeing - ridiculous amount of testing going on in schools now, give them a break!!

@mac12

Masks in schools - in lessons, not just corridors. Transmission largely airborne. Choice - let those who wish to homeschool for 6 months do so without losing school place Outdoors as much as possible Focus on health, fitness & wellbeing - ridiculous amount of testing going on in schools now, give them a break!!

The tests Y11 and Y13 students are doing now are likely to be the best data on which their grades will end up being calculated - so tbh I would expect and am happy with a high level of testing at the moment.

@cantkeepawayforever sorry I was referring to primary - I know teachers want to know where they are after so long out but it just feels like piling on pressure when there’s so much more goi g on in their worlds right now.
I agree years11&12 need to be thinking ahead. Young people have been treated so badly through all of this

@ragged

There are Not enough inspectors to become 2x as many qualified teachers needed if class sizes were 15.

I would like to reduce the manic keep windows open at all times policies, but otherwise think most policies are workable as is.

Jesus. ‘Manic keep windows open at all times policies’. Jesus fucking Christ. We know this virus is most dangerous in busy, indoor, poorly ventilated spaces. Not onLy are you happy to cram 30 pupils and at least one adult into a room where nobody is 2m from anyone and most are actually touching someone else, but you want to shut the windows too. Fucking Jesus Christ. I’m on the point of resigning. Shut windows is my line in the sand. Try to make me do this with no ventilation and I’m gone. 32 years’ experience, excellent results. I feel like some people actively dislike teenagers and teachers.

@beebeeboo2
Yes combining the classes. They are in the same "bubble" so within the guidelines. Although as we have so many students off, it's not necessarily doubling the size. But the problem is teaching two different classes in the same room, when they are learning different things or are at different stages in the curriculum and they are often set depending on behaviour, need and ability.

To answer the OP I would go part time

For schools I would keep classes of 30, many junior classes take more than 30. I would not allow any movement this academic year into a class once it is a size of 30 what do you think this will do, @Cloudburstagain ?
30 means pupils actually touching. It means stuffy rooms you can’t properly ventilate. 15 would be better but still not 2m distancing.
If we don’t need 2m distancing in the classroom, why would we need it elsewhere? If that’s safe, we can just go back to normal. No need for distancing or masks or any kind of mitigation. Hooray!

A call to arms to prioritise education...nightingale style schools utilising church halls, closed offices, conference centres etc. Blended home learning where necessary- all kids having some contact time in school or on school grounds if they are not shielding or quarantining. Access to tests so kids with a cold are not penalised.
Private sector schools helping out if they can.

Universities are trickier - I almost feel you need to throw things totally up in the air send them home- register to closest geographical uni to parents and live back at home with a mix of blended learning where appropriate.

can't 3/4 of my year 11 and very many of my year 13 DC cohort are self isolating. They can't keep enough kids in school long enough to test them.

@cptartapp

can't 3/4 of my year 11 and very many of my year 13 DC cohort are self isolating. They can't keep enough kids in school long enough to test them.

I know.

The point I was making was that anyone complaining about testing should be careful what they wish for - it currently seems extremely likely that DD's A-level results will be determined by her work between September and mid-March of Y12, which did not include any formal exams.

Ds has started doing tests, yr11 I know how needed they are and he’s lucky to have had a clear run up to them.

Have a 2 weeks Oct half term and ask people to try not travel during half term, so this can be a mini brake, then maybe school can last to Christmas for another brake.

It would be great if secondary school children can have a smaller bubble based on one class rather than whole year group.

Open the class room window.

It would be great if secondary school children can have a smaller bubble based on one class rather than whole year group.

Even a small amount of thought would show that this is not possible in Y10-13, due to different combinations of subjects.

DD is the only person in her school doing her combination of A-level subjects. Does she have a class of 1 for all her subjects as a result?? Or does she have to do Art in the corner of a classroom in which the rest of this 'one class' you envisage does chemistry, while a few others do geography and others do English?? How are teachers allocated?

Y7, yes - though even then, setting for some subjects may make it difficult,. Y8 and 9 possible, though again setting is an issue. Y10 onwards - no.

The Conservatives had months to arrange extra space and to hire more teachers but they didn't because their kids go to private schools.

So, given where we are, i would have weekly testing for all pupils and staff and use the extra space in private and grammar schools to "thin out" the state sector classes.
I would also double or even treble the amount of outdoor PE, this would free up staff and classrooms.

Also a narrowed down curriculum, given the situation, we cannot teach all subjects, so we need to focus on what can be taught properly and what can't.

all this should have been sorted months ago.

We should follow the French for primaries. In primaries they just send the individual child home if they test positive and not the whole bubble.

The French education minister insists young kids don’t spread covid but Boris has already admitted that they do.

It takes years to make a teacher; you can't just magic them up out of the pool of bored thespians.

As a secondary school teacher it would be great to be able to send home students who can not behave and follow the rules. Rather than having to use positive behavior management to keep them in classes as they can't be removed anywhere as it breaks the bubbles.

Rapid testing...if it being rolled out in other why the hell haven’t we got it??

Online learning doesn’t work, my children were burnt out and lacked the spark and education socialising brings at the end of lockdown. The damage is not just to their education (which can be caught up) but to their mental health (which can’t). Being locked in a room staring at a screen for 6 hours is not ok for school children.

The French education minister insists young kids don’t spread covid but Boris has already admitted that they do.

I assume you don't mean that Johnson is someone we should believe. I am very happy to ignore his opinion on scientific matters.

It means, noteven that Johnson will find it very difficult to follow France down that route after admitting it will put teachers at more risk.

As a secondary school teacher it would be great to be able to send home students who can not behave and follow the rules.

When I was in school in France you just got sent to a terrifying person whose sole job was discipline. Teachers didn't involve themselves at all. I always wondered why we didn't do that.

It means, noteven that Johnson will find it very difficult to follow France down that route after admitting it will put teachers at more risk

He often says nonsense. Surely he can just backtrack again.