New Schools guidance - masks for 11+

[PatriciaHolm]

www.gov.uk/guidance/education-and-childcare-settings-new-national-restrictions-from-5-november-2020

Got a bit lost in all the other news today I think- main points being masks for all at secondary in communal areas and ECV staff to work from home.

Schools in my area-masks were optional but only to be worn in communal areas. Now, per guidance, mandatory in communal areas.
They should be mandatory in the classrooms too (as in Scotland), IMO.

@PatriciaHolm

The govt guidance actually refers to "Clinically extremely vulnerable" staff and children.

Yes it does. Which makes sense whereas extremely clinically vulnerable doesn't (the extreme presumably refers to the vulnerable, not the clinical).

Still this is MN and extremely clinically vulnerable sounds much more dramatic than clinically extremely vulnerable.

Well, in my case I just got it wrong! :-) no intention towards the dramatic.

@Clymene

Oh! Not an education related term then.

I think it must be MN specific because the only links I could find were to here and I've always heard it referred to as clinically extremely vulnerable.

You'd better tell the local government association, several unions, bits of the NHS, many Twitter users etc that they're using a MNism, rather than a widely adopted abbreviation version of a central government term

it's an mn thing, not you

@FuckeryOmbudsman - no, that isn't the term. It's clinically extremely vulnerable or just extremely vulnerable.

Fair enough

But the orgs I listed have all adopted it!

Are you sure? I don't like to be a pedant but in 7 pages of google results, I can only find two that use the term 'extremely clinically vulnerable' used. Every other one uses it correctly. The two that get it wrong are the ms society and a little group I've never heard of. The NHS and LGAs say CEV/EV not ECV.

I'm relieved this has been announced. I teach in tier 1 and pupils have not been wearing masks.

Does it matter, Clymene?

Here's an LGA link and a specimen from a union. I'm not going to fling through more as that would get a little tedious

www.local.gov.uk/sites/default/files/documents/200504%20Local%20Authority%20Guidance%20on%20Uncontactables.pdf

www.pcs.org.uk/department-for-transport/news/covid-19-–-return-to-work-letters

@Arosadra

I thought secondary had to wear masks in communal areas anyway? They do in Wales.

No they don’t. It’s a recommendation, not a regulation. My school doesn’t insist and I know of many others who don’t either.

Still this is MN and extremely clinically vulnerable sounds much more dramatic than clinically extremely vulnerable.
It's not that different, most people would see the difference.

Hmm really? Sounds v similar to me and most people would get the gist. Ive seen it used on documents, it is in circulation.

Utterly pointless... Most schools are already doing this.
Why not make them do it in lessons where the real risk of transmission is? Even for 4 weeks? During lock down.. Utterly useless.

We're tier 1 and ours have said from Monday they have to wear everywhere except outdoors.

We are tier one and ds school have not been wearing masks but now will be. Can’t see the point and in fact I think it will result in the spread of more germs (including Covid). Kids constantly taking masks on and off, then touching doors furniture each other etc.. the masks will be filthy, some parents won’t provide clean masks every day. Where is the evidence that this will reduce the incidence of Covid in schools?

It's new that all schools have to but yes, most secondaries were already doing this.

I don't know how many other schools with 11+ year olds were though. I'm in a prep and our Year 7 and 8 were asked to wear them on Monday for the first time in anticipation of this becoming the rule on Thursday. Might be new for middle schools too.

To be honest, I can't see that it will make much difference. It means 1/3 of our children will be wearing masks for maybe 20-30 minutes of their day. That's not much mitigation. More of a PR exercise, I'd say.

My kids have been wearing masks on communal areas for about weeks. School sent out a questionnaire asking what the kids wanted to do. The result was that they wanted to wear them to keep school open

We’ve had this since September and as from Monday, kids only in 4 days and masks all day ☹️

My local secondary have had this policy since they returned in September. One single case since then. The students comply otherwise isolation detention

If this is meant to be happening tomorrow why was the guidance only published late today. Not very easy to expect everyone to comply from tomorrow morning

I expect at some point it will be put down to lack of can do attitude:

www.theguardian.com/education/2020/nov/04/anger-as-english-secondary-schools-given-last-minute-rules-on-face-coverings

The guidance was released very close to or even after the end of the school day.

When is a better time?

The guidance was released very close to or even after the end of the school day

When is a better time?

Several days before. At the very least first thing that day. So people can be prepared.