Home learning at the end of term or face isolating over Christmas

[urbanmist]

Schools are clearly driving the pandemic. Unless schools switch to home learning for the last week of term, many families will have all hope of ‘saving Christmas’ ruined. Children sent home to isolate in the last week will have to isolate on Christmas Day. Being in school is clearly the best for them, but at the expense of a ‘normal’ Christmas (if the rumours of a few day let up are true)?

I'm a teacher. Seen my parents once since March. Really miss them but can't go see them as I don't want them to risk catching it from me or the kids :(

55% of schools had some closure to year 11 since September.

Apologies, 48%. Still half of schools impacted.

If you don't think it's spreading in schools, look at todays stats and the half term dip.

@Louisianna16 that story just indicates that most people have been to the supermarket at some point before they tested positive, hardly surprising. Ìt doesn't show that they're catching it there. And in the same report, secondary schools - which most people have NOT been to - and kids are not allowed to have the app anyway- are the second most common location.

Well isolating at Christmas is hardly an issue as most people spend Christmas at home anyway!
Children must stay at school 2 weeks school holiday can be isolating if needed.
Let's face it Christmas for children will be fine Santa will still come, they still open presents have Christmas lunch, play games, play with new toys watch TV , go for socially distance walk. What else will they be doing?
Stop trying to take away school!

[quote ForthPlace]Qasd

just to remember though it’s not “home learning” since the U.K. states sector doesn’t really do that. It’s maybe do a few twinkl worksheets

Not any longer. In March the government suspended the curriculum. This isn't the case now and expectations of remote ed. have increased.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/remote-education-good-practice/remote-education-good-practice[/quote]
IIRR from another thread qasd wants live teaching.
Unfortunately for such people, the new guidelines still don't insist on this.

We don't do live lessons and never had. We did, and do, however provide a full compressive curriculum during school bubble closures and for those self isolating. We use pre recorded lessons which are interactive, accompanied by activities, worksheets, etc.

Live lessons are NOT suitable for all schools, all catchments, all pupils.
At my own school they aren't wanted by the parents either.

Half of schools maybe impacted but that doesn't mean the schools are spreading the infections more than anything else. Also latest figures are 6.7% of school children isolating, meaning up to 93.3% are in school learning (though there are obviously additional absences for other reasons). Some areas are much more affected than others, there is no doubt.
My children will not be missing school unless they are told to.

@gremlinpoop actually if kids get caught up in a case at the end of term and get sent home to isolate then NO they won't be able to go for a walk, or see any relatives outdoors, or leave the home at all over Christmas.This is what the OP is saying, the risk of bubbles bursting in the last week of term, it's not necessarily about.not seeing granny, it's about not being able to do anything.

Given how many are still out shopping for non essentials, having playdates etc whilst we are in actual lockdown I’m not sure why they would stay home for two weeks at Christmas.

Our local MAT has put letters out to parents of all the schools asking for a vote about finishing on the 11th or not. I was shocked that they’d ask tbh.

Going by the local FB page I think most will be saying yes (choices were finish early with no work set, not finish early, finish early with home schooling work set)

@Redlocks30

makes me wonder who you expect to have the 'keyworker kids' so you can teach from home. Would it be the TAs by any chance?

It would be our Teachers, on a rota, just like it was throughout March-May, before we were all back full time as normal in June.

Our TAs didn’t come in at all.

Huh, interesting. Our TAs were on rota with the teachers. Anyway, I can't see closing schools so people can isolate working very well. Someone will still have to work with the keyworker kids and parents may end up having to isolate for Christmas if their asymptomatic kid passes it to them on day 14 (as mentioned by a PP). And are people really going to strictly isolate over the weeks leading to Christmas anyway?

Interesting idea to close schools after Christmas. That could possibly be helpful considering the potential carnage of children returning to school after all the Christmas mingling. I still don't think the government will do it. I think at most they'll allow parents to take kids out early. The poor teachers will just have to lump it.

Aragog - yes, the guidance is about ensuring a curriculum ( not expected in March) and making sure of key learning strategies such as feedback between pupil and teacher. Government guidance doesn't insist on how this is delivered as it has to be appropriately adapted by schools to meet the needs of the whole community.
I have schools in areas with internet connection for instance. Some families have little access to devises, but some do. Schools are having to make an offer that best matches the needs of everyone, that can't always be every individual.