Schools after Christmas

[pontypridd]

How long are they likely to stay open after the 5 day free for all?

Over Christmas children in families in the highest tier should only be mixing in Christmas bubbles involving up to two other households for up to five days, plus possibly seeing one other person outside if they’re old enough to do that. During term time they are in “bubbles” of 30 to several hundred. My children have far far more social contact during term time than in the holidays, especially if in higher tiers soft play, cinemas, restaurants etc are closed. Even allowing for some rule breaking, surely if children are really mainly catching and passing it on at school then children should be less at risk of having covid on the first day of spring term than they were the last day of autumn term? I’m concerned about children giving it to grandparents and a spike in older adult cases in January, I don’t understand why there would be more cases in children than there will be in December.

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/breaking-greater-manchester-schools-forced-19334595

Yes as another poster stated Manchester have had to do a u turn despite many of their schools being on their knees in terms of staffing and children/teachers isolating. Ridiculous.

It depends on the area and number of cases, surely? We’re not struggling to stay open now - my school has only had three cases in students. Which has triggered some students having to self-isolate, but all have returned without any symptoms while off. No staff cases since a handful in March. So there really is no need for us to close anytime soon. Of course Christmas could have a huge impact, so we shall see.

But I do think they need to in order to protect teachers and support staff. It's simply not fair to put them in such obvious danger after parents are done with their big family gatherings.
Thank you @Stellaris22 I don’t think they will close schools, certainly not primary, and I wouldn’t mind if I wasn’t having to live with my elderly parents at the mo, but the fact that someone, somewhere, has considered this strangely means a lot.

One in 5 Secondary pupils are already off school due to COVID.
Pupils have been sent home in half of schools.
I think k many schools will not be open after Xmas as they are not Covid safe.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/education

We are sticking to our original
Plan of just our four and my adult ds and his partner.

No grandparents from either side together at ours with everyone on Xmas day at all.

And only seeing them individually for a shortish period of time on a day either side.

I really think shoving everyone together under one roof with the heating on and no ventilation is a bloody disaster to be honest but I can also see why a lot of people will be fed up by then so will mix anyway.

My bus is mess has lost 5 months of revenue out of 12 this year so is already hanging on by a thread
My concern after the festivities will be schools closing or the dc having to isolate because that will potentially finish the business off entirely

Means a lot to me too as my Dad is at risk.

The government dont really give a thought for teachers and pupils. I'm dreading January as a teacher. During this current lockdown we have had 13 cases in school. Since September 4 out of my 6 classes have had positive cases leaving me with an average of 4 pupils whilst the rest isolate at home. Today I had 4 pupils in the room with me and kept checking teams incase others were messaging me . I feel nothing but contempt for the handling of schools. I'm really concerned. The government want schools open but offer no funding or support.

A disaster waiting to happen.

Schools here (West Mids) are on their knees already.
But for those with none or few cases, it seems hard to comprehend - you may even be blasé about it - even though many of us are sharing this stark reality on here.

@Smallwhiterat think about secondary students, many of whom will definitely socialise with lots of others over Christmas.

And families travelling miles to see cousins etc, new strands of virus introduced.

@flumposie

The government dont really give a thought for teachers and pupils. I'm dreading January as a teacher. During this current lockdown we have had 13 cases in school. Since September 4 out of my 6 classes have had positive cases leaving me with an average of 4 pupils whilst the rest isolate at home. Today I had 4 pupils in the room with me and kept checking teams incase others were messaging me . I feel nothing but contempt for the handling of schools. I'm really concerned. The government want schools open but offer no funding or support.

Agree. It’s disgusting how education has been handled throughout this. Schools will be open, no one in them but hey, the doors are not locked so technically they can be called “open”. Appalling.

It was on the news tonight that half a million laptops are going to be sent to schools for pupils isolating. They’ve had 8 fucking months to sort this. And GCSE’s are “going ahead as normal” (oh apart from being 3 weeks later and a few practicals left out).

You couldn’t make it up.

It really is a disaster waiting to happen, isn't it.

At the moment schools jump out at me as being the most affected by this Christmas nonsense. There must be other things too - but I can see schools suffering the most. They are going to suffer in so many ways.

In the schools locally to me that have closed it has happened during lockdown and it’s happened fast, one day no cases ever so far and then one or two cases and in less than a week so many cases and staff isolating that its impossible to open safely. Then no children attending school, vulnerable or not, and key workers not working as staying home with children. This is worse than the fist lockdown imo

Apparently one of the unions has a petition asking for schools to revert to online learning for the last week of term before Christmas. The idea being that it will mean less spread over Christmas and pupils and staff will be more able to see their family safely. Not heard how it's going though.

I doubt schools will close enmasse no matter how bad infection rates get.

My school was hit hard just before half term both for staff and students with a third of staff off at one point.

This term we have had only a few isolated cases because most of the staff have already had it.

Schools struggling at the moment may find it easier after Christmas for similar reasons.

Schools that have had few cases may be hit hard though. There is still no mass testing or additional steps taken when outbreaks occur.

Definetely feels like herd immunity is the thinking in schools. No wonder school staff are not on the vaccine list

my dc school (secondary) is already sending whole years home due to lack of staff. Y8 were all off last week (DS) and yesterday they announced all Y9 and Y10(DD) would be off from today until Dec 7th, again due to lack of staff. It will undoubtedly be worse in January so I am not holding out much hope for dc to be at school much for at least the first half next term.

My big concern is that all those students who are supposed to be isolating over Christmas due to a school contact in the last week of term won't and so there will be lots more cases in older age groups January. Our cases at school went down after half-term (we were tier 3) so I'm hopeful for a lull in school cases for a couple of weeks, hopefully no y13s off as my BTEC students have real exams in January (not mocks) - it is unclear what happens if they miss exams due to self isolation

We have had one period of isolation for 2 out of 3 dc. So not too bad. But I have noticed that my year 12 dd has had a large number of lessons with online work set as no teacher available. At least 4 teachers in the last week or so.

Yeah my year 12 dd has an exam in January too @Flagsfiend. I hadn't thought of that.

My big concern is that all those students who are supposed to be isolating over Christmas due to a school contact in the last week of term won't and so there will be lots more cases in older age groups January.

That's the big concern here too. There have been a couple of reports of our secondary students being out and about when they should be isolating, meeting mates and going to each others houses. This is going to be so much worse during the Christmas holidays, and I can only imagine the fall out in January.

@PheasantPlucker1
Staffing at my school has got so bad were not allowed time off to self isolate anymore. Unless we personally have a positive test, its work as usual.
That is illegal and breaches all guidance. You need to be contacting your LA and your Union. If you just go along with it, you’re risking people’s health.

If people really want schools to remain totally open, then that has to be part of the decision over mixing at xmas. Firstly do you mix with elderly/vulnerable, then how much do you want/need your children in school.

We have 26 staff off at the moment (primary). Some staff aren't getting a break, they're covering for MDSs and having to grab a bite of their sandwich between helping children/wiping tables. There's real tension in the school at the moment over the spread and doing our best to keep the school open. About half of staff are wearing visors or masks now around children without permission - too many for the Head to take the risk of what will happen if they're banned.

I’m sympathetic to both sides.

I have to support the keeping schools open, though. Changing term dates with three weeks notice at this time of year is a nightmare for working parents and disproportionately impacts on the lower paid and those in unstable jobs.

If people really want schools to remain totally open, then that has to be part of the decision over mixing at xmas. Firstly do you mix with elderly/vulnerable, then how much do you want/need your children in school.

I very very much doubt elderly/vulnerable people will be infecting children, it's the other way round. Me meeting my parents over Christmas isn't increasing the risk that schools will shut the risk would be to my parents. Yes in some instances you'll get lots of different children mixing which could increase the risk but don't blame elderly/vulnerable people please.

@Christmasfairy2020

What 5 day free are u talking about. Predicted tier 3 over here

My understanding was the 5 days was open to all tiers? Not that I think its a good idea in any tier tbh. If its not safe on the 20th Dec to mix then surely its not safe on the 25th either