Schools in England closing earlier to pupils (17th December)

[RaeburnPlace]

DfE announcement today...last minute. Thought families might appreciate knowing.

Do you have a link at all please?

Do you have a link?

Nothing on BBC, DfE Facebook page or their Twitter. Has this been made public?

We are in wales and our were always finishing on 18th (primary) and secondary have inset day so finishing on 17th. These dates were announced months ago so was always the plan.

Just read they are saying schools can do an inset day on 18th if they want so doesn't mean all schools will finish early. My children's school ends 18th at 2pm anyway.

Found this in the Metro. Govt have announced that schools can have an 'inset day' on 18th Dec ie no children in.

metro.co.uk/2020/12/08/government-u-turn-as-schools-allowed-to-break-up-one-day-earlier-for-christmas-13720599/

Can't muster up much relief about this tbh.

Our school is open to the 22nd so not sure how this helps.

www.expressandstar.com/news/uk-news/2020/12/08/schools-can-take-inset-day-next-week-to-give-staff-a-break-from-contact-tracing/

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.thestar.co.uk/education/sheffield-schools-allowed-close-day-early-christmas-government-confirms-3061399%3famp

Just found these which were posted this afternoon.

Ds breaks up Friday anyway so maybe he will break up Thursday then by the looks of it.

If it's an Inset day, I guess teachers will be able to have their inset day at home online?

It is sort of magic how covid will stop transmitting at midnight just four days later when people start travelling for Xmas.

I bet it’s because heads were refusing to work Christmas Day as Test and Trace so those heads can now declare INSET and they’ll get the backlash from parents about it being last minute not the DfE.

DfE useless as ever.

StoicWalrus are you in Scotland?

Where is this announcement?

I've seen a letter to heads, received today, "suggesting" that schools consider moving the end of term to 18th to allow any contact tracing to be done before the bank holidays, but that would involve going back earlier than planned, they're not giving schools extra days. In fact they make it very clear this must not affect teaching time.

They've also suggested 18th as a training day but again, schools would need to organise a training day, and sacrifice one of their planned training days, not just close.

Meh, DD is due to break up 18th anyway and what use is a 'clear 6 days' when the self isolation period is 10-14 days dependent on reason for isolation?

Schools have always been permitted to use inset days at the end of term anyway - I'm not sure what that actually adds. DD and DS' s schools are already finishing earlier in that week. Unless the guidance will allow schools to have an extra inset day for this, this doesn't change anything I don't think - and that Metro article suggests not.

@christinarossetti19

StoicWalrus are you in Scotland?

No, in England. Not entirely sure why it's going so late!

But but but they said schools wouldn't close early, is this the thin edge of the wedge? I suppose the shock would have been if nothing changed.

The DfE had already overruled a school who had moved 2 INSET days to the last week of term so this is them backtracking on that.

Yes, the statement is about T&T.

StoicWalrus wow, that is late esp after a weekend.

ancientgran they're saying that it's to give heads a clear break from T&T ie they were refusing to work Xmas day (fair enough of them...)

Anything, anything but acknowledge that schools are on their knees with covid cases and related SI.

We break up at lunchtime on the 18th anyway?

Just heard this on Radio 4 driving home. Sounded like it would be an additional inset day. Can't see anything on the BBC news yet though.

@RaeburnPlace

From the daily update

It's not an announcement and it's not an instruction.

Schools who had planned to finish later will have to make the days up elsewhere. If they use an inset they have to sacrifice on they'd planned.