Greenwich schools closing tomorrow

[Starch1e]

Leader of Greenwich council tweeted an open letter this afternoon asking schools to close from Tuesday. Our school is complying.
I need a meltdown emoji. Work is stupid f*king busy this week for me and DP and I cannot do it with 4 & 7 year old at home

Their rates aren't even that high. I wonder why they are closing?

Well this is what happened last time. It also started off the mass closures as everyone made the Governments decision for them.

It will be even worse in January. People can no longer turn a blind eye to the schools situation. If more had been done, this wouldn’t be necessary.

I think more areas will follow suit.

Schools are majorly struggling, I never thought I would say this but I wish ours would close except to key worker children

This makes no sense. Primary school children hardly spread it, and we've known this since April. If they think older children are spreading it, why on earth are they closing primary schools? What are they doing?

@HalfPastThree

This makes no sense. Primary school children hardly spread it, and we've known this since April. If they think older children are spreading it, why on earth are they closing primary schools? What are they doing?

Really?

Is this even legal? Can a council leader close schools by tweeting a letter?

@HalfPastThree

They will probably get fined

Sensible decision by Greenwich. I really hope other boroughs follow suit as well as other areas outside of London. If all leaders go against Gov then that's such a big message to Gov. Gov should have closed schools ages ago. And no, I don't want schools to close, but unfortunately we have firm evidence now that they are the ones driving the numbers up high and in turn creating difficulties in the NHS in some areas. It won't be long before the NHS is overwhelmed.

I agree @Char2015

@HalfPastThree

This makes no sense. Primary school children hardly spread it, and we've known this since April. If they think older children are spreading it, why on earth are they closing primary schools? What are they doing?

Are you joking?

Primary school teacher here. We are on our knees. Probably not as much as the poor bloody secondary down the road but anyone who says primary-aged children don't get it or spread it are welcome to spend the day in our school.

We are on the bones of our arses staff-wise and it's getting to the point where it's not safe as there are simply not enough staff. That's why primaries are having to close.

If that was possible, I think most councils would be doing it. I think they'll be stopped.

This makes no sense. Primary school children hardly spread it, and we've known this since April. If they think older children are spreading it, why on earth are they closing primary schools? What are they doing?

Disagree I am currently two weeks in from contracting covid from my primary school. I tested positive 9 days after first positive case in my class. Another 4 pupils tested positive between us.

Think yourself lucky, I’m in Greenwich as well but my children have been off for 4 weeks with back to back isolations so we’ve already been off for 4 weeks, if it’s just four days for you then count yourself lucky!

Are school has confirmed tomorrow will be the last day so yes it is possible.

It will be even worse in January. People can no longer turn a blind eye to the schools situation. If more had been done, this wouldn’t be necessary.

Yes this

I hear you! Mine were due back this week now they’ve reduced the 14 days of self isolation to 10. The school won’t allow them back, which directly contradicts the gov advice that came out on Thursday. You can’t have people making up their own rules all over the place!

@OverTheRainbow88

I think more areas will follow suit.

Schools are majorly struggling, I never thought I would say this but I wish ours would close except to key worker children

I disagree with the key worker comment. When we were in lockdown and everything was closed made sense for key worker kids to carry on. But nowadays with 90% of the people being able to work Why only keep the kids from some and not others.

How are they going to force schools to stay open if they can't staff it?

This is the official announcement

www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk/news/article/1753/statement_on_school_closures

It suggests that the decision was made in conjunction with PHE

(Not sure if relevant - it's a borough with a large Labour majority)

Well there’s nothing like last minute, is there?

@Givemeabreak88

Think yourself lucky, I’m in Greenwich as well but my children have been off for 4 weeks with back to back isolations so we’ve already been off for 4 weeks, if it’s just four days for you then count yourself lucky!

I wonder if our kids are in the same class-exactly the same with my child!

Greenwich schools are closing bubbles all over the place with pupils and teachers testing positive and the rates are really high in the 0-19 range.

They have taken advice from PHE and I think they have made a sensible decision. It's only for a few days as they will be in school on Monday and were due to close this week.

Nightmare for working parents. Whether it needed to be done or not it shouldn’t have been done with this short notice. Unfair on everybody.

Well there’s nothing like last minute, is there?

If they had watched what has been happening In Tier 3 areas since September there would have been no last minute about it. It’s been horrendous here for months.

@mincefuckinpies

Nightmare for working parents. Whether it needed to be done or not it shouldn’t have been done with this short notice. Unfair on everybody.

When lives are at stake notice periods go out the window. 24 hours notice has still got to be better than no notice. I would say Greenwich have been very fair. They could have waited until tomorrow after the weekend. But it sounds like they've made a decision and informed everyone concerned straight away.