Do we think England extend a new year lockdown to schools like Scotland?

Aponcetasticchristmastoall · 2020-12-19T22:16:51+00:00

I wondered what everyone’s take was on this... I know secondary school and now not going back until 11th of Jan bus Scotland are saying the 18th at the earliest... Do we think England will follow suit?

Angel2702 · 19/12/2020 22:19

Is that not because Scotland school’s largely finish later than England? Most of ours finished Thursday, whereas lots I know in Scotland were due to finish 23rd.

Drivingho · 19/12/2020 22:22

I actually think they might have to in the tier 4 areas if it is genuinely spreading as fast as they say.
Previously I was certain they would keep them open at all costs but I’m not ruling it out now.

Original poster

Aponcetasticchristmastoall · 19/12/2020 22:22

I didn’t think of it like that as while we are in England our Scottish family’s school finished the same time.

Maybe though...

OP posts:

JamMakingWannaBe · 19/12/2020 22:34

I'm in Scotland. DC we're due back on 6th. From what I understand, they are not due back until 11th and will have online learning that week with kids going back to the school classroom from 18th. Early days though and that might all change - rumours are kids will be off until February half term or even Easter!

DirtyDancing · 19/12/2020 22:35

It is all going to depend on the rates. If it keeps growing exponentially then I would imagine they will have no choice but to keep schools shut, until it levels off.

Peppafrig · 19/12/2020 22:36

Rumors are circulating that this could go on to Easter among School teacher friends .

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 19/12/2020 22:38

Applying logic... The next step is secondary closures then Primary closures if all else fails.

Fingers crossed for the current yr11 they cancel GCSE and a level exams soon.

Woollyslippers · 19/12/2020 22:39

I can’t believe our (Scottish) kids are going into school next week. For God sake why??? Just give extra time to kids and teachers, the latter must be frazzled

RevIMJolly · 19/12/2020 22:47

Our DS private secondary in England is doing a phased return, the kids are not going to be onsite until the 11th even though they will start homeschooling earlier. And I suspect that they will push that date back.

Not heard anything from my DS 2’s prep but would not be surprised if it goes the same way.

I think state schools will resist as far as possible but may go the same way.

Peppafrig · 19/12/2020 22:49

@Woollyslippers mine won’t be going in. We have already been told by the school no school bags next week and the kids won’t leave their classrooms. They are having playing time inside the classroom and lunch to be eaten in the classroom.

3littlewords · 19/12/2020 22:53

@JamMakingWannaBe

I'm in Scotland. DC we're due back on 6th. From what I understand, they are not due back until 11th and will have online learning that week with kids going back to the school classroom from 18th. Early days though and that might all change - rumours are kids will be off until February half term or even Easter!

Are your dc primary or secondary age?

3littlewords · 19/12/2020 22:55

[quote Peppafrig]@Woollyslippers mine won’t be going in. We have already been told by the school no school bags next week and the kids won’t leave their classrooms. They are having playing time inside the classroom and lunch to be eaten in the classroom.[/quote]
Apart from the leave the classroom for playtime this is what's been happening in my dc primary since September!

celtiethree · 19/12/2020 23:04

Our local high school (Scotland) is open next week but pupils will not move around the school. Lessons will be on google classroom so pupils can stay at home and pick up there lessons there if they want to. I imagine the school will be pretty empty.

AlaskaThunderfuckHiiiiiiiii · 19/12/2020 23:08

In my area schools broke up on Friday there. No cases in my children’s school since they went back in August. Just moved to level 1 to now be told we will be level 4. I work in community nursing and we get hospital number updates each week, 5 in with suspected and 0 in ITU, cannot work out the rationale at the moment. Only silver lining is my kids will be able to go back on the 4th as planned but don’t know how other working parents will manage especially if still working/not furloughed this time but not in the key worker category

FrazzledChip · 19/12/2020 23:12

If this variant is as easily caught as they are saying then yes they'll have to keep schools shut. Where else are you packed in like sardines with no PPE and very little by way of ventilation? And did you see Boris' hesitation with the first question, from the previously shielding person in a tier 4 area? Shielded teachers, in fact lots of teachers who are already on their knees are going to get signed off in the new year. It will happen - they've dragged themselves so far but no further.

Of course, they could just be talking up this new strain to make sure that people listen and follow the guidance. It's convenient it hits the headlines a week before they effectively cancel Christmas and will provide them with the perfect scapegoat. Either way, hospitals are always stretched at this time of year and even a few Covid cases are likely to push some of them to breaking point so we all need to do as much as we can.

This testing in schools thing is an illusion. The tests are only 50% accurate even when done properly, which they won't be. We've already been told there's only enough tests for KS4 (predictable) but obviously Joe Public thinks that all the kids were going to be tested (wasn't that the whole point of having them work at home?). It's all about buying more time, to see how the NHS is coping and whether they need to keep schools shut. DfE are paying thousands in overtime trying to work through all the possible options. Some of which will involve masks in classrooms, rotas and online learning for all. Things are unlikely to be as 'normal' as they were before Christmas.

MrsChristmasHamlet · 19/12/2020 23:17

Whatever is decided, it will be left until the last minute to cause maximum chaos for all concerned.

JamMakingWannaBe · 19/12/2020 23:27

@3littlewords They are primary. They are due in Monday and Tuesday of next week. Monday is the Xmas party and Tuesday is an early finish. It's tempting to keep them off especially as DH is now on annual leave...

alliejay81 · 19/12/2020 23:30

Based on the transmission of the new variant, I think they'll have no choice but to shut schools. It's important for exam years to

alliejay81 · 19/12/2020 23:32

Oops! Stay in, but based our experience and the experience of friends, I'm not convinced schooling in the current conditions is actually beneficial for the mental health of our young people.

EachDubh · 19/12/2020 23:43

Our authority in Scotland finishes at 3pm on Tuesday for primary and secondary. Teachers, key workers and vulnerable kids return on 6th, school lesson redume on 11th but online for 1 week before hoped for return.
Last time teachers weren't classed as key workers and my 74 year old parent was my child care not sure if this will be the case again or not.
Hoping we get back to our new normal quickly, online teaching is hard especially asn and i will have kids in class at same tine all doing different learning. Plus i like being with the kids.

Peppafrig · 19/12/2020 23:45

There is going to be a lot of people with no childcare with businesses that don’t need to close in Tier 4 but aren’t classed as keyworkers. Such as construction and anyone who can’t work from home .

DontStopThinkingAboutTomorrow · 19/12/2020 23:46

I'm not ruling out a 1/2 week extension to the Christmas holidays.
I doubt they will close for any longer IF they do that. I don't think it's likely, but who knows anything any more.

Sixpencefaux · 19/12/2020 23:52

We have worked out the number of students on the exam classes, vulnerable and key worker parents’ children list and my school has roughly 900 returning on the 4th of Jan out of approximately 1500 so majority will be back in school and not staggered. It means 2 things: firstly it won’t stop the spread, and secondly we don’t have time to sort testing with that many children to teach.

AlaskaThunderfuckHiiiiiiiii · 20/12/2020 10:19

@Peppafrig this is exactly my concern this isn’t like the first lockdown where all business were closed including construction. I am a key worker and so is DH, well he was classed as one last time as an agricultural engineer, but who know who will actually be eligible? More businesses will be able to stay open this time so where are all the kids going? Not everyone can take annual leave and a lot of people will need to take unpaid leave. Poorly thought out and very last minute. My DC school has had no cases since they went back in August

SansaSnark · 20/12/2020 10:30

@Peppafrig

There is going to be a lot of people with no childcare with businesses that don’t need to close in Tier 4 but aren’t classed as keyworkers. Such as construction and anyone who can’t work from home .

But they can use a childcare bubble and their children can leave the house. Whereas their child could have been told to isolate for two weeks on the first day back, before.

Obviously it's tricky but I think childcare will be a bit easier for some people at least and certainly no harder than this term. Plus there is more notice to sort something.