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Original poster

Primary schools in January

147 replies

IncidentsandAccidents · 22/12/2020 10:19

It seems pretty inevitable that secondary schools will close for a while in January, but what about primaries? The government's messaging is focused on mobilising mass testing but this was only planned for secondaries. Does this mean primaries will open? Or will they keep them closed and plan to test in primaries too? I know no-one has the answer but I'd be interested to hear predictions, especially from those working in primaries.

OP posts:
gallbladderpain · 22/12/2020 13:36

On another note I have a 'friend' who has been incredibly unreasonable about it all during the whole pandemic .....getting on like we are overreacting.....comments online about 'oh they died because they had underlying health conditions'
A child of her friend with no underlying health conditions now is in a critical condition with covid and maybe its finally sank in with her unfortunately it took a 'healthy child' to get really sick for that to happen if it had been mine that was sick it would have been 'its ok they have underlying conditions'

NeurotreeWenceslas · 22/12/2020 13:37

@NorthumbrianMama

There are products out there that can make a difference in schools.. I watched a video from a company called Touch who had been into a school for children with extra needs and treated all the desks with an antimicrobial product. We all run the gauntlet when we send our children into schools when it comes to viruses anyway... I want to know when we can get this into all schools!! Can this be applied while the kids are off in January? Any teachers/school staff know of this kind of thing in your schools?

There are sooooo many things that can be done within schools and around the planning process.

Unfortunately they need money.

Btw, copper is antiviral. buy shares in copper now

xxmassy · 22/12/2020 13:38

I wonder what will happen for SEN schools? My son and his class can't be educated remotely as his teacher found out last time. Luckily they had them all back after may half term.

Achristmaspudsskidu · 22/12/2020 13:39

@NorthumbrianMama

There are products out there that can make a difference in schools.. I watched a video from a company called Touch who had been into a school for children with extra needs and treated all the desks with an antimicrobial product. We all run the gauntlet when we send our children into schools when it comes to viruses anyway... I want to know when we can get this into all schools!! Can this be applied while the kids are off in January? Any teachers/school staff know of this kind of thing in your schools?
Does that offer much protection against an airborne virus?!
Starlightstarbright1 · 22/12/2020 13:42

@ritzbiscuits

I wonder if more primary children will be in under key worker status this time?

We are both key workers, but last time managed our DS (age 7) working at home with split shifts, carers leave and annual leave.

None of that left now and the NHS expects my DH to be back on calls with mental health clients throughout the day. Our DS will have to go in whether we like it or not, otherwise we can't work.

Secondaries are taking keyworker children . I didn't send my son last time but am this time part time.
SimonJT · 22/12/2020 13:48

Only two classes at my sons school aren’t having to isolate, thankfully my sons class haven’t had the call yet.

He has had to isolate three times, luckily twice were when he had symptoms so they were short, he has only had to isolate once due to a positive case in his class.

I am planning for schools to be closed, I don’t have any holiday left, neither does my partner, luckily our childcare bubble can effectively move in if primary schools don’t open. We are tier 4, so we know school closure is likely.

SillyUnMurphy · 22/12/2020 13:50

@LumpySpacedPrincess

We never close though, open for key worker kids which we continued through some holidays. May need to extend the list of key workers. If kids aren't in school they suffer.
Please stop with this bullshit narrative. At my DDs’ primary, yes they were open to KW kids but that was only 15 kids out of a school of 240. To everyone else they were very much closed.
RuleWithAWoodenFoot · 22/12/2020 13:51

I can't wait to have another 2 months off work watching Netflix.

peacockfeather11 · 22/12/2020 13:51

I don't think we will get a definitive answer by the 4th for primaries. The government always lags with decisions; I am going to keep my child at home for at least 2 weeks because I do not feel confident about schools being open.

NeurotreeWenceslas · 22/12/2020 13:51

Ratio 4 world at 1: (in context of vaccines) too soon to draw conclusions of impact of new variant on children, and so too soon to look at impact of vaccine on transmission. So current vaccine program proceeding as planned.

dreamingbohemian · 22/12/2020 13:52

I don't want schools to close but there is really no point to Tier 4 if you keep them open.

NeurotreeWenceslas · 22/12/2020 13:53

treated all the desks with an antimicrobial product.

Masks would be a better start...

PandemicPavolova · 22/12/2020 13:56

It's airborne how does a spray on the tables hold back particles flying from infected pupils or teachers mouths into other pupils or teachers.

dreamingbohemian · 22/12/2020 13:56

I wish the government would let schools design their own approaches (with oversight of course). It's ridiculous to have a one size fits all, all or nothing approach when there is such enormous diversity across schools.

PandemicPavolova · 22/12/2020 13:59

I'm so relieved that other posters picked up on the futility of that.

roundtable · 22/12/2020 14:10

DC primary have confirmed case last day of term. Now at least 2 children in class have tested positive with another 5+ going for test. Siblings have tested positive too and so it's spread round multiple year groups.

Parents feeling ill and some getting tested too. Including me. I'm a primary school teacher. Pure coincidence that it has aligned with Christmas holidays as I'd have been in yesterday otherwise and spreading it in my class in a different town.

The people saying it doesn't spread in primary schools - no - it just hasn't hit your primary school yet. When it does you'll know about it.

ineedaholidaynow · 22/12/2020 14:10

I wish the Government would give schools funding for any plans they come up with for schools

roundtable · 22/12/2020 14:11

And I don't want schools to shut. I just want them safer to contain the spread. But that shop has sailed unfortunately which is devastating for lots of people.

Itisasecret · 22/12/2020 14:12

@PandemicPavolova

I'm so relieved that other posters picked up on the futility of that.
I did raise this actually in a meeting. All well and good flapping about doors, tables and photocopying. What about the elephant in the room. Cramped classrooms, unventilated, no masks with 34+ inc staff. Oh with an airborne virus in a pandemic. Talk about fiddling whilst Rome burns.
roundtable · 22/12/2020 14:12

Ship! Visions of floating shops now Grin

ballsdeep · 22/12/2020 14:13

@Glitterynails

Teacher and parent. Vulnerable category. I hope primary schools re-open but we really need to consider part-time attendance to allow for distancing. Some school will be better than no school for children, working parents and their employers!
This!
GrumblyMumblyisnotJumbly · 22/12/2020 14:15

Thanks @noelgiraffe for posting the ONS graph - the increase in primary cases is unrefutable. I really hope that the Government come up with something fairer than cherry picking years to be in for primary perhaps:
rota week in/week home learning
or 3 days for EYFS/ks1 to be in and 2 days KS2 or similar
or only core subjects taught in school half children in morning / half children in afternoon

I realise (and have experienced earlier in the year) that these options are still chaotic for working parents, especially those with more than one child but would be good if Government could maintain some form of continuous school attendance, however this needs to be safer for pupils and teachers otherwise everyone will be at home isolating anyway!! Most teachers would prefer to teach pupils in school not have full closures.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 22/12/2020 14:23

I'll be screwed if they don't. I'm a single parent, not a key worker but I can't work from home. I have no one to help with childcare. Even a rota system would be better than a complete closure, I need to work at least some of the time and then I'll get working tax credits.

PandemicPavolova · 22/12/2020 14:28

Exactly, it is a secret, and it's a virus that thrives in the cold, so whilst ventilation is essential, it also cools the rooms making it more likely any particles that fall will last for longer... And survive for longer.

cantkeepawayforever · 22/12/2020 14:35

@Waxonwaxoff0

I'll be screwed if they don't. I'm a single parent, not a key worker but I can't work from home. I have no one to help with childcare. Even a rota system would be better than a complete closure, I need to work at least some of the time and then I'll get working tax credits.
The issue is that the option on the table at the moment is chaotic, reactive closures.

I am sure that, like me, you have spent the last term with your mobile phone on your desk at work, waiting for the 'positive case - need to isolate, please pick up your child now' message [I also wait for the 'positive case in your class - send everyone home now' and 'positive case in DH's education setting - coming home to isolate now' messages].

Yes, we can start the next term as if everything is normal and the time consuming but pointless theatre of hand sanitising and staggered break times are sufficient to prevent infection. However, tht just means we have reactive closures all the time....