What do you think should happen to middle schools/prep schools?

[manicinsomniac]

Media reporting probably Primary, Y11 and Y13 only to return next week.

The school I teach in is Primary plus Years 7 and 8.

The Year 6s, 7s and 8s are our key priorities this half term. They have lots of entrance exams, assessments and scholarship tests. I wouldn't mind a delayed start for the others but it's a nightmare for our exam years.

Do you think the decision around secondary closures will be based around the extra movement and mixing or on their age? If the former, I don't see why muddle and prep schools shouldn't open as normal if we can keep bubbles apart like primary schools do? Admittedly, it's harder given that we do subject specific teaching but we can keep the children apart more easily than secondaries can and we tend to be much smaller than secondary schools.

Anyone else in this position with KS2 and KS3 schools?

Local middle school will be open to Years 4, 5 & 6.

Year 7 & 8 at home.

Thanks, comefromaway
I've heard nothing from my head yet.

Really gutted about this. I genuinely didn't think it would happen again. And can't see that it can really be that much riskier yo have Year 7 and 8 in if the rest of us are all there. They're hardly adult sized 17 year olds yet, are they!

The middle school one of my children goes to has said they will open to all years next week as they are middle deemed primary and use class based teaching, but the other middle school in the town has said year 7 will be online learning next week so there doesn’t seem to be a consistent approach. I think the majority of middle schools are middle deemed secondary though so might need to follow secondary guidance?

As ever I think the DfE mainly forget middle schools exist so there is no clear guidance, just as the return in June included year 6 as a transition year but ignored year 4 and year 7 or 8 in the three tier system areas

Yes, the summer term was so frustrating Eccle We had half our Year 6s in (with their laptops) doing the exact same stuff as the other Year 6s were doing at home and our poor Year 8s forced to be at home with an online transition programme that was a seriously poor replacement for what had been planned in school. We couldn't believe that we weren't allowed to simply swap year 6 for Year 8.

I really think all schools should have the freedom to do what they need to do to balance safety and education. There is no one size fits all in this.

I also think the government forgets middle schools exist

We've been told ours will be half closed. Years 5 and 6 in but closed for 7 and 8

@manicinsomniac

Yes, the summer term was so frustrating Eccle We had half our Year 6s in (with their laptops) doing the exact same stuff as the other Year 6s were doing at home and our poor Year 8s forced to be at home with an online transition programme that was a seriously poor replacement for what had been planned in school. We couldn't believe that we weren't allowed to simply swap year 6 for Year 8.

I really think all schools should have the freedom to do what they need to do to balance safety and education. There is no one size fits all in this.

Yes, my next door neighbour deals with transition (especially SEN) and she was tearing her hair out. Meanwhile the Year 6’s were in school with no real purpose. Their SATS had been cancelled but the Year 8’s were facing moving up to a new school in September with little preparation and no chance to say a proper goodbye.

I’m waiting to hear about the prep school I work in. Slightly more complicated by the boarders of course! It’s all a flipping nightmare.

Yes, we have boarders too missy. Including some very vulnerable 12 and 13 year olds.

@manicinsomniac similar here, my year 4 wasn’t able to go back to first school in the summer term whilst my year 6 could at middle school, I agree it needs more flexibility to make local decisions

Our bubbles are much smaller too, Honeybobbin And the entrance exams and scholarships absolutely are important. You can't just find 'tutoring or whatever' for many of these things. They're very specialised, worked very hard towards for a very long time and certainly can affect lives and future careers. Obviously can't give specific details but some children need full funding at specific schools for specific reasons. Getting in or not getting in does affect them long term.

I am not trying to say they are more important than GCSEs or A Levels. But they are more important than year 4 or 5 being in school for a few weeks. Hence why I think it makes much more sense for schools to be able to adjust guidelines or identify their own priority groups.

Honeybobbin - sorry, no, not SEN. By 'need' I meant the funding is needed (ie the scholarship, bursary) not necessarily the place at that specific school. The schools are wanted rather than literally needed but would be very beneficial (for example, specialist performing arts schools, schools with a specific reputation for something, schools that cater particularly well for children with specific vulnerabilities or family circumstances etc). Important and life changing but not absolutely necessary.

I do realise it's not the be all and end all. But it's what we do and we do it well. And it's heartbreaking to be facing enforced closure again, especially when I know we could adapt and close to different children at non crucial times to allow all children to be in school at the most important times for them.

@Honeybobbin 100% agree with you.
There should be no differential preference given to the private sector over state. Unfortunately it seems that online provision given by private schools is already superior to what can be offered by most state funded schools.

Our middle school was originally planning to have all pupils back from 5th January. They have announced today that years 7 and 8 will be online learning until 11th January. Not sure why the change?

I don't think that the government should make allowances for independent prep schools despite the fact that year 7s and 8s are in a different position to those at most state secondary schools. It would rightly be seen as further widening the privilege gap and I say that as someone who currently works in the independent sector. Middle schools are indeed in a different predicament, but I don't see that year 7s and 8s in a middle school are differently hoped by schools being closed to those year groups than their counterparts at state secondaries, especially as the closure isn't at the end of the school year.