primaries back on 4th, secondaries 18th so says TES

[Oilyvoir]

www.tes.com/news/exclusive-new-school-opening-delay-agreed-ministers

I've always felt that closing schools should be an absolute last resort but surely we have reached that point in tier 4 areas. It's really worrying that primaries could be opening next week in areas with 1000+cases per 100,000 and the NHS on its knees. It's reckless and there will inevitably be massive disruption in many schools. I don't support extended closures but I do think there should be a couple of weeks' online learning for all tier 4 schools to try to bring things under control.

That will be another 6 months of our kids educations screwed then. Great. Just great.

Respectfully primary age children are too young to work from home and the guidelines have now been updated to say that vunerable children can stay at home

[quote Oilyvoir]www.tes.com/news/exclusive-new-school-opening-delay-agreed-ministers[/quote]
thank you!

the guidelines have now been updated to say that vunerable children can stay at home

Do you have an updated link? Can't see that

@Edith12

Respectfully primary age children are too young to work from home and the guidelines have now been updated to say that vunerable children can stay at home

Vulnerable children - does that mean CEV children?

What about their parents though? Does it say the child can stay home if their parent is CEV? (Haven't seen link to guidelines so haven't read them!)

Matt tebbs,

That's exactly what I'm doing and I'm not going to be honest no.
I'm going to stretch it out for at least a week. Will be about 7 school days then go from there.
If hospital and rates calm down I wool reassess but I'm worrying about dc becoming ill with other things and no medical care.
Or risking covid needing to go to hospitals.

I don't understand why we make it so complicated and why so many one side make the obvious solution so hard eg teaching on line

Edith I don't think a blanket statement that all primary age children are too young to work from home is very representative. There's a huge difference between a 9 year old and a 5 year old in terms of self motivation and the amount of supervision required. Yes there are younger children who won't get anything out of zoom or teams work but some children are doing better than ever. My daughter is terribly distracted by her friends in class and works much better at home (the teacher has observed this, this isn't just my assumption). Guidelines should allow for those who can work from home to stay home, just like they do with adults in the workplace.

@Waxonwaxoff0 I think the primary school and nurseries kept open will be because:

• there appears to be less outbreaks in Nursery and primary
• childcare, but also tied with that risk to younger children being unattended with working parents.
• older children can learn better online then primary children

Primaries won't close because they are childcare for working parents.
They are more important than saving the NHS from being overwhelmed, and more deaths.
It's nothing to do with education, it's to keep parents working.

Utterly shocking. My SIL and neice both have covid.
Primary teachers.
Honestly, the decision makers need shot.

I'd be bloody livid if they close early years and primary. Our children cannot be sacrificed for something that kills older people/those who are sick already. I'm CEV before anyone jumps at me.

School had allowed black leggings and a school colour top to allow for daily washing but now they want us all to fork out for the proper kit when the situation can change at the drop of a hat and it could be a total waste of money.

I’d like to say I can’t believe that some schools are coming out with this uniform shit in the middle of a pandemic but sadly, I all too easily can.

I had confirmation just before Christmas that my eldest (y8) will be doing online live lessons from the 4th for a week. My younger child's primary school closed early before Christmas due to staff shortage and exposure to Covid so the whole year had to isolate until the 27th Dec, so I'm surprised they are still going back on the 4th.

They'll change their mind of the evening of Sunday 3rd, I'd almost bet on it.

FWIW, I don't think it will be six months this time - I would be surprised if they weren't back after Easter as hopefully by then vaccination should have cut risk to most vulnerable and therefore hospital admissions. But that is providing the government doesn't screw anything up, which, let's face it, they are not looking great on...

@TragedyHands

Primaries won't close because they are childcare for working parents. They are more important than saving the NHS from being overwhelmed, and more deaths. It's nothing to do with education, it's to keep parents working.

THIS The Govt dont give a shit about your children. They have no idea of the impact of covid years down the line All they want is for the economy to continue.

@loulouljh

That will be another 6 months of our kids educations screwed then. Great. Just great.

What rediculous hyperbole

@StylishMummy

I'd be bloody livid if they close early years and primary. Our children cannot be sacrificed for something that kills older people/those who are sick already. I'm CEV before anyone jumps at me.

Well, it might kill the staff. Fine?

Where do the children wait for for the 30 to 40 mins whilst waiting for the result to come through?

While you wfh, safe and protected.

@noblegiraffe

I'm finding it hard to find rationale for why primary is being treated so differently all the time?

It has taken this long for the govt to admit that there's an issue in secondary schools, and that's mainly due to the new strain massively impacting there.

Primary schools were relatively unaffected compared to secondary, until the last week or so before Christmas when the infection rate skyrocketed, so they're probably hoping that's a blip and will just keep ploughing on until they can't any more (like they've done with secondary).

sorry late to thread and only read first few pages, but Niall Fergussen was on ww@1 radio 4 just now saying that schools are not necessarily higher transmission places, its just that they're one of the remaining 'open' places still available so they've got the opportunity to take steps there. confusing i know, I guess other areas have been shut down eg pubs shops etc.

I'm loving the confidence of the posters who claim these new mutations do not affect children... Can you link to your sources so I can share this optimism..

Yes Niall, a crowd in a school takes on a different name...

And different health impacts... Teens mixing are immune from covid and passing it on.. Something to do with their necks..

@Oilyvoir

There will be a backlash when this is formally announced. I hate this government but they are damned if they do and damned if they don't in regard to schools.

I'm a 55 year old primary school teacher. I was not worried last term. My class self isolated for the last 2 weeks of term as a child tested positive and even then I wasn't worried. I am now very nervous and hope the unions step up.

I'm over 50 in a primary school and feel exactly the same way.

We were doing great ... until the last week of term ... and then the track and trace started to kick in and half the staff were forced to isolate through the holidays. It's caught up to us.

@IncidentsandAccidents

I've always felt that closing schools should be an absolute last resort but surely we have reached that point in tier 4 areas. It's really worrying that primaries could be opening next week in areas with 1000+cases per 100,000 and the NHS on its knees. It's reckless and there will inevitably be massive disruption in many schools. I don't support extended closures but I do think there should be a couple of weeks' online learning for all tier 4 schools to try to bring things under control.

agree, albeit reluctantly. what else can we do?