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

[Oilyvoir]

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

If your worried about fines, can't you say you have to isolate?

We’ve not had the New Year mixing that will inevitably happen yet.

@Iremembertheelderlykoreanlady

I'm in tears. I can't believe primary children and vulnerable parents of primary children are being thrown under the bus like this.

You can keep them at home and wait for the vaccine, which is a realistic option now.

And No. You. Will. Not. Be. Fined.

I will not be sending my 5yo back.

@Gingerbreadfeeling

The bit I don't understand is why DfE are saying that closing schools for January would make it difficult for them to open before Easter? Can anyone explain that?

Because the DfE position is to not close schools at all and they are throwing out any possible argument against closing them at all.

Scaring people into thinking it will be a much longer closure is one way. I’ve seen it tried on here.

Who is actually going to fine parents? It's not going to happen.
My dds best friend may now stay at home uuntil her vulnerable Dad is vaccinated. She is year 8. That seems completely rational and sensible to me. I cannot think for one second the school would suggest a fine. Frankly they have far more to be doing.

Dd is yr 9 and will be remote learning for the first week.
School did email to ask if keyworkers would like their kids in that week. We said yes please as dd can be home alone from 5am if dhs shifts fall wrong. Received a reply to say as she was the only year 9 she wouldn't be allowed.
Hoping this remote learning doesnt last too long.
Were tier 3 at the moment but have lower rates than most tier two.

I couldn't spend Christmas with my mum but can work with 61 children on Monday 🤔

@Iremembertheelderlykoreanlady

I'm in tears. I can't believe primary children and vulnerable parents of primary children are being thrown under the bus like this.

Not forgetting the primary school staff of course.

You can keep them at home and wait for the vaccine, which is a realistic option now.

Who will look after my primary aged children when I am supporting others? I don't earn enough to be able to afford child care so they have to go to school whether I like it or not. I can't afford to give up my job.

Where I live there are over 1500 cases per 100,000 and the local hospital were turning people away from A and E over the weekend.

Absolute madness to open any schools here, the NHS is already under massive strain.

Surely a local approach would be best?

@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.

By that logic, it won't matter if you die then. You'd best prepare your children that you're willing to die for the cause.

@Iremembertheelderlykoreanlady

I'm in tears. I can't believe primary children and vulnerable parents of primary children are being thrown under the bus like this.

No you’re not. It’s fine to have reservations about the situation but please stop with the dramatics.

To the PPs saying the teaching unions have been crap, what would you like them to have done?

They have represented individual members as best they can - particularly since shielding was stopped. So much of the print media has peddled the line that the unions wanted to keep schools closed in the summer, and completely ignored the DFE guidance that made it harder for schools to bring more pupils back, that any strike action would play into the government’s hands. They would be able to blame lazy leftie teachers for schools not opening, rather than take responsibility for their own failings.

That’s why the C of E and the governors association coming on board with the statement that the secondary testing plan was unworkable was so important.

This government would be quite happy to have some unions to ‘stand up to’.

That’s why the C of E and the governors association coming on board with the statement that the secondary testing plan was unworkable was so important.

And the private schools.

That’s how shit the plans are.

@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.

Why just primary and nursery, if you're talking about the children's education/socialisation (and not a childcare issue) ?

Why not secondary? My two are in GCSE years and cannot make back the time back like in primary school, yet as secondary school parents, we must accept secondary closures without being 'livid'. I've had to accept six periods of self isolation for one child, and I accept that even though it makes me so anxious to have all this in key exam years, there is a pandemic and cases are sky high in our schools and communities.

Well I have been told I very much will be fined if I keep my 2 DC's out despite being disabled, it depends on the school.

@kitcat122 exactly! So annoying there's no logic.

@annevonkleve and @SpiderinaWingMirror you say parents won't be fined but the head of my dc's primary was very clear that we might.

@Edith12 But it’s true though? All it’s doing widening an already huge attainment gap. There’s a massive range of abilities now in DC class, even wider than before lockdown. It’s not fair on kids.

Daily Fail reporting that secondary school pupils might have to give a negative test to return to school. I know this is an unreliable source, but I doubt the testing capacity in this country could test every secondary school pupil in the day or two prior to 11 or 18 January.

Also these would have be tests administered at home or school, because I would be extremely unhappy to take a non-symptomatic non-ill child to a community testing site where the symptomatic ill people go, and where there is a chance of an uninfected person becoming infected simply by being there (sometimes indoors etc).

[quote pusscatsinblankets]**@DayBath* @PandemicPavolova* we can also consider the timeline of how long the new variants have been around. I'm happy to be corrected and pointer to reliable info that says otherwise, but there hasn't been anything reported about an increase in the admissions of children with covid. By now, you'd expect cases to start reaching the hospitals. [/quote]
www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/covid-19-hospital-activity/

Monthly data is published that breaks admissions down by age group. Last one was start of December and the next one isn't published until 14th Jan, so the effects are still unknown. Sage have talked about the new variant originating in September but it took some time to take hold, and the worrying spike in cases didn't happen until recently so there is still a lag effect on our knowledge.

@partystress ballot for strike action? Then perhaps we may have at least got masks or rotas from October or even September. Wishful thinking though. I know... 'we would have lost the support of the public' (blah blah well we don't have it anyway the last 9 months have cemented that for me anyway)...'we'll never get enough support to strike' (but we never even tried!).

@Iremembertheelderlykoreanlady

I'm in tears. I can't believe primary children and vulnerable parents of primary children are being thrown under the bus like this.

And primary staff??????

@formerEUcitizen

Daily Fail reporting that secondary school pupils might have to give a negative test to return to school. I know this is an unreliable source, but I doubt the testing capacity in this country could test every secondary school pupil in the day or two prior to 11 or 18 January.

Also these would have be tests administered at home or school, because I would be extremely unhappy to take a non-symptomatic non-ill child to a community testing site where the symptomatic ill people go, and where there is a chance of an uninfected person becoming infected simply by being there (sometimes indoors etc).

And those children who've had it in recent weeks (mine included) wouldn't necessarily test negative if tested so soon within 90 days. I'd want exemptions, especially as we've had so many cases. About 20% of the form have had it.