Statement in parliament this afternoon on 'reopening of schools in England'

[DownRightAmazing]

By Gavin.

I'm aware there are a million threads on this generally but this is specifically regarding the statement - any leaks/clues/predictions?

To state my own position: I think schools need to close to all except keyworker and vulnerable children. I feel it's obvious this needs to happen. My own two children are thriving at school and I'm not concerned about them at all - if their (primary) school is open, I will send them - but I worry for their teachers, any vulnerable parents of their classmates and of course the NHS.

My prediction (based on nothing): secondary schools blended/part time. Primary fully open. We are tier 4 fwiw and I disagree with opening schools in January...

I really, really doubt a choice will be given. Only because they will have to admit that schools aren't the covid secure and safe spaces they insisted they were. Otherwise why would a choice even be needed

@Noellodee

Given the way the new strain spreads, I'd really rather we closed schools before we hit Tier 5, rather than just waiting for it to get really, really shit before we took action.

I agree , but I can also see why people need schools to remain open too. Maybe he'll hope that people will just take the children out of school anyway and pay the fines? Doesn't help the teachers much though who will have to work regardless knowing that if they become poorly the hospital may not be able to take them in for treatment. The NHS not being overwhelmed was a priority back in March and seems to have been forgotten a bit now . Have to see what they say later on. The Brexit vote is more important just now of course ..

@dreamingbohemian

But why not just close in Tier 4? I don't understand the logic of all or none. It's a drastic measure, surely you only want to do that when the situation is dire. On the flip side, you don't want to make the situation even more dire by not closing just because other parts of the country don't need it.

Two reasons imo, first rates are rising quickly everywhere, I find it hard to understand that the gov is still of the mentality let's wait until we are overrun then so something about it. There is lots of evidence that if we'd closed a week earlier in March deaths would have been significantly less AND we would have been able to come out of lockdown sooner. Second and people won't like it but I think they will shut all schools to level the playing field. How do you do exams when some kids have had full year of teaching and others hardly any. It's bad enough already with some schools having multiple isolations and others having none.

Yes, they may well go for the shit sandwich - an approach that every teacher in the country is very familiar with

@dreamingbohemian

But why not just close in Tier 4? I don't understand the logic of all or none. It's a drastic measure, surely you only want to do that when the situation is dire. On the flip side, you don't want to make the situation even more dire by not closing just because other parts of the country don't need it.

The minute it is government policy to do something different in one part of the country, they will have to address that with the exams-they’ll have cries of things not being equal/fair.

I think it will be all or nothing

What should happen is that exams are cancelled immediately and secondary schools have online learning until Easter.

What will more likely happen is that exam years will still have to go in, schools will have to fanny about with regular testing, until so many staff and pupils are ill/off/have missed so much learning that exams in England are cancelled at the eleventh hour, because this ridiculous fucking government cannot plan more than five days ahead.

@Graciebobcat

What should happen is that exams are cancelled immediately and secondary schools have online learning until Easter.

What will more likely happen is that exam years will still have to go in, schools will have to fanny about with regular testing, until so many staff and pupils are ill/off/have missed so much learning that exams in England are cancelled at the eleventh hour, because this ridiculous fucking government cannot plan more than five days ahead.

That is almost certainly what will happen.

@Graciebobcat

What should happen is that exams are cancelled immediately and secondary schools have online learning until Easter.

What will more likely happen is that exam years will still have to go in, schools will have to fanny about with regular testing, until so many staff and pupils are ill/off/have missed so much learning that exams in England are cancelled at the eleventh hour, because this ridiculous fucking government cannot plan more than five days ahead.

Yes I am expecting this.

@Graciebobcat

What should happen is that exams are cancelled immediately and secondary schools have online learning until Easter.

What will more likely happen is that exam years will still have to go in, schools will have to fanny about with regular testing, until so many staff and pupils are ill/off/have missed so much learning that exams in England are cancelled at the eleventh hour, because this ridiculous fucking government cannot plan more than five days ahead.

Do you have a crystal ball or time travel machine*, as this is spot on.

*It may just be because it's that obvious

They should all be closed at least for January. Not doing so is basically giving parents themselves an impossible choice - their health/their children's health vs their children's education and their own need to work.

The government needs to step up and take responsibility, support schools properly with online learning, laptops, social service outreach etc for the vulnerable - but they won't

Thanks for answers! Why not cancel exams then? We've put the whole country on hold for a year, it seems harsh anyway to make kids go through it in these conditions.

There is no level playing field anyway, some schools have been shut half the time this autumn and some not at all.

I was going to post but why bother when @Graciebobcat has basically summed up the whole problem?

I believe secondaries will close but primaries will remain open, then in a couple of weeks time primaries will have to shut too as the virus will continue to get out of control.

Article in The Times today talking about the possible introduction of a stricter Tier 5 in some areas which would be "likely to involve indefinite school closures" This is not thought to be part of today's announcement but as schools are unlikely to open next week in any area then it would not be necessary to announce it immediately.

A sandwich:

Good news re vaccine!
Bad news you’re all going into tier 4/5
Good news schools staying open with army support for testing

I actually have no idea. I think they should close schools even though that will break my sanity with a 5+6 year old and work but I doubt they will

@Billie18

Article in The Times today talking about the possible introduction of a stricter Tier 5 in some areas which would be "likely to involve indefinite school closures" This is not thought to be part of today's announcement but as schools are unlikely to open next week in any area then it would not be necessary to announce it immediately.

Primary schools are opening in all areas on Monday though, aren’t they?

Thanks for answers! Why not cancel exams then? We've put the whole country on hold for a year, it seems harsh anyway to make kids go through it in these conditions.

Because Gavin Williamson and Boris Johnson do not care about your children.

Primary schools are opening in all areas on Monday though, aren’t they?

Unless i've missed an update, and I admit I haven't checked Twitter this morning , then yes that's the current plan.

• @MattHancock will make a statement on Covid-19. We will live stream this statement, expected at 2.30pm.

Just confirmed: @GavinWilliamson will make a statement on education return in January, expected after the statement on Covid-19 from *@MattHancock. We will be live streaming this statement.

From UK House of Commons Twitter.

I think OPs predictions are completely correct - secondary schools to remain blended learning until atleast half term except for exam years and keyworker/vulnerable children. Primaries to remain open.

A leak in the TES yesterday suggested:

wb 4 Jan : all secondary students at home w remote learning for years 11 and 13 (because exams) while testing centres get set up
wb 11 Jan year 11 and 13 return to school , remote learning for rest
wb 18 Jan : everyone in; nothing to see here! Please form orderly queue of testing even though orderly queue and secondary school is a contradiction in terms

Primary : crack on. Definitely nothing to see here.

We've just had a message from our primary school - tier 4, that they are definitely opening on Monday as planned.
Makes me think the schools have already been told they are to open as usual (primary that is).

Anyone checked HuffPost. They got the school closures leak in March!

There is no way avoiding. Schools have learnt everything at the same time as the general public.

Makes me think the schools have already been told they are to open as usual (primary that is).

Trust me, we don't know any more than the general public. The reason your school have said this is because that's the current plan.

statement on education return in January : interesting wording.