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...

@Passmeabottlemrjones

Just had a peek at Peston's twitter, he is very excited!

But he does seem to think that schools will be closed next week, and he is usually right, shiiiiiiit!

Yes agree - is this the leak, more or less?

twitter.com/Peston

Oh, sorry I've just realised I have internalised the TES leak as having already been announced so there will be a change. Secondary online until 18th except for exam years and Primary in on the 4th.

@AvoidingRealHumans

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).

Schools definitely haven’t been told anything! We don’t get any advance notice

@MissMarpletheMurderer

(no mention that it's remote and they're just telling schools how to set up a testing centre - why can't they just come in and do it?)

Too dangerous?

Is there enough military to go into every single school in the country simultaneously?
If we waited for the army to physically go into every school we could be waiting ages why they got round them all

@Randomrebel

No last time DD was in year 10 it was June before any online learning took place, one lesson a day at 2pm, poorly attended with teachers making embarrassing small talk asking if they had all been in to Primark and been meeting up with their friends. So the next sessions were even less well attended. Dreadful.

Parents who are not happy about sending them back in should just keep their children home. I would if mine were now school age. It's not safe for the children or staff.
However, I could have done this and many can't , so I can see how hard it is for people. Plus we need a working economy too to pay for the NHS.
Tough call isn't it?
I bet Gavin says it's all fine with ramped up testing etc and see how it goes! ..

I predict secondaries closed till half term apart from Y11 and Y13 and keyworker children and a delayed start for primaries. They may initially say secondaries back sooner but it will be pushed back.

Which I can manage as long as it's time limited and they crack on with vaccination tout de suite.

Schools aren't told anything in advance, we find out when we watch the news like everyone else

@Passmeabottlemrjones

Just had a peek at Peston's twitter, he is very excited!

But he does seem to think that schools will be closed next week, and he is usually right, shiiiiiiit!

Peston is often given scoops on stuff, but maybe not always.

He’s the only one who has mentioned different rules for schools in Tier 4.

Agree with @Graciebobcat prediction.

DD is GCSE year and fluctuates between panicking at how much learning she is missing and disbelief that she is still expected to do exams, and wanting normality and school and friends - even if that means sitting exams. Her MH is DEFINITELY suffering and she needs certainty.

I suspect they will:

Throw primaries under the bus
Online learning for secondary except exam years.
Bring Year 11 and 13 into Secondary in pretend bubbles that don't really exist.
Fuck up testing and send numerous school emails home about 'teething problems'.
Send various 'bubbles' home as the numbers start to rise again.
Throw the towel in and go back to online learning for everyone - still assuming some kind of exam
Cancel exams at the 11th hour.

@ottertail

Schools aren't told anything in advance, we find out when we watch the news like everyone else

I'm surprised that after so many months of teachers / school staff explaining this, people still think schools know more than everyone else.

@the80sweregreat

Parents who are not happy about sending them back in should just keep their children home. I would if mine were now school age. It's not safe for the children or staff. However, I could have done this and many can't , so I can see how hard it is for people. Plus we need a working economy too to pay for the NHS. Tough call isn't it? I bet Gavin says it's all fine with ramped up testing etc and see how it goes! ..

Agree

But, if you have one in an exam year (as I do) you feel like you adding to their disadvantage. There are already so so many gaps in the learning, such an unlevel playing field between schools, no clarity on what is happening with exams, so you feel you have to give them 'every chance'. It's shit.

I would happily keep my year 9 home. My year 11 is a different matter.

@the80sweregreat you can be fined for not sending them in.

@PastMyBestBeforeDate CV and CEV teachers are expected in school. I am CV but the DFE "guidance" says that it is safe because i've got some hand sanitizer and we all know kids always stay 2m away. Every sing cv and cev teacher I know is still expected in.

Vulnerable children should be home and not fined. If my ds asthma were not well controlled i'd keep him home and pay the fine if I had to. Unfortunately both of my kids will have to ho in as keyworker kids as primaries won't shut until all the staff are dead.

I will not be sending DS back to primary school regardless of what they say.

I will give it a couple of weeks - if primary schools are fine and transmission there continues to be low I'll send him back. If not they will end up having to shut them.

I think - with the end so nearly in sight through vaccines - a hard lockdown with schools closed is the way forward. But I agree with the OP they will delay / blend secondaries and open primaries as planned. I think this will be a mistake.

What are the chances Peston has been told something in advance?

@Beebityboo

What are the chances Peston has been told something in advance?

I’d say quite high.

Peston sharing a rather convincing argument: the government need to be seen to be doing something in response to this latest surge and really the only thing left to do is close schools (at least in Tier 4).

Close schools for two weeks to allow a massive ramp up in vaccinating and testing, and a bit of a circuit breaker after Christmas -- that seems like something they can sell. Kids are not going to lose out massively from missing two weeks.

I don’t think he has because there is absolute radio silence around schools. As in, they keep rehashing the same guidance before Christmas as fact.

I think as an Ed reporter he is making an educated guess, there is no way schools will carry on as is at 50k cases a day. MH alluded to that this morning.

@phlebasconsidered as I said earlier I think teachers and children who are vulnerable or live in vulnerable households should be given a choice.

I guess Peston has to look as though he knows something.

@the80sweregreat

Parents who are not happy about sending them back in should just keep their children home. I would if mine were now school age. It's not safe for the children or staff. However, I could have done this and many can't , so I can see how hard it is for people. Plus we need a working economy too to pay for the NHS. Tough call isn't it? I bet Gavin says it's all fine with ramped up testing etc and see how it goes! ..

We asked the school about doing this, and were told we'd be fined. So, not really an option.

If they told us no fines and it was down to our discretion that would be better, though that comes with it's own issues. Do we want our kids to miss out on their education while their classmates don't? We can't expect teachers to provide online and in class learning realistically.

It's all such a mess.

I think if parents don’t want to send their kids in at least for the first few weeks they can just say they’re ill? Buy some time and see how things go? I will consider doing this if school opening is not delayed.

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

To state my own position: I think schools need to open on the first day of term, for all children. I feel it's obvious that this needs to happen.

Not sure why they’d make such a big deal about the ‘announcement’ if nothings changing? (I.e. primaries back, secondaries online for first week apart from exam years)?