No online learning for secondaries?

[Agoodbriskwalk]

So as I understood it, secondaries were doing online learning from Monday 4th, back in on 11th.

Now they’re saying vulnerable and key worker kids in from 4th, exam years in remotely from 11th and everyone else back on 18th (subject to reviews). Have I got that right? So most secondary kids have 2 extra weeks holiday?!

Why no online learning for all years from 11th?

And what’s safer about 18th?

I'm a secondary teacher and I'm expecting to be teaching online from the 5th. INSET/Staff Covid Tests on the 4th.

Not been contacted by school yet, but that it what I think will happen.

I can't work out what is happening with secondary schools. All the govt documents I can find are out of date. Is there any up to date govt document that I tells you?

Independent schools will need to be teaching online from the 4th or parents will expect a refund I would imagine.

Email from DD’s secondary today at 6pm - online learning from 8.45 on 5th Jan, which was their original start of term. Assembly at 8.45 to take the kids through what is expected of them. DD is y8.

I thought they were talking about getting a week less holidays at Easter?

Yr 11 here is revising anyway for mocks starting the 18th so will be doing that anyway

@notevenat20 I’m a teacher at a secondary school and I’m not sure what is happening yet either. Our headteacher just emailed to say she is going to be sending out a letter to all staff and parents within the next couple of days explaining everything so you will probably hear at the same time.

My understanding was years 7-10 is remote learning from the 4th until the 18th, all other years, key workers and vulnerable pupils are to go in.
BUT it seems that it could be up to individual counties to decide whether it is remote learning or an extension of the holidays.

@toocold54 Thanks! That's actually really helpful.

Our school has emailed already to say online learning from the 4th for 2 weeks. It says follow normal timetable and email will detail if self led learning or virtual classroom, same as it was before and each time there's been isolation.

They already told us this before we broke up though.

Youngest us in primary and he came home end of term with an at home learning pack to suit potential virtual learning, which he won't now need unless he's isolated.

Maybe some schools at better at contingency planning and communication than others.

Maybe some schools at better at contingency planning and communication than others.

That is definitely true!

According to DfE email per @PatriciaHolm above the first week is more about sorting out testing and remote provision for non exam years will happen if they have the resource. I suppose it depends who will doing the testing at school, if they have enough volunteers or agency staff to do the testing then the teachers can provide remote learning but if the teachers are getting roped into the testing then they won't.

My DS goes to private school and if we didn't have lessons provided in that first week I wouldn't be demanding a refund for a week, I totally understand the crap schools are facing at the moment, my DS's safety and the rest of the pupils and staff are more important at the moment.

It's quite simple OP. All years to have remote learning from the 4th Jan. Years 11/13 to physically go back on 11th. Remaining years on 18th. It's not extra holiday at all. They will still be required to learn and do schoolwork/lessons as set by the schools

Maybe some schools have more funding than others. The guidance has changed from the one provided just before Christmas and now they have to review their plans. So the information told to parents at the end of last term is out of date.

@Butterfly44

It's quite simple OP. All years to have remote learning from the 4th Jan. Years 11/13 to physically go back on 11th. Remaining years on 18th. It's not extra holiday at all. They will still be required to learn and do schoolwork/lessons as set by the schools

Actually it's not.

Schools have to prioritise remote provision for exam years only for w/c 4th January

@Butterfly44

It's quite simple OP. All years to have remote learning from the 4th Jan. Years 11/13 to physically go back on 11th. Remaining years on 18th. It's not extra holiday at all. They will still be required to learn and do schoolwork/lessons as set by the schools

Not quite. The first week, 4-11, there is no requirement for learning for years other than the exam years. Schools need to

prioritise resources for remote education for exam year groups in line with what they would receive in class and to all other years as resources permit

So they do not have to provide online learning that week if they feel resources are not available.

Have any schools received their tests etc yet?

I think the guidance is fairly self explanatory as @PatriciaHolm quoted. Week beg 4th is prep for testing, online provision etc. Exam years will be prioritised for online learning and key worker/vulnerable in school.
Week beg 11th exam years in school and online learning for all other years.
Week beg 18th Face to face learning for all
So arguably the possibility of a weeks extended holiday for years 7,8,9,10.

@ineedaholidaynow The earlier email I quoted also talks about the tests arriving on 4th-6th and the need to have someone in school to take delivery.

@CKBJ which document are you quoting?

The exam years that are in school will need at least double staffing, possibly triple, so that the groups can be spilt to reduce risk.

My usual GCSE group of 32 will be split into 3 so needs 2 additional staff to teach- these staff can therefore not provide a live lesson to their own key stage 3 class at the same time.

When moaning about quality of online learning please do consider what the teachers are actually doing in school trying to juggle new testing plans, prepare online lessons, deliver them, teaching those who are in school and supervising key worker children. It’s going to be interesting for sure!

@notevenat20
Latest update
This guidance has been updated to reflect the announcement on 30 December to extend the phased return to face-to-face education. for secondary-age pupils. The major changes are that:

schools should take time in the week commencing 4 January to prepare to deliver testing of staff and pupils
in the week commencing 4 January, secondary schools should only provide on-site education to vulnerable children and children of critical workers, and prioritise remote education to those in exam years
in the week commencing 11 January, secondary schools should provide on-site education to vulnerable children, children of critical workers and those in exam years, and provide remote education to all other pupils
from 18 January, all pupils should return to on-site education

gov.uk schools and childcare settings: return January 2021

Had an email from school this evening saying that it will be online guided learning from the day they are due back next week (years 7&8) until they return in person. I would hope that all schools should be setting something even if they can't provide live lessons.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-and-childcare-settings-return-in-january-2021/schools-and-childcare-settings-return-in-january-2021

This is the guidance @notevenat20

@Santastealer

The exam years that are in school will need at least double staffing, possibly triple, so that the groups can be spilt to reduce risk.

My usual GCSE group of 32 will be split into 3 so needs 2 additional staff to teach- these staff can therefore not provide a live lesson to their own key stage 3 class at the same time.

When moaning about quality of online learning please do consider what the teachers are actually doing in school trying to juggle new testing plans, prepare online lessons, deliver them, teaching those who are in school and supervising key worker children. It’s going to be interesting for sure!

There is no requirement to split years like that - if schools have the staff I suppose they could, but it wasn't a requirement pre Christmas and isn't now.

@PatriciaHolm i am aware there is no requirement- but given the current risk levels it is the safest thing to do.

There is no point some students sitting at home if a teacher is still facing a room of 32 16 year olds for an hour. Whilst we can, groups should be split to minimise the risk to all.