Kingston schools staying open

[Kingstonmamma]

NC for obvious reasons but wondering why Kingston primary schools are staying open when other London boroughs with lower rates/number of cases are closing.
Not that I want them to close but I’m concerned they’ll close them too but with less warning!

I suspect they may be factoring in rates in primary age groups, which do vary across the London boroughs - for example, latest on the dashboard for age 5-9 in KT is 200 per 100,000, whereas Sutton is 363.

That is data to the 25th though.....

@patriciaholm where do you find that info please?

It's on the Govt Data Dashboard -

coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/cases?areaType=ltla&areaName=Kingston%20upon%20Thames

We live in a neighbouring borough with similar infection rates but with closed primary schools and I’ve wondered the same.

I'm not saying it's punitive but... It sure looks that way. Especially Greenwich.

Rate of change? Kingston only increased by 7% over the last week, Richmond (which has a lower overall rate) went up by 35%.

Why are Richmond primaries shut? I thought Kingston and Richmond came under the same authority?

It seems bizarre.

Especially as all the surrounding area schools will be closed.

I would have thought there will be some children that live in a closed-schools borough, but go to school in Greenwich or Kingston. So they will be able to go to school, even though they live in a more affected area - makes perfect sense

Utter madness. It's almost like Gav hasn't thought it through properly surely not

@Parkperson

Why are Richmond primaries shut? I thought Kingston and Richmond came under the same authority?

They are separate London boroughs, and as such have separate responsibilities for schooling.

@Parkperson Richmond and Kingston haven't been in the "same authority" since 1965.....

Lambeth too

The Greenwich one must be spite!

@Burpeesshmurpees I agree, why have they not published the criteria for deciding which boroughs remain open?
Lewisham and Greenwich over 700 cases per 100k - not exactly low?
I think it was a shot over the bows to Greenwich (Islington too).
Also, why divide London up now? London has always been treated as one

It's almost as if a junior staffer was given the job of "give me a list of London boroughs" and has scribbled it down too fast and made some errors....

It certainly doesn't look as if there was much of a plan!

And yes, children cross boroughs for schooling all the time. More at secondary, granted, but plenty do so at primary too.

There’s loads of questions on MN, twitter and elsewhere about the list. It looks crazy compared against the data.

I suspect it will change and all London schools will go back late.

I think you could be close to the truth here. I don't feel the science came into play.

rumour here is that all London boroughs will be on the list by the weekend.

Our London borough is on the schools open list as are all our neighbours. I dread the thought of home schooling for weeks on end like lockdown 1.
I have mixed feelings as the rates need to come down so would rather a shorter closure now than longer one in a few weeks. It's such a mess and these kids and school staff are really being messed around.

rumour here is that all London boroughs will be on the list by the weekend.

surely it makes more sense to do that.

I expect it'll join the list late once it's clear that it's too complicated to try to separate London. As above, Kingston upon Thames has lower infections in 5-9 age group, whereas Richmond upon Thames / Merton the cases at younger age are higher. It's harder to tell what the cases are doing because of the Christmas disruption, maybe stable (but high) in Kingston and Richmond, rising (and high) in Merton.

Richmond and Kingston primary schools come under SPARK and share services. Most secondary schools are Academies so no longer subject to the local authority. Primary schools in Richmond used to share Nick Whitfield as Director of Education. Now they share primary school services.

@Parkperson

Richmond and Kingston primary schools come under SPARK and share services. Most secondary schools are Academies so no longer subject to the local authority. Primary schools in Richmond used to share Nick Whitfield as Director of Education. Now they share primary school services.

Yes, but that's their choice (and now includes Windsor), under a not for profit arrangement - they have chosen to outsource. It doesn't reflect/affect their individual statuses, or legal responsibilities as London boroughs. It's essentially the same as some schools in an academy chain closing and some not.

(and I wouldn't be surprised if Gav and his team weren't aware of it anyway...)

Hackney too, who have higher levels in the primary age group than areas where primary schools are shut. The overall level is also higher than some areas with closed primary schools.

But if you include Kingston, then what about the schools in North Elmbridge (and yes, I know that's not an area as such, but anyone local will know what I mean). Kids travel between Kingston and Elmbridge for schools - where do you draw the line?