How long will schools be closed for?

[UndertheCedartree]

Just wondering people's thoughts on this? Will it be like last time or likely to be shorter?

Primary in contingency areas - review on 18th. Concerning as no indication on when / how they reopen.

Secondary a firmer date for return on 18th

I'm expecting all schools closed (bar keyworker kids etc) by the end of the month and back at the earliest March and most likely after Easter holidays.

We're in a hot spot and I don't believe a word anyone says about primaries opening on the 18th.

Luckily I'm a key worker and they'll have to forcibly remove me from the playground if they try and prevent my children going to school.

I hope its the prelude to a proper lockdown and that happens after brexit before 2 weeks review, as I think that the intention is to detract the attention away from the brexit debacle.

Those primaries schools that are closed (except for keyworker/vulnerable) this will be for at least 2 weeks. They will be reviewing this on the 13th. They may be able to return on the 18th but this is all depending on the data within that area. It may be that some on the list return and some don't or that all remain closed for another 2 weeks or that all can return (which I think is unlikely). We may even end up seeing more areas put on the list over the next two weeks and at the review time. We shouldn't rely on it just being a 2 week closure - I suspect extensions will be made. We haven't even seen the Xmas relaxations effect yet.

@cheninblanc the thing is its not about individual schools and whether they have had bubbles burst. The fact is that most areas with schools delayed have either very high covid rates, high hospital admission and a rise in case numbers.

If we don't act to reduce the cases then when you call for an ambulance or attend A&E for any reason, you won't be able to access timely treatment. I would think this is a lot more important than doing A levels which can be redone at a later date.

To add to this, 2 more tested positive the day after school broke up for Christmas, so that makes 8 of my class testing positive in total.

I guess that’s perfect because they will be clear by this coming term.

I think it depends on the Christmas surge.

Well if the numbers are still shooting up or haven't come down by the 18th what would be their reason for opening them? I think they'll be shut until February half term, personally.

Are Secondary schools impacted the same as Primaries in the contingency areas? So apart from exam years they are subject to review in the 18th.

All parents need contingency plans and savings in place in case they contract long covid (1 in 5) as cases amongst parents of school age pupils will rise very quickly if schools are open.

Is the 1 in 5 taken from the ONS study where half of those with 'long covid' were people who still had a cough five weeks after getting Covid? I'm probably alright to get through that without a trust fund, thanks.

@AlwaysLatte

Well if the numbers are still shooting up or haven't come down by the 18th what would be their reason for opening them? I think they'll be shut until February half term, personally.

They would have no reason for opening them. If numbers don't change, they can't just magically say it's okay for them to return. It would be a question of well why couldn't they go back at the start of term when numbers were the same. I'm not sue about February half term, but I definitely see at least another 2 weeks being added on.

The government have stopped saying "keyworker" and now say "critical worker". I wonder whether if they have changed the criteria?
Both Boris and Williamson said this, when talking about schools.

It wouldn't surprise me if all schools return are delayed - when it becomes crystal clear that schools can't possibly do the impossible, which is set up and test at the rapid speed expected.

Scotland here. I think it will be after February half term.

Newstart20 I'm well aware of that. I work in the nhs. It should never have been pushed back as that promised testing in mid December should already have started.

They can't just take a levels at a later date either, testing is the solution not keep pushing things back or making excuses. I hope they open for all children

I'm probably alright to get through that without a trust fund, thanks.

I am glad others feel secure. I am the primary wage earner and in some ways, the thought of being off work long term (as some people I know are) scares me more than anything.

Its a harsh fact but if I die my family is more secure than if I'm ill. But I'm much more likely to be sick than die.

Wish I had a trust fund .

My comment was a bit flippant, for which I apologise, but I also think that scaremongering over long covid is unhelpful and actually a bit counterproductive. Clearly some people are very badly affected, but it is equally clear that it is just total rubbish to pretend that one in five will be left disabled and unable to work - there have been 2.5 million cases confirmed by test in the UK, probably double that in reality, there just aren't a million people left disabled by covid and it's silly to pretend there are and it's the kind of scaremongering that makes people question very real and present and non-exaggerated dangers, like the NHS being overwhelmed.

North east here - we went into tier 4 as of midnight but my year 1 daughter is expected to attend on Monday. My eldest's sen school are getting back to us today as to whether the changes will affect her return date of 5th but I suspect it won't as they won't be taking part in the testing (pupils all autistic). I would much rather they had closed all schools and Im still in disbelief that they haven't. I'm watching news about hospitals and ICU's overflowing but its fine for my children and their teachers to be in a room with no mitigation from 9-3? It makes absolutely zero sense

Statistics show teachers are no more at risk that the rest of the population, Ie there is not a higher case rate. So it’s moot.

That information generally comes from data taken during the first wave, when schools had half size class bubbles and vulnerable school staff were generally working from home.
It also,separates out all teaching and school staff into separate groups, rather than as a whole, which skews the data somewhat.

Unless you have a source which covers the data from September to December perhaps?

Surely no one outside the government can reasonably consider having close contacts in schools, with no masks and no social distancing, just tested with a 50% (if done properly) effective swab as being a sensible idea?!?!

I don't think 1 in 5 will be disabled long term. I do think 1 in 5 will get long covid.

Working parents are especially at risk due to a) work contact b) school contact and c) no time to rest.

1 in 5 is across the whole population - but women over 45 are especially at risk. If I was 21 with time to rest and no dependents I would be less mindful of it.

@cheninblanc why can't they take A-levels later? It might have to be a national thing. Education may have to change like every other industry has had to.

Statistics show teachers are no more at risk that the rest of the population, Ie there is not a higher case rate. So it’s moot.

That’s not true.

Statistics show that teacher infection rate maps pupil infection rate and we know that kids and young people are the most infected subset of the population.

@notevenat20

To add to this, 2 more tested positive the day after school broke up for Christmas, so that makes 8 of my class testing positive in total.

I guess that’s perfect because they will be clear by this coming term.

'Perfect' that children are catching Covid and getting sick? 😱

Whilst I agree that the timing of the holidays was perhaps 'good' in that they didn't miss school, it was completely shit for them and their families as they had to isolate, and they HAD COVID!! Ffs!!

I think it will depend on the numbers in the next few weeks, I can't see these going down though. Maybe after February half-term we will see them fully open again.