Will there be a U turn over primary schools in the next few days?

[SoscaredforJan]

Just that really. If things carry on getting worse over the next few days are they really going to send primary schools back into the Covid hell?

At what point will we have to have a national lockdown to stop the hospitals from being overwhelmed?

Given that most of my year 6 parents refused the flu vaccine for their kids this year and that those who had it kicked up an enormous dramatic fuss with professionals administering it, i'm guessing that they'll not even bother.

Once they see the utter shitstorm it will be in secondary they'll shelve it anyway. By then schools will be closing through infection in any case.

Re why arnt parents kicking off?

Because we are scared about being fined, taken to court, loosing our school place?
Where can we openly and honestly give feed back on this?

I dare not even share my views on this, on local fb forums where people are worried and asking the same question!

Everyone is scared of the above.
On twitter there are some growing moments giving advice on the above, template letters about safety etc.

For me, I'm not going to be honest with our dd school, because I don't want to get into the pointless wrangle about schools being safe and it's all OK, or set a clock ticking against me.
She will simply be ill. And I'll string that along for as much as I can to get through this awful peak.

#safeedforall... Twitter.

Phelb I'm not sure school will close, because teachers can have the lateral flow tests, and students and they are relying on those to stop bubbles closing.

@Panickingpavlova

Phelb I'm not sure school will close, because teachers can have the lateral flow tests, and students and they are relying on those to stop bubbles closing.

There is no testing of students or staff in primary schools ?

With the delay in secondary schools going back do we think that will make a difference to case numbers? Ours here decreased slightly last week probably as a result of schools being off. Maybe that's what the government is banking on.

There is no testing of students or staff in primary schools ?

I'm sure i've seen testing primary staff mentioned for the end of January, so perhaps we'll see tests at some point in the summer term.

Yes, I meant that even though primaries are due to begin testing after secondaries, I do not expect them to get that far. Currently there is no testing in primaries, even in tier 4. For staff either.

@Waxonwaxoff0 yes closing secondary schools
foe a week or two may potentially help , it’s a gamble when primary schools are almost as high with their rate of infections. I guess we will see over the next two weeks when they re open.

Testing is apparently scheduled for the end of January although i'm sure it won't.

Mostly because LVT are shite, it'll be a shitstorm.in secondary, and i'm fully ecpecting the staff to be off by then anyway, given our rate of exposure.

It’s hard for me to understand this hysteria, but then I am very relaxed about covid and I don’t think we should ever have locked down in the first place. However, if a disease ever came about where I was genuinely fearful for people’s lives and my own child’s safety, I wouldn’t be sending my kids to school anyway? A slap on the wrist from the children’s authorities would not get me sending my kids into what a perceived to be a danger zone?
Please do keep your kids off school, the traffic is beautiful for those of us getting on with life when all the other kids are sat at home on iPads.

I really hope not

The tests they want secondary kids to use on theirselves are also really crap, using these in place of isolating close contacts is ridiculous

@Lmnopqrstuvwxyz

No, primary schools should stay open. Children need an education if they are expected to live in the society we have created for them. This sight is full of people shouting about children having one day off and how they will fail at life. They have already missed 6 months. They don't need to miss anymore. Parents can't cope working 40 hours a week, looking after 3 kids with no childcare. An I pad and a tele are not suitable ways for kids to be entertained and educated. Children need to socialise.

Vaccinate the old and vulnerable this week.

If you lock-down again then it's more money having to spend on furlough and less money in the economy.

Spend the money on vaccines and let us back out again.

You know you 1) can't vaccinate the weak and elderly all in one week and 2) you can't go out and about as normal once vaccinated? The vaccine doesn't stop you spreading the virus, it just stops you getting as sick. So until a significant proportion are vaccinated the NHS continues to run the risk of being overwhelmed by covid patients (possibly not life threatening but still critically ill) and therefor all other patients (heart attacks, car accidents, complicated births requiring emergency attention) don't get treated or even get into the hospital because no one is available to treat them? Have you even seen the news regarding turning hospitals into covid only and patients waiting in ambulance bays for six hours and being treated outside? I had a baby in December 2019 which required an emergency section, I had wonderful care. I can't imagine I would possibly have received that level of care in December 2020 and I can't even contemplate what would have happened if I hadn't (to me and my baby)

I'd be quite happy to return to the classroom on Monday after i've been vaccinated as a clinically vulnerable older teacher. Unfortunately, that's not going to happen till about May, if i'm lucky.

Umm most primary schools closed here. I have NO idea why they havent done this nationally.

The problem with kicking up a fuss is that it immediately puts you on a collision course with the Local Authority whether you're a parent or a teacher. Quietly lying buys you a week or two.
If you tell the truth you could end up with a prosecution or disciplinary action.

I haven't seen mention on many threads the change in expectation on schools since March. When the first lockdown was announced, there was almost no guidance and that's why there was a huge variance in education provision and many parents had to step into the role and support their children's learning.

Since October half term, schools have been required to provide equivalent remote learning in the case of any absence due to Covid. Schools will have had to do this for any class or year bubbles' isolation so they will have a system in place by now. Many schools have also used online systems for homework to prevent books going in and out of school which means teachers and pupils will be well practised at using these. Children will not be missing out in the way some were in Lockdown 1.

Of course, KS1 children may still need more practical support during a period of remote learning but Y3 and above should be able to follow their programme of learning without too much disruption for parents.

I don't know why GW hasn't reiterated this to reassure parents who are concerned, or promised to address the provision of tech to schools as a priority to assist this.

Yes, that’s a good point MsJuniper. The provision from some schools in the first lockdown wasn’t great, which no doubt also impacts on the reactions of parents to another suggested lockdown.

If parents have to work though and don't have time to supervise then it doesn't matter how good the online learning is. Some children need more parental input than others, especially younger ones and if parents can't do it then there will still be inequality.

@AaronPurr

There is no testing of students or staff in primary schools ?

I'm sure i've seen testing primary staff mentioned for the end of January, so perhaps we'll see tests at some point in the summer term.

There is in some areas. I teach in a primary in a Tier 4 hotspot and we all get weekly testing. However our rate is over 1000 and we will now only be offering places for KW and vulnerable children.

To be clear, this wasn’t put into place by the government. Our LA has done it themselves in response to the massively rising rates throughout December.

There is in some areas. I teach in a primary in a Tier 4 hotspot and we all get weekly testing.

Sorry to hear you're in hot spot, if you don't mind me prying how long have you been receiving tests for?

To be clear, this wasn’t put into place by the government.

Oh really, i'm so surprised to hear that

@Waxonwaxoff0

With the delay in secondary schools going back do we think that will make a difference to case numbers? Ours here decreased slightly last week probably as a result of schools being off. Maybe that's what the government is banking on.

Not enough difference unless they continue for much longer.

Sadly primaries will spread it too.

If tabla was such a last minute Larry he could had a) had a back up plan for this back in April when unions and heads wanted to talk. B) had a back up plan for September for full return in case of wave 2. C) had a back up plan drawn up over Christmas when they knew the situation at end of term.

It's easy for schools to identify vulnerable children. Set up hubs. Provide transport to them. These are manned by support staff, lunch is provided and can even open 8-6 and be worked in shifts to allow those at risk of harm t9 be protected.

Second set of hubs can be for keyworkers.
Again children are transported. Maybe open 7-7 to allow those in the nhs a bit more wraparound care and flexibility.

Everyone else learning online.

They are so close minded they cannot see that there are other ways to have kids in school where that is the best thing for them and the country.

I have no actual figures if anyone can find them but I'd bet those numbers are a small percentage and the risk therefore reduces massively.

@AaronPurr

There is in some areas. I teach in a primary in a Tier 4 hotspot and we all get weekly testing.

Sorry to hear you're in hot spot, if you don't mind me prying how long have you been receiving tests for?

To be clear, this wasn’t put into place by the government.

Oh really, i'm so surprised to hear that

Only since just before the holidays. We had one normal weekly test, another before Christmas and the next is tomorrow.