They are going to close the schools again aren’t they.

[Amithetoxicone]

😱

Cody I do get what you are saying if they miss another term should they repeat the year. But I don't know how feasible that is.

How do you house another full year group in most schools, if LOs don't start school is that a permanent change to the school start age?
Do kids in Yr6 / P7 stay in primary or move up. Many are ready for the change at that point in a maturity sense.

If older kids repeat what does that do to Uni and College places?

Repeating the year is easier said than done. Not to mention needing extra teachers and surely those low down the schools can make the time up.

Agreed, we are a single.form entry school with absolutely no available space. Where would we fit a whole extra year group?

& also, the Unis would go bust if they didn't have any first years next year!

I would argue for making it an option for kids who've really struggled/missed significantly more than their peers.

We do this in my overseas private school routinely.

Mind you, kids see it as a fate worse than death; the stigma of being seen to have failed the year, all their mates moving on...but that might be less painful if it was, I dunno, 20% of them rather than one or two 🤷🏻‍♀️.

But definitely wouldn't be practical for the whole cohort.

There is no easy answer other than get extra teachers and tutors in every school.

Even some kids repeating a year could make for massive age differences in a year group. It's not uncommon in Scotland to have 14 months between the oldest and youngest in a year, add another 12 months and its huge.

I just don't know where you find thousands of suitable tutors or how you pay for them.

@Bikingbear

Cody I do get what you are saying if they miss another term should they repeat the year. But I don't know how feasible that is.

How do you house another full year group in most schools, if LOs don't start school is that a permanent change to the school start age?
Do kids in Yr6 / P7 stay in primary or move up. Many are ready for the change at that point in a maturity sense.

If older kids repeat what does that do to Uni and College places?

Repeating the year is easier said than done. Not to mention needing extra teachers and surely those low down the schools can make the time up.

It’s a nightmare isn’t it? In my child’s class at least 3/4 of students are seriously behind on phonics and well below where they should be. The home learning last year was pitiful, a few worksheets printed off Twinkl, no phone calls or any engagement. And this is from a supposedly ‘Good’ school.

Teachers must be protected, but at the same time I could weep for my child’s education. Feeling hopeless and very, very sad today.

I think if schools close people will be going to visit family just because they are at home and haven't been mixing, people will think it's fine to see grandparents etc which it probably is. Safer than it has been.

The only way repeating a year would work would be if every year group repeated. Which would mean that the school starting age would have to be raised by a year permanently.

Because you could never have a year where you have two cohorts of students in the same year group. Not even ten years down the line. Not only is it impractical from a logistical point of view but what happens when they take a-levels and apply to uni. Universities aren’t going to double their capacity for one year group. So the compensation for uni places would be stratospheric. Then for the majority who can’t go to uni the competition for jobs would be equally as bad. I guess you could fuck up two year groups for long term gain? Would you be happy if it was your kid’s year?

@onedayinthefuture

I think if schools close people will be going to visit family just because they are at home and haven't been mixing, people will think it's fine to see grandparents etc which it probably is. Safer than it has been.

Or children will go to family while parents work. I know if my child was between age 10 and 12 (companionship not childcare age) and I couldn't get a keyworker place then they would be going to my sibling (who hasn't been following the rules).

BBC News - Covid school closures 'put children's lives on hold', says Ofsted chief
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55333685

[quote GloGirl]BBC News - Covid school closures 'put children's lives on hold', says Ofsted chief
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55333685[/quote]
Yes I saw that idiotic statement.

Fucking covid is putting all our lives on hold - that's why we need to get it under control - which is why schools need to shut TEMPORARILY so we can get some bloody progress.

Ofsted!!!

Unfortunately isn't everyone putting their lives 'temporarily' on hold what we all have to do in this crisis?

Numbers go down, we get out, do things like we did in summer, within reason but when winter comes, we know the virus loves the cold so, now we row back, we close things down again, we get numbers down and if we do this now, by spring, everything will be on our side again? The weather, students outside... More people vaccinated...

So, this OFSTED statement. Does that pretty much signal that primaries (other than the listed) will be back? I'm tier 4 and we had an email saying we are opening as of that time but head would let us know if anything changed.

For the record, I dont think tier 4 schools (as a minimum) should be having children in at all.

Apart from keyworker and vulnerable.

@Benjispruce2

Ofsted!!!

Worth noting that this woman has never been a teacher. It says it all. Business is dictating schools. Total disregard for safety. Total disregard for the NHS.

A totally irresponsible article by the BBC.

Regarding this lady. Trotted put as a govt spokesperson to back up keeping schools open at all costs.

Out

@ThatDamnKrampus

Apart from keyworker and vulnerable.

The vulnerable definition lets many children fall through the cracks though. Many vulnerable children are not looked after children, have SS involvement or an EHC plan. There are many 'otherwise vulnerable' children, such as those who have difficulty engaging with remote education or whose mental health is at risk, who have been refused a vulnerable school place when similar children at other schools are able to attend.

@Fortherosesjoni70 typical! Much like our Gav, though being as useful as a chocolate teapot is all the more shocking given his background in ceramics!

There we go.... A definitive answer.

Live now - www.facebook.com/nationaleducationunion/videos/2252357238232655/

We are the guinea pigs so that they can see what happens when schools open and then decide if tighter restrictions are needed.

The headteachers, teachers, NHS heads and SAGE say schools are not safe and need to be closed.

The government regard schools as childminding slots, and don’t give a fig for anything else.