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

[Amithetoxicone]

😱

Hoping so too, very scary new strain

I have it on goo authority from someone ' in the know ' so to speak that this is what's happening. He said this weeks ago.

He's been right about everything else so I stopped rolling my eyes at his doom stories a few weeks ago and roll along with the fact he does know what he's talking about sadly 🙄 I just hope they don't let families know the day before which seems to be the norm at the moment.

I've no issue with the things that need to happen happening but the bucket of cold water approach hours or days before is getting a bit ridiculous.

I really really hope so.

Yes they will. People need to mentally prepare themselves for that now so it isn't a massive shock when it happens.

"I just hope they don't let families know the day before which seems to be the norm at the moment"

Well, it can't be much more than a day before can it? They're due back on Monday morning!

Yes would be much better to have a few days warning, mostly so I can tell my employer I won't be available (0 hours with a decent employer who are happy for me to be in or not). And so I can make sure I've got stuff available for DD. And mentally prepare myself for it.

As I understand it, no secondary schools aren’t open until 11th Jan. My school has made Monday a training day, presumably so we can understand the tech required. (Didn’t think to show us how to use it yet! Bonkers) Then only exam groups will be taught next week. Week beginning 18th, all kids back, although this will obviously be subject to change and given the no of Covid deaths, I’m going to posit that we won’t be having kids back in then.

February half term was mentioned to me, which horrifies me. I want to be back in the classroom, I just don’t think it’s the best idea currently.

@ofwarren

https://twitter.com/Telegraph/status/1345126413398118401?s=19 Front page of the telegraph tomorrow Teachers unions demand ALL schools close

Actually, the headline is ‘Teachers demand all schools stay closed’

Which we’re not, and the unions aren’t and if you notice it’s ‘stay closed’ because they can’t even claim it was teachers that closed them in the first place.

But hey, you fell for it.

@Agoodbriskwalk

I really fucking hope so.

Yes, certainly tier 4. I sincerely hope we have a proper lockdown this time around, the last one was so 'semi', then relaxed too soon. Either we get on top of this virus or we don't.

I have a friend who hasn't sent her children to school for ages, she isn't prepared to take the risk. She has also given up work (teacher) since the end of last summer term for the same reason. She was on a contract and just didn't renew. Her children are young, about twelve and eight, so no public exams in sight. They are all fine at home, enjoying various activities but they do live in the country, surrounded by fields which makes life easier than townies.

I'd certainly have kept mine at home had this happened way back when and I'm in SE London so no fields on the doorstep, just the garden. Goodness knows what I'd have done about my job though.

I can't say whether or not you are being unreasonable, op, because you haven'e proffered an opinion, just made a statement that schools are closing.

I bloody well hope not - kids around here are like wild animals when they're not at school.
Working from home + screaming feral children = a very pissed off me.

I really hope they do, I feel like everyone is flailing around like they did mid March.

I bloody hope so, in tier 4 at least.

I really don’t see how they can’t given the numbers. I don’t see them reopening until after Feb half term, if even then.

@noblegiraffe what do majority of teachers want?

@noblegiraffe have you even read the article?
"Teachers demand the closure of every school in the country"
"Joint general secretary of the national education union said the government had corrected an obviously nonsensical position, adding that ministers must do their duty by closing ALL primary and secondary schools to contain the virus".

I never "fell" for anything, I read past the headline, unlike yourself.

They need to, with this more contagious strain that affects children more. Even if it’s just for a couple of weeks it would help get the figures back down.

Unfortunately too many people just don’t accept or believe how serious things are while schools remain open.

@Lauren1983

Yes but probably not until the kids have mixed for a few weeks first. I'm fully expecting DD to be in the 4th but also that schools will close by the end of the month.

I predict you to be right

@blazinglightonthehill people in tier 4 areas (( the majority of the UK at the mo )) have already been told of a staggered return. In my area it's the 12th for colleges. I'm not too sure about junior and primary schools but I know my niece's both have later return dates.

We are in Tier 4 and school as normal next week (Primary).

Asking what the majority of teachers want is the same as asking what the majority of parents want and the answer varies significantly

Personally I think the schools will all be shut at some point this month (my area is a primary closure area so I’ll be teaching online). My gut is my class won’t be back till after half term. Numbers are as bad as they were at the start, we are well and truly in the depths of a huge wave. I think we are heading for another full blown lockdown and they are just easing us in. I would rather they just throw us in then all this dilly dallying.

I’m really not a doom and gloom person, I’ve managed to stay so positive since March but this is what I personally can see coming. My school is drawing up the plan for after the 18th in case we are back - masks will now be compulsory for all staff all the time (this isn’t from government I should add its what my Head has said) and my school is putting back the summer term measures - so separate playtimes (literally one year group at a time) no physical sharing of rooms (so PE will be outside for everyone), we’ve had staggered start and finish throughout autumn and this will remain. We are also switching back to pack lunches for everyone and eating in classrooms so as not to share the hall - it’s grim.

Looking at how overwhelmed the hospitals are at the moment and the current figures being seven days behind I believe the whole country needs to go into lockdown and all
Schools closed. Exams for 2021 need to be cancelled ASAP so the kids know where they stand. Not the answer any of us want but the government needs to step up and own their mess. They have created this situation with their delaying and indecision.

We are tier 4 in the midlands and primary schools aren't closed here. Kids back as planned on 4th.
My concern is that we'll go back for a week and then the government will decide to then close the school but the damage will be done.

Thank goodness. Hope they stay shut till February half term at least 🤞

Scotland have a couple of additional in service days for teachers and a week of online planned. I suspect that week will end up being until February half term.

But I do think they should close in England too before the NHS becomes completely overwhelmed.
I don't know how kids are supposed to cope long term with missing a term and half of face to face teaching in the space of a year. But then again plenty of children must miss that amount of education through serious illness.

Trying to find the positives in this, maybe this will lead to long term improvements in schools esp for children who miss school through illness etc.