Email from Head - primary school will be open on Monday

[CloseSchoolsProtecttheNHS]

Just had an email from our head teacher 'reassuring' us that the (primary) school will be open as usual to all pupils on Monday morning. Personally, I find this far from reassuring in the middle of the worst part of a pandemic. We are in a county that borders London and rates are over 600 per 100,000.

I'm assuming the staff are either non NEU or have agreed to go in anyway? How can the Head be SO sure they'll open, as to actually write an email on a Saturday night saying so?

@Benjispruce2

As of today we have 3 staff members positive with Covid or family members positive. This all stems from an outbreak at the end of last term. That added to some staff that may refuse to go in might mean we close. Tier 4.

If the schools close it will be similar to what started to happen in March, lack of staff means whole year groups are sent home and then the house of cards will fall. In March we didn't have the SI requirements either.

Schools will open, one way or another it will be a shit show and they will shut.

Birmingham also siding with the unions. I'm just outside though in a tory area so I doubt our primary will close. Praying it does.

If you strike you don’t get paid, I’ve not been able to in the past as couldn’t afford it. Ironically last time the strike was about pay ☹️ . I feel v strongly that parents should get the choice whether to send kids in, why on Earth are we penalising parents for keeping their children safe if they have the means??

I am not a teacher and my DC’s are now at Uni so not facing the problems of schooling next week. Am totally in awe of the teachers my DC’s have had over the years. I wouldn’t last one day as a teacher.
Why haven’t unions, teachers and parents had everyone in masks during the day to keep everyone safer? Is it a British problem not wanting children wearing masks although other countries do (and have managed Covid better than the U.K.)

@Regretsy

If you strike you don’t get paid, I’ve not been able to in the past as couldn’t afford it. Ironically last time the strike was about pay ☹️ . I feel v strongly that parents should get the choice whether to send kids in, why on Earth are we penalising parents for keeping their children safe if they have the means??

But if you are working from home you aren't striking. You are working from home.

@RedToothBrush exactly. This is how it started just before schools closed in March. Individual councils stepped up and said “we don’t care what you say, our schools will CLOSE”, then within days Boris shut us all.

It is actually insane that parents are being forced into sending their children into school BY LAW against all scientific advice, when even the staff are being told it isn't safe. I don't think I've ever been in a position like this before as a parent. What a cluster fuck.

@Regretsy

If you strike you don’t get paid, I’ve not been able to in the past as couldn’t afford it. Ironically last time the strike was about pay ☹️ . I feel v strongly that parents should get the choice whether to send kids in, why on Earth are we penalising parents for keeping their children safe if they have the means??

This isn't a strike though - this is about refusing to work in an unsafe environment. Teachers are still willing to work safely either remote teaching or with keyworker children with safety measures.

I have faith that our primary school leadership team will do the right thing (whatever that is) and I’ll take their lead. Secondaries with 200 dc in a bubble are far more of a risk than bubbles of 30. Hopefully the tier 4 closing of secondary schools and social places will be enough.

Regretsy

It's not a strike, it's a section 44 health and safety notice about safe ⚒ conditions.

@StacySoloman totally get that, was just referencing an earlier PP’s suggestion of striking. Agree we should have remote learning!

But it is safe and that's why the scientists and government advisors are saying schools back on Monday.

@Esse321

But it is safe and that's why the scientists and government advisors are saying schools back on Monday.

Lol. OK.

Parker,

I'm allowed to wear one and I swop between masks, visa and nothing.

However, I'm absolutely not allowed at all to ask the students tk wear masks, only in corridors because that's the only place the government has made it compulsory!
Even then we can't force them!

I'm also told, as if it's saving Me... That I'm allowed ti wear a mask but it does t really protect m at all, it will protect the students!

My DC are 5 and 7 they will not be wearing a mask in class.

Attitudes like this are why we have got to this point.

If parents had been more willing to accept mask willing, teachers would have felt less pushed to the brink.

My prediction is more local authorities will advise schools to close tomorrow, Monday will see some schools open and some shut (possibly first thing in the morning when it becomes clear staff aren't coming in), and by Wednesday the Government will decide to "delay" school reopening from the following Monday until 18th.

This is what I am expecting tbh.

I find the LACK of email from our normally very proactive and on the ball head telling.

She would normally reassure/confirm etc etc by now.

I am pretty sure there is an internal debate being had amongst staff and she is waiting on the local council.

They previously held a meeting at 4pm on a Sunday, pulling the school reopening due the next day after 5pm. By the time the parents were emailed it was after 6pm. Some of the kids had already gone to bed expecting to be going to school in the morning and were pretty upset the next day.

So I suspect the head will be waiting on that and won't jump the gun due to the confusion.

Personally I'm prepping DS that he may not go back and we just don't know yet. We will see what happens.

Slight diversion from thread based in PP (Sorry) I am aware of how unpopular this view is on MN but still I feel it strongly - No, I don't want my children to be forced to wear face coverings at school. They hate it (they tolerate it if we need to travel or shop, but they still hate it) and I think it's barbaric to force children to do something so uncomfortable all day long when they have no choice to refuse and to make them miss education and social interaction if they do. No one is forcing adults to do this (and if they did I think there would be a much bigger push back). Age is a bit relevant but not the only factor (DC are Y7 so if they'd just been born a few months earlier would not be subject to mask wearing or testing) it just rages me all the parents of primary aged children on here saying secondary pupils should 'just' wear masks every day. My DCs are just a few months older than the precious little cherubs at primary school who don't have to and it isn't a small thing at all.

@Esse321

But it is safe and that's why the scientists and government advisors are saying schools back on Monday.

SAGE definitely aren't saying it's safe.

Which scientists are saying it is safe?

@m0therofdragons

I have faith that our primary school leadership team will do the right thing (whatever that is) and I’ll take their lead. Secondaries with 200 dc in a bubble are far more of a risk than bubbles of 30. Hopefully the tier 4 closing of secondary schools and social places will be enough.

Our primary school has bubbles of 60 not 30. They have been so short staffed they've been juggling within the year group.

If staff are not happy then give your job up. If I wasn't happy to go into work then I wouldn't get paid.

It’s not a case of being unhappy with their jobs, it’s a case of not being safe at work. Their employers are failing in their duty to protect staff. Anyone has the right to refuse to work in unsafe conditions and with the unions backing them up they will be very protected. Why on Earth should someone resign and lose their job and income over something which isn’t their fault? I’ve said it before, in years to come there will be a massive class action against the govt from school staff for compensation for all the long covid cases. And from families for deaths.

What about tory councils? Will they stop it?

It's going to depend on what the qcs say. What argument they come up with.. Everything in the end comes down to the law and I guess if heads want to take a punt after legal advice on their school safety... Or councils or the gov!

@1stMrsF

Slight diversion from thread based in PP (Sorry) I am aware of how unpopular this view is on MN but still I feel it strongly - No, I don't want my children to be forced to wear face coverings at school. They hate it (they tolerate it if we need to travel or shop, but they still hate it) and I think it's barbaric to force children to do something so uncomfortable all day long when they have no choice to refuse and to make them miss education and social interaction if they do. No one is forcing adults to do this (and if they did I think there would be a much bigger push back). Age is a bit relevant but not the only factor (DC are Y7 so if they'd just been born a few months earlier would not be subject to mask wearing or testing) it just rages me all the parents of primary aged children on here saying secondary pupils should 'just' wear masks every day. My DCs are just a few months older than the precious little cherubs at primary school who don't have to and it isn't a small thing at all.

I think primary students should be wearing masks too.

I agree it isn't a small thing. As a teacher, I'm wearing a mask as much as possible, and I agree it isn't comfortable.

But I think not doing so is genuinely unsafe, and I think having Covid and getting ill would be worse for my students (and I know of kids in Y7 in other schools who have been quite nastily ill with it). And obviously potentially far worse for their parents and teachers.

I think you do get used to it with time, though.

Sorry being uncomfortable isn’t a good reason not to have children wearing a mask to keep other around then safe.

No one wants to but it’s the situation the world is in. Why are British children unable to when other countries have made it compulsory and been successful in handling Covid outbreaks.

How can it be safe to be confined in a room with 30 others with no social distancing, probably no masks and nobody has a had a test? No other sector has to do this? I’m not a teacher but God do I feel sorry for them.