Page 4 | I really thought there was going to be a primaries U-turn today

EekThreek · 03/01/2021 16:12

I'm in Shropshire too @xxmyheartxx and we've just had an email saying school is open as normal with the same arrangements as before Christmas.

I'm at my most anxious I've been so far since this all started. Rationally I know I'm in an area where rates are consistently below average (last time i checked it was 115 per 100k), but the last minute decision making is getting me down as I like to plan around the available options and we never truly know what they are! And I feel terrible for teachers who aren't being protected from large scale mixing in confined spaces.

Selfishly, I'm worried about how we'll manage the kids if schools shut. DH's role can't be done from home but he's not a keyworker, I do WFH, so if schools shut I don't know how I'll do my work and supervise KS1 and KS2 learning at the same time. School have already said they're not doing any live teaching online, and it was next to impossible to get the kids to do their work last time, and DH was furloughed then. I just hate not knowing.

YoniAndGuy · 03/01/2021 16:12

@Fivetoomany - yes I think he is!

Kudos for your Head's clear message. Our Head is just as frustrated, we open Weds, had a pretty similar email from him. We don't know what we're doing yet, waiting for further announcements - I have a gut feeling they won't actually open on Weds at all.

Jetatyeovilaerodrome · 03/01/2021 16:13

Boris is not going to u turn now because to do so would look like he has given in to unions and one of his top priorities right now will be to make sure that doesn't happen.

He knows schools are going to have to close, he effectively said it on Andrew Marr this morning, but it will be on his terms, when he wants, which is why he alluded to it today I think.

FenEel · 03/01/2021 16:13

Thanks to this thread I have been alerted to the fact our N Essex primary school is now not opening on Tuesday, ( first day back) although no info given on whether it is opening after that. Checked email and had an email 20 minutes ago from school, told DS and he already knew due to his older brother’s network of gaming gossipers with younger siblings - news travels fast on Fortnite.

RosieBdy · 03/01/2021 16:14

Just checked and our rate per 100,000 is now over 1000! Tier 4 area but primary schools still open... madness!

mrshoho · 03/01/2021 16:14

I'm half expecting a 9/10 pm announcement tonight.

Babyroobs · 03/01/2021 16:18

Hopefully parents will behave sensibly and keep their kids at home. I'm surprised anyone thinks the government has got this right ? I understand it will cause problems for people as regards childcare but people need to do the right thing.

StitchesInChristmasTime · 03/01/2021 16:18

We’ve just had an email from the DC’s primary school saying that they’re only open for key worker / vulnerable children, and that remote learning will start from tomorrow morning. With an apology for the short notice.

I checked the council website - we’re tier 4 - and they’ve issued a statement that basically said as far as they’re concerned, it’s up to individual schools to decide whether or not to open based on individual circumstances / risk assessments etc etc.

bartymao · 03/01/2021 16:20

@mrshoho

I'm half expecting a 9/10 pm announcement tonight.

Me too, they have form after all.

Ihatefish · 03/01/2021 16:21

Well school is open but wrap around has shut down! I mean wtf? It just all needs shutting down now so employers know, wtf is supposed to happen to workers who can’t work from home. We are fine as we are wfh so just need to pop out and get DS, but if you work in a factory say what are you supposed to do? It’s a mess! I can’t see any other option but total lock down like March with maybe click and collect to keep some money going through retail. Keir Starmer is right (and I don’t say that often).

Noellodee · 03/01/2021 16:22

Don't we have the National Association of Head Teacher's court case hearing tomorrow afternoon?

I'll be bloody pissed off if primaries are shut following that decision - not because I think closing them is wrong, but if they DO close them, they should have done it before mingling millions of children for a nice little bit of bonus virus boost before we shut down.

Shitfuckoh · 03/01/2021 16:23

One of ours made us aware earlier today that they're closed for 2 weeks initially. Open to critical worker and vulnerable children.

Fully agree with & support it.

Ayupmeduck · 03/01/2021 16:24

Tier 4 area here and all of the primaries are opening as planned tomorrow.

I watched Boris on Marr this morning and he was absolutely paving the way for schools to close, just not yet.

I give it 2 weeks when they can blame rising infection rates and not look as though they've caved to union pressure.
Had an email from the HT at the school I work at and she thinks the same.

notalwaysalondoner · 03/01/2021 16:25

The ONS says teachers have caught it no more than other professions that work outside the home, and children don’t catch it at any higher rate and are more likely to be asymptomatic and therefore less infectious. But let’s all panic and ignore the statistics and the impact on our children’s education because the unions said so.

PinkPiranha11 · 03/01/2021 16:26

Yes! Thank god for that as well. I don’t know one real life parent who isn’t absolutely thrilled there hasn’t been a u-turn.

Beebityboo · 03/01/2021 16:26

Well this week the Christmas cases will start to show up in the data, things could move pretty quickly then.

Ihatefacemasks · 03/01/2021 16:27

@Flower2021

For once I am astonished that the government has made a decision and stuck to it!

(I mean, it’s the wrong decision, but still.)

I am absolutely thrilled if they stick to it.

If they do, it will be the first sensible decision they have made since March. It seems too much to hope for that they won't un-make it at 11PM today.

I am afraid the Unions absolutely can't be allowed to win this one. Johnson hasn't done anything good at all since he became PM (in fact: ever), but if he is willing to take on the unions head to head, he would at least have achieved one positive thing.

EssentialHummus · 03/01/2021 16:27

I think they’ll close after a week or two, because obviously it’s in everyone’s interests for kids to mix, infections to go through the roof and grandparents to be knocked out as a viable childcare options for many. 🤷‍♀️

SophieB100 · 03/01/2021 16:28

Boris is not going to u turn now because to do so would look like he has given in to unions and one of his top priorities right now will be to make sure that doesn't happen.

He knows schools are going to have to close, he effectively said it on Andrew Marr this morning, but it will be on his terms, when he wants, which is why he alluded to it today I think.

^^ Yes, totally agree with this.

ComDummings · 03/01/2021 16:28

It’ll be in 2 weeks when rates rocket further and the hospitals are in an even worse state

Partey · 03/01/2021 16:29

Durham LA just issued a statement saying they support schools in whatever decision they make. I want ds to go to school, but if I was working at a school I wouldn’t want to be there. A dinner lady at ds school is still in hospital after having Covid in early December.

Shit show from Boris and his cronies yet again. If schools were closed in March with the numbers then because they weren’t safe then there’s absolutely no justification for remaining open now

Coasterfan · 03/01/2021 16:29

Several schools in my tier 4 area have closed, statements from heads saying it’s because they deem the risk too high. Ours will be opening but I don’t know what to do. If the risk is too high then it’s too high for all schools in the area!

Witchend · 03/01/2021 16:29

50/50 on a local chat as to who was sending dc in tomorrow.
It's getting quite heated now as someone said "they had to think of their dc's mental health so were sending them in."
Someone replied. "I am thinking of their mental health. If I get ill (shielding) and die that's not going to do much good for their mental health".
Followed by lots of keyworkers saying "are you accusing us of not thinking about our dc's mental health?"

At least it's a change from fireworks.

I find it odd though. After all the u-turns we've had, why are they sticking on schools? It seems such a strange hill to die on.

Ihatefish · 03/01/2021 16:30

@cdtaylornats

I hope all of those suggesting defying the government are prepared to pay the furlough costs.

Quite frankly the cost of this is so fucking huge by now, furlough costs for a couple of months are pissing in the wind. We )and our children) will be paying for this for the rest of our lives. Quite frankly the cost is so huge it’s almost irrelevant

2020out · 03/01/2021 16:30

@notalwaysalondoner

The ONS says teachers have caught it no more than other professions that work outside the home, and children don’t catch it at any higher rate and are more likely to be asymptomatic and therefore less infectious. But let’s all panic and ignore the statistics and the impact on our children’s education because the unions said so.

No, the ONS have no evidence which can show whether or not teachers are more or less at risk than non-teachers.

More children currently have the virus than any other age group. I agree, probably not because they are more susceptible. Probably because they've been at school while everyone else has been at home.

It has also not been proven whether children are better/worse at spreading the virus than adults.

One of the union's demands is the data that supports full opening of schools.