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Original poster

Notified at 5pm tonight that primary school not opening tomorrow

145 replies

Rinoachicken · 03/01/2021 17:37

Just received notification from school. INSET tomorrow and then home learning Tues and Wednesday. Keyworker and vulnerable children only. No hint of what happens Thursday onwards.

The late notice aside...it does make me wonder if they know something about what the govt is planning to say on Wednesday...

For context, I live in Surrey, Tier 4, but my kids primary had no cases from September.

OP posts:
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theviewfromhalfwaydown · 03/01/2021 18:20

I’m in Surrey and my youngest school just sent out a message saying how excited they are to have everyone back tomorrow. I work in a school and they have just announced an inset.

Sobeyondthehills · 03/01/2021 18:23

Also in Surrey, got an email saying they will be open as usual from Tuesday (inset day tomorrow)

Silvergreen · 03/01/2021 18:23

@JellyBabiesSaveLives

I don’t think the government knows what the government is planning to say on Wednesday
THIS
WhoLettheCatOut · 03/01/2021 18:24

I'm tier 3 and our local authority closed schools tomorrow at 4. I think it's more around how many teachers have said they won't come in.

Original poster
Rinoachicken · 03/01/2021 18:24

@Squiffany I have no reason not to. It’s a fairly close knit school community, news (and gossip!) travels fast. We had a fair few isolations while people waited for results, which were negative and children promptly returned to class, but no bubbles were shut. The school is fortunate though, they went from double to single intake recently, so have classrooms to spare, lots of outdoor space and two halls. They also have more than one site entrance and each classroom has its own dedicated entrance onto the playground, so SD and preventing bubbles mixing was not as problematic as it has been for other schools.

OP posts:
RedToothBrush · 03/01/2021 18:25

The head teacher union legal challenge goes in tomorrow I believe.

I think a lot of heads are closing awaiting the outcome of that, perhaps giving a couple of days notice extra in case schools do stay closed due to a ruling. Simply so parents have can plan a couple of days ahead.

We got a similar email at 4.30pm. But only closed tomorrow for now (no inset day here). I kind of wish we had a couple of extra days grace.

My gut feeling is that by mid week the government will be forced for various reasons to back down. The case rate post Christmas is shooting up in a number of places (including places still in T3).

Johnson has already acknowledged tighter restrictions are likely. Make of that what you will.

WhatTheFoot · 03/01/2021 18:25

Theres an announcement on Wednesday is there?
Our primary emailed about two hours ago to say its opening as usual. There is a list being updated on Facebook of surrounding primaries that are opening only for kw and vulnerable children, more adding to the list as the day goes on.

RedToothBrush · 03/01/2021 18:27

@JellyBabiesSaveLives

I don’t think the government knows what the government is planning to say on Wednesday
This is true.

But then we are talking about Johnson and there's a bunch of people who can see the writing on the wall and can predict what Johnson will have to say in the coming days / weeks.

He's just too stupid to get it.

gallbladderpain · 03/01/2021 18:27

@BouncyMonk

Hi OP, I had the same. I’m in the Midlands.

I know this is an unpopular opinion on MN but I’m really pissed off with it. The impact on my DC’s mental health is reaching breaking point.

Do you not think the impact of feeling unsafe in work on teachers has many of their mental health at breaking point as well? But sure as long as your kids are OK what does it matter !
FatGirlShrinking · 03/01/2021 18:28

We got a ParentMail on Friday saying that they were having to sort staffing as due to some teachers being affected by the secondary school closures they were unable to work and asking for advance notification if anyone was planning to not send their kids in so they could organise the home learning.

It may be that staffing is causing issues, not just because of the section 44 but because of self isolating staff and staff with kids in closed schools.

Original poster
Rinoachicken · 03/01/2021 18:29

In case it’s of interest to anyone, for my town Covid case wise, we are currently at just under 500/100,000 with an increase of 266 on the previous week.

OP posts:
Theforest · 03/01/2021 18:30

The same with ours in tier 4. Email at 3.30 to say school not open tomorrow as emergency planning day. They will email tomorrow to tell us more...

Sedona123 · 03/01/2021 18:31

@Pumpertrumper

I imagine they’ll have received section 44’s and not have any other choice.

At the end of the day if there are no teachers in then pupils can’t come in.

This.

Less to do with government guidance, and more to do with the National Educational Union asking all of their members to refuse to work. Understandable if you're in a school with lots of covid cases, but ridiculous if your school hasn't had any covid cases last term.

Smartiepants79 · 03/01/2021 18:34

Schools know fuck all!

LittleMissLockdown · 03/01/2021 18:35

more to do with the National Educational Union asking all of their members to refuse to work.

Just wanted to correct this assumption. No one is being asked not to work. They are advocating that school staff work from home at their working environment is not safe. Staff will still be working and no one has told them not to.

Tenyearsgone · 03/01/2021 18:35

Do you not think the impact of feeling unsafe in work on teachers has many of their mental health at breaking point as well?
But sure as long as your kids are OK what does it matter !

A teachers mental health is not more important than a childs.

Fivefatsausages · 03/01/2021 18:36

If I had received the announcement, that teachers are handing in their section 44 - I’m not sure I’d be able to continue a relationship with the teacher going forward. These individuals are supposed to be professionals but are playing silly buggars.

Absolute disgrace when the Government has conducted a risk assessment and has ruled certain schools to be open where risk is lower.

The poor head teachers, governors and most importantly the vulnerable children who need school the most.

Really very disappointing.

Tiddlywinkly · 03/01/2021 18:36

Greater Manchester Tier 4 here. Just had an email saying they are doing online learning for two weeks (apart from key workers).

Looks like schools are taking matters into their own hands.

Orf1abc · 03/01/2021 18:37

Understandable if you're in a school with lots of covid cases, but ridiculous if your school hasn't had any covid cases last term.

We're in a far worse situation than we were last term.

Tiddlywinkly · 03/01/2021 18:37

Primary school.

RedToothBrush · 03/01/2021 18:37

@Fivefatsausages

If I had received the announcement, that teachers are handing in their section 44 - I’m not sure I’d be able to continue a relationship with the teacher going forward. These individuals are supposed to be professionals but are playing silly buggars.

Absolute disgrace when the Government has conducted a risk assessment and has ruled certain schools to be open where risk is lower.

The poor head teachers, governors and most importantly the vulnerable children who need school the most.

Really very disappointing.

You mean the vulnerable children who ARE going in to our school tomorrow?

Those children?

Being looked after the evil teachers and head?

Yep ok.

Orf1abc · 03/01/2021 18:39

The poor head teachers, governors and most importantly the vulnerable children who need school the most.

The school leadership unions are in agreement with the teaching unions. This is not teachers (and support staff) acting unilaterally.

saraclara · 03/01/2021 18:39

@Sedona123 my local school didn't have any known cases last term either. But over the holiday the rate in our catchment area has increased SEVENFOLD. Almost 1% of the population is infected right now. And that's the infections we know about.

One infected person walking into a year group with a new and far more contagious variant of the virus, unmasked and in close proximity to other children and staff is going to cause mayhem.

AaronPurr · 03/01/2021 18:39

Absolute disgrace when the Government has conducted a risk assessment and has ruled certain schools to be open where risk is lower.

Brilliant can you share a link to this risk assessment?

Right now i'm going to school tomorrow in an area with higher rates than those where schools are closed. A Government risk assessment explaining why my school is safer would be much appreciated.

LittleMissLockdown · 03/01/2021 18:40

and more to do with the National Educational Union asking all of their members to refuse to work.

You mean the vulnerable children who are being educated on site regardless of the section 44.

The vulnerable children who will still have continued education no matter how unsafe the environment gets.

Don't let a small thing like facts get in the way of your ill informed rant...Hmm