Notified at 5pm tonight that primary school not opening tomorrow

[Rinoachicken]

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.

Delusional to think the governments risk assessment of schools means they are safe. Teachers and school staff have been (and continue to be) exceptionally professional and deserve praise not negativity.

It's despicable that schools are expected to operate with no communication from DfE.

Blaming schools for this is disgusting.

@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.

That sounds quite threatening. You have no idea what support or conditions those staff have.

We have one class shut this week as the teacher got a notification to isolate over the weekend. Open for critical worker children obviously.

As for the rest...who knows!

We have had one case in school so far, but no bubbles needed to close due to timings. Cases have rocketed round us with the new variant though. Literally 7 cases in the whole county in the first week of December. But 459 in a day just now.

6.30pm notification here, closed for two weeks.

That's interesting OP. Our school (tier 4) is closing under the govt announcement from a few days ago - but we have an inset day tomorrow, then nothing Tues, and homeschooling starting Weds.

They won't have a clue what the Government are planning. I doubt even the Government have a clue as to what they will do tomorrow, let alone by Wednesday.

However, the decision may well be as a result of the Section 44 H&S issue being led by some of the teaching, headteacher and support staff unions.

Many schools were canvassing their staff during today as to their plans and would not have been able to make a final decision until they knew how many staff they would have in tomorrow.

@userxx via email
I'm in Bury to be precise

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.
Unless your school has only one teacher, you'll struggle to know who specifically thinks their work place is too unsafe to go in - which also means they think it's too unsafe for the children.

Haha schools find out all the info on the news when you do!

They will not be opening as cannot staff it I imagine

@LittleMissLockdown

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.

Depends on the school. One of my siblings works in a state school and was asked to work from home last March for three months, and only had to put online a few worksheets which weren't even marked. Most kids didn't do any work at all.

My DC goes to private school so is not affected by this, but I feel that it's really disgusting that the majority of children are let down I this way.

Will the really vulnerable be going into school. Not if they are missed by the system!

The Government has set the rules based on medical advice.

I don’t see care workers, supermarket staff, Drs or nursing staff refusing to go in. Children’s education is so important and it’s being lost by the people who should be leading it.

Don’t agree with me, fine but don’t pretend I don’t understand the facts. I do understand and that it’s trickier for teaching staff, but it is for the majority of the UK at present!

Many parents are probably prepared and like the fact kids aren’t going in as see a critical risk but that isn’t the advice from the Government, who I appreciate haven’t been great but are trying to keep the country moving appropriately via their advisers.

We're Tier 4 in the NE. So far DD is back tomorrow but our local council has issued guidance saying that it is up to the individual schools whether they close. The council will have no issue if they do decide to close.

I really feel for our lovely head teacher. The area the school is in is about 230/100,000 and there haven't been any (reported!) cases since September at the school.

Please can everyone remember that Unison have also told their members not to come in so support staff such as cleaners and caretakers might have handed in Section 44 letters. Teachers and TAs are already doing a lot of cleaning but I think they would draw the line at fulfilling the role of caretaker and cleaner on top of their working day.

Depends on the school. One of my siblings works in a state school and was asked to work from home last March for three months, and only had to put online a few worksheets which weren't even marked. Most kids didn't do any work at all.

You're totally missing the point of section 44. It refers to the workplace not to the work. They will continue to work but not at home. Perhaps your sister could clarify that for you.

[quote quarentini]@userxx via email
I'm in Bury to be precise [/quote]

Thank you.

Same with us, Berkshire Tier 4.

We had an email at 6pm today saying school will switch to remote learning for all pupils, except key workers children.

Im so glad they have. We have much higher numbers that most of the London areas that closed.

My DC goes to private school so is not affected by this, but I feel that it's really disgusting that the majority of children are let down I this way.

Who are the children being let down by? The people who have spent the last term slogging their guts out to provide education on a shoe string in the middle of a pandemic.

Or the government who failed to find a safe and sustainable method to get schools to remain open, even with ten months to plan?

What is totally disgusting is that education has become a political football AGAIN in the middle of a national crisis. Teachers have moved heaven and earth to provide education in any way they can for their pupils despite the circumstances and the shoddy, terrible support given to schools.

I also find it disgusting that people hate teachers so much that they’d rather send them into work environments that break safety laws. Says more about you than anything else.

And FYI- your private school gets 5 times more a year to provide education for your DC. Perhaps that is why they could switch to online so easily. Just a thought.

@Fivefatsausages

Everything you said is factually incorrect.

@Tenyearsgone

*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.

Well if a teacher goes off sick with stress, what do you think happens for the kids?

Part of the kids wellbeing involves ensuring that teachers are in a good mental state themselves...

I think it’s completely unfair that schools have been placed in this position (again). Decisions like these should come from government, and in a timely manner.

Schools should not be made into the bad guys for government’s ineptitude.

I'm shocked (not really unfortunately) that people think schools are doing this to 'play games' or other such nonsense.

This is a drastic last resort after months of no government support (and years of under funding).

I highly doubt anyone would volunteer to be in the same working conditions as teachers recently.

Stop the teacher and school blaming and look at why they are forced to take this action.

The headteachers in our area were meeting at 5pm. SLT meetings 6.30, another group meeting at 7.30. Whatever decisions they make, it is going to be late.

@BelleSausage

My DC goes to private school so is not affected by this, but I feel that it's really disgusting that the majority of children are let down I this way.

Who are the children being let down by? The people who have spent the last term slogging their guts out to provide education on a shoe string in the middle of a pandemic.

Or the government who failed to find a safe and sustainable method to get schools to remain open, even with ten months to plan?

What is totally disgusting is that education has become a political football AGAIN in the middle of a national crisis. Teachers have moved heaven and earth to provide education in any way they can for their pupils despite the circumstances and the shoddy, terrible support given to schools.

I also find it disgusting that people hate teachers so much that they’d rather send them into work environments that break safety laws. Says more about you than anything else.

And FYI- your private school gets 5 times more a year to provide education for your DC. Perhaps that is why they could switch to online so easily. Just a thought.

Private school parent is outraged and disgusted by the state system they already thought wasnt good enough.

Its almost as if there is some confirmation bias going on about a system they don't have active contact and direct current experience of, combined with a rather nasty case of snobbery about how private schools are run so much better.

The lack of self awareness and amount of arrogance is pretty impressive...

Stop the teacher and school blaming and look at why they are forced to take this action.
People need someone to blame. Teachers are a handy scapegoat. I've become immune to the number of things I'm blamed for now...

Don’t you think this is down to the government? SAGE have said schools need to close, medical professionals have said the same, many in government have said it, the teaching unions have said it.

Are you honestly blaming these individual teachers who are worried about their safety? Do you think they want to take this kind of action?

They are not calling for schools to be closed indefinitely, but for measures to be put in place to keep themselves AND the children safe.

What makes you think in many tier 4 places that might be 3 or 4 miles from schools which aren’t being opened, that things are miraculously safer where you live for the staff or your children?

Or is it just about the inconvenience to yourself?

Absolutely, no school should be needing to email parents at this point to say they won’t be opening. It wasn’t okay 24 hours ago either when the government changed their minds on lots of London schools and it’s not okay now. They need to make decisions and communicate sooner.

Just wait.....the government will be closing all if the schools in the next few days. It’s going to happen anyway.