Teachers: Is there a plan to get schools back?

[Elephant4]

I don’t mean right this minute.

But are the government working with schools to find a way to reopen schools SAFELY when the time is right?

No. No point asking teachers or even headteachers. They will find out at the same time as everyone else - when Boris announces it on TV.

You know schools are largely still open don’t you? I’ve got 200+ pupils a day in my primary. I do wish people would stop posting in such a way that implies that schools are currently physically closed.

As for a plan, I rather imagine the only plan is waiting until the numbers have gone down a bit and then opening back up as before.

Sorry - but for my kids and many others schools are closed.

Good question.

Unfortunately, it's not up to the teachers who have been campaigning for safer schools for months.

It would be good to think that the DfE is consulting educationalists and public health experts (as requested by the National Association of Head Teachers) about exactly how to make schools safer, although given their track record, unlikely.

Unless there are stronger measures to significant lower the numbers of children in school and a plan for schools to be safer when they return than they were/are, it's all going to continue to implode, I'm afraid.

The government hasn’t worked with schools at all, ever, during this whole pandemic. In fact, quite the opposite at times. We find out things when you do.

Teachers find out the same time as everyone else !!!
All these decisions are made by other people NOT anyone in school .

Teachers are the last to know!

My daughter ends up planning and re planning with every U turn. I reckon the quickest way out is to vaccinate teachers and boost testing in school.

DfE have no intention of working with schools so teachers and head teachers will find out through the media like everyone else.

The Government haven’t spoken to schools all the way through this pandemic. Can’t imagine that is going to change

@Elephant4

I don’t mean right this minute.

But are the government working with schools to find a way to reopen schools SAFELY when the time is right?

OP, you do know that the government don’t work with schools on making plans at all, don’t you?

They announce things on the telly and heads have to implement it. That’s it.

What the government( removed and no idea what a real classroom is like) say is safe and what teachers feel and know is safe are poles apart.

Eg gavin tried to push the test event as the key, but sadly there are many holes in that plan, the tests give high false negatives.

A range of things need to happen, community transmission under control, hospitals back to normal, masks mandatory in class, ventilation with heating and open uniform policies. Blended learning for classes in packed classroom

Oh OP, if only we knew...

Like others have said, we have no idea what the plan is, but I suspect there isn't one. Not sure GW actually knows what goes on in schools tbh. We'll find out when it gets leaked to a Sunday paper, like everyone else.

We don't know - we find out stuff when you do, via that talking bollock who happens to be our PM.

A few people are saying vaccinating teachers will help but I don't think it'll make much difference to when schools re-open. Schools didn't close to all children because teachers were at risk, they closed because they were driving community spread of COVID. Schools are as much in the dark as everyone else and my school has received no indication of any plan to get children back. We're in one of the many areas with over 1,000 cases per 100,000. There is no indication of extra measures we can put in place, or what rates of transmission/ % of population vaccinated/ capacity in NHS will be deemed safe. I don't think those in charge have a clue.

Not sure GW actually knows what goes on in schools tbh.

THIS THIS THIS.

I'm so certain that he just hasn't got a clue. All this '4 hours of online lessons' stuff. That's just not how primary schools work for a start. So frustrating.

The government hasn’t worked with schools at all, ever, during this whole pandemic. In fact, quite the opposite at times. We find out things when you do

This ^

Sadly, Government after Government refuse to actually take advice from people who know what they are talking about - be that schools or healthcare, youth work or social care.
Not sure, OP, why you expect things to suddenly change.

True. The community spread will still be there even if teachers are vaccinated.

It's a mess.

No. The government has not worked with schools for any of its decisions so far. None of their panel of advisers are teachers or Headteachers.

No. The government seems to be investing massively in the improvement of remote learning.

We find things out on the news, the same as everyone else.

We had less than 12 hours' notice that we had to shut the school to all but keyworkers and implement remote learning.

There are an array of safety measures which would help but that would mean both government and parents listening to the teaching profession.

How on earth would teachers know? They'll find out about any plans at 8pm on TV like the rest of us.

You know schools are largely still open don’t you?

Ffs...I'm fed up with teachers saying this. Surely you know very well what the op means?
And they're not open for my dc...if I turn up tomorrow morning my dc would not be allowed in.

Very much doubt it.
This time last week we had a plan, a dubious one, but a plan. Then 24 hours later came the U Turn. Same with exams.

The govt/DFE have shown zero interest in working with the teaching unions and professional bodies