When will primary schools reopen?

[Trekkerbabe]

I'm desperate. Single mum of two kids. Full time demanding job but not a key worker. Zero support. Exhausted doesn't begin to describe it.
When do you realistically think primary schools will reopen?

Halfway through next HT if we’re lucky is my current best guess. But it changes almost daily.

They are open. I'm at work every day in one

Reopen to all year groups - Easter I think.

After the Easter holidays

I think anytime in March would be a good result. The government have already said it will be atleast feb half term, so that’s a minimum.

For all year groups, I agree after Easter. Before Easter, YR and Y1 might get to return.

March maybe?

No one knows, and school staff find out at the same time as everyone else does via leaks to Peston.

May half term, possibly Easter if vaccines go well and people comply with the lockdown.

Easter. After they have missed pretty much a full year. Which is sad but necessary.

Easter / may x

Have you tried speaking to your Headteacher and explaining your circumstances? They may be able to help

To all year groups? Easter, I reckon.

If the vaccine rollout goes to plan and hospital admissions have dropped enough, I'd say Yr R/1/2 back after half term, so end of February, then everyone else after Easter. Hang in there.

@RosieLemonade some have - from what I hear - missed nearly a year. Some haven’t. Depends on age & how badly the school were hit with bursting bubbles in the autumn term. My Y1s (so were YR last year, hence able to return in June & mostly did) lost - or rather moved to home learning - for two weeks more than half a term - plus this time.

After half term if they really do manage to vaccinate the top four priority groups. Once everyone over 70, and those with shielding health conditions, have been immunised we'll be keeping enough people out of hospital to justify getting kids back to school.

I think Feb half term for KS1 if everything goes well with vaccine to start with. Think Easter if not..Easter is really early this year too so not as long as it sounds. Think secondary will be later and poss KS1 back before KS2

Easter full time or maybe after Feb half term on a rota basis.

None of us knows.

OP could you by any chance afford to hire in some help? Even having someone a couple of hours a day would help. There’s quite a few 20 somethings offering themselves for childcare/help with home school on my local Nextdoor.

I've realised this is primary and I don't have primary children , but what it's worth I'm hoping for part time after feb time..

I may be optimistic but I’m hoping for some primary years to start going back after February half term

I don’t think they’ll do KS1 first, then KS2 weeks later-I think they’ll choose specific year groups like they did last time as other wise you’ll get infant schools packed back in and junior schools standing empty. Best to do a gradual reopening with some children in each. I’d go for YR, Y1, Y3, Y6 maybe. Or everyone in on a rota.

Though I rather think the fact that so many people have been allowed KW spaces scuppers the plan for rotas so it’ll probably just be certain year groups.

i'm hoping for after easter holidays.

Easter

I also think after Easter holidays

Fellow single mum of two here, last week I was really really worried about my mental health as I just cannot homeschool two different ages primary school children who are not yet independent enough to do the work themselves without my input AND do my work AND do every single thing in the house. Even there worst of partners would come home and take the odd bin out so to be doing it all yourself is horrendous. I know.

I feel better because I emailed and then spoke to the school and they were wonderful and really understanding. I just said I can’t do it all and since then, well today has been the first day, I did a bit of reading and comprehension with the older child and the rest of the time concentrated on my work, some educational videos and just keeping us all warm and happy and well fed. My worry is of course that they will get back to school and have fallen behind but the teachers were very reassuring about that. My advice is stop worrying about the schooling, give up if you have to. Do the near minimum. We are in rhe kiddie of an unprecedented situation. The important thing is staying sane and healthy and happy. The rest can wait.