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Original poster

Schools to get 2 weeks notice before opening

44 replies

Nellodee · 21/01/2021 08:32

www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-55747064

Which means they will be definitively opening after Easter, and schools will be informed at 9pm on the last day of the term.

OP posts:

SeldomFollowedIt · 21/01/2021 08:39

After Easter is what I think.

Daisy829 · 21/01/2021 08:41

I’m praying for Easter. I’ve heard teachers saying sept but I can’t see that happening. With the vaccine & summer surely they can’t keep schools closed that long. Kids would end up having to repeat a year.

UnmentionedElephantDildo · 21/01/2021 08:45

I thought there might be limited reopenings of on-site attendance before the end of this term

Does that look less likely now?

I suppose with exams cancelled (and alternatives still a mess) and adult patterns of transmission in older teens, the imperative to get years 11 and 13 back in has reduced, and waiting until community transmission is much lower end far more sensible.

3littlewords · 21/01/2021 08:45

Was going to say exactly same thing @Nellodee 🙄 so predictable isnt it

SophieB100 · 21/01/2021 08:49

Mr Williamson told BBC Breakfast that he hoped the government would "be able to restart that programme that worked so well".
^^
Could someone enlighten me as to what programme, regarding education, will restart that 'worked so well,' please?

Itisasecret · 21/01/2021 08:49

Easter, with notice given on the first day of the holidays. Which is a bank holiday, as it is Good Friday. 10pm announcement on Twitter and then guidance released Easter Sunday not before The Telegraph has printed it.

That’s my bet.

ineedaholidaynow · 21/01/2021 08:53

@SophieB100 struggling to think what he is referring to

AmoElCafe · 21/01/2021 08:57

@Itisasecret

That’s my bet.

Good Friday isn’t the first day of our holidays... our Easter holidays start a week before that.

Eyewhisker · 21/01/2021 09:02

I’m still hoping for before Easter. Govt review 15 Feb, and 2 weeks notice would be beginning March. So a few weeks schooling before Easter.

By mid Feb, infections should be looking much better and the vaccination effect will be kicking in

Itisasecret · 21/01/2021 09:08

@Eyewhisker

I’m still hoping for before Easter. Govt review 15 Feb, and 2 weeks notice would be beginning March. So a few weeks schooling before Easter.

By mid Feb, infections should be looking much better and the vaccination effect will be kicking in

It’s not about that. It’s about the hospitals. The vaccine isn’t going to open schools.

AuntieStella · 21/01/2021 09:12

@SophieB100

Mr Williamson told BBC Breakfast that he hoped the government would "be able to restart that programme that worked so well". ^^ Could someone enlighten me as to what programme, regarding education, will restart that 'worked so well,' please?

I saw the interview.

He was talking about the plan in schools to replace SI with daily testing. Apparently there were highly successful trials (first I'd heard of that!) but the scheme will not be going ahead for now because DofE has been over-ruled by the medics. And long may it stay that way.

SophieB100 · 21/01/2021 09:14

And schools won't return as before. That would be ridiculous, and would just prove that the government have learnt nothing from their mistakes. The only way it will work is if infection cases have dropped and stabilised, the NHS is coping, and the vaccine roll-out is going to plan, and there are no nasty surprises regarding new variants. Then, and only then, could a very gradual re-opening of schools, in some areas, with rota systems and staggered returns possibly work.
And that won't happen before Easter. If it did, we would just have to shut down and lock down again, and kick the can further down the road.

SophieB100 · 21/01/2021 09:16

Thankyou @AuntieStella
What a muppet he is. To even consider that daily testing could be an option, proves how out of touch with the reality of day to day school life he is.

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 21/01/2021 09:31

And schools won't return as before. That would be ridiculous, and would just prove that the government have learnt nothing from their mistakes.

So schools are opening exactly as before then.

WTAFIhavelosttheferret · 21/01/2021 09:41

It was Gavlar

Why would anyone pay any attention to what he said in a moment of panic on the radio?

He had a great history for backtracking.

movingonup20 · 21/01/2021 09:41

All they said was 2 weeks notice not a date - they could reopen in February with 2 weeks notice too at the earliest.

ineedaholidaynow · 21/01/2021 09:44

As they don’t understand the meaning of the word safe do they understand the meaning of two weeks

MarshaBradyo · 21/01/2021 09:44

@WTAFIhavelosttheferret

It was Gavlar

Why would anyone pay any attention to what he said in a moment of panic on the radio?

He had a great history for backtracking.

Yep in two weeks people will forget his two weeks. And even if they don’t easy to say whatever fits at the time

DinoGreen · 21/01/2021 09:44

Just a way to keep schools closed for longer 😞 whenever they finally get round to announcing it, they can add another two weeks on. Such a joke.

storminabuttercup · 21/01/2021 09:49

Surely it needs to go by area? We're in west Yorks, I'll probably get flamed but cases are lower now than before Xmas when teachers were happy to be in.

WTAFIhavelosttheferret · 21/01/2021 09:54

@storminabuttercup

Surely it needs to go by area? We're in west Yorks, I'll probably get flamed but cases are lower now than before Xmas when teachers were happy to be in.

I dont think they were happy to be in

School staff in West Yorkshire died from covid in the weeks prior to Christmas.

SlipperyLizard · 21/01/2021 10:06

Our cases here are no higher than in October. Our large (550 pupil) school only had 3 classes needing to isolate last term, each time caused by an adult testing positive.

School has 50% of its pupils in at the moment.

My DDs are suffering enormously from social isolation, if schools don’t reopen soon then the government must exempt younger children in England from the restrictions on meeting outside (so I can take one DD to meet a friend with their parent, for instance).

Rosesaresweet · 21/01/2021 11:34

All they said was 2 weeks notice, not a date - they could reopen in February with 2 weeks notice too at the earliest.

Williamson said he hoped they would open before Easter!

If cases continue to fall, schools may well be able to open end of February or early March. I certainly hope so!

Original poster

Nellodee · 21/01/2021 11:38

Sorry, the post was meant to be humorous, based on Gavs form for announcing changes to schools with zero working days left to apply the new guidelines. Given he’s said there we’ll be two weeks notice, he would have to give it just before a two week holiday, otherwise people would actually have time to plan!

OP posts:

Delatron · 21/01/2021 13:27

They closed with a day’s notice so we need to be reactive here. The virus doesn’t work around school holidays!

If hospitals can cope at the beginning of March then give schools a few days notice even if it is a random Tuesday. Then Easter hold would provide a natural break and get cases down again.

What happened to the region by region approach?

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