Which year groups back first?

[dippyegg32]

I'm guessing not too dissimilar to last time so secondary exam years, reception and year 1? With other year groups following within a fortnight so everyone gets at least two weeks before Easter.

We would all be guessing because let's face it, the government won't have a plan.

Sorry to be arsey but I am so sick of how shit they are, how they've done nothing to help schools.

I doubt the govt even know yet. They’ll probably just pick a year group out of a hat, they’re not know for actually doing anything with reasoning or a thought behind it.

They haven't confirmed 8th March as definite yet? Unless I've missed something?

@GinAndTonicOnIt

They haven't confirmed 8th March as definite yet? Unless I've missed something?

There's quite a lot of reporting suggesting it will be happening, I think that's the intention from what's being said. But yes, unconfirmed as they need to get past the review date.

It is the absolute earliest, anything on the review date which hints at it not being a good idea will push it back. I was so so sick last term of dd being in for a week, isolating for two, in for a week, isolating again... the longer closure to ensure they can be opened in a way which doesn't send the children and teachers on a rollercoaster of emotional ups and downs is fine by me.

They need to take heed of the science and think carefully about how to do it. I just don't know how 30 kids in a class is ever going to be Covid safe until a massive chunk of the population is vaccinated

I would like to think year 6 will be one of the first years to go back so they can transition to high school in September smoothly.

Wouldn't it make more sense to plan how schools will return (eg which year groups back first) and then announce a date, rather than picking a date first. How can they know what infection rates will be doing in 6 weeks time?

Reception are still in at our school- EYFS are allowed to be in.
Wouldn’t a rota be better so all years can come in part of the time.?

They won’t decide until literally 24 hours beforehand. They never have a plan.

They need to take heed of the science and think carefully about how to do it.

Never gonna happen

The government are incompetent and do not give a shit about the impact of all this on kids

@Alfaix reception are closed at our school. Reception falls into both eyfs / formal learning so it's at the school's discretion.

I think year 6 should go back first. My dd was affected in the last return, because nursery, reception, year 1 and keyworkers were back, they couldn't get year 6 back. She had no transition to secondary, since starting secondary she has managed 7 weeks of learning on site in school, but bubbles kept popping and now lockdown. Her mental health has really taken a bashing.

I would have assumed eyfs, year 6, 10 and 12.

Perhaps Y11 and Y13.

I would hope Y10 and Y12, who have the most to lose and little time left in which to catch up.

Unless they are going straight back into classes of 30, many Primary schools won't have the space or staff for random age groups plus keyworkers...our Primary currently has two bubbles per year, with 10-12 children in.

Yr11 and 13. They are still going to have some form of assessment and had a messed up previous year.

I would suggest yr7 too, as they really need to get themselves sorted. They missed the end of yr6 and had a bizarre start to high school.

I think it's going to be a mess. If they do rotas, they're still going to need kw places. If I'm back teaching exam classes, I'll need both my kids back in primary all the time. I'll also need asc, as I won't be home in time.

They never have a plan.

Round here we have a lot of infant schools so year 2 would benefit from returning to help with the transition to junior school. In other areas you'll have middle schools who again have different years who are moving on.

Y11 and Y13 should go back first. As much as I feel for Y10 we were exactly the same position last year and weren’t given priority. Boris said they must have face to face sessions in the last few weeks, ours consisted of 1 10 min chat with a form tutor. They can’t focus on Y10 until they complete some form of assessments for Y11 who have had nearly a year out of school. DS’s school haven’t even done mocks yet.
In primary I then Y6 and possibly Y5 to go back first (but I think the Government will actually prioritise KS1)

No one knows yet when the schools are going back other than it’s not before 8 March. It will depend on transmission rate, number of cases, hospital capacity etc.
No plans have been released yet as to know the schools will be made safe - half classes on rota, mask wearing etc

Dd is year 8.
All along since she came home in December we have said it will be Summer term before she goes back.
Better to just assume that really as like last year she is a low priority year.

@ihearttc

Y11 and Y13 should go back first. As much as I feel for Y10 we were exactly the same position last year and weren’t given priority. Boris said they must have face to face sessions in the last few weeks, ours consisted of 1 10 min chat with a form tutor. They can’t focus on Y10 until they complete some form of assessments for Y11 who have had nearly a year out of school. DS’s school haven’t even done mocks yet. In primary I then Y6 and possibly Y5 to go back first (but I think the Government will actually prioritise KS1)

Agreed. We had the same for our year 12 now 13. School refused to have them back last year and their education has really taken a battering

I'd argue Year 12 as well as Y11 and Y13 at secondary/sixth form level. Plenty of them are in an exam year, and they were the year that had their GCSEs messed about, so should get maximum chance of not having a second set of qualifications disrupted any more than they need to be.

I don’t think primary schools can take odd years in whilst the key worker children bubbles are in. Our school is too full to do both unfortunately.... it’s going to be all or nothing I think year 6 should be a priority

@ihearttc

Y11 and Y13 should go back first. As much as I feel for Y10 we were exactly the same position last year and weren’t given priority. Boris said they must have face to face sessions in the last few weeks, ours consisted of 1 10 min chat with a form tutor. They can’t focus on Y10 until they complete some form of assessments for Y11 who have had nearly a year out of school. DS’s school haven’t even done mocks yet. In primary I then Y6 and possibly Y5 to go back first (but I think the Government will actually prioritise KS1)

Same here. The bloody government crowing on that “year 10 have been invited back to school”. Yeah, for 1 hour per week of tutor group. Hardly educational, and not learning anything.

No doubt this year will be the same. “Schools are returning” will be the headline. Meanwhile my year 5 and year 8 kids will be sat at home until May. But at least the government can pretend that “schools are open”.