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.

Dependant upon case numbers The First Minister is set to announce that Wales' youngest primary school pupils could return to the classroom from the end of February.

I can see exam years, plus R&Y1. Then Year 6. Mine's in none of these years. Meh.

Here’s what Scotland has said. Maybe England will copy it:

Exam years
Last year of primary
Youngest years of primary.

From an educational point of view, I'd prioritise year 6 at primary and years 11/12/13 at secondary. However, as childcare will no doubt be a factor, I would anticipate reception and year 1 getting priority again.

I have a y1 and y6 child so technically they'd both be back on the 8th if that's the current plan, however last year when schools opened to all these years our primary only opened to y6 as there was too many KW places already taken, the numbers of KW places this time are far higher so I'm not holding my breath they'll be back at all until much later in the year.

@AlexaShutUp why do they prioritise y6? Its not like they'll be sitting SAT'S or even have the opportunity to have transition days at the high school ready for September

Why do we think it will be staggered this time? Schools are safe remember?

@AlexaShutUp why do they prioritise y6? Its not like they'll be sitting SAT'S or even have the opportunity to have transition days at the high school ready for September

I don't know what the official thinking is, but for me, it's about all of the transition stuff that they do in year 6. I appreciate that the high school transition days won't happen as usual, but there is still a lot of preparation undertaken within the primary schools to help the kids deal with any anxieties and navigate change effectively. I also think it's helpful to have a good ending to primary school before they make that leap.

Fallen - I think, to start with, there will be a rota with half days to keep the class sizes small with everyone in masks inside the classroom and corridors. If the transmission rate doesn’t increase and bubbles burst perhaps they then open up more fully .

Hopefully it will be year 6 again to go back 1st so they can get a little bit prepared for secondary school. Fingers crossed for them.

Year 6, GCSE and A level years ( or equivalent)

Well if they do send any of them back I hope they do it properly. Ds1 is in y11 - last summer he got a total of two half days in school, “contact with teachers” as recommended by the government. And then a few months later they started saying that year 10 had been back in school as though they’d been in full time for half a term!

Week in, week off rotas would be ok, if I meant more year groups could be in, though. I’ve got a y8 who’ll be bottom of the pile.

I’m surprised at people mentioning year 6, once the sats were done it was the most pointless year dd has done - especially as they won’t be able to do settling in day at their new schools.

@FallenSky

Why do we think it will be staggered this time? Schools are safe remember?

I’m hoping the government have finally noticed that they’re not safe, even if they’re not willing to say that out loud

In Wales it is going to be EYFS first. EYFS in Wales means up to the end of y2 so ks1.

In 11+ areas it would make more sense to send Yr5 back over Yr6.

Overall, it would make more sense to give schools a maximum capacity and let them prioritise based on that (based on whether it's an infant, junior, middle, primary, 11-16, 11-18 etc school, number of children already in, or whether rotas would be more suitable...)
But that would never happen.

My are Yr3&5. So neither went back last time, and most think they would be low priority this time...

Wales say they are considering them going back after half term, starting with the youngest primary school children. No idea if England will do a similar thing when they go back.

Who knows ?!! We can all make a case for our child’s year group ... my year 8 had hardly settled in to secondary when they closed last time, and because of 3 self isolation periods had a rubbish start to year 8. They are really struggling not knowing where they fit with friendship groups but I’m sure everyone can think of a reason why their child’s group need to be prioritised ! I hope that in secondary they do prioritise the exam years though

If they send y6 in, I hope they let areas with middle schools do something more sensible for them. Last time there were schools that take y5-8 that had to be open with just y6 in, which was silly.

@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)

yes.

I have one in year 11 and one in year 13.

I realised yesterday that they will have been out of school effectively for a whole year and then expected to sit assessments of some kind.

Bloody awful.

I don;t get the rush to return reception and year 1. Never have. That is all about childcare for working parents, and while I am sympathetic, it is the same for years 2-8 I think.

Same with year 6, as long as they are back in by May, they will get enough transition.

After 2 exam years, I would like to see kids prioritised by how well they have accessed home learning, so families who haven't can send their kids in. There are 101 reasons why home learning might not work,I don't care which, justget them back.

Or, get everyone back, but one day per week, so they have contact and then do 4 days at home.

My yr 1 will be staying home in Wales if it’s after half term I think.
I think it should be exam years first.

But sadly it’s not about the children and it’s being done so parents can go back to work.

In 11+ areas it would make more sense to send Yr5 back over Yr6.

Sorry, I don't agree that 11+ should be a priority at all. Primary schools aren't there to prepare kids for 11+ and the kids who get into grammars are not the ones that we need to worry about as a society.

If they're picking year groups, it's a safe bet that my y3 and y5 get fucked over for a second school year in a row.
Why should 8yos and 10yos have access to peers and education anyway?
(Sarcasm)

The reality is that much of the country already has lower rates than in November, and rates fell through November with schools in. Some schools suffered with disruption, some schools didn't. By March, rates should be low after 2 months of crushing social restriction, it's the end of the respiritory illness season, and further progress on vaccinating the most vulnerable to complications and most likely to spread. All year groups need to go back, normally to minimise educational and social damage.

@BogRollBOGOF

If they're picking year groups, it's a safe bet that my y3 and y5 get fucked over for a second school year in a row. Why should 8yos and 10yos have access to peers and education anyway? (Sarcasm)

The reality is that much of the country already has lower rates than in November, and rates fell through November with schools in. Some schools suffered with disruption, some schools didn't. By March, rates should be low after 2 months of crushing social restriction, it's the end of the respiritory illness season, and further progress on vaccinating the most vulnerable to complications and most likely to spread. All year groups need to go back, normally to minimise educational and social damage.

Absolutely - also have year 3 and year 5- they were completely and utterly abandoned as year 2 and year 4 last time round.

I dont get the rush to return reception and year 1

Probably because they do a lot of learning through play which is hard to do online and they build their social and emotional skills at this younger age, thats in addition to the obvious child care issue