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.

@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.

The stats on indie sage today said that 1 in 7 children are suffering from long covid. They have no idea on how this virus will affect children later on in life. Watch indie sage on you tube. Its all about long covid. It also discusses the harm on children.

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

@Parker231 that is such a sensible idea. Too sensible for our government to ever contemplate.

I still don’t understand why they won’t consider a rota so all children of any age can still have a chance to go to school, much smaller bubbles etc. A week in a week out, or maybe 2 days in 3 days at home? I don’t know, but it must be possible. Not ideal but they get some socialisation, some face to face teacher time, more exercise.

Does anyone anywhere know the answer to this question?????

I think it could be all groups, but not everywhere. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will be different I expect.

I hope that all years will be allowed back on a part time basis but know this won’t happen as it’s not practical with all the KW children in
So it will probably be same as last June, and so am preparing myself and my Y4 DCs that they won’t go back until after Easter at the earliest.

Of course, the gov will start opening up the rest of the economy and allow offices to return at the same time, so I will be in the same perfect shitstorm as last year where I was expected to be back in the office but the DC were not yet back in school. Great

Hopefully year 10 and Year 6.

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I would much prefer all years to be back on a rota than selected years full time. I think this is the fairest solution and would definitely work best for us as a family. My reception child is happy and doing well at home but my y3 child is desperately missing school and friends.

I think it will be Reception, y1,y11 and y13 then everyone back after Easter.
Y6 can remote learn better than Reception/y1 and the transition stuff doesn't normally start until well into the summer term so I think they won't be considered as important as the young ones plus some schools have massive keyworker bubbles (one poster mentioned 26/30 in their child's class were KW )

Lots of media reports about government being very anti rota. It's a shame as this would be fairest to the children at home.

Why is the government anti rotas?

@Dustyboots

Why is the government anti rotas?

One big reason I think is because they do not want parents or pupils to see how much better school is with small classes.

They do not want us to see how much our children are held back by having the biggest class sizes in Europe.

The reason private schools do so well? 12 in a class.

There’s 15 in a class in many schools right now

And there were when half years went back last time. Or is it only an issue when non KW parents have the experience

If you want rotas you need to decide if KW are included. Do you remove them for days off? If not and primary is 50% full how do you get others in.

That was they don’t want us to know how good it is

Look at how many keen people used places this time. About half know don’t worry. Although it’s also that just having school is the better option too

My plan would be...

Years 10, 11, 12 and 13 in on a fortnightly rota with a separate space available for students who need to be in school full time.

Primary in on a part time basis - 2 days a week with a Wednesday deep clean.

In primary parents could be consulted as to which end of the week suits them.

In secondary it could be done on alphabetical order.

Once things have improved then the other secondary ages could go back part time then eventually all ages in full time.

My friends in the US have kindergarten through to Middle school age. Since September they have been in school 8-11 Monday through Thursday. The other half of their class is in school 1. - 4. They do work at home in the afternoons and on Friday everything is online classes with their teacher for the full day.
Masks are compulsory on the school bus, in school corridors and in class. After Easter they are hoping to return to full classes in school each day.

@Parker231

My friends in the US have kindergarten through to Middle school age. Since September they have been in school 8-11 Monday through Thursday. The other half of their class is in school 1. - 4. They do work at home in the afternoons and on Friday everything is online classes with their teacher for the full day. Masks are compulsory on the school bus, in school corridors and in class. After Easter they are hoping to return to full classes in school each day.

This does sound good, but half class out must mean no KW provision.

So we could get closer without KW in ft. Would people prefer that?

I think Y12 should be the priority for older children. They were abandoned in March last year as soon as GCSEs were cancelled. And they’ve only managed a term of sixth form. They have so much to catch up on if they’re to have any hope of sitting exams next summer. Followed by Y10 who are in a similar position.

Those of you asking 'why not do a rota system?' How exactly? With some primary schools already at over 50% capacity with critical/vulnerable children? I have 22 children in my Year 2 'bubble' 🤦‍♀️🤷‍♀️😨 In my school we already have 2/3 of our children in and all our staff are needed to manage the in school and remote provision. It's relentless and exhausting. Not a chance we could accommodate a rota, without closing the current provision completely and making it a rota for everyone (meaning no full time critical/vulnerable provision...they'd only be in on their rota days 🤷‍♀️)

I don't know the answer...and I honestly know how hard it is for every parent, child and teacher ❤️

@Dustyboots

I still don’t understand why they won’t consider a rota so all children of any age can still have a chance to go to school, much smaller bubbles etc. A week in a week out, or maybe 2 days in 3 days at home? I don’t know, but it must be possible. Not ideal but they get some socialisation, some face to face teacher time, more exercise.

Does anyone anywhere know the answer to this question?????

Yes

Many primary schools have so many children in already as KW/V places that this isn’t possible.

If I have eg 18 children in my class on Kw/V places every day-they have to be in as a non-negotiable, how do I rota in the rest?

A rota would have been a brilliant idea but I can’t see now it would work now the government allowed so many to send their children back.

I’d have YR, Y5, Y11 and Y13 back in half classes spread around the school and see how that affected things.

Rotas seem such a fair approach. Other countries in Europe, I’m particularly thinking France as we have relatives there, haven’t provided key worker positions. Why not give notice now to key workers that school places are not guaranteed full time from 8th March?

@HarryLimeFoxtrot

I think Y12 should be the priority for older children. They were abandoned in March last year as soon as GCSEs were cancelled. And they’ve only managed a term of sixth form. They have so much to catch up on if they’re to have any hope of sitting exams next summer. Followed by Y10 who are in a similar position.

Agree

The government needs to be planning now what will happen to the 2022 public exams - possibly along the lines under development for 2021 before complete cancellation with certain core topics within the syllabus prioritised for examination and then a much more extensive range of optional questions across the whole syllabus.

And teachers need to know this asap, so that remaining teaching time can be used to best effect.

Years 11 and 13 are those with the most urgent need. But 10 and 12 are just as important. DOfE is big enough that it can do both issues simultaneously, if it is minded so to do.

11/13 need to go in asap, and 12/10 swiftly thereafter - bearing in mind current year 12s were the class of 2020, and look to be impacted in 2022 too and a double whammy of last minute change would be desperately unfair (to some extent unavoidable the first time round, could be different second time if DofE gets on the front foot now)

@Dustyboots my DD's state school used the Rota system in the summer to open to all years. It is larger than average (which helps), all year groups got 2 days a week and they kept a separate KW stream of mixed years as a separate bubble. Essentially for those few weeks they made KW places far less attractive and it was only used by ppl who really needed it, a surprising number of parents switched their kids back to regular "school".

The Unions and headteachers aren’t making much of a noise about the rota system either. It’s not just the government being anti.

Media hasn’t picked up on it either.

Why not give notice now to key workers that school places are not guaranteed full time from 8th March?

If people want rotas then it’s this. Not sure it would get support.