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Original poster

Priority of year groups when primary schools return in England

53 replies

SonnetForSpring · 04/02/2021 18:43

Does anyone know which year groups which be prioritised at primary schools?

OP posts:
Itisasecret · 04/02/2021 23:30

It will have to be all in or rota for all. KW attendance as a whole is high in primary. We couldn’t do the EYFS/Y1/Y6 provision like last time. The huge majority of primaries are in the same boat. If you’re in England, forget priority returns, there are many more KWV than Scotland and Wales, our cases are higher and many EYFS only settings never closed full stop,

manicinsomniac · 04/02/2021 23:30

I think schools should be able to do what works for them within set safety guidelines (eg a maximum number of children, years or days or a set amount of distance between desks or something).

Year 7 and 8 would be our absolute priority at the school I'm in (they're our oldest two year groups with senior school exams and lots of practical assessments). But those two year groups are probably at the absolute bottom of the pile of government priorities.

In the summer, when Year 6 were prioritised, we had no choice but to bring Year 6 back (a random, middling year in our school) and leave our year 8 leavers at home with no exams, no transition and very little in the way of leavers' events.

I think it will be the youngest ones but I don't agree that they are in most need. They have the most time to catch up educationally and, although they are losing out socially, I don't think it has as bad an effect on a 5 year old as it does on an 8, 10, 12 or 16 year old.

It's a tough call when they all need to be in school though.

manicinsomniac · 04/02/2021 23:34

Based on nothing but a guess I think that all primary schools children will go back and middle/upper school may be staggered or rota’d. I work in a primary school and (again based on nothing but opinion) we are expecting all children back at the same time. We currently have approx 50% of children in anyway

This gives me at bit more hope. At our staff meeting the other day, our head said she obviously doesn't know but was expecting 'maybe nursery and reception on 8th March, possibly Y1 and an outside chance of Y2 but fully expecting all of KS2 and 3 to be at home for quite some time after that.'

We also only have 15% of children in and are being so, so strict on the rules. Makes me very sad.

namechange63524 · 05/02/2021 03:56

I'm assuming mine will be one of the first back YR and Y1. However, I think younger kids have a lot of time to catch up and it's more to give them some social interaction. The only real reason this age group go back is to make it easier for parents to work. However, once kids go back - especially if there are no rotas etc, it changes the public mindset hugely "my kids are mixing with x number all day, in unventilated rooms, so we may as well do "y". I think it's fairer and safer to have all back on a rota, with work provided during the week kids are in for week they are off. This may reduce the in/out that was there last term.

Monkeytapper · 05/02/2021 06:09

Hoping year 6 so they can get prepared for high school this year

Morph2lcfc · 05/02/2021 07:28

I saw an article about schools being able to chose which children went back first. So for example each teacher would chose the 5 children from the class who had been struggling to engage with online learning to come back first. Nice theoretical idea but would cause meyhem in practise with people going mad

Florabella · 05/02/2021 07:45

@Monkeytapper

Hoping year 6 so they can get prepared for high school this year
I am hoping this too, but not sure they will since they haven't in Scotland and Wales. Very concerned as my daughter is so far from being ready (both emotionally and academically) for secondary.
NailsNeedDoing · 05/02/2021 07:49

It would be incredibly unfair not to prioritise year 6 in primary schools, they without doubt deserve and need it most.

Alwaysandforeverhere · 05/02/2021 08:45

I had one in year 6 last year who missed out on transition but honestly it’s not made any difference as secondary isn’t normal secondary either. They won’t be allowed to go in for visits due to covid rules and I know our secondary the children barely move classrooms it’s like still being in primary apart from different teachers for different lessons no practical science, no actual cooking. The only lessons where they do actual practical work are dance and Pe everything else is all just text based.

DayBath · 05/02/2021 08:50

What? Year groups back in stages? I'm sorry, I think you misunderstand our government. They don't do cautious, 'fuck everything but the economy' is their mantra. It will be all year groups back at once and sod the consequences.

Delatron · 05/02/2021 08:52

Have they said it would be staggered or are we assuming?

I think they’ll all just go back (primary). Seeing as in most schools 50-75% are in anyway (primary). You’d other wise get a situation where just a few kids were missing out and most of the school would be in. It wouldn’t make much difference.

Also it will be about three weeks until Easter so a natural break then.

zafferana · 05/02/2021 08:58

I hope they send back all of primary on March 8th, but we'll see. I've seen rumours in various papers that it will be R, Y1, Y2 and Y6 + Y11 and Y13 for practical subjects only.

ineedaholidaynow · 05/02/2021 09:05

For those saying the younger age group as less risky, the Primary schools local to me have had more bubbles bursting in the younger age groups including nursery than they have in older years, and this is children testing positive as well as adults.

DayBath · 05/02/2021 09:06

@ineedaholidaynow

For those saying the younger age group as less risky, the Primary schools local to me have had more bubbles bursting in the younger age groups including nursery than they have in older years, and this is children testing positive as well as adults.
Yes and our primary has been sending out letters about ongoing outbreaks while we've been at home and it's just keyworker kids in!
Countdowntonothing · 05/02/2021 09:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Timeturnerplease · 05/02/2021 21:57

All of primary will go back. Lots of schools are very full anyway of KWV kids, so everyone back won’t make too much of a difference.

Sucks for children who are CEV though.

inquietant · 05/02/2021 21:59

@Cattitudes

I wouldn't be surprised if they just chuck them all back in, numbers here are back to where they were beginning of December when schools were 'perfectly safe'.

I personally think alternative weeks might be more sensible but who wants to be sensible!

Not with the new variant they won't, I think.

I'm guessing (which is all it is) KS1 first.

Timeturnerplease · 05/02/2021 21:59

I think it's fairer and safer to have all back on a rota, with work provided during the week kids are in for week they are off. This may reduce the in/out that was there last term

Makes sense but - playing Devil’s advocate here - who teaches the children at home? Who teaches the KWV children when it’s not their rota time in school? Where do schools put them when not in their classrooms?

MarshaBradyo · 05/02/2021 22:03

It’ll be different to last time even if youngest years as assume won’t SD, is that what Scotland and Wales are doing? All in class

I reckon youngest first or all together

Northernsoulgirl45 · 05/02/2021 22:13

we'll see. I've seen rumours in various papers that it will be R, Y1, Y2 and Y6 + Y11 and Y13 for practical subjects only.

If this happens my kids will be one year out like last time.

Apple40 · 05/02/2021 22:20

I really hope it’s not year 5 I am not prepared to send my daughter to school with cases still as high as they are plus see no point having 1 in school and year 8 at home .

Grapesoda7 · 05/02/2021 22:25

I think the problem with having certain years back first is that schools don't necessarily have them in. Last time, when they prioritised reception, year 1 and year 6, my primary only had reception in. They said too many key workers children in to have any other year in. Year 1 went back in September and year 6 never went back at all.

AgnesNaismith · 05/02/2021 22:30

I have no dc in Y6 but did last year and they need to go back first IMO.

I have a younger dc who has now missed almost a year of KS2 and will be well behind next year but hold out no hope.

SpencerGregson · 06/02/2021 14:05

@Grapesoda7 same happened at my DC's school. Poor Y6 children got one day to say goodbye and that was it. DC2 is Y6 this year so I am really hoping it doesn't happen again.

Much will depend on class size when they go back. The issue last time was they had to be in bubbles of 15 Max, and DfE advice was to prioritise the younger years first. In a small school, there just wasn't the room for more than 7/8 bubbles and space was already accounted for by KW children. It will be even worse this year as there are more KW children in.

Hopefully we'll find out in the next couple of weeks - it would really help to know the end is in sight.

Bubbinsmakesthree · 06/02/2021 14:14

@Morph2lcfc

I saw an article about schools being able to chose which children went back first. So for example each teacher would chose the 5 children from the class who had been struggling to engage with online learning to come back first. Nice theoretical idea but would cause meyhem in practise with people going mad
Oh my goodness, can you imagine the absolute carnage if they tried to implement this?