Sunday Times just reported that all schools in England will be back on 8 March

[LimitIsUp]

This quote from the article:
"All schoolchildren will return to the classroom on March 8 under plans to start lifting the lockdown, Boris Johnson will announce in a national address next week.

Under the government’s blueprint to reopen society, adults will initially have only small new freedoms so as to prioritise the return of schools — a move ministers know will raise the coronavirus R number for infections.

Adults will be allowed to sit down outdoors for a coffee or on a park bench with one friend, or with members of their own family — a slight relaxation of the current rule, which permits outdoor meetings only while standing up.

The decision to reopen both primary and secondary schools goes against the advice of some government scientists. But the prime minister was swayed by faster than expected reductions in hospital admissions and infections."

I can link to the article but for those of you without a subscription, there is a pay wall

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/back-to-school-on-march-8-as-johnson-starts-lifting-lockdown-0v5zbz5bt

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• Title edited by MNHQ (it said October, we've changed it to March as reported) *

@AnnaFiveTowns

I think year 10s should also go back on the 8th. Year 10s in particular are the ones whose GCSEs will be most affected by all if this.

I agree

Thanks @Louiselady500 that’s really interesting. My DC started displaying tics about 2 months into homeschooling last year. Luckily it went away during the summer but started reoccurring a few weeks into the latest lockdown. So worrying, hoping that they can get back on the 8th

@WombatChocolate

Is the Sunday Times reporting this as something government has decided and is about to be announced tomorrow....or is it just one of very many possibilities still on the table?

The way this is written makes it sound like a done deal and this WILL happen, but Sky News and BBC are not reporting this.

Is The Times just trying to grab readership with a misleading headline?

The Telegraph’s reporting it too.

I think schools should go back but on a rota. That worked well when the local school tried it in June and kept class sizes smaller. The repeated closures are significantly widening inequalities and realistically the funding won't be there to support all the children to catch up academically, let alone support those children struggling with their mental health after being isolated for months, experiencing bereavements etc.

They never closed, as many kids in as usual in many places.
Another one of his speeches we don't have to bother with, bonus.

Every day counts for the kids when they've had so much disruption. I don't see the point of keeping them off until after Easter just because
Easter is jn a few weeks - if the advice is that there is headroom.

@CountessFrog

‘Outdoor meetings while standing up’ cure they allowed. Government going to allow us to sit down.

And still we accept this.

I was outraged by this too

I think that the 8th March was promised as an opening date for schools a few weeks back and at that time it was mentioned that 2 weeks notice would be give to the schools

So now they are thinking about how that will happen hence the headlines etc, it seems to be the pattern when anything new happens

@DollyParton2

Of course all parents won’t have been vaccinated RMRM. If you’re vulnerable or in a higher risk age group then then call is yours to make re. sending kids back or homeschooling. But the vast majority of parents - especially with primary age kids will be under 50 and most without underlying health conditions. And we want our kids to get an education and enjoy precious childhood years in a way thats vaguely normal again. We want to be able to hold onto our jobs. If you’re vulnerable- you crack on and keep shielding. But don’t force this on everyone else.

Dolly do you think the over 50s are shielding? We are not. I have dc in primary and was teaching teens up to Christmas in large groups. It's easy to merge groups in your head but that is not how things are in RL.

BBC is interesting but an outlier. I think other MSM outlets are now reflecting a wider range of concerns as the priority vaccine target is reached and many start to question the CONTINUING restrictions on children and young people (NB nit whether lockdown was ever necessary, but whether and for how long it is rational to continue) e.g. just from this morning:

Paediatric consultants including Michael Absoud from Evelina warning about the damage being done to children by social isolation - The Guardian.

"Explosion" of children suffering tics and Tourettes including a harrowing story of a girl who will need life long support from the NHS - Telegraph.

I realise there are people who have vulnerabilities and are very worried about catching Covid and mutations but are they not worried at all by what is happening to children and young people, most of whom, and their parents, are at negligible risk from Covid?

Good, can't come soon enough. Children need an education. Those calling for blended learning, I'm assuming you're not trying to work full-time with KS1 children.... they can't do blended learning, it requires parents to somehow make time to teach them.

Good. My 7 year old has been on her own all day every day while I work, no other parent or bubble or anyone. Neither of us are doing well in ourselves or our work. I want her back in school.

I realise there are people who have vulnerabilities and are very worried about catching Covid and mutations but are they not worried at all by what is happening to children and young people, most of whom, and their parents, are at negligible risk from Covid?

Yes, hence why I think its better to get community transmission as low as possible before schools reopen, or risk being back in this situation in 3 months.

Half the cases in hospital are working age. If we allow cases in this section to double, hospitals are right back where we started. I can't see vaccinations in over 70s having that much impact on cases in under 65s, so we have to be careful. The people most likely to die will have been vaccinated but this isn't the same as the people most likely to need ICU care - I'd imagine the most vulnerable groups, the over 80s, were probably amongst the least likely to be ventilated, for example.

I am not saying we shouldn't relax restrictions as more people are vaccinated, but I think we have to be more subtle than just pressing a button on and off.

Since 8 March is close to the Easter holidays I cant see the schools achieving much in the way of learning before they are closed again for Easter so I wouldn’t mind waiting until after Easter if it makes a big difference to spread of the virus. Better for the children to get a full term of learning in than be back home again after a few weeks. I am surprised they are already confirming the 8th March after Dominic Raab was evading answering the question this morning on Sophie Ridge.

@DenisetheMenace

“Exactly. Increase interactions and transmission will increase. We saw pupils, parents and grandparents hospitalised (and one death) from the December spike.”

Yep. We’re watching the same, slow motion car crash over and over but learning nothing. For the first time, yes a real opportunity to get on top of this for good. Seems again, for the want of just a few weeks until top 9 groups are vaccinated, the Govt. is preparing to screw it all up again.

Why are these people refusing to learn from experience? It’s just baffling.

I agree. If all groups are back then it will be just like September, but with almost full hospitals, a higher rate of virus in the community, and a more infectious strain of virus too. 🤦‍♀️

I don't think that we can wait for all adults to have two vaccination doses before schools open, but all teachers and parents should have had at least their first.

I think year 10s should also go back on the 8th. Year 10s in particular are the ones whose GCSEs will be most affected by all if this.

Year 12s need to go back too by that logic. They've missed so much of their first year A level courses!

So does the vaccine stop transmission now? Because schools are terrible breeding grounds.
Will they not be able to take it to granny or parents now?
Because if not, why bother with a vaccine at all, it either works or doesn't.

Exactly. And I am sure it would not be beyond the wit of headteachers to get in touch with local vaccination centres and get their under 50 and non-vulnerable school staff on the lists for any left-over vaccines. in fact I am sure school staff could get themselves down to vaccination centres at the end of the day to see if there are any doses left. Get it done this week and you've a good two weeks for the vaccine to take effect.

When I despair of the Government’s approach to Education in the Time of Covid, and think no one could do worse, I read stuff like this and realise how wrong I am.

I'd rather wait a few more weeks and go back after Easter, than return when community cases will lead to bubbles bursting. When DC are sent home to isolate because of cases in their bubble, they have to stay home for the duration. We had to do that twice before Christmas, it was a nightmare. I also fear returning before Easter will send the message people can do what they like over the Easter holidays. I think a few more weeks now, will mean we stand a chance of our kids getting the full summer term.

@MGMidget

Since 8 March is close to the Easter holidays I cant see the schools achieving much in the way of learning before they are closed again for Easter so I wouldn’t mind waiting until after Easter if it makes a big difference to spread of the virus. Better for the children to get a full term of learning in than be back home again after a few weeks. I am surprised they are already confirming the 8th March after Dominic Raab was evading answering the question this morning on Sophie Ridge.

@MGMidget - 3 weeks will make a huge difference to my year 11 DD!

Since 8 March is close to the Easter holidays I cant see the schools achieving much in the way of learning before they are closed again for Easter

When do your Easter school holidays start? I thought most schools would still have 3-4 weeks of school before Easter?

Even only 3 weeks would be wonderful imo.

Actually it seems 4 weeks for many parts of the UK, but even 3 would make a huge difference to many children!

@SteveBrexit

and again... people are willingly ignoring the fact that primary schools are half-opened already!

We are not going to 0 to 100% in 2 weeks.

Many aren't.

At my DS's school there's only a tiny amount of each school year in. His year has 7 kids in school. If they were to open up fully they'll be adding over 500 kids back into the school who are currently at home.

By comparison, our state in Germany (r number 0.6) arête-opening the 4 years of junior school on the 22/2.

The following week the first 2 years of secondary school go back, as well as those in the final year.

That leaves 6 or 7 school years, depending on educational path, being home-schooled.