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) *

I am speechless by the adults who would resent children to have some kind of life because THEY are not yet allowed to meet friends

which most people do anyway, with the flipping bubble system
but whose social life is a hell of a lot important than the kids! A few months in a adult life cannot compare of the ones in a child's life!

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.

I struggled to get past this, I just give up with the ridiculousness of it all, surely Boris won't be able to keep a straight face if he says this from his podium

Great news. You do get the feeling the corner has been turned thanks to the rapid vaccinations and many people not being selfish arses and actually adhering to the restrictions.

He should just announce preliminary plans this Monday, the leaks and speculation until the 22nd will be constant.

I can't wait to see my whole
class but the notion they are prioritising children is absolutely ridiculous.

The Government have done nothing all
Lockdown to improve mitigation measures in schools and provided no extra money.

I can just see another 6 months of constant periods of isolation and lots of stressing about staff and children and their families getting poorly.

Gizlotsmum - exactly what I thought about the Easter break being a circuit breaker. They might also be able to assess by then if the 8 March school return is showing signs of feeding into an uptick in infections

@ihearttc

If they are only planning on Secondaries going back a couple of weeks later, what on earth are they going to do with the Y11 and Y13 students? That’s another 2 weeks off the already very limited time they have left in school to do any meaningful learning. I assumed they’d be the first ones back.

Yes I agree. I know all pupils have lost so much schooling but the exams years 11 and 13 lost last year too in the most important years of schooling. Y13 have not even had 2 full terms of 6 form in 2 years ! Essentially being off since last March. It’s crazy, from 8 March it’s only 4 weeks till Easter Hols and then they would only be in 1/2 term then normally study Leave for Exams which are not happening as we know them. The Y13 have applied to Uni having no real idea now what their grades will be, how they will be assessed and having had F2F teaching for less than 2 terms. I am really worried for them. Up to Y8 and Younger years is hard in a different way as you have to WFH and supervise them but they can catch up schooling. Y13 and Y11 have not got the time to ‘catch up’ and must be prioritised IMO.

I’ve had 100% attendance with my sixth formers. They’ve been working really hard with a full timetable of live lessons. Cases aren’t falling in my region, they’re staying pretty flat, even rising a bit. I really, really hope that whatever they do works and we aren’t back to a Hokey Cokey classroom again. And I doubly hope that if we are, and if my region is worse than others, my kids aren’t allocated their grade based on work they do during that time alone. I can totally see it being, well, cases are dropping in the south east now, who gives a shit about the Humber? Fingers crossed that it works out, for all students, everywhere, equally.

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

Oh, the excitement.

I am going to say now that I am clearly a covid denying hater as I did actually perch very briefly on a bench whilst out walking. I did not know I had to wait until the 8th of March to perch ones buttocks on a bench My perching will now at least be legal in 3 weeks time, and I can hardly contain myself. Think instead of freezing to death trudging in the mud we can freeze to death sitting down yay!

Louise, they will be able to keep some sd and split across classes.

It's simply not possible in any shape or form to do so when school is full

Snow, actually it was clarified earlier in ld that perching was OK, as long as part of excersise...

Lingering and loitering.... Not ok..

Sherry I don't think they are going to allow si anymore.. It will all rest on the lateral flow testing

@User7458

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.

I struggled to get past this, I just give up with the ridiculousness of it all, surely Boris won't be able to keep a straight face if he says this from his podium

if people were not so fast in breaking the rules and translate it as the right to have gathering "outside" under a patio heater or 2 (and then go back inside because they are cold...)

there wouldn't be the need for such rules.

It's pretty obvious it means there's some common sense, you can have a bit of chat, you don't meet for diner or coffee!

It will be worst when the weather is nicer and it's a free for all.

So let's stop punishing the kids and reopen the schools. If people are bothered about rates, campaign for proper fines and strict application of the rules for adults.

The CV people and 60-65 won’t have had their jabs before the schools go back. Surely they can’t expect CV teachers to go back to how they were before. If I was a CV teacher still I would be submitting my section 44 again as the government will have done absolutely nothing to make schools any safer.

Hooray!

@Snowsnowglorioussnow

Sherry I don't think they are going to allow si anymore.. It will all rest on the lateral flow testing

Have you got a link to that?

Lateral flow testing to replace SI was dropped as a plan after Christmas.

So let's stop punishing the kids and reopen the schools. If people are bothered about rates, campaign for proper fines and strict application of the rules for adults.

Alternatively let's recognise that every human has needs to be social and these don't stop at 18. A balanced approach to lifting lockdown measures for all age groups would be best. No age group is more important.

I’m fine to prioritise children with school and do outside thing. Same as pp. I’d far rather they have normalcy

@KasparKat

3 weeks later (less for private schools) and it will be the Easter hols. It would be much more sensible to wait until after Easter and give the vaccine programme/lockdown another 5 weeks to reduce cases.

My concern is that this will just lead to a longer lockdown as rates will inevitably rocket again.

Well then it's only a few weeks until half term, might as well wait until then and give the lockdown a real chance

Lateral flow testing to replace SI was dropped as a plan after Christmas

I really, really hope that stays dropped!

This is good news. My teen needs to be in school for her mental health and her GCSEs.

I am ok with walking around for a few more weeks. I need the steps.

@AnniversaryScaresMe

*LovePoppy" I’d rather have my kids in school vs socialising

Good for you. But some of us are hanging on by a thread. Some of us aren't lucky enough to have a partner or kids, and now never will. Some of us had our whole lives torn away last March and no reason to go on, and had to be isolated and alone whilst kids are mixing freely in schools. It's immoral.

No, it’s not. As an adult you are developed physically. Developing minds are far more vulnerable generally speaking. One year is far less out of an adult life than a year is out of a childhood. You have had your schooling years I presume? Had a fair crack of the whip with getting exam grades?

@HercwasanEnemyofEducation

So let's stop punishing the kids and reopen the schools. If people are bothered about rates, campaign for proper fines and strict application of the rules for adults.

Alternatively let's recognise that every human has needs to be social and these don't stop at 18. A balanced approach to lifting lockdown measures for all age groups would be best. No age group is more important.

I totally disagree.

@Nellodee

Numbers aren’t going down everywhere, even with lockdown. But worrying for those living in places where cases are steady or rising.

Cases are falling in 300 out of 315 council areas in England. Those which are rising are often by tiny amounts, e.g. Barnsley has risen from 476 to 499 which could easily be explained by one localised outbreak and likely to be falling or stable again by next week.

www.covidmessenger.com/

@Quit4me By your username I'm assuming you're one of those militant school campaigners.

As a teacher I'd love to have my students all back in front of me. However this isn't possible when we need to stop coronavirus spreading.

I'd rather a lockdown until after Easter for secondary, and that be the final lockdown we have.