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No school for us til 9th April at the earliest. Royally fucked off now.

725 replies

WeAreFromThePlanetDuplo · 18/02/2021 17:30

Announcement just made for NI that most kids won't be going back to school until after the Easter holidays, and there's no guarantee of that. So fed up.

OP posts:
Redtulipses · 19/02/2021 15:28

I wouldn't have thought many students would be stopping at AS level for every subject they took in sixth form

No, not many, but several pupils at our school do take standalone AS levels at the end of year 12. These pupils will not have had much teaching or assessment so far this year.

MarshaBradyo · 19/02/2021 15:28

Of course they should be a priority! They are still going to be assessed we just don’t know how yet. They’ve got the next few months to still make a difference to their grades - you can’t just wash your hands of them at this critical stage!

Thank you! Hard to read teachers washing hands at this stage. Hopefully not indicative.

Inastatus · 19/02/2021 15:29

@Woolff - well good for you then. Unfortunately in the big wide world that goes beyond just your school that won’t have been the case for many year 11’s!

Indoctro · 19/02/2021 15:30

We are very lucky our kids are going back to school on Monday , as Scotland is allowing P1-3 back although personally I think all should be allowed to return

I'm returning to work on Monday too, I work in a academy school. I'm so pleased the schools are starting to return here.

Theonlyoneiknow · 19/02/2021 15:30

I saw some correspondence today that stated they were hoping for those in transitioning years to be next back ie/ P7 and S3/4 if there are no spikes following P1-P3 going back (in Scotland) . Fingers crossed.

Woolff · 19/02/2021 15:44

[quote Inastatus]@Woolff - well good for you then. Unfortunately in the big wide world that goes beyond just your school that won’t have been the case for many year 11’s![/quote]
No, this isn't good for me, or FOR me at all. But I can give a calculated grade for my classes, because we continually assess.

What we've already done informs GCSE qualifications.

If only some students can come back to start with, the ones who usually would be finishing for exam leave in six school weeks' time, can cope working independently, and would be next moving on to college aren't the ones who need secondary school the most.

Inastatus · 19/02/2021 15:55

@Woolff - well I’m just glad that the teachers at my DD’s school think differently to you. Our year 11’s have been told they’ve got the next few months to make a difference to their grades so they obviously haven’t made any decisions just yet. It is helping to keep them motivated otherwise I think many of them would just give up now!

Woolff · 19/02/2021 16:11

[quote Inastatus]@Woolff - well I’m just glad that the teachers at my DD’s school think differently to you. Our year 11’s have been told they’ve got the next few months to make a difference to their grades so they obviously haven’t made any decisions just yet. It is helping to keep them motivated otherwise I think many of them would just give up now![/quote]
They have still got chance to keep learning, because they probably won't finish as early as year 11 usually do. I'm just sure that they can spend a bit longer working at home compared to others.

As I said, they've been prioritised for a long time. We can't ignore the needs of all the other children who will go through exams in a couple of years.

In our school, year 9 have been a concern. They come from a wider catchment area, due to expansion during theirnijtake year. There's a wider range of SEN and disadvantage. They did little work as year 8s, due to lockdown. They came back and resented basically being back in a primary style setup/class, behaving badly and stopping lessons. They've had fewer opportunities to socialise this year because they're too young for parents to let them out if not in a big group. They have been in trouble with the police and there has been horrific online bullying.

The content I'm teaching them as of after Feb half term is what they'll be assessed on for GCSE in 2023, whixh we assume will run as normal.

Even if year 11 have to be the ones to come to sit in front of me in a classroom, that won't stop my boss making it clear that we are to spend PPA on marking year 9 work to thr best standard, CPD time on year 9 curriculum, directed duty time calling their parents, registrations completing one-to-one coaching, etc.

It might not sound fair, but it's about equity, not equality, and decisions like this are made all the time.

LadyPenelope68 · 19/02/2021 16:46

@Inastatus
well I’m just glad that the teachers at my DD’s school think differently to you. Our year 11’s have been told they’ve got the next few months to make a difference to their grades so they obviously haven’t made any decisions just yet. It is helping to keep them motivated otherwise I think many of them would just give up now!
But that doesn’t mean they think they’re a priority for being back in school, just that if they do the work set they’ve got a chance to improve their grades.

whittingtonmum · 19/02/2021 17:21

Schools in England better go back on 8 March. The mental toll this is taking on kids & parents is unreal.

PatriciaValiant · 19/02/2021 17:25

@whittingtonmum

Schools in England better go back on 8 March. The mental toll this is taking on kids & parents is unreal.
They have said this is the earliest possible date for anyone to return to school. It does not mean all kids will return to school on that date.
Oscarsdaddy · 19/02/2021 17:35

Why bot just write off the whole academic year abs work to a September 2021 return ?

Makes sense

DHdweller · 19/02/2021 17:43

Good. Hope England follows suit

MarshaBradyo · 19/02/2021 17:43

@Oscarsdaddy

Why bot just write off the whole academic year abs work to a September 2021 return ?

Makes sense

It really doesn’t
Harmonypuss · 19/02/2021 17:53

There are countries (I understand Australia may be one of them) where if the kids don't reach a certain educational standard by the end of the academic year they're held back and have to retake the year.

They also take days out of the summer holidays to make up for any missed days due to school closures when the weather is bad.

Both of these measures make sure that no teaching days are lost and that students actually pay attention to their lessons because who would want to have to edit a year?

Especially in these times of uncertainty where some students are not able to access lessons properly, those who just can't be bothered and all other situations in between, I feel that adopting a similar system for at least the next year or two could actually make all the difference and could also negate the need for 'guessed' exam scores.

Clearly, GCSEs/A levels and any other qualifications (dealt with on the current 'guesstimate' system) awarded in 2020 and 2021 will be viewed differently by higher educational institutions and employers to those awarded in other years.

Ilovewolfblass · 19/02/2021 17:57

Kids need to be back in school on the 8th.

icantthinkofanamehelp · 19/02/2021 17:59

Hell no to September. Ridiculous.
Kids can't keep paying the price for this

Inastatus · 19/02/2021 18:00

@Oscarsdaddy

Why bot just write off the whole academic year abs work to a September 2021 return ?

Makes sense

@Oscarsdaddy - I’m going to be nice and assume you are being sarcastic?!
Beverley71 · 19/02/2021 18:06

They really need to be back asap. Children’s mental health is seriously declining with the lack of socialisation with children their own age. I know of at least 3 young teenagers who have committed suicide since Christmas and the amount of young people harming themselves has increased. The top four groups have now been vaccinated there is no need to keep them at home. Although I don’t feel that school should yet be compulsory if you prefer to keep them off.

Cardiffwales · 19/02/2021 18:13

Same in Wales. No sign of my son returning until at least the 12th April.

Thepilotlightsgoneout · 19/02/2021 18:30

BoJo has always said schools should reopen first. So if they don’t on the 8th, he can’t justify opening shops, pubs, hairdressers and the rest before schools go back after Easter. Meaning another 7 weeks of lockdown AT LEAST. And that is hard to justify given the current infection rate and number of vaccines given.

Oscarsdaddy · 19/02/2021 19:08

@Inastatus yeah you got me
You can tell I have no kids of school age
Just hope that sending them back after Easter won’t backfire

expatinspain · 19/02/2021 19:24

The vaccines are being rolled out in the order that protects the most vulnerable in society and therefore the ones at risk of death and putting pressure on the NHS. Why wouldn't you want your children to go back to school? This was literally the whole point of the vaccinations. Life needs to begin to get back to normal. We can't lock ourselves away forever.

Empressofthemundane · 19/02/2021 19:57

I’m sorry the children in NI. I hope England does go back on March 8.

I don’t understand posters who want to keep schools closed.

DwangelaForever · 19/02/2021 20:00

My 4yo will be in 2 weeks and off four weeks Hmm I'm glad she's going back on 8th March but hate that she's to go back to remote learning the two weeks before Easter. Absolutely pointless and whoever thought of it is ridiculous. Nursery - p3 can't go to school so older students at secondary school can. Wtaf how does that make sense.

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