School returning to normal. When?

[mrsnw]

Lots of positive news today regarding more easing of restrictions in may. Do you think the bubble system in schools disappear? Parents be allowed into the buildings etc.

I can't imagine it'll be before September

Im hoping if social distancing is to be scrapped in June that also ends the mask wearing in school (secondary) and bubbles or classes being sent home to isolate 🤞

Our primary school has said it's keeping the class bubbles until December

I'd love for all the classes to be able to play together at breaks. I'm also sure the staff would love to put all the lunch breaks together again.

As for entering the grounds/buildings? No thanks! Drop off and collect is a dream now in comparison to what it was.

Yes I think there maybe some practices that have worked well and they may keep. Wow, until December? Makes sense over the winter months and at least every parent in the school knows what the situation is.

Our school is hoping to do face to face parents evening after 21st June.

I'm hoping our primary kids can do swimming lessons and stop finishing an hour early every Friday to make up for the missing PPA time swimming used to provide.

Teacher here -really hoping back to normal ie no masks etc 21June

Have a year 6 child so selfishly hoping the end of year show and July secondary transition days will be able to happen. The residential trip has had to be cancelled. Can't get insurance.

Unless having to isolate if you've been a close contact of someone with Covid also goes ... I can't see how schools can essentially go back to everyone freely mixing.

I'm more interested in when school mask wearing can stop - surely that must be one of the first restrictions to go? or maybe it will become more important if people are mixing more ...

I would at least like pick up time to go back to normal rather than my ks1 DC being conned out of 20 mins education each day.

My DC's primary stopped doing hot lunches so I am selfishly hoping they bring those back.I hate making packed lunches. Priorities .

I’m really hoping they will send reading books home again! And doing after school clubs/activities too.

Would be really nice to be allowed into the playground - I’ve never seen my kids classroom & wouldn’t recognise their teachers - feels weird!

Ive been having weekly meetings indoors with school and senco. School relatively normal now apart from lunch in own classroom

Unlikely to go back to normal until children are fully vaccinated. A lot of teachers are in their 20s and 30s who haven't even had their first jab yet. Hopefully masks will go sooner and some restrictions will ease over the summer, but I think isolating and bubbles in schools are to stay for a while yet. September at the earliest. There was a case just this week at our school and kids got sent home to isolate so it's still a long way off normal I'm afraid.

We have hit lunches served in a box in classrooms. Books come home now as normal. They have just started have external people in for after school clubs but in class bubbles. Yes, if classes mix they cannot then track who they have had contact with.

Teachers won’t have been vaccinated by June. If all restrictions go then there will be nothing to protect them at all.

Govt has said it hopes mask wearing in schools will end in phase 3 of lockdown easing (17th May)

Earliest September for sure. I think if all adults have been offered the first dose by September, then close contact isolation along with LFT’s should end personally. It’s very disruptive. Particularly in some areas with higher cases. Close contacts to do LFTs daily for 10 days. Or something along the lines of a shorter isolation such as 7 days and a negative PCR.

I really hope they don’t need all the windows open next winter! I bundled my DD up in 3000 layers this winter, she’s at pre-school and she came home complaining of being cold every day 😩 she actually asked to stay at home a few times because home was nice & warm.. she’s so like me, can’t deal with winter 😂

Christ I hope face to face parents evenings never return, and that we stay with the video calls (secondary parent).

At our secondary school the bubbles have now gone thank god

I agree about video call parents evening - brilliant!

See, all the after school clubs round me are running as normal.. I see them crossing the road to the church hall in a complete bundle of different ages every day. They do seem to be keeping the infants & juniors apart (separate uniforms so noticeable). We also looked around a few schools last December & two had complete mixed age group after school running in the hall .. 🤷🏼‍♀️ is that abnormal?!

HolmeH after school childcare is running for us - yes all year groups mixed up. But not ‘fun’ clubs eg netball, French etc.

I'm in Melbourne so further down the covid track. My school surveyed parents and staff after the lockdown parents' evenings. The results were overwhelmingly in favour of video call meetings. Parents like the not travelling, not feeling someone in the queue is gagging for them to go, and the privacy.

As a teacher, I much prefer it. Now I think of it, for the same reasons given by parents.

Ours is now back to normal with the exception of parents in the building, unless it's to see the head. But our whole school is smaller than most bubbles!