What's this about secondary schools delaying getting back?

[SoSoSpotty]

Does anyone have any more information?

Where have you seen this? There's nothing on TES, my work email, my union email...

Unless you're referring to the lateral flow testing that's being done at the start of term, THAT has been known about since before we broke up in July.

The DM so far.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9916743/Pupils-set-disruption-start-secondary-school-term-delayed-week.html

Lessons are not expected to start until the second week of term next month

I heard the same on the radio news this morning too.

Yes I've just googled and it's on all the papers- we are due back end of this week but it's a staggered start so hoping that's taken the testing into account

It's the testing at the beginning of term. We're choosing to not have it delay our students' start, their first test is on their first normal day back. Other schools have planned it differently. It's been known about and communicated to students already.

We were given the tests before the summer and asked to do two tests in the week before term starts. Assume this stops the need to delay the start of the term.

Weirdly, upon googling I see that lots of those articles are just copies of each other. You can tell because they all use the word 'blighted'.

Only our 7s and 12s are being tested on site on their first day which is an induction. All other years and staff will test at home as they have been doing all year so no staggered starts here

Isn't that just the testing? Teachers can't test AND run a normal timetable at the same time.

The government are ridiculous.

Let's hope is just some sensationalist and misleading reporting.

@UncomfortableSilence

Only our 7s and 12s are being tested on site on their first day which is an induction. All other years and staff will test at home as they have been doing all year so no staggered starts here

Lovely way to start secondary school. Needs must I suppose.

DS’s school are having a staggered start to allow the incoming “first years” a couple of days transition, which they were unable to do last term. They are all expected to go in for LFTs at the end of the week before term starts and early in the week. Can also upload home test results.

Gosh the Daily HateMail really hates teachers…to save anyone else clicking: This is just referring to the fact that all secondary students have to be tested before they return to their classrooms (seems pretty sensible). The school I work out (not teacher) has already notified parents of the testing schedule. My DCs’s school has notified us how they are doing it. It’s the staggered start and we’ve known about it since last term. Some are inviting students in on inset days before term, some are staggering year groups over the week. The teachers want students back. This is not about trying to cause problems for parents, but trying to keep young people safe.

Wish the Mail would stop trying to shit stir animosity with disingenuous articles.

My understanding is that nothing has changed; the government is just a bit slow to catch up on the reality of what they had previously decided.

A few weeks ago, the DfE told schools to give each pupil 2 rapid antigen tests (LFTs) on site at the start of term. School leaders sorted out the logistics of this at the start of the school holidays, found the space for the mass testing and the trained personnel.

Then this week it has been reported that the government has confirmed that schools can stagger the start of term slightly to accommodate the mass testing. It was obvious to anyone involved in planning mass testing in schools that this would be necessary.

The school where I work is starting mass testing on the induction days already scheduled for Y7 and Y12, so we have only needed to delay the start of term by one day.

@SoSoSpotty

Lessons are not expected to start until the second week of term next month

Well seeing as it hasn't been the full 6 week holiday anyway (more 5 1/2) it's not really much of a delay? Assuming you're in England

@lannistunut

Isn't that just the testing? Teachers can't test AND run a normal timetable at the same time.

The government are ridiculous.

At our school, its not the teachers testing. They are busy teaching.

Testing is done by support staff, governors, parents, and this time round 6th formers who have just left.

We are running the testing on the inset days before term starts then a staggered start to term by year group. But there is normally a staggered start anyway with years 7 and 12 starting earlier than other year groups, so that is normal.

Testing?! For ffs mine will not be getting tested

Everyone else goes to work without tests now and distancing rules have gone everywhere

Staggered starts for testing were announced by my dc high school before summer term ended.

My dc start yr7 on 7th sept. He's going for first test on 2nd Sept at the school and will have 2nd on first day back which is transition day.

Let’s be honest, the government is only likely to tell us the day before schools are due back anyway.

The 'second week of September' makes it sound really late, when it could just be Monday 5th. Scaremongering.

Our high school notified us of the plans in July. Staggered start week beginning Sept 6th with testing carried out over the five days and full timetable resumed the following week. They've got a small amount of homework to do (yrs 10 and 11 only) to offset the interruption.

@BluebirdHill

The 'second week of September' makes it sound really late, when it could just be Monday 5th. Scaremongering.

True!

Ds (year 11) is back on Tuesday the 7th, tests are the previous week. It's a staggered start from the Monday.