What are your predictions for this school year?

[Sheepsheepmoresheep]

Be interesting to look back. I didn’t think they’d close the schools again this time last year, but I was wrong!

I don’t think they’ll close the schools again … but we’ll see!

What people can't seem to get their heads around is that it is not feasible or desirable to focus entirely on one virus to the detriment of everything else for years on end. At some point you have to stop panicking, accept that the virus will go around and deal with it. Lockdowns are not a solution, they're a hugely damaging emergency measure. They can't be resorted to over and over and over - they absolutely have to stop at some point. Stopping before they cause more damage makes more sense than persisting with them and having both the fallout of covid and the fallout of repeated endless lockdowns. Dealing with one disaster is better than dealing with two essentially.

@MasterGland

I predict that less and less parents will do the testing, this will help keep the numbers down..... There will be the odd school that has a big outbreak, and get shut down. But it won't be many. More generally, I also predict that over the next 18 months or so, the daily death stats will receive less and less attention, and over the next 5 years or so, covid will have integrated itself into our psyche as something we just live with. The impact on the examination system will be long lasting, resulting in the end to any form of national exam at Year 11. I think this could take up to 10 years, though.

I agree with you.

I think schools will close this winter. I don’t mean nationally, but there will be many that won’t have enough staff and/or too many children off. That will mean another year’s education disrupted. It also feels realistic to expect precautions such as bubbles or staggered starts/finishes etc to make a return. Pessimistically there is also long covid in children to interrupt education further regardless of whether schools are open or not.

More positive is the fact we do have fewer people needing to be treated and hopefully that will stay. I don’t think we will have another national lockdown but I think further restrictions are very likely.

A high percentage of the adult population have been vaccinated.
A large number of children appear to have had covid at some point, listening to anecdotal responses on here so many children and teachers had it in the last 20 months already, so some protection, how many times do people usually get covid.
It's rife it some areas of the country now.
People who have avoided so far are in an ever diminished number.
No isolating if close contact anymore.
Schools will stay open unless staff are ill.
I want schools to be given monitors, better ventilation and air purification to help.
I wish school staff best wishes for the coming term.

A large number of children appear to have had covid at some point, listening to anecdotal responses on here so many children and teachers had it in the last 20 months already

That actually isn’t my experience. I would say a small number of children have had covid, but with the isolations, it proved very disruptive. DD had 5 periods of 10 day isolations due to being close contacts to positives from her year but there were no more than 15 people in the year (of 180) who actually tested positive.

The Pret thing is because it was reported that cities being affected by us not commuting (and their fast food outlets) drove the government to try and get us all back to work so I think it's a shorthand for 'push on regardless'

I am really nervous having a year 7 with asthma who catches everything and new school leadership, the school was very cautious last time with my older child which I agreed with but which way will they go now?

Genuine question here… is flu more likely to cause severe illness in kids than covid?

In primary schools the staff and kids are protected from the flu by giving most kids the vaccine which in turn also offers some protection to those who don’t get the flu vaccine.
Flu however isn’t as transmissible and is only seasonal.

@Howshouldibehave

I was merely going g on the the kids are dropping like flies in schools, they all seem to have it and being thrown under various buses comments on here over the past 20 months. Probably lots of exaggeration anyway.

I have noticed a spike in younger adults and teens and in Cornwall where they have a very high infection rate there is a 60% hospital case rate in unvaccinated people.

There were 1000 plus child covid hospital admissions in July In the UK.

Not sure total August month not over yet.

I'm not a teacher in a cheese off parent.
My child goes outstanding senior school with good gcse results however online learning has been patchy at best.
Much improved 2nd school closure all live teams lessons and assemblies.
However when it came to single students or selected groups isolating it became patchy again.
My guess is easier for teacher to teach all online for everyone or all in person trying to do both is tricky I get that.
You almost need 2 teachers to do same job maybe one film online content and others teach classes.
My eldest is year 11 so key year.
Mock nov which say try best as if they cancel gcses exams again those mocks may count.
Her freind goes different schools dident try mocks dure result and said she of course try harder in real thing.
Eldest keeps asking will we sit gcse im like I don't know.
I wish I could get her vaccinated she travels public crowded buses.
Shss asthmatic and not 16 until Feb yet they be quick enough urge she has flu.
Woneet if abroad trips will happen as past years she went ski but most eu countries have vaccine passports for 12plus.

If you havea class of 30 say
10 get covid and are off then come back but another 10 are off and come back then final 10 come back how do we ensure they taught equally and no gaps in learning as every child be at different stages.
I'm pretty sure if I keep her off because household contact is postive they will threaten fine and list as unauthorised they were most Inflexible last year.
Reacher absence was high especially drama teacher was off loads .

I can't see how it won't spread quickly bases on local experience summer term even primaries were on their knees.
Lack staff meant some school had shit you have to have safe levels of supervision.

Do any teachers think unions will stage walkout over unsafe working conditions like they did in jan?

July and August child admissions figures

So far all the children I've known who've had covid, including my own, have had it mildly. I think it's time we got back to normality.

Honestly I don’t know. We had a phone call today from my sons summer school to make us aware a child had tested positive within his form group but that we didn’t need to do anything. 🤷‍♀️ We could test him but at our discretion.

I’m happy for my son to keep going until the end of the week and I think this is the correct stance. We will not be testing him. This literally cannot continue in education but honestly who knows.

@3asAbird er what walk out in January ? Schools were closed as Boris said they had to (after some being open one day). Unions have never asked for schools to be closed, nor have teachers. Just that they are a tiny bit safer.
I'm double vaccinated, have antibodies from having COVID and will be wearing a mask. As I'd like school to stay open, but to do this they need staff to stay well. No opening windows and stuffed classrooms.

If school informs parents of class cases I'd be grateful, so we can choose how to act. Unfortunately, I doubt many kids will get tested so school is a massive gamble for me. I have some surgeries coming up. I cannot afford to catch Covid or they'd get delayed again (after having to wait long enough due to covid shutting everything down, my condition is worse and getting a bad case of any infection would not be good for me.).

I am not looking forward to Sept but I'm trying this 'normality' thing regarding DS and school... nothing else.

@TheDailyCarbunkle

Would you like to say why you think I've posted a "nonsense apocalyptic scenario" and why you think that?

nothing

i think it'll be fine

I expect testing will reduce as the fear has gone

None i know is testing kids anymore - with or without symptoms

I won't be testing my teens even if ill - i'll keep them off and send them in once better like i do for all other viruses

@3asAbird

There were 1000 plus child covid hospital admissions in July In the UK.

Not sure total August month not over yet.

I'm not a teacher in a cheese off parent.
My child goes outstanding senior school with good gcse results however online learning has been patchy at best.
Much improved 2nd school closure all live teams lessons and assemblies.
However when it came to single students or selected groups isolating it became patchy again.
My guess is easier for teacher to teach all online for everyone or all in person trying to do both is tricky I get that.
You almost need 2 teachers to do same job maybe one film online content and others teach classes.
My eldest is year 11 so key year.
Mock nov which say try best as if they cancel gcses exams again those mocks may count.
Her freind goes different schools dident try mocks dure result and said she of course try harder in real thing.
Eldest keeps asking will we sit gcse im like I don't know.
I wish I could get her vaccinated she travels public crowded buses.
Shss asthmatic and not 16 until Feb yet they be quick enough urge she has flu.
Woneet if abroad trips will happen as past years she went ski but most eu countries have vaccine passports for 12plus.

If you havea class of 30 say
10 get covid and are off then come back but another 10 are off and come back then final 10 come back how do we ensure they taught equally and no gaps in learning as every child be at different stages.
I'm pretty sure if I keep her off because household contact is postive they will threaten fine and list as unauthorised they were most Inflexible last year.
Reacher absence was high especially drama teacher was off loads .

I can't see how it won't spread quickly bases on local experience summer term even primaries were on their knees.
Lack staff meant some school had shit you have to have safe levels of supervision.

Do any teachers think unions will stage walkout over unsafe working conditions like they did in jan?

I don't remember a walk out by teachers in January. Every teacher I know was working either at home teaching classes online or physically in school with key worker and vulnerable children.

Wrth noting.....

There are 6000 people in uk hospitals

There are 2000 hospital settings so each has 3 at most on average

Up to 1000 are admitted per day. At current numbers people must be out in day or two or hospital numbers would be huge and they are not

Vast majority will be mild and likely in for other things but have had positive test

Princess and Noble have been scaremongering throughout - it was only matter of time before they started again and its sods law its just before school comes back. They must absolutely hate teaching kids.

@TheDailyCarbunkle You'll have to wait until Climate Change really takes hold for this "apocalyptic scenario" you talk about becomes a reality.

Noble have been scaremongering throughout

What have I posted that’s ‘scaremongering’?

Opinions aren't "scaremongering" @Watapalava.

Everyone on this thread has expressed one.

No idea but I expect an uptick in cases as cases are already high, vaccinated people are catching it, no isolating anymore so there will be continued disruption due to teachers and lots of kids off ill. I wish it were different, I wish it were back to normal and it is better but with a cloud over us so I really don't know. One thing for sure is that Gavin Williamson is completely useless and hasn't done anything to plan or to help schools for the year ahead. All in all it will be another sh** show.

Scotland have been back for almost 2 weeks and we have record cases now…

I am hopeful it will be a relatively normal year. My year 13 has been vaccinated so, ideally, it would be great if the autumn term could be fairly uninterrupted in terms of A level preparation. I'd say the majority of kids in his school have had covid now.

School are also planning for a fairly full schedule of rugby and hockey fixtures. Fingers crossed.

@Watapalava

Wrth noting.....

There are 6000 people in uk hospitals

There are 2000 hospital settings so each has 3 at most on average

Up to 1000 are admitted per day. At current numbers people must be out in day or two or hospital numbers would be huge and they are not

Vast majority will be mild and likely in for other things but have had positive test

Princess and Noble have been scaremongering throughout - it was only matter of time before they started again and its sods law its just before school comes back. They must absolutely hate teaching kids.

It's also worth noting that not all hospital settings are equal, so those patients won't be spread equally.

It's also not exactly clear from the government site, but I think that those 6000 are the ones within 14 days of their first positive test. If they are in longer than that, then I think they are not counted in that. It would be interesting to know how many patients are actually in hospital with covid.

I can see PH closing schools locally and more disrupted exam years next year.