Email from DfE to Headteachers. Schools prepped to shut again?

[AntiMaskersAreTwats]

Do you think this means it likely schools will shut again?

There will be a larger pool of children in ad hoc, unofficial, cobbled together arrangements which obviously means a higher number of contacts.

This. People mostly did keep their kids shut away at home during the first closures, not least through genuine fear of the virus. This time round, I think you'll see most parents looking to find somewhere to put their kids--grandparents, a rota with friends or neighbors, or just angling to get a keyworker spot. Not least because we all know perfectly well that employers and clients aren't going to be understanding this time round. They'll expect parents to be working, and parents are already nervous of how much learning their kids lost last time.

There is no hand sanitizer at school. Last week we ran out of soap so there was none in the pupil or staff toilets. There are stacks of boxes of Covid tests in every room because the pupils are not taking them home, so they are probably not testing. It’s no wonder cases are rising.

@MarshaBradyo

I’ve never been against mitigations as long as they don’t close school to many or harm education.

They would be in place to keep schools open

We do not have enough money to heat a well-ventilated school. So windows closed, risk of Covid - lots of siblings of positive children - but temperature around 19-20 degrees all day? Or proper ventilation - CO2 monitor says 4 windows open is just about enough - but absolute maximum of 16 degrees achieved for brief periods?

They would be in place to keep schools open

If you had followed the posts you’d see I was talking about SD - this would close school to many.

I have been against blended learning / SD as it reduces in class time substantially for non KW children.

So no not even bolding words changes that.

Almost 3 of my classroom walls, plus the roof, are external. Blu-tac ‘freezes’ in the winter due to the cold walls. It faces north-west, and never receives direct sun.

I think we need to decide as a country what we want to prioritise, and how important are the competing demands of keeping modern healthcare going, educating our children and other areas of demand in the economy.

It might be that education and healthcare are high on many people's list right now.

There are funding implications to that, although more funding in these areas would in itself a) create or protect jobs b) have a potential knock on effect of a better educated and healthier workforce, so is an investment in our future.

I read it and thought that's something to look at before we go back and not now. I have enough to do with the Nativity and end of term party as these are allowed to go ahead.....

I did see we are going to be getting another delivery of facemasks! But not until the new year for early years so goodness knows when.

I'm hoping they are thinking of worst case scenario rather than this is coming so be prepared 😀. Whatever happens we will stay open as we weren't closed last January like schools (who weren't really closed but it makes it sound good 🤣).

@herecomesthsun

I think we need to decide as a country what we want to prioritise, and how important are the competing demands of keeping modern healthcare going, educating our children and other areas of demand in the economy.

It might be that education and healthcare are high on many people's list right now.

There are funding implications to that, although more funding in these areas would in itself a) create or protect jobs b) have a potential knock on effect of a better educated and healthier workforce, so is an investment in our future.

Actually, various polling suggests education s a fairly low priority for the electorate as a whole. I am quite sure the Tories know this.

And yet school funding is widely acknowledged as having contributed to Theresa May losing her majority.

When the issues in education get the exposure they deserve, they rise in priority among voters.

@Piggyinblankets

Still after all the fuss people are making about how difficult it is homeschooling 1 child and how schools must never ever etc?

‘All the fuss’

Yeh it was nothing really. No idea why people want things to change.

Thankfully not everyone is ready to wave it off and can recognise the harm.

Yes because it's not actually that many people here.

@Piggywaspushed

Yes because it's not actually that many people here.

What isn’t?

I think - particularly but not exclusively in primary - there is a difference between the numbers who care that schools are physically open and those who care specifically about the quality of education delivered there. This is completely understandable, since schools cover so many of the childcare hours needed by working parents. It is also a function of the relative visibility if ‘child cannot attend school’ and ‘child is receiving a somewhat substandard education from a mix of support staff and supply’.

Hence I think that ‘schools being open’ is a BIG public issue but genuinely ensuring that the education there is as good as it can possibly be by protecting the health of both the children and their normal teachers is not such a political hot potato.

Hence I think that ‘schools being open’ is a BIG public issue but genuinely ensuring that the education there is as good as it can possibly be by protecting the health of both the children and their normal teachers is not such a political hot potato.

I agree.

I'm wondering about whether we should shift around our curriculum a bit to assume that we're going to have kids in and out a lot in January. Ie, look at money and time in maths, because they are things parents understand more than say, written methods of multiplication.

Also @cantkeepawayforever parents of primary kids are more concerned about contact with friends. While not ideal either, at least having phones and being able to chat through gaming, is a way of older children having peer contact. Less so with small ones.

There does seem to be very little concern about quality of education going on in schools.

Especially compared to the the outrage about poor quality of education delivered during closures. Was that simply because it made lives more difficult for parents?

On a quick google, the school year increased from 161 days in the 1970s to 180 days on average now.

Private schools still have more holidays.

Clearly, holidays have been and can be changed around a bit.

A review of holiday arrangments going forward might be a good idea, we might have another difficult winter or 2, who knows?

Who have school age children marsha

I think people are skipping over the harms from closed schools quite a bit.

I get why but it’s not that hard to see from the information coming back after this long.

Yeah you're right. Never hear about it in the media, never hear about it on here. Just never.

@RuleWithAWoodenFoot

Yeah you're right. Never hear about it in the media, never hear about it on here. Just never.

What’s this about?

If people got it then you wouldn’t see posts like this

Especially compared to the the outrage about poor quality of education delivered during closures. Was that simply because it made lives more difficult for parents?

No I don’t think people are thinking about the harm otherwise why would they be against the proposed changes.

It’s the usual - parents fault, ‘disgusting’ etc

Luckily I can see this is not the norm and people are pushing for change.

@cantkeepawayforever

We do not have enough money to heat a well-ventilated school. So windows closed, risk of Covid - lots of siblings of positive children - but temperature around 19-20 degrees all day? Or proper ventilation - CO2 monitor says 4 windows open is just about enough - but absolute maximum of 16 degrees achieved for brief periods?

Pahaha...16 degrees would be an absolute dream right now.

My classroom is between 9-12 degrees on any given occasion with ONE window open 2 inches...

Harms are done outside of school closures too.

Focus on the funding, lack of interventions, consequences of austerity. The Tories are conveniently making you look the other way.

Having schools open 24/7 all year round or whatever Halfon and co want will not stop people harming their children, and will not enable targeted help to get to them quicker.

.