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

[AntiMaskersAreTwats]

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

I hear you @BitterTits and feel totally the same. I haven't had Covid yet and not have my immediate family.

Same goes for the keyworker places - if they only had children in whose parents were both key workers I would have 2 in, not 11 which would have made a difference.

As it would make a difference if people stopped having get togethers / parties at the weekends, merrily spreading Covid, sending them back to school and then when there's an outbreak in the class demanding that school 'do something about it.'

I loathed online learning- never worked so hard on something, and however much I tried it seems it was largely pointless tbh. I reckon at best 20% of my class did all the work I set, logged onto my live lessons, responded to the work I marked and sent back to them etc

I did hope home schooling would make people value what we do more but I don't think it did at all.

I don't think schools will close again, except for classes / year groups.

I personally feel schools should stay open due to safeguarding and ring fencing children's learning. I say that as an sen teacher with health issues. There was a 25% rise in child protection orders after the first lockdown in my area.

It's managing the rest of society on top - I also appreciate how hard it is for lower income families (most of my school) to loose pay. They're becoming completely demoralised. Boris's actions do NOT help.

For these reasons teachers really should be prioritised for vax and schools really should be supported to the max in all measures. There will be short term closures individually.

I really hope it's not National but it will have to be for the nhs,

Whole thing is a fucking shit show. We now have a member of staff with long Covid and several off very poorly (flu level) but that's not going to keep schools running.

I feel that schools should stay open too, I want my children taught this time. But they can't possibly if there is nothing at all in place to try to prevent staff illness.

@Remmy123

Schools shouid never be shut again

Goodness me, how 2020.

Prof Eleanor Riley, professor of immunology and infectious disease at the University of Edinburgh, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme Omicron appeared to be so infectious that "you have to work on the basis that anyone you come into contact with has it".

She said if someone had a taken a lateral flow test and been negative for the virus "within the last few hours" then they could be a little more confident.

"I think Omicron is spreading so quickly that I think unless you are living like a hermit you are very likely to come across it in the next few weeks, I don't think anyone should be going around thinking they are not going to catch it, I think that situation has changed," she said.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-59619224

So erm... Schools...

We've returned to some earlier rules as a result of recent outbreaks which did prevent another this week.

I would protest should schools close again.

Schools shouid never be shut again

Not sure why this attracted the sarky 2020 response

We are shifting in response - most people are realising the damage it causes to a vulnerable section in society. Some will continue to wave it off. I was glad to hear the conversation re deemed essential infrastructure on news again this morning.

Re schools shutting, it would be good if we could learn from our mistakes re infection control right at the very sharp peak of n epidemic,

That is heartfelt, I assure you.

I would agree that if they do close, it should not be for long.

Going early might mean any closures are shorter overall.

Accusing people of being "sarky" rather than addressing the point is a bit dumb as argument goes.

SEN school and we are to wear masks at all times other than eating next week. We've never worn masks throughout the entire pandemic. The students are unable to wear them though. We've gone back to bubbles and also daily LFT for staff. No mention of closing but given the letters that have gone out to parents I would imagine a high absence rate for this last week. Friday cannot come soon enough.

I'm wondering about my Son taking GCSEs this year. At the start of September his HOY was confident normal exams would happen. Yesterday he gave a talk saying they are prepared for TAGs yet again. I wish my Son would get his finger out and take his mocks more serious! It's not that schools will close but rather the continued disruption. Some secondary still haven't even had the 1st vaccine.

Simply from a staffing point it’s going to be impossible for schools to remain open safely, everyone understands that I hope?

Those ready to protest closures need to actually be advocating for safety measures to be put in place to ensure schools can remain operational in CovidWorld. It’s almost laughable how nearly 2 years later we still haven’t learned this lesson despite the mounting evidence and you as parents continue to ignore and accept the issues of no proper ventilation and no stringent mitigation’s yet still expect the system to stay functional.

Covid is going nowhere, that should be crystal clear for everyone now, the vaccines alone can not stop the inevitable fall out from the waves, to maintain any semblance of maintainable normality WE must make the changes to adapt outbreak susceptible environments otherwise we will just keep going around and around and around and around on this hamster wheel.

@Dozer

I would protest should schools close again.

Many will inevitably spontaneous be sending kids home due to staff shortages.

You can protest at people being sick if you like, but you will probably end up sick yourself too.

Good luck with your planned protest.

If the UK does close schools again for a few weeks, it might be a better idea to have a serious think about the idea of "treat closures as a complete break for kids/staff, and then open schools for part of the summer holidays instead."

That is what they did in Japan and I was so bloody glad. The kids are not behind here at all. And it was better than messing about with remote learning. The stats and figures from the results of online are now coming back, and they are pretty clear: at the macro level, most kids learn very little from online learning. A lot learned close to zero or actually fell backwards, forgetting stuff they knew already while not learning anything new.

In addition, in the United States, where most school districts rolled out online platforms in a more concerted way and much earlier than in the UK, the "look, we're doing online learning" seems to be getting used as a reason to let school closures drag on and on.

Dozer I’m sure many would join you.

Hopefully changed are happening anyway through parliament:

If the UK does close schools again for a few weeks, it might be a better idea to have a serious think about the idea of "treat closures as a complete break for kids/staff, and then open schools for part of the summer holidays instead."

I agree this would be a better approach.

@TheKeatingFive

If the UK does close schools again for a few weeks, it might be a better idea to have a serious think about the idea of "treat closures as a complete break for kids/staff, and then open schools for part of the summer holidays instead."

I agree this would be a better approach.

Agreed

If schools don’t have staff they may not have a choice. Not much use protesting about that.

Why aren’t more parents protesting about money spent on education, about the lack of capital funding and the state of some school buildings, the lack of proper ventilation. Much better to march and protest about that. What about cuts to many services to that schools are now having to take on a greater role for children’s welfare and wellbeing. Why aren’t parents protesting about that? That is causing harm to vulnerable children but didn’t see swathes of posters on MN pre COVID threatening to march

@TheKeatingFive

If the UK does close schools again for a few weeks, it might be a better idea to have a serious think about the idea of "treat closures as a complete break for kids/staff, and then open schools for part of the summer holidays instead."

I agree this would be a better approach.

Yep, that could be a possibility couldn't it?

@toomuchlaundry agreed. Ironically their own behaviour is hysteric. They think the world is set against them. No one is enjoying this- NO one. Their anger would best be channelled into making schools safer.

If omicron is as infectious as immunologists are saying then:

All the talk of ventilation and protections... their effectiveness against omicron becomes highly questionable

Its likely that you will get one case in a class and two days later the whole class is down with it and the whole school dominoes more or less within a week or so through siblings.

That also means any closures will be swift and then over rather than a bit here and a bit there and the general uncertainty.

And its likely to be a universal thing rather than some schools more badly effected than others.

Bubbles become pretty pointless at this juncture imho. They have not really worked for Delta anyway.

It changes things. Closures are almost inevitable. Some schools will limp through, but if there are legal requirements to isolate thats pretty much going to prevent that anyway.

The reality is even key worker and vulnerable child provision is going to be difficult in this scenario.

That has knock on effects.

Are you now saying that teachers should take their holiday during lockdown, when they can't go anywhere or see loved ones, and then work through the summer, when they would hope to enjoy the same freedoms as everyone else?

[quote VaccineSticker]@toomuchlaundry agreed. Ironically their own behaviour is hysteric. They think the world is set against them. No one is enjoying this- NO one. Their anger would best be channelled into making schools safer.[/quote]
What do you mean? What’s hysterical

Changing the status of schools to look after a vulnerable group?

@toomuchlaundry

If schools don’t have staff they may not have a choice. Not much use protesting about that.

Why aren’t more parents protesting about money spent on education, about the lack of capital funding and the state of some school buildings, the lack of proper ventilation. Much better to march and protest about that. What about cuts to many services to that schools are now having to take on a greater role for children’s welfare and wellbeing. Why aren’t parents protesting about that? That is causing harm to vulnerable children but didn’t see swathes of posters on MN pre COVID threatening to march

Yes If anyone feels like protesting please do so about all of this. Our children are getting the raw deal (have been for years) and it is not the fault of individual schools or their staff.

@BitterTits

Are you now saying that teachers should take their holiday during lockdown, when they can't go anywhere or see loved ones, and then work through the summer, when they would hope to enjoy the same freedoms as everyone else?

I’ve already got a holiday booked and paid for for end of July 2022 (moved twice now). I assume I’m not unique, lots of people - teacher and families - would have plans.

Anyway, I don’t think schools will close. Schools were open winter last year when other restrictions were in place. I was in a Tier 3 area and was just going for work and back. I agree there will be closures on a smaller scale, mainly due to staff absence.

Guess we’ll just have to see what the New year brings. We went back to school for one day in Jan and that night BJ announced lockdown.

Marsha, How are schools meant to provide these important, crucial even, social services to vulnerable children? So many support staff roles have been removed as the school budgets are so stretched that they barely cover for the teachers who you will agree are the vital criteria of a school. The government can push through legislation to keep schools open no matter what but is that going to help if the staff are not there?