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Original poster

January (schools)

232 replies

fizzypop100 · 13/12/2021 16:18

If we are faced with remote learning, will school be open for vulnerable children?

OP posts:
Foolsrule · 13/12/2021 18:23

Given Gove and his pals were partying at the DfE on 14th December last year, they’d better bloody well stay open!

Appuskidu · 13/12/2021 18:24

@Blubells

Also, if Omicron is confirmed as very weak, perhaps children and teachers stay well enough to stay in school and teach/learn? I mean if it's just a runny nose and scratchy throat? It might even be helpful for the virus spread so as to replace the delta variant and to build up immunity?

We need more facts about Omicron imo.

I don’t think encouraging teachers and children with covid to continue to go to school will happen, no.
MalbecandToast · 13/12/2021 18:24

@Deadcanary1 what do you expect jey workers to do?! Ones who work for the government so police, prison staff etc are not eligible for furlough and provide an emergency service which must be manned. In order to do that the children must go to school. My DH and I are both key workers and it cost us £1500 a month during lockdown for a nanny for our kids because work needed us in for our normal shifts and obviously school was only open school hours with no breakfast or after school club (and I don't criticise this btw). It was a nightmare, especially in the beginning when we were terrified we would bring the virus home to our families whilst you stayed safe indoors so please don't trivialise the toll it took and make out that people were taking the piss using school places.

Remmy123 · 13/12/2021 18:24

@OnceuponaRainbow18 yes. Like the flu/sick bugs etc .. schools have always been full of germs.. teachers know that!!

They are jabbed and can get boosters so protected.

Remmy123 · 13/12/2021 18:27

It has to be a school by school basis as not all schools have high rates - my son's secondary for example have low cases so why close.

FrownedUpon · 13/12/2021 18:31

It looks like schools here are being prepped for home learning in January, with some years staying at home and gradually coming back into school through Jan/Feb.

Deadcanary1 · 13/12/2021 18:32

[quote MalbecandToast]@Deadcanary1 what do you expect jey workers to do?! Ones who work for the government so police, prison staff etc are not eligible for furlough and provide an emergency service which must be manned. In order to do that the children must go to school. My DH and I are both key workers and it cost us £1500 a month during lockdown for a nanny for our kids because work needed us in for our normal shifts and obviously school was only open school hours with no breakfast or after school club (and I don't criticise this btw). It was a nightmare, especially in the beginning when we were terrified we would bring the virus home to our families whilst you stayed safe indoors so please don't trivialise the toll it took and make out that people were taking the piss using school places.[/quote]
You have no idea what I do or what my job is. How on earth would you conclude I stayed safe indoors? You haven't got a clue! You cannot deny that people were taking the piss claiming key worker status! It was rampantl

JustBkind · 13/12/2021 18:33

Oh my I am so shocked at this and completely understand where you’re coming from. All the schools in our area stayed open no matter what and especially for vulnerable children or children of parents who had no alternative.

MarshaBradyo · 13/12/2021 18:35

@FrownedUpon

It looks like schools here are being prepped for home learning in January, with some years staying at home and gradually coming back into school through Jan/Feb.
Whereabouts are you?
Choccymumma · 13/12/2021 18:36

@FrownedUpon

It looks like schools here are being prepped for home learning in January, with some years staying at home and gradually coming back into school through Jan/Feb.
I heard this on the news vaguely somewhere today, but I work in a school and nothing has been said to us. But then it never is! Interested to know where you are and how you heard please? Smile
CurlyhairedAssassin · 13/12/2021 18:36

[quote Remmy123]@OnceuponaRainbow18 yes. Like the flu/sick bugs etc .. schools have always been full of germs.. teachers know that!!

They are jabbed and can get boosters so protected.[/quote]
I don't think you quite understand. Yes, school staff are jabbed. Some have had their boosters. Some younger ones have not. But the point is, as we all know, it's not a magic bullet and funnily enough, school staff don't have some invisible shield around them to stop them actually catching COVID. And once they've got COVID they have to stay at home and get well again. They're not allowed to drag themselves in as so many are currently who are dead on their feet with non-COVID viruses, but come in looking like death warmed up, just to help keep the school open and make sure your child gets educated and does all the Christmas activities.

If you get COVID you stay at home, it's as simple as that. School staffing is at bare bones levels as it is. What do you think happens if staff have to stay off sick? Things are not going smoothly at the moment when that happens. Schools are struggling to get supply staff.

We may come to a point where certain classes are sent home, I think, as there won't be anyone to teach them or even to babysit them. And I think some schools which finish next week MAY be told to finish this Friday instead. But I don't think there will be a blanket lockdown, and only open to vulnerable/keyworkers, no. That would only happen if Omicron proves to be very bad for children.

rrhuth · 13/12/2021 18:37

@Remmy123

It has to be a school by school basis as not all schools have high rates - my son's secondary for example have low cases so why close.
I am not sure 'it is low now' is going to last for much longer Sad I will be so sad if they close.
Couldntmissthisonethisyear · 13/12/2021 18:37

We've had a message today from the head stating that there is no plans to not reopen after Xmas but they are setting their plan up now to avoid chaos in the case of last minute announcements like last year.

Anyone who had a place last January will have one this January and they'll send surveys out to all new starters to see if they are keyworkers kids or vulnerable to determine who gets a place.

ArthurTudor · 13/12/2021 18:45

@FutureHope

It would be lunacy if they close.

I hope to God the education minister stands up to the unions this time. Mental health effects of the closures were so damaging last time, not to mention the educational hit.

If you think teaching unions forced the gov to close schools last time then I suggest you go back to school! Unions don't have that sort of power and the RW media loved suggesting they did as they hate trade unions.
HeadCreature · 13/12/2021 18:45

I'm not sure why people on this thread are stating that schools will do X or Y

HTs don't know at the moment - we are waiting for information and presumably decisions can't be made until nearer the time dependent on the situation

motherrunner · 13/12/2021 18:47

@HeadCreature

I'm not sure why people on this thread are stating that schools will do X or Y

HTs don't know at the moment - we are waiting for information and presumably decisions can't be made until nearer the time dependent on the situation

Agree. We returned for school one day in January and found out schools were being closed 8pm that evening along with the rest of the population.
TisTheSeasonToBeVegan · 13/12/2021 18:50

Anyone who had a place last January will have one this January and they'll send surveys out to all new starters to see if they are keyworkers kids or vulnerable to determine who gets a place.

People may have changed jobs and may no longer be a keyworker but they’re guaranteeing their child a place? Seems odd.

Tanith · 13/12/2021 18:53

Last year, schools were told at 8pm that they would close the following day.
I'm not surprised they are preparing for the eventuality now, given that Boris Johnson is still happy to make his 8pm announcements with no forewarning whatsoever for the professionals most affected.

I think they will not close schools officially unless they want to deflect from, say, the effects of Brexit after 1st January.
For one thing, they'd have to pay people and they really don't want to do that.

AnotherOneWithNoGoodName · 13/12/2021 18:56

Assuming they close- which I doubt unless it's local closures due to staff or major outbreaks- even in March 2020 (strictest lockdown to date), they were open for vulnerable children (or at least those with a social worker, which doesn't begin to cover all of the vulnerable children anyway) and children of key workers.

WonderfulYou · 13/12/2021 18:58

Vulnerable children should always be allowed in.
However due to staff childcare issues there are only a certain number of places available, so there is a priority list.

My school had lots of children from parents who work in other schools just so the other schools could open - which seemed to defeat the object.

I also found that many parents took advantage of the second lockdown and put their kids in even if they didn’t really need to which meant some kids that should have been in wouldn’t have been able to.

I genuinely believe that schools won’t close like last time as requested from the government but they may need to for a week or 2 if staff numbers get low.

Mudandrain · 13/12/2021 19:02

I love the comment that teachers normally go in with sickness bugs..... No we don't. You have to be off for 24 hours at least. We have loads of staff off at the moment and no supply teachers. They don't want to come in during the last week of term in a school full of covid. We've had to send home three year groups as the numbers are too high. They may not want to close schools but if there are no staff left in them then they will have to. We do not want schools to close. It is the last thing we want but we are not immune to Covid. Some of us haven't had our boosters yet- under 40s have only just been told we can register for them.

RedToothBrush · 13/12/2021 19:06

Schools are going to be flattened in January. There isn't way they won't be.

Whether its a deliberate closure or a spontaneous one is kind of irrelevant in practice.

rrhuth · 13/12/2021 19:09

Yes I can't see how it doesn't go ballistic in schools after Christmas. I wonder if there is a short term plan for January? Secondary kids need second jabs, and primary kids need their first.

MarshaBradyo · 13/12/2021 19:11

What you expecting re-infection rate to be?

If you predict the worst

Coronachristmas21 · 13/12/2021 19:11

I would imagine so and I hope so. Both mine have sen & EHC plans. They need to be in school. Especially Ds, he doesn't manage well at home!