Considering whether schools might close in Janl?

[PigeonLittle]

Trying to create a title so as not to panic anyone!

What are your guesses, will schools close again?

We've been told not to rule it out but we are hoping for no!!

If they do close again I really hope parents will start protesting...that's if they're not too exhausted by WFH and supervising online learning!

I didn't think they would until Parents Evening when her English teacher said at least 3 times "if the exams go ahead..."
We've been told to make clear to students what the contingency plan is. I have a contract to mark exams in the summer... but I also had one for 2020 and 2021.

I think so. Teachers (Unions) will maintain their members are ‘at risk’ and will demand their closure. Many parents are/will concur

Teachers will not call for schools
Closing… we want to be in school.. we know how important school is not just for their education, but their well being, consistency, seeing their friends… Bashing us is not fair … we constantly get grief that we want the easy way out … we staffed frontline did online lessons delivered food and did well fare checks amongst all the other things but we still get abuse… we are teachers and we want to teach! Why would we want the schools closed !

@Joesmummy1

I think so. Teachers (Unions) will maintain their members are ‘at risk’ and will demand their closure. Many parents are/will concur

No. Unions will continue to call for mitigations to protect their members, which will also protect your children.

@Joesmummy1

I think so. Teachers (Unions) will maintain their members are ‘at risk’ and will demand their closure. Many parents are/will concur

We are ‘at risk’. That’s a fact.

We will not, and have never, called for schools to close.

We have FOR OVER A YEAR called for mitigations to slow the spread in school.

If they do close I shall not be educating my children on teams and supporting them etc (with school work). (I never did during any of the lockdowns) I did work from home as did their father. There was no way I was sacrificing all of their mental health including our own for tokenistic online crap work that doesn’t even truly teach them anything. We made sure as a family we had plenty of outdoor exercise etc.

All three of my children are not behind academically in comparison to their peers who spent months stressing on teams etc.

In my opinion there was no active learning going on but each to their own.

Ours has been delayed by a week so kids back in on 10th online learning the week before

This is quite a good idea.

Mine go back on the 4th which I think is quite soon after Xmas and new year when lots of people will be mixing.

I’d rather they have an extra week off (even without online learning) to reduce the risk of bringing it into schools. Obviously that won’t be easy for primary schools though.

We’ve had to close early because of the number of cases.
In theory the staff should all have been off weeks ago as were in close contact with positive cases but that would have meant the school being closed continuously since November.

I have not got the strength to homeschool again , the last time nearly broke me.

@bellsbuss

I have not got the strength to homeschool again , the last time nearly broke me.

💐

People are running out of strength now.

Comparisons with the war are lazy and fatuous. During the war in this country we were not forbidden to see, and socialise with and hold one another. Children could go to school and play with their friends. The war never really came to Britain in the same way that it did in much of mainland Europe.

Ours goes back on the 10th anyway as they don't break up until Thursday next week which seems good in hindsight now.

@Comedycook

If they do close again I really hope parents will start protesting...that's if they're not too exhausted by WFH and supervising online learning!

Teachers are also exhausted and putting themselves at risk every day…keep hearing sad stories from my friends. We really need to make sure the teachers are safe as many leaving the profession this days…who is going to teach ours darlings if they all give up?

@bellsbuss

I have not got the strength to homeschool again , the last time nearly broke me.

Same. My ds is secondary and just got on with it... online live lessons for the whole day...the teachers are amazing. However my dd is primary age and wouldn't engage at all. I won't force her to...it's not worth the stress for any of us

Schools will be last to go.

Hospitality will go first if anything.

Is it in good taste to use the abuse and murder of an innocent child to make point about Covid measures?

You don’t really believe it’s up to teachers do you?

I have not got the strength to homeschool again , the last time nearly broke me.

If they do have a 2 week firebreak then I hope they will just put up optional work and encourage them to get away from the screens.

Other things can't close. The economy won't cope.

@lollipopsandrainbows

I've had texts from both my kids schools over the last few days to prepare for Home learning. We've had reminders of log ins, access points etc.

That's just good forward planning, to prepare for the worst but hope that it won't happen.

Was much worse previously where we were assured it wouldn't happen, so preparations weren't made quickly enough and you get a delay. Then we went back for a day and closed again that evening with no warning,

And don't forget - there will definitely be some children who catch covid over Christmas and can't return on the first day in January. Schools have to provide remote learning for any child off with covid,or needing to isolate, It means any child who catches covid over Christmas can log in and access remote learning straight away, again without the delay in getting passwords, so much better.

Fwiw we send regular reminders of all log in codes - not just at the end if a term. We don't leave it til things have already happened. Much better to be proactive about it all, just in case.

So, be prepared but hopefully it won't come to it.

My sons school are going back a week later anyway as they've bundled up all their INSET days for the first week of term in January. They normally do this the last week of term in December so I think they looked at what happened last year and decided to be on the safe side. Head has said "look forward to seeing you all on the 10th of Jan but I said that last year and look what happened....."

Ds2's school has them all going back in on the 4th (on school transport) so they can take a supervised lateral flow test in class. Logical

People in contact with omicron have to isolate now. If the rule is the same when it becomes the dominant strain, how can schools stay open? Most people will be a close contact with the way it's spreading.

For parents saying homeschooling nearly broke them, add me to that list - it also broke a lot of teachers and they’re the ones accountable for catching children up. Teachers want safety for themselves and their pupils, no one is shouting for a shut down again.

I’m a school governor, not at my DC school. I volunteered my time (which I don’t have a lot of) as have a renewed respect for what teachers up and down the country have done during this pandemic and whilst in a stressful role myself had the privilege of WFH. That’s given me more insight to the demands that are on schools and frankly how anyone is still there is only for love of the job.

Support your teachers and if you don’t like what’s happening at your school or more broadly, volunteer and change things. This week my governors will jointly sign a letter with several Heads complaining about child services in our area and poor response to safeguarding referrals.

@WonderfulYou

I have not got the strength to homeschool again , the last time nearly broke me.

If they do have a 2 week firebreak then I hope they will just put up optional work and encourage them to get away from the screens.

Wasn't it meant to be a two week firebreak last January...they didn't go back til march