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?

I think the teachers have been given a heads up that they will be returning later than expected.

They will have been told to prepare for the possibility but DEFINITELY NOT told that they “will” be doing anything. For the 10,000th time, teachers find out at exactly the same time as everyone else in the country. Headteachers included. It makes sense to be prepared but it doesn’t mean anything.

@Blubells

Based on the rebellion around the new covid rules in House of Commons today I think a blanket closure policy unlikely

I agree.

Schools could only be closed if 1) all non essential retailers and other businesses close and 2) a furlough scheme is introduced again.

And that's very unlikely as we haven't got the money...!

Yes generally it’s after all the other things and it’s easy to say close schools, less easy to say close nearly everything else and most people get what the huge deal re-introducing furlough is.

And that’s before you look at the harms to dc etc

I hope we don’t

@sunnyandshare

My 3 secondary school dc were given 'just in case' subject booklets today. I think the teachers have been given a heads up that they will be returning later than expected.

Given a heads up by who?

A lot of staff and students seem to have it now, so might be ok after the hols.

If they do I’m not logging on to Teams again and doing the live lessons. Ever.

I’ve bought the basic textbooks now and we’ll go through them independently at our own pace.

FWIW, I know as much as the next person (nothing) but I think there might be a two week circuit breaker or “extension” to the Christmas holidays so as to not call it a full lockdown and not have to go back to retail shutting and furlough.

LOL-ing at posters who seem to think schools and teachers get a secret 'advanced' heads up. We find out at the same time as everyone else re: the big stuff and other smaller things like' please convert your school into a testing centre for the first 2 weeks of term' etc. is usually delivered in an email on a Friday at 5pm on last day of term. That's how the DfE have rolled thus far anyway.

I think given the horrendous high profile cases of missed child abuse over lockdown there are myriad of social and environmental reasons why schools will be kept open as much as possible.

I don’t think the government will close them but I think a lack of teachers will. It’s already happening.

Cases in our school are dropping dramatically, no infections at all for a couple weeks now.

"Teachers will call for it, whether they are successful is anyone’s guess"

Ds's won't be. His special school remained open to all throughout both lockdowns and groups of children were only at home for short periods due to lack of staff.

@Dghgcotcitc

Teachers will call for it, whether they are successful is anyone’s guess

I won’t. It was a nightmare before.

I don't know any teacher who wants schools to close at all. The students I have now in years 11, 12 and 13 are not missing any more. Rhey end up carers for younger siblings and miss out significantly. And online teaching is piss poor for everyone.

What I would like is mitigations that stop us all dropping like fucking flies. Around 40% of our staff have had covid twice now, me included. We can't get supply so with the amount of cover we are doing (should be 3 a year, is at least once or twice a week for everyone, plus duties) staff are on their knees.

The promised carbon dioxide monitors haven't arrived. Students in half of the building are wearing coats as it is freezing, plus there are so many bugs flying around we have constant PCR tests taking place.

But still, we don't want to close. We don't qant part time. We want to prevent closures. We want to protect our students and their families.

Posts like those from @Dghgcotcitc are utter shite when we, like many other key workers, are working ourselves to the bone right now.

@FreeBritnee

I don’t think the government will close them but I think a lack of teachers will. It’s already happening.

So glad someone else thinks similar.

Honestly it's all very well posters saying that school closures should be a last resort but if there is no one to teach the children then of course they will close.

@sunnyandshare

My 3 secondary school dc were given 'just in case' subject booklets today. I think the teachers have been given a heads up that they will be returning later than expected.

We've been told nothing. But I've sent my exam classes home with all their books - because last time, we were given no notice and had to post stuff out at vast expense.

I’m a teacher and have never wanted schools to close and my colleagues all feel the same. We’re all double jabbed and feel safe at school. We have a responsibility to keep schools open.

I actually think they should have gone remote where possible this last week as a sort of firebreak before Christmas maybe.

None of us want to teach remotely again but we would like improved ventilation and perhaps masks where needed in classrooms or some other mitigations to help keep us open.

We’ve done remote refresher training and have asked students and staff to take home everything they might need ‘just in case’. I mean we have NO idea at all but our best guess is perhaps remote for one week whilst we test everyone twice before returning potentially? Enough to maybe try and prevent it being brought back in straight after holidays? Who knows what the fuck the government/DfE are thinking but from past experience burying their heads in the sand and pretending there is ‘nothing to see here’ in schools hasn’t worked out so well… so so frustrating just the uncertainty.

I'm hoping not as it's been so hard to recover the children from home learning, especially the few months without remote education, but it seems it's inevitable.

@generalh

This teacher is not calling for it; I hated online learning. It was soul destroying.

Muting a few students was fabulous though… wish we could mute in the real Classroom 😂

I teach secondary and am desperate for schools to stay open. The impact of the last closures on these kids, academically, socially and emotionally has been devastating and I can't bear the thought of doing it again.

I don't know - but I know I've had the discussion with the HT already about my kids being vulnerable and us being a family unlikely to cope with another school closure (we have my 9 year old waiting for CAMHS expressing suicidal thoughts for gods sake)... have the paper trail of my own mental health collapse ready as evidence as well, and I'm prepared to ring social services on myself if needs be (DH agrees).

I can recover the curriculum stuff - but the loss of language from DD2 was terrifying and hard to work on, and DD1's mental state is fucking shot.

I hope not. But my son's school has closed already at this point, so who knows. I'm assuming pubs/shops/events etc would all close first surely?

I agree.

My school closed yesterday.
We had no heads up or any warning. We were told one hour before the end of the day and we were all shocked.

There is a slight chance the start of school might be delayed but it won’t be by much and I’d be shocked if they even do this. Everything else will close first before schools do.

We have been told the start of school has staggered start days to allow everyone to be tested. If their LFT is negative they can remain in school.

@IHeartKingThistle

I teach secondary and am desperate for schools to stay open. The impact of the last closures on these kids, academically, socially and emotionally has been devastating and I can't bear the thought of doing it again.

I agree and it’s nice to hear this from someone in a school

I have 3DC in 2 different schools, 1 of which attends a special school (and regardless of what the media had you believe, not all children with a EHCP attended in the previous lockdowns - mine didn’t and nor did a lot of his school friends).
I’m keeping everything crossed that they go back when they should and stay back.

I can’t shift the horrible feeling that they won’t though.

[quote Nix32]@Dghgcotcitc How dare you????!!!!!!! No we don't! Not one of us wants that to happen again. So sick of attitudes like yours, ready to slate us at every opportunity. [/quote]
I agree the thought of online teaching again makes me sick to my stomach. It was awful and soul destroying.

I hope it doesn’t happen- surely if they do it, they will have to bring back furlough and they won’t want that to happen… I think we’ll be looking at individual schools closing during outbreaks.