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 don’t see how they can close schools again without furlough in place first.

It absolutely infuriates me that people think teachers want schools to close. I've absolutely loved being a teacher for over 20 years and last year was the year that almost broke me. Going into school to teach 50% of my class and then coming home to pre-record lessons for the other 50% to access at home the next day is definitely not what I want!!!

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

Well I’m a teacher and I’ll happily march to keep them open. Too many vulnerable kids are falling through the cracks already

I can't see it happening, but who knows, no-one does but I guess people enjoy endlessly speculating on the numerous recent threads on the subject :)

Teachers have no say over whether schools open or close so whatever they allegedly want is immaterial.

Blanket decisions are made above school level,

Individual schools may well have to close classes/year groups due to staffing shortages but that isn't something they do lightly

I don't think so.

I’ve said this before on other threads- they don’t actually ‘close’ do they? Just exclude a portion of children. Half my DC class were in last lockdown. I know of some schools where 70% of kids were in some classes. So it’s not ‘will schools shut?’ It’s ‘will schools exclude some children from attending?’

I really hope my DS doesn’t have to deal with not being allowed to see anyone at all whilst watching his friends together on zoom :(

I don’t think they will, and I very much hope they don’t. It’s already swept through our school and the majority have had it now. It has been a mild illness for everyone, and it would be completely pointless for our school to close now. It already seems bonkers that we were closed for so long when no one was ill, and managed to get through it fine when lots of us were ill or still isolating.

I’d like to see every other restoration put in place beforehand …
I would feel angry if they are … yet it was ok to go to the pub the week before …

Bubbles etc is a good start again.
It would be except schools were explicitly told NOT to plan for bubbles. We have a second version of the timetable ready to go if that decision is suddenly reversed but it won't be popular.

@Dghgcotcitc

mitigatiibs that involve socially distancing si half the class is in (with I assume priority for key workers) or shut but open to key worker (which is half the class!).. teachers are calling for the first but they are very similar and a non key worker kid I don’t think any teacher thinks they should be in a class come January!

Where on earth have you got this from? It's so far from the truth.

We need to get kids fully vaccinated asap. Funny how keeping schools open is so important for kids... but not so important they were double-jabbed by September and getting boosters in December.

@ViceLikeBlip

I'm a teacher. I'm desperately hoping schools stay open. Teaching online is hellish. But I'm making sure all the kids take their books home with them this week...... 😔

Totally agree- luckily big push for 3rd jabs as teachers and other staff who are in the public frontline are not counted as frontline staff.Despite the government denying it children spread covid. Bubbles need to be re introduced , masks etc. I’m now not teaching but taught from may to July 1st lockdown and lasts years online teaching . Many don’t engage and it will impact their achievement. No one wants schools to close but I can see reduced hours with the gcse and A- level teaching taking priority.

No

They will be the last things to close after pubs, hospitality and leisure

Things aren't looking good at the moment are they? Pressure on the NHS is going to be pretty critical by January.

I am expecting an extended Christmas holiday rather than closures as such...

It won’t affec5 me as my children are past school age, but I feel so sad fo4 this generation of children. It seems this is going to be a recurring situation each winter. Unless hospitals are swamped, I think the better of the two evils is to not close schools to be honest. As has been said a million times, we must learn to live with it.

I don’t know a single teacher who wants schools to close.

Remote teaching or worse the half in half out so doing 2 things at once are both far harder than just being in the classroom with a class.

It is massively infuriating school staff haven’t been prioritised for boosters though. That could have made a massive difference to staff illness & absence. Even getting in schools this week to do them would mean everyone coming back in jan 2+ weeks from booster with full protection.

I really hope not. My kid’s mental health is hanging by a THREAD.

Can’t they get schools ventilated and kids wearing masks…??

Other counties already have partial lockdowns (evening closures) and extended school holidays. The general pattern has been that most European countries end up with similar measures with the UK often lagging behind. I predict measures in Jan if they can hold out that long, could be sooner.

@Fabcar

Can’t they get schools ventilated and kids wearing masks…??

Have you not seen the hysteria over students being asked to wear masks?

Schools don’t close! They never have! It’s harder to have fewer children than it is to have the full cohort. Schools would much rather have every child attending and stay fully open to all. The problem is the restrictions are causing chaos on the running of schools and staff are getting ill with stress etc due to that, which means there’s not enough staff or enough agency staff to cover absences. Education is in crisis at the moment, along with many other things. 😞

What was the uptake of vaccines by kids in other schools? It was about 15% in my school.

They don’t close. Keyworker’s children would go in and last time, the list of keyworkers was nearly everyone!

The thought makes me want to vomit