Return to school at independent schools

[Newuser82]

Hi, we have just had an email from our child’s independent school to say our year 3 son (along with years 2,4 and 5) will only be offered 3 hours schooling a day, mornings. Just wondering what other independent schools are offering. Thanks

we got a new email after I posted.
The classes are split in half, so some working at home, some in school.
They do this for 3 weeks then swap with the other group.

At the prep school where my friend works, all children are invited back next week with the exception of boarders. My friend's lessons will be live streamed to the boarders at home (and those whose parents don't want to send children in) so that they will be able to ask questions etc.

At the prep school where I work we've had N, R, Y1 and Y6 back full time since 2nd June.

Y2 and Y3 start back full time on Monday.

Y4, 5, 7 and 8 are only getting a half day of transition/leavers activity outside.

Our two biggest problems with opening up completely have been:

1. we operate a fully secondary style curriculum of specialist teachers from Year 4 up. But the children who return have to stay in the same bubble of 15 with the same 3 staff.
2. only 50% of our parents are prepared to send the children back. The rest think it's too risky and are waiting till September.

Because of those two reasons, we have to keep a full online timetable of lessons going so we have limited staff left to supervise and teach the bubbles (N - Y3 have or will have one class being taught at school and one taught online but Y6 only has online learning with the bubble of children in school bringing their own laptops in and plugging into the online learning from school). As a specialist teacher, it's miserable for both us and them!

Ours are all going back on Monday :-). Fantastic! We are all delighted!

@manicinsomniac that is interesting, ours had approximately 90% of parents wanting kids back asap. can i ask where you are? we are in surrey

Having to come into school to do online learning sounds horrible!

All primary children back on Monday. Slightly shorter day. (8-3). 90 per cent of parents want children back in.

Ours is doing full time for nursery, reception, y1 and year 2. Y3 are getting 2 days a week and the rest online live lessons as has been happening and part time for y4 and y5. Y6 y7 and y8 aren’t going back.

Nursery, reception, Y1 and Y6 went back on 8th June, full time with staggered drop off and pick up
Y2, Y5 went back 15th. FT I think.
Y3 and Y4 going back on Monday. We get 4 days with Friday off to deep clean.
3 weeks left of term and haven’t heard that it is being extended. The online learning provision has been very good so I don’t think extending term is necessary really. I’m sure the teachers need a holiday.
So happy he gets to go back. It’s a relief because if they can do it now, they can do it in September so I know he’ll be back at school as usual. Even if Friday still off that’s no big deal to us.

All back on Monday (3-13 Prep) for the last 2 weeks of term. Staying in one classroom and allocated area or grounds instead of moving round subject rooms and roaming the fields.

myself I'm quite near London but North of it.

pineapple Yep! I suppose they think it's worth it for the break and lunchtime with their friends. They do also get sport and outdoor ed.

@manicinsomniac how interesting, we are just outside the M25, most parents are London commuters. Maybe part of it for us is that the school has the most unusual
layout (which is under normal
circumstances an absolutely pain), but we basically have pavilion style classrooms on the grounds with own loo and outdoor access (and pretty much no indoor corridors). Highly annoying at normal times, but perfect for bubbles.

Ours is closed completely and no years back until September at the earliest. They have said school may not even reopen physically in September. Very high majority of parents agree with the school policy. Full timetable of online lessons zoom style platform.

I’m really hoping my dds can both go back in September

@myself2020 what’s the demographic of parents? We are a London commuter town (to the west). My children’s school is “cheap” for private for schools. Most families have 2 working parents and are desperate for children to get back (hence 90 per cent return). Many have been working long hours to save businesses and trying to juggle home schooling.

myself That makes sense. I wish more of our parents wanted to come back but I can understand it - we're an old building with lots of narrow corridors and stairs. A few separate blocks where we're able to put the bubbles we have in but, to have everybody back, parents would have to accept a lot of passing in corridors and different bubbles using the same toilets etc.

@GreenCoxing The school has a “caring” focus with a higher percentage of mild SENDs (approximately 25% of kids are dyslexic for example). Results excellent, but the school sells itself on the caring ethos.
Parents are generally both working (almost) full time, can afford school fees but it hurts each term. Mostly older cars, camping holidays, smallish houses. School is somewhere in the middle in terms if fees, but the fees are very predictable, there are no extras.

@myself2020 very similar to my kids school. Our school have made a really push that they are getting all kids back as it’s good for their mental health to be back and be around friends.

Ours are at 3 different schools

Y10 DS is getting 3x 2hr sessions before the end of term (2nd today)-barely worth it.

y7 DD not going back until Sept

y5 DS going back mornings only, every day from Tuesday until the end of term (9 July)

Kids at 2 independent schools. Both will have all of primary from R - Y6 back full time from next week.