What are your thoughts on the return to school? Take this survey - £100 voucher to be won

[JustineBMumsnet]

We’d like to find out your thoughts and experiences surrounding children returning to school.

This survey is open to parents in England with at least one child attending state (not fee-paying) school, from Reception to year 12, during the academic year 2019-2020.

All who complete the survey will be entered into a £100 voucher prize draw.

Click here to complete the survey.

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Insight Terms and Conditions apply

Why are private school experiences excluded? They follow Government guidance.

I would also like to know why independent schools are excluded: they have had to follow government guidelines. My son has been in for 1/2 day since lockdown. Very odd

Too many personal
Questions
So didn’t do it

I filled it in apart from the household income question. The survey won't let me submit without revealing details on our personal finances. I have therefore deleted my response.

Our annual income does not have any relevance to our children returning to school.

Why only England? Why only state schools?

Like others I’m intrigued why only state sector when independents are following the same guidance?

frustrated that you asked us to fill it in for specific year group. That meant I had to fill it in for my year 10. But my year 12 and year 7 have both found it much harder, and my year 10 is actually OK.

I have duly completed the questionnaire like many I assume as accurately and as realistic as possible.

However I must reiterate my child’s English CE primary school is best described as technically fulfilling and executing the national UK government English state sector primary schools guidelines to the absolute minimum! Arguably as it is technically and factually correct - the school has, as instructed, remained open throughout the past months (including Easter “school holidays”) for the 3-5 vulnerable socially disadvantaged and other critical key workers families. The school has since June (mid not the original start of the month as publicly reported) accepted the return of limited numbers of Year 1 and Year 6 but not Reception children. The attendance has risen from the original 3-5 during emergency in school Covid childcare to now possibly less than a half of these Year 1 and Year 6 bubbles again not for regular schooling education but instead to essentially do home schooling but within class room bubbles with childcare supervision rather than teaching! The school will from next week (before end of term) invite other classes to return literally for a few hours so that as it can claim to have technically reopened to all pupils. A vast majority have not set foot inside school since March 2020! The school has been lacking in terms of communication and is best accurately described as out of sight out of mind! The online links initially provided for home schooling were not fit for purpose and then defaulted to the hastily created national Oak Academy. Teachers have made little effort to be available for support as everything including basic telephone call requests have to be emailed to the school! This has basically been a shambles and car crash of epic proportions full of mismanagement with reluctance of teachers to teach who apparently are not on furlough so presumably been paid to stay at home but not working from home!

One recognised this reality and so make time, resources and "war effort" for enforced alternative arrangements to properly jump on a massive learning curve to educate child myself and not be dependent on an unreliable school! My child’s school has essentially been super reluctant to do anything. As far as I am aware there are apparently very few reported Covid cases within the school community but thankfully no fatalities. The main Covid secure element was to rightfully ban shared public transportation for all staff and requesting that families who live across the city do the same preferably (as can’t enforce instructions on non staff visitors). Some of the school community who have gamed the entry system live way out of borough many miles away and their daily commute (yes even for a little four year old nursery child) is by busy shared rush hour TfL public transportation as they customary pass by countless local schools in their neighbourhoods!

I suspect the mix of the school senior management hiding behind teachers unions support and playing within marginal legal guidelines loop holes (national, local government and education authorities) plus its reluctance to provide schooling (home or otherwise) is possibly the main influential factor at play for this complete mess and prolonged pause on school teaching and child education!

Verbose rant over and thanks for reading/listening! And to any teachers out there I am sure you are very conscientious as would be lovely and ideal for my school!

Oh great. MNHQ actively encouraging and rewarding teacher bashing. Nice to know to have our backs

It's odd you only fill it in for one child. Also quality of work provided has been fine, its been quantity that's the issue and that's not an option. Got A SN child and nothing on SN in there at all. Didn't like household income box, there should be a prefer not to say.

Hi everyone,

I was supposed to be getting married today but due to covid it was postponed. Neither of my bridesmaids made any contact with me either the day before or today regarding the wedding or a well wish. It was only when my fiancé put something on Facebook this evening I then Got a text. I’m really hurt and upset by this, I’ve been crying all day and really would have been nice to have their love and support... what is your opinion on this, am I justified or being overly sensitive and precious about it. After all it’s just my special day not theirs.

So sorry to hear your wedding has been postponed Zinda I hope you can have your wedding before too long. Sorry they didn't get in touch, maybe they didn't know what to say or maybe they have their own problems. I can understand you being sad about it though, it was supposed to be one of the best days of your life - it will still happen though just later.

A teacher can only try their best to teach the kids to not touch everyone and everything and wash their hands apart from that they can only get the kids learning again. Teachers are so under valued as I've learnt from having my 5 kids off for months I'm grey practically with bags under my eyes

@Witchcraftandhokum

Oh great. MNHQ actively encouraging and rewarding teacher bashing. Nice to know to have our backs

Oh teachers are so undervalued and under paid, as I've learnt from having my 5 kids off for months, just getting them motivated to do a hours work a day was so stressful and I practically gave up and turned to "hands on learning" and that's just with 5 kids (1 additional needs) never mind 20-30+ in a classroom. Teachers deserve gold medals and huge praise !!

Done

caravandreamer Believe me you have my greatest respect. When parents have said to me, that they have found educating in lockdown hard I remind them that in the usual circumstances neither they are us normally have that responsibility 24 hours a day!

Done

www.korukids.co.uk/blog/after-school/the-results-are-in-find-out-what-parents-near-you-think-about-schooling-childcare-during-covid-19/

The winner of the prize draw for completing this survey is @cigarsofthepharaoh