My school wants to know tomorrow if my RC is going back 1st June

[ShutUpaYourFace]

I'm torn. My head says send him back, heart says not yet.
I was going to wait until nearer the time to make my decision but the school needs to know numbers which is fair enough.
I know the virus is with us for the long haul.
I know the school will implement the guidelines where possible. I know my child needs to go back, but my child is 4 he's ok at home. He will be mixing with 15 other children plus staff that's 17 plus different households. It won't be like normal, he was often tearful going, I wonder if sending him will be more harmful, he maybe with a different teacher, not with his usual friends.
I already work and have worked through except when my ds had a nasty chest infection going into lockdown so I had to isolate with him. Partner is furloughed not for childcare reasons. He delivers booze to pubs/bars so no chance of him returning until bars and restaurants re-open. So I'm thinking to leave ds with dp until mid June to see how things pan out.
I think writing this I have made my decision but interested to know WWYD?

I think that's the point NeverTwerkNaked is making. She knows she doesn't have hat control and doesn't expect any school to enforce it. So she has accepted a certain level of risk in order to allow her child to participate in society and live as full a life as possible.

Exactly. Parents of children with allergies accept that a certain degree of risk is to be tolerated because life also needs to be lived

So because it's rare it means your child won't be unlucky?

nomorerestformrz. When would you stop looking at risk of absolutely anything and start living your life. You are scaremongering now. That information you posted was for medical professionals and there have probably been hundreds of similar memos over the years about various illnesses and diseases.

Let the government and the medical professionals decide based on expertise and evidence. Parents can assess and then choose whether to send their children to school. The government are saying parents won't be fined. There will be many that choose to keep their children at home for a variety of reasons already given on this thread, and many who will send their children to school. I'm not sure it's healthy posting such information especially as it's extremely rare.

"Let the government and the medical professionals decide based on expertise and evidence." Since the medical professionals disagree with the government opening schools on June 1st which do you suggest I should listen to?

I think that's a really tricky issue Mrz because each organisation or body is only looking at one little bit of the problem and then schools/ parents are expected to make a decision based on the whole picture.

I am not surprised the medical professionals would rather wait. The virus is still out there. They cannot tell us it is totally safe and don't want an increase in cases on their watch if they approve reopening. Furthermore, any even slight increase in risk is a burden to them and they do not have to balance that risk with any possible benefits. There are only cons for the medical community.

On the contrary, the head of Ofsted has advised reopening must happen. She is only looking at the cons from the point of view of the education sector, of not reopening. They are balancing the small medical risks against the larger risks of widening the attainment gap and putting children at risk.

Of course, she doesn't have to go into the classroom, the teachers do. So it is of no surprise at all to me that the unions, who represent those at the chalkface, are saying no. They don't want to go in.

We need to balance the whole thing, risks against benefits, for the overall well-being of the children. Taking into consideration the children who's the at the most risk in this situation.

It's highly complex with so much conflicting advice. Apparently the government published 14 different pieces of guidance for schools about reopening just last week and will no doubt publish many more over the next few weeks.

Yes, I know. I don't think there is a 'right answer' to be honest. I just really worry we will be going round in the same circles with the same concerns in September and beyond. I really worry for my own young children, plus those in worse situations. I feel the effect of the lockdown is only the beginning for them. It keeps me awake night at the moment.

My own feeling would be that repeating the year would be the best way to move forward as children have already lost over half a term and the additional time would give schools time to work out the logistics of smaller class groups which will mean the need for additional teaching staff and additional classrooms, additional washing facilities etc.

So if they repeated the year when would they go back?

Would you have them missing a whole year of school? The impact of that would be damaging and felt for many years.

Repeating the year won't happen. They'd already done over half of it and it would be hugely disruptive, and what about kids waiting to start reception in September?

I never replied Friday and this morning received a call as they really need to confirm numbers. They have 2 year groups to accommodate (R & Y1 and a small nursery) Standing head said take-up is approx 50/50, they will not be able to take all children and stick to the current guidelines. She suggested if we didn't have to/want to send him, not to, if we then felt it was time to send him in a few weeks, give them a weeks notice and he could then start. So if you need the space take it, if your unsure wait, knowing a space is/maybe available at a weeks notice. Considering schools may still not open 1st June our schools are working incredibly hard to sort out these issues.

This solution suits us fine as we have the choice. We can send him when we feel it's safe. Just hoping they will be able accommodate us because the problems will start if all parents send their kids, then for some schools 15 per class will not be possible. This also suggests other year groups will not be back anytime soon under current guidelines. I suppose if cases fall class sizes will increase and the guidelines will change.

Thanks for the update OP.

With repeating the year groups, do you think it's possible that the reason they are bringing back R and Y6 is because those groups are the 'issue' with repeating and it would mean they could move those two year groups up and then make room for others to repeat while also taking on a new reception class (so double size reception?) Doesn't really explain Y1 though. I can't see how they could otherwise repeat a year as there would then be an extra year in each school and they couldn't hold back starters surely?

Schools won’t be repeating years-it would be a logistical nightmare.

I would have thought so too but I've seen a few teachers suggesting it so wonder if it has been discussed at school level in places

"Schools won’t be repeating years-it would be a logistical nightmare." Actually it would be much easier than trying to find double the number of teachers and twice as many classrooms ready for children to return before the summer.

To repeat a year would be another difficult question. I don't think they will at all, but at only 4 (soon to be 5) I think my child would really benefit.
Like others have said maybe just a small group of children could repeat but most go up. They have to consider the new children coming from nursery. It could not be offered to everyone.
The school just messaged saying online learning will continue after 1/06 with the reception children following closely what they will be doing in school. So decision is made he will not be going back if they reopen. I could change my mind though and give them a weeks notice, I'm happy with that.

"Repeating the year won't happen. They'd already done over half of it " then move the summer term to Autumn and start the new school year January - December

Sounds like a reasonable solution for you OP. I'm awaiting news of our schools plan this week. If it seems reasonable I'm thinking we will send DD, as we could always pull her out again if she is not happy.

With regards to repeating it would also benefit us personally as my DD is a late August born reception child. But I can't see if they shifted the calendar that wouldn't cause further issues down the line?

Presumably repeating a year would be a decision that would need to be taken nationwide so as not to cause issues with pupils switching schools/ areas etc?

The difference between the U.K. and Denmark

That's too small to read for me unfortunately Mrz do you have a link?

I love all the posters blithely dismissing the thousands of children due to start school in September.

@dinosforall ? Who has done that and in what way? Must have missed that.

No way would I send my 4 year old, who in many countries wouldn't be at school for anther year anyway, into school at the moment. I would wait a year., especially if you don't have to send him for work

If you look at the year groups that are being reintroduced we are talking 4-6 year Olds who still strongly benefit from learning through play anyway and year 6 who let's be honest at this point in the year aren't doing a great deal of formal learning even in a normal situation.

but that is why they're prioritised, it's those at most risk from isolation - year 6's about to enter the biggest transition of their life so far, and the youngest, who are just starting out in schooling and are at most at risk from long term impact.

It's no about reading and writing, it's not about parents working, it's about the mitigating the huge harm that weeks of isolation have been forced on them.

@upthewolves fair enough, it's more like one or two. I was bringing my rage on this over from other threads I've read

I am biased in the other direction as I have a September-born and I can't imagine keeping him out of school for another year.