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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Had a chat with DS Deputy Head today

31 replies

HorsesDoovers · 20/05/2020 23:18

About how they will manage the return to Yr 6 if they go back 1st June.
They are pretty much following guidelines to the letter, namely:

15 max in a class, stay strictly within that bubble of 15.

Social distancing enforced as much as possible.

All children to have their own allocated classroom equipment which stays with them all the time.

Learning to be done on individual Ipads using the app they're currently using for home learning. If they have a question or need feedback they ask the teacher (or LSA if that's their adult in their bubble) and the teacher looks at their work on the app and responds that way.

Playtimes will be in a marked out area on the playground, children will have PE equipment to play with by themselves, they must stay within their designated area.

There's more but those are the main areas we discussed. It all feels so...joyless. I know they have to do it, I just cannot decide if that is better for my DS than staying at home with me. I'm not working, handed in my notice at the beginning of all this. He's happy, well motivated to learn, enjoying his own little projects, but also having way more screen time than usual. Also there's the transition to Yr7, they've said they won't be able to visit but I still worry that it will be a massive shock if he's not had any schooling.
I'm just posting my rambling thoughts as I don't feel at all clear about what's best.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Original poster

HorsesDoovers · 20/05/2020 23:20

For context, it is a 4 form entry Junior School, they will use the Yr5&6 classrooms to fit in 15 in each bubble.

OP posts:

DonLewis · 20/05/2020 23:22

I'd be tempted to send a y6 child in. It does sound joyless, but what if social distancing is still around when they start in year 7? The chance to get used to it for a few weeks in the safety of primary school may end up being a much gentler introduction, and one that your glad he had.

Difficult decision. And one that pits those parents that have to work and have to send their kids to school against those that have the luxury of choosing whether to send them. Not easy at all.

LaurieFairyCake · 20/05/2020 23:23

Is that an independent school with everyone having an individual IPad?

Pitaramus · 20/05/2020 23:29

I don’t understand how playtime is working, are you saying that each child has a marked out area they must stay in and play alone? I’m picturing chalk squares drawn onto a playground tarmac with one child in each square... surely that can’t be right?

Original poster

HorsesDoovers · 20/05/2020 23:30

Sorry no its an area for their bubble to stay in at playtimes.

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Original poster

HorsesDoovers · 20/05/2020 23:31

No its a state school, I guess they are using the entire schools Ipads dor Yr6, they did buy a lot with PTA money recently.

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Original poster

HorsesDoovers · 20/05/2020 23:32

DonLewis yes it has crossed my mind that if we continue this way he needs to adjust for Yr 7 anyway.

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stuckindoors77 · 22/05/2020 19:21

They have done that in some French schools I think.

Honestly though op at the moment this is all quite extreme and fear of the unknown is in play. I think once the children are actually in, it'll settle down and feel much more fun and normal.

My ds played out with the boy next door for an hour last week. They didn't touch or go within two metres of each other or share equipment but they had a whale of a time and invented all sorts of new games.

They'll adapt, we all will.

Original poster

HorsesDoovers · 22/05/2020 23:20

@stuckindoors
That picture has been circulated a lot but it won't be like that from wha I can gather (sorry if my OP was misleading) They will have marked out areas but it will be for their whole bubble of 15. Within that area they will be encouraged to play separately or they could do some games like tennis if they can maintain 2m apart.

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Onceuponatimethen · 22/05/2020 23:24

My dds are younger but are in the years that can go back. I told School I’m not bothering as I think it’s such a short time they will be back that it’s not worth it given what it will be like. Since then our school have said they won’t reopen until September

bulletjournalbilly · 22/05/2020 23:34

That photo has done the rounds and is a fake. It's a complete hoax

Original poster

HorsesDoovers · 22/05/2020 23:35

@Onceuponatimethen if my DS were YrR or 1, I would 100% keep him at home with me as I can't see the benefit unless you need school for childcare. However I am concerned about the leap to Senior school in September if he's had literally no school since March.

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bulletjournalbilly · 22/05/2020 23:36

My question is ... what happens if September still has these rules in schools. How will the schools accommodate all the children back? 30 in a classroom? 500 plus in the whole school.

Seriously, how will it be possible?

FlamingoAndJohn · 22/05/2020 23:36

We will have a marked playground area for each bubble. No equipment. Completely miserable.

bulletjournalbilly · 22/05/2020 23:37

I wouldn't send them back in that scenario @flamingo

Original poster

HorsesDoovers · 22/05/2020 23:37

@bulletjournal
Well quite. Not going to work is it, they can't magic up 16 more classrooms.

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Original poster

HorsesDoovers · 22/05/2020 23:39

Flaming Deputy said they have taken away all the soft equipment like sponge balls but can still use the plastic stuff as it can be cleaned. I would also let him take something like his yo-yo or rubix cube to play with on his own I think, if they allow it.

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Original poster

HorsesDoovers · 22/05/2020 23:47

Oops sorry FlamingoAndJohn

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AlwaysAnEmptySpace · 23/05/2020 00:07

My child is in year 6. The school have confirmed there will be no transition days to secondary school. They also can’t guarantee that children will be with their friends or teacher. Based on these things we have decide we won’t be sending her back in June. She’s bright and is in regular contact with her friends so for us we’ve decided it’s not worth the risk academically or socially at the moment. If we feel the same for September, we’ll have to make some changes and homeschool for the foreseeable future.

Thegreymethod · 23/05/2020 00:33

It's such a hard decision, especially for year 6 parents. I've decided to keep mine at home because I'm a SAHM and to me I feel if I keep mine home it's 3 less children for them to worry about, but I don't have a child in year 6, mine are year 5 4 and 2 so I don't have the worry of high school next year.
When you read through the list of rules and changes schools have to make it just seems so sad, it breaks my heart. I really feel for people who don't want to send theirs back but have no choice.
Also OP I don't know if this is just what our school have decided but they're not allowed to bring anything in from home not even lunch or a snack.

cabbageking · 23/05/2020 01:54

We don't have personal designated areas. Climbing areas are out of bounds but the children have the whole playground, and fields at break time.

Key workers children still have a longer day but they can't move out of their group and get this.

Children have been told not to bring in anything other than a named water bottle and packed lunch. No bags, stationary, PE Kits and to wear their own clothes. They will know their own clothes and won't be taking home wrong items.

We have a teacher and TA for each group and SEND provision is planned. We will need a new risk plan for September and see who we can accommodate. It won't be necessarily be the whole school.

Original poster

HorsesDoovers · 23/05/2020 07:26

We have been told they can bring in their lunch, their bag will stay with them rather than using lockers. Quite a few parents seem to be keeping their children at home which I get. We were also told yesterday that school work would still be set online but not marked, initially they said nothing at all would be set for those at home. So we could continue working our way through that to keep him going, its worked well so far.

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Phillipa12 · 23/05/2020 07:42

I have a dc in each year group, mine have been attending for 1 day a week as im a carer. All have enjoyed their days even though the schools set up differently, its a change of scenery and new faces to talk to. From June 1st they will stay in their keyworker bubble, they must bring in a packed lunch, water bottle, pencil case with stationary and colouring pens, all of which will stay in a draw under their table so theres no cross contamination, clothes suitable for pe must be worn and washed once home, no wearing the same clothes 2 days in a row. Staggered start and finish time, and specific drop off and collection points, designated teachers and set out areas outside for playing. The head has stressed that obviously social distancing cannot be maintained completely and nor does he expect it to, we are lucky but out of 6 bubbles excluding the keyworker bubble who can get 5 days the other bubbles will only get 2 days a week in school because of the size of the school and the need for it to be deep cleaned on a regular basis.

stuckindoors77 · 23/05/2020 07:55

@bulletjournalbilly I'm pleased to hear the photo's a hoax. Are you French? I'd love to
Know what it's actually like in French schools.

Thegreymethod · 23/05/2020 09:35

That's interesting that some schools are allowing things from home to be brought in, ours aren't allowed to take anything from home and will be given a plastic wallet with stationary white board etc and they keep that on their desk for the week.
We've been told work will still be set for children at home.

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