government dropped plans for all primary years to go back

[bonsaidragon]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-52969679

Now what?

Our school had already said the other years would not be back before September. If they are required to put in place smaller class sizes and strict distancing there is simply not enough teachers or space for any more years to go back. Don't know what will happen in September, wait and see I guess.

I'm not surprised that schools were saying it but I am very surprised that the government appear to have listened.

It was an impossible plan. Like most government plans.

Totally impossible but since when does that change anything?!

Does flexibility mean it is up to the individual school?
Some small schools might be able to do it, especially private?

I'm shocked that no one in government could figure this out for themselves. Did they think all schools have twice as many teachers and classrooms as they need just waiting around for this moment?

Nothing will have changed, or can change, in September.
There are two options.

1. Part time
2. No social distancing whatsoever and business as usual.

That's it. Those are the options.

Total mess. No way they could open with SD. No idea what working parents are supposed to do when no SAHP not working. DC have been badly let down. I'm a KW and can't even get a school place.

My DDs primary school can't even open beyond keyworker and vulnerable. There was no way they were going to get other year groups in

I hope “flexibility” means school that have the space and teachers/TAs will be able to open!

Have to agree with ElizabethMainwaring. There are only two options if all pupils are to be back in school.The only other question is whether the government will be making it compulsory to be back at school or whether they will allow a further period for parents to decide whether to send back to school or not.
The issue for schools is that we need to know now what the plan is but as with nearly everything to do with schools since March it will be last minute, like the 31st August!

We are planning to get year 5 in for the last 4 weeks.

My DS primary School was told on the 29th May by the LA that they were instructed not to open to Reception, y1’s & y6’s. That they were to delay until the 15th. Does this mean it’s highly likely that they will not be opening to these year groups on the 15th?

Year 5 matter more to schools now as they will give them next year's SATS results...And yet people can take their kids to non essential shops from next week...

We are planning to get year 5 in for the last 4 weeks.
I keep seeing contradictory things like this, some schools still saying they're going back. But the government saying they're not? Is that just 'they're not if they can't' then? I would just like to know for definite one way or another. We are happy to wait until September personally with regular contact here with shielding elderly parents, but I would just like to know!

This is a bit of a mess. From the schools point of view year 5 is considered a priority for re-opening but this is not how the DfE saw it and they instructed schools to re-admit nursery, reception, year 1 and year 6. There have been a good few legal companies working in the education sector who have made the point that bringing in year 5 is against the guidance of the DfE. If anything goes wrong around covid-19 with the year 5 pupils in, then the school could be open to a legal challenge around health and safety issues. How strong that possibility is I have no idea but I do not think I would want to take the chance unless somebody at the DfE says we can open up to any year groups.

So, what do you tell children, you can no longer say that it's not "safe" for kids to be in school - no kid is gullible enough to believe that what is safe for Y1 and Y6 is not equally safe for Y2 and Y5. When it was just a couple of extra weeks you can say how transition for Y6 and the youngest kids meant they deserved an extra few weeks before everyone was back.

But now we have to find an explanation of why those kids deserve half a term extra time with their friends and in school whilst everyone else is stuck at home without a moment away from their parents. I honestly can't think of any sort of story that could be used.

The teachers union sensibily suggested using spare church halls, community centres, council offices, libraries to solve the space problem. Others have suggested the unemployed graduates to help come September. Need to start planning now for September. On summer holiday clubs if they can follow the same distancing guidance then surely they could open?

You could use church halls village halls etc, but with the restrictions on 15 per class, you need twice the staff you would ordinarily have. And I'm sure the unions would be unhappy if a class was taught by a TA, or even if schools had enough staff to split like this. Not all schools have the luxury of one teacher and one TA per class. Also, there will be a proportion of staff shielding, and work having to be set for those opting not to come in. Spread this thinly, teachers won't get PPA time. So the unions will shout up about this. It's just a complete mess. For the next 11 years, every set of GCSE results will be accompanied by an analysis of which year group that particular cohort were in for 2020 and the impact it has had.Unions wouldnt even agree to govt saying it's the summer holidays now and so schools restart earlier than Sept in England. So many families I know with primary kids are struggling to engage them still in work now, regardless of how good the support from school is.

Those talking about using church halls etc are refusing to see the reality.
Would parents be happy with:
Their child's group being taught in a church hall or an empty meeting room in an office block which had few resources?
Their child's group sharing the toilets with the adults as there will likely only be one set of toilets? This would be contrary to safeguarding rules.
Their child perhaps being taught by an ex-teacher who hadn't taught the curriculum for some time or a TA or a uni student or a student with no experience who has only done teaching practice etc etc?
It is also difficult to see how many of these buildings could be used in any case. In my small town, I can think of maybe 5 such venues. We have two enormous high schools and eight primaries at least. You don't need to be a mathematician to realise it is hot air.

@cansu - to answer whether we'd be happy with church halls with no resources and TAs/graduates. Yes because it's better than the situation at home for many kids. The church or village halls or unused hotel function/conference rooms (this is another option - there are lots of these) or meeting rooms in libraries etc meet health and safety standards and the resources could be moved there e.g. tables, whiteboards etc Many places do have 2 sets of toilets (the adults could use disabled one where no disabled child), but if not surely something has to give on standards as the situation at home is riskier for some. Parents could sign waivers. When there was the school place crisis in London about 7 years ago, schools were doing this and using disused Comet store (North London) and many playgroups meet in such venues without a problem. Denmark is doing exactly this. Of course there would need to be funding for the venue hires from central govt but venues will be desperate and will cut a good deal. Need to get solutions orientated!

If the economy is reopening, won't some of these places be used for their original purposes? I have been very struck by the mismatch in what I read on mumsnet and what I hear from parents in real life. Many parents are still saying no to places in their existing school. I work in education, I have a class of year 6, only ten children have opted to return. In my colleagues' classes (three other year 6 classes) there are similar numbers. In one class, there are three children. I don't really understand it. I feel our school is safe for these students, but their parents are not that interested in them being in school. Most tell us they are happy with the home learning. I agree that we need to get children back to school, but there does not appear to be that much of an appetite for any changes to the status quo. If parents are not happy with small bubbles, why would they be happier about a class in a village hall or council office?

@cansu I do think it must be area specific. Our large school has 60/90 Yr6 in and at lower years it's 80%

@bombaychef
That's interesting. We are in a small market town. Some of our pupils come from surrounding villages. It is relatively affluent so perhaps the children having access to IT for the home learning also plays a part.

@cansu we made our decision based on the letter we received from the school. The school said that the children would be distanced, that it was unlikely they'd be with their teacher, unlikely that they would be with their friends, that they wouldn't be able to interact with anyone outside 'their' 8, and there would be no advantage to being at school Vs home. On that basis, given that DD3 (y6) is engaging with all of her school work and doing KS3 maths on Numerise willingly, and I'm a SAHM, it seemed silly to put strain on the school by sending her.

If the school had said 'please send your child back and we'll make it work....' we might have decided differently. As it happens, it seems that the majority of her year have gone back.