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Welcome to Scotsnet - discuss all aspects of life in Scotland, including relocating, schools and local areas.

Are schools returning ON or FROM 11th?

58 replies

JamMakingWannaBe · 23/05/2020 11:43

Is the guidance for schools to return ON or FROM 11th?

We were due back on 19th and have a UK holiday booked for the week before.

Council's publish their school term dates years in advance and our childminder gives us her year planner too. ON 11th will bugger up a lot of plans. Teachers will also have made summer holidays plans and shouldn't miss out on their holidays.

Does anyone know when we can expect further guidance - especially from our local Council/ school? I'd really prefer it to be ON 19th.

OP posts:
fascinated · 24/05/2020 17:21

How would people like to have seen it handled?

Lidlfix · 24/05/2020 18:49

Exactly Fascinated!

I worry as a parent and a professional but really don't know how (without hindsight) anyone could plan a way in or out of this.

The hardest days of my teaching career were those last days. Pupils crying and begging to be able to show me what they could be capable off. Having to rank and estimate while away from the support of my colleagues and I am a very experienced teacher and SQA marker.

Trying to reassure my own DDs that they wouldn't be worse off because of this. But not sure myself.

Seeing my profession slated and toxically maligned in many platforms whilst I am working crazy hours trying to provide remote learning.

I have lost a family member and DH a member of his staff (neither with underlying conditions or elderly) so perhaps I feel the threat more accurately than some.

But I don't seek to blame. There will be time for questions.

WaxOnFeckOff · 24/05/2020 19:43

It's coming out of fear though isn't it? Fear that they haven't done enough, fear that the teacher doesn't like them, fear that they are going to be left behind, fear that they wont get what they need for college or uni or their apprenticeship, fear that their family will get sick Sometimes it then manifests as anger but no-one is quite sure what to do with that anger, so they are angry that someone else might be having it easier, angry that others aren't doing what they are supposed to etc.

Plus the media hasn't told us to be nice to teachers so.....

It's all so frustrating and to be honest, I don't know how I feel most of the time. Lucky and Unlucky both at the same time I suppose.

Lucky that I have a job and can continue to work and feed my family, unlucky as I'm stuck in all day working while others are enjoying the weather, doing their gardens and houses.

Lucky as I don't have DC i'm homeschooling while trying to work and I have proper facilities to do my job, Unlucky as I'm really not enjoying it but needs must and all that.

Loads more I guess but I'm definitely more lucky than unlucky. I have no idea what should have been done when because I don't know what information and knowledge they based all their decisions on.

It would be hard to do a perfect job without the benefit of hindsight tbf. Do I think a lot of the decisions have been taken with a nod towards what would be politically popular? Hell yes, but then who wouldn't?

Am I glad that Corbin and pals are not in charge of it? yes. Do i think the Tories (and SNP) are doing a great job? No.

What is the alternative?

WaxOnFeckOff · 24/05/2020 19:45

Sorry to hear of your losses @Lidlfix Flowers

Groovee · 24/05/2020 19:56

Where I work (school nursery) we were told our council's liaison team were going to the Scottish Government to ask for us to return on the 19th and not the week before.

Arkadia · 24/05/2020 21:00

@fascinated, good question and in all honesty it is difficult to answer.
I wish, though, that they had at least tried to do something.
I know it is a difficult situation and I understand that this academic year is a write off, however, could they not have tried to do something with this "distance "learning" " (note the double quotes) instead of, as usual, ticking boxes?
My experience is limited to primary school (two DC) and, just to be brief, my takeaway is that the teachers could not do anything else, but provide some random assignment which usually is left unmarked and it doesn't even matter whether you hand it in or not (more and more often we don't bother).
I understand that not everybody has access to computers and such like, however the overriding fear is that the attainment gap will get wider. But, guess what, there is NO DOUBT that the attainment gap will get huge and there will be more and more children left behind. Is doing nothing an answer? I daresay it is most definitely not because "doing nothing" is not really doing nothing. Indeed you are doing something... i.e. you are trying to slow everyone down, but some will be slowed down less than others and that will reverberate in future.
For instance, they could have taken the few children who access Teams (bleah!, but that's another matter) and try to make them work on their weaknesses. You don't need new material, but if, say, you didn't understand fractions, let's work on that. If punctuation is not your forte, then try this worksheet, and so on.
Instead as the weeks go by, the material the school sends us is less and less focused on the curriculum (assuming such a thing exists at primary level) and instead we get this very big and overarching projects we all get bored about in next to no time. Hardly anyone is left active on teams compared to the beginning. If you look at the chat, the percentage of "noise" (all those "oh, that is so wonderful, Jimmy", and "my, Jenny, you really worked hard on that drawing!") made by the teachers is becoming more and more prevalent, compared to the beginning.

On top of that, I wait the the return to school with trepidation. If we are to do this "blended" model I do hope that they will ditch all the nonsense and concentrate on literacy and numeracy, but I fear that would contravene the CoE dogma and that would be unacceptable to that powers that be. End result: the attainment gap will become and unbridgeable chasm.

Lastly, I would have had the P1s, perhaps the P7 and some secondary school kids with exams coming up back to school.

SockYarn · 24/05/2020 21:18

I really feel quite sorry for hte teachers as they have been abandoned to get on with it. Nicola Sturgeon stands up there and makes woolly statements using phrases like "may" or "might" or "where possible" or "blended learning" without any hard detail. Then turns tail and walks away. So teachers are getting it in the neck.

How to actually deliver the home/blended learning has been left up to local Councils and schools. Everyone's doing their own thing. Some are doing it brilliantly, other schools are doing bugger all. The local council in my area have put a blanket ban on video teaching, and we're told to shut up and be grateful for a few worksheets and log in details for Sum Dog. No marking of work. No direct, real time contact with a teacher. Parents working from home cannot be full time teachers as well.

Most parents have put up with that because you know, pandemic, and emergency and all that. As a short term measure, needs must. But for the WHOLE of the next academic year? Not on. Even if you believe that things are SO bad virus-wise out there that children can't just go back to school as normal in August, just carrying on with this "everyone do what you like and don't dare question us about it" is all the response parents are getting.

It's all about point scoring against what is happening in England. The SNP don't give two hoots about children's education.

Superjaggy · 24/05/2020 22:18

@Lidlfix, sorry for your losses.

RaraRachael · 26/05/2020 10:24

I had heard, but can't remember where, that Education Scotland were going to be producing work for online learning.

Even if we go back with half the class part time while the other half stay at home doing online learning, one teacher can't do this and there are virtually no supply teachers in our area, so goodness knows how that will work.

I don't mind going back on the 11th, which would be a week early for us, as long as we get the week back - preferable by finishing a week early in summer term 2021.

Notthisnotthat · 26/05/2020 21:35

From what I've heard my LA will be going back a week early, we were due to have a 7 week summer holiday. We luckily still have 2 weeks in October. Plan would be to stop early for the summer hols next year.

nuttymomma · 27/05/2020 22:15

I'm disappointed that it is not a consistent approach across Scotland, eg all S1s on a Monday, all S2s on a Tuesday or something like that. Plus a similar timetable and exercises for each year group again across the country.

Already the schools in the poorest LAs (of which I am in one) are doing really crap compared to the schools in the posher LAs.

We get work for my S2 which is similar to primary school work, and its next to nothing, meaning my DD is finished pretty quickly.

In posher areas (state schools, not just private schools) the kids are getting daily zoom maths lessons, youtube science channels, regular emails and newsletters, school social media accounts with regular updates, whatsapp study groups etc.

This is not teacher bashing - its simply me highlighting the regional differences.

I did consider sending DD to a school in a better authority but the fact she wouldn't know anyone and would be on a bus for 45 mins made me decide against it. She wanted to be with her friends. Boy, am I regretting that now.

nuttymomma · 27/05/2020 22:18

@SockYarn we may be in the same LA by the way, which one is it?

And stupid fucking sumdog Angry

JamMakingWannaBe · 27/05/2020 22:50

SumDog is not popular in this house.
My DD - and according to parent friends, her peers too - has a mini meltdown if it's mentioned.
Other parents I know claim they are doing the SumDog challenges on behalf of their kids.
I've hated the thing ever since I downloaded it. It's not parent or user friendly at all.

OP posts:
SockYarn · 27/05/2020 23:17

East Dunbartonshire, @nuttymomma

nuttymomma · 28/05/2020 09:10

I'm in WDC. We did think of sending her to Douglas, so I guess it isn't much better after all?

Yes, the parents are doing sumdog and the school is celebrating their achievements on their facebook page (which is the only social media they use and they don't update it often or with stuff we actually want and need to know).

Eg well done jane bloggs on getting 1st place in sumdog - I know jane bloggs and her mother. Jane Bloggs is not capable of having done all that on her own.

Oh I forgot to say that my DDs chemistry teacher told her to arrange a zoom call with her classmates to help them understand a task because DD was the only one who got it right (DD's GF is a retired science teacher).

I was really mad and emailed back to refuse. DD is not the teacher.

SockYarn · 28/05/2020 10:44

My DS who is struggling with the first unit of advanced higher chemistry asked school for help and was just told to re-read the notes and look at a you tube video which he'd already watched.

We have a friend who is a chemistry graduate so he's facetiming tomorrow to go through it with DS - but that's support we've sorted. Not school.

salemcat · 29/05/2020 17:33

13th at our school

thenamesarealltaken · 29/05/2020 17:41

Schools need to be ready and so I'm sure they'll let you know when they are opening. My daughter is joining a new school until end of term - year 6 as we moved town and only just applied for high school. They're keeping people updated, including those in our situation. I had a long chat and they're preparing the school and obviously need to figure out what they can offer based on staff illness and other factors.

Groovee · 30/05/2020 06:58

Edinburgh said yesterday that they are returning early and finishing earlier next year x

RaraRachael · 30/05/2020 13:05

We had a vote with our local EIS on whether we wanted to finish a week early this June or next year. I hope everybody goes for next year as there's no point having a week off this year when you can't go anywhere.

I've hear unofficially that we are going to teach half the class on Mon/Tue and the other half Thurs/'Fri. The school will be closed for deep cleaning on Wednesday and online learning will be provided by Educaiton Scotland.

No idea if there is any truth in this.

nuttymomma · 30/05/2020 16:25

We haven't had any consultation or questionairres to parents in our LA so no idea what they intend to do.

I'm okay with them going back a week early if we finish a week earlier next year. It means we get a longer summer and can enjoy it better next year. unless of course this stupid virus is still around.

I really want to go to Spain Sad summer in Scotland is shite without a pool or beach (where the water is warm lol)

StayAlertAtHome · 31/05/2020 14:45

Sorry to hear about your losses Lidl. Sounds like you’ve had a hard time of it and as I said before I don’t envy any teacher involved in having to grade their S4/5/6 pupil’s efforts.

I’m actually feeling quite disheartened at the moment. My DS has done virtually nothing on his Higher subjects. I know technically the curriculum should not start until June 1st but the flurry of activity getting them to submit their choices and then sign up to Teams or Showbie or whatever one of the myriad platforms his teachers are using has gone a bit quiet. I’m not getting the Show My Homework notifications because it’s coming via all these different platforms so it’s harder to keep a tab. He was asked to do papers and self-Mark them and submit some writing but I don’t think he’s done any of that. I can’t sit over him and nail him to his desk. I can’t be draconian and deny ‘privileges’ when we’re in this crazy situation still. It doesn’t seem fair.

I’m talking to him and trying to tell him that he’ll be grateful for having put in some work now but it’s not producing any noticeable results. I’m wondering whether any of his teachers will actually notice his lack of input? I’m hoping some of them will and will email me or him or both. I think he needs to hear it from a teacher (not a nagging parent!) but I know they’ve got a lot on their plate. Maybe now the date has past for the submitting of the grades to the SQA I might get in touch (they won’t think I’m being a creepy parent trying to influence their child’s exam grades now Smile )

The fact that he never properly finished his Nat 5 curriculum is a worry too as there might be some holes in his knowledge going forward. Are teachers prepared for this? It feels a hell of a long way till mid-August Sad

Lidlfix · 31/05/2020 17:16

Stay, thanks for condolences (actually thanks to others who did likewise on this thread and others) it's been a bit crap, I have a lovely, daft, big family who would normally come together to hold each other up get the photo albums out and have a good greet Sad.

You won't look like a creepy parent at all - it will be most welcome. The platform my council, parent and professional, use sends a summary of work set and anything outstanding if the parent signed up for it. I am not allowed to contact parents myself and everything must go through my hugely overworked Pupil Support colleagues. We don't know the circumstances of families. So an "all is well please discuss lack of engagement" email would be appreciated rather than criticised.

My really good state school engagement in the Senior Phase is awful but I can see from own DD why. I had fortunately completed my courses for N5 and Higher - just! They don't know if they will change options, the jump from N5 to Higher is huge, they are seeing all the uncertainty about what school will look like... We are adults and worried.

My DD is crashing Highers so has no background knowledge that she can utilise so feels lost and doing AH so would have an expectation to undertake significant self directed study. She warned me to expect an email. She will be ok in the long run. It is your DC's year group that I am most worried about as they are thrown into Highers without the SQA exam experience and trying to navigate their way into Highers. They are angry, confused, worried and teenagers .

If you need any English "stuff" I Sam happy to help.

nuttymomma · 31/05/2020 20:53

@Lidlfix are you an English teacher? if so, DD has just started S2 and although she's apparently doing fine, she doesn't like English and doesn't read for pleasure. She's been getting very little at home english work to do. What should she be doing? can you direct me to anything useful? And especially anything that will kick start an interest in English because every time I suggest a book or a good film its a flat NO. I loved English but sadly DD doesn't seem to share that love.

nuttymomma · 31/05/2020 20:55

BTW has anyone tried the additional exercises on bitesize? Its utter shite. The stuff is far too easy at least for DDs age.