September Boarding

[Parsley1234]

My son has been home since mid March year 11 the school is adamant they are returning in September I can’t see how they will due to boarding house staff and international students. What are everyone’s thoughts please if you have a flexible or full boarder ?

Given England's appalling casualty numbers I imagine many foreign parents will be reluctant to send their children back to schools here, no matter how prestigious.

Heads will be keen to have pupils return as soon as possible - but I'm sure they're also making contingency plans for distance learning stretching into the next academic year - if that's what it takes to retain a sufficient number of children to keep their schools going.

Our school has said they plan to welcome boarders who need to board. They will open 2 weeks early for quarantining if required and offer online extra courses then such as English as Foreign Language or, something else suitable. They will stay open for Exeats and half terms so that overseas children can remain. The boarding house will be a 'household' so if any covid + cases then whole boarding house will quarantine.

Having said that the overseas boarders are a small proportion of the boarders and most of the boarders are more local. They have said that if local boarders might need to go day for a bit. Day students will bring packed lunches and boarders will use the dining room.

All sport will be internal only, autumn term can start with summer sports as more socially distanced.

They have said that local boarders can still go home at weekends if boarding.... so not sure how that would work. Guess they would maybe board by year group instead of multi year group houses and teach in pods...... I dunno..... really, they have given ideas rather than definitive outlines.

Thank you for replies we have heard nothing about September as yet Apart from a call with my sons house master who seems to think they will be returning in September. It’s all so unknown for everyone I did think about it being possible for my son to be a day boy but 80 miles a day Travel does not fill me with joy and him probably less so. It does seems to have been very quiet whenever school returning is mooted

Ours is very similar. Internationals must arrive in the U.K. at least two weeks before the start of term and quarantine off site with parents or guardian. They are hoping that they can then all be tested prior to arrival at school. They will not be permitted to return to their home country at half terms and holidays until the end of the academic year - they will go and stay with their U.K. guardian. This will be reassessed at various points e.g. if vaccination is possible then they would be able to leave as normal.

Day girls, weekly and flexi boarders will just be as normal but within bubbles.

No parents allowed on site unless absolutely necessary e.g. boarding drop off, with no events like plays, concerts etc. No matches against other schools etc.

Bless those Little internationals that’s a hard situation here for a whole year before flying home. I know when my sons friends flew back to China one person tested positive and the whole flight was quarantined in corona camps for two weeks

Apparently the Chinese and UAE families are ok about it. The continental Europeans are up in arms - I guess distance and flight costs play a part.

I do feel sorry for the new international children though. Some of them won’t have even been able to visit the school yet but will be being sent over for a full academic year.