If your children went back this week...

[Itisbetter]

Are they sitting next to each other in class? Ds came home today and told me they are all sitting facing forward in class but right next to each other as they did pre-Covid. Is that what’s happening in all schools? I thought they were going to be spaced out.

It's in the DfE guidance that schools have to do all their measures such as buying sanitiser from their existing resources. No extra money.

They all face toward the teacher so they can pass any germs on to them. It would be nice if there was enough space for the teachers to stay 2m away but there usually isn't. It would be nice if the windows opened but they usually don't.

@netflixismysidehustle thanks I just asked what was actually happening in people’s schools. I’m not sure government announcements really can give me that info?
What do they do in your child’s school?

[quote Itisbetter]@middleager perhaps they imagined that there would be space between seats? Not everyone reads teacher threads on MN.[/quote]
And that's fair enough, many parents will be shocked. The public were sold lies by the Govt and MSM.

No social distancing desks next time each other.

That’s what I assumed was happening.

In our school classes of 30-35 all sitting next to each other. Some very small classrooms, poor ventilation.

Corridors have hundreds of students. Social distancing is not possible in schools.

Children in DCs school aren’t SD within their bubbles, so are sitting as usual in classes. Not always facing forwards either as they have quite a few classrooms where desks are fixed and can’t be moved. DCs report that where possible desks have been pushed back to give the teacher more space at the front of the class, which is cramping the children together more than usual. DCs have to wear masks when inside, apart from during lessons or eating lunch, and to take in their own bottles of sanitizer.

Yes same. Students facing the front but sitting next to each other. No social distancing in class. Masks in corridors but not classrooms.
Not sure what else can be done other than only having them in half the time.

@Itisbetter it hasn't helped that the media has kept showing pictures from June showing classrooms that were set up for social distancing with only a few pupils in them. Many of us complained to the BBC for showing these misleading images, when classes returning in September would look nothing like this.

Dd has one class with 19 people in which is great. The rest are 30+ so no distancing. They had an assembly outside but were all squashed together.

[quote ineedaholidaynow]@Itisbetter it hasn't helped that the media has kept showing pictures from June showing classrooms that were set up for social distancing with only a few pupils in them. Many of us complained to the BBC for showing these misleading images, when classes returning in September would look nothing like this.[/quote]
Yup I complained 5 times.

And I still haven't received a response!

Yep. No social distancing, bubbles of 200+, all moving round in corridors between lessons. As a pp said, all the news footage in the run up was primary classrooms from five months ago with maybe six kids all spaced out which was misleading.

I only sent mine back because after the government prevented schools from doing blended learning it was either that or no school at all. However I'm keeping an eye on rising numbers. One school here has already closed. It's not looking good.

Yes, facing forward next to each other in class. They are being good and wearing masks in corridors through. Maybe we'll scrape through until half term.

How is it ok to sit in class like this but not on a bus or supermarket etc?

It isn't ok at all... but this is what the government has said must happen - everyone back to school - no ifs or buts. There is no room to spread 30 children out in a classroom, so they are just as they were before.

Yes, facing forward but sitting next to each other as the classrooms are not big enough to spread out further. 30 kids per subject. The whole year group of 250 ish kids are a bubble. 🙄 Zones in playgrounds to keep year groups separate. Masks in communal areas in between lessons. Hoping things are ok but realistically it’s going to spread fast if someone has it.
Older child at college. Same set up in classrooms but zero social distancing or mask wearing happening despite masks being mandatory.

It’s surely only a matter of time before large numbers of kids and teachers are ill. Both my kids have a cold already, they’ve been bug free in lockdown. They only went back last week.

Kids squashed in small room, very little ventilation. Corridors just like normal.

Bubbles are for whole year groups (250 in my school)

I have a line of 2m taped around my desk. They had to move the kids desks up to accommodate this - but the gaps in between now don't actually fit a child. I need to stand flat against the wall to have any chance at distance.

No PPE and told we can't wear in class. Desks being cleaned at break and lunch - so two classes between them being wiped. We have been given one pack of wipes.

Teachers have been saying all along what will happen

We have no social distancing in year group bubble as there just isn't the space. There is no way you could fit Perspex between each chair or desk and what would they attach to plus who would pay for it?
There is a 2 metre zone around teacher desk and board though and year group zones in school and outside areas. Lessons have phased timings and different lunch times so that year groups don't mix. Also there is cleaning of desks and chairs between each lesson.

Kids are mostly pretty oblivious to the whole thing and despite being told to distance when possible with each other and always leave 2m distance with staff they ignore it.

it hasn't helped that the media has kept showing pictures from June showing classrooms that were set up for social distancing with only a few pupils in them.

How did anyone think this was going to be the case though? People know class sizes can be 30ish kids. Schools can’t magic up extra rooms or more teachers. I’m baffled that some people are shocked that the kids are basically sitting in a classroom in the same way as they were before lockdown. They’re able to use one way system and zones for travelling around school and break times etc but there’s nothing they can do really for lessons.

The reason you are unaware of what is happening is because of the rubbish reporting that has been going on. They were trying to portray a social distanced classroom and it seems that some people believed it 😔

They were trying to portray a social distanced classroom and it seems that some people believed it

People believe this stuff, why do they believe without questioning? If they just thought about it, they’d realise it’s just not possible. People just believing what they're shown is nothing new I suppose. Look at Brexit as a fairly recent example.

250 per year

Surely you know how large a classroom is, and how large your kids classes are?

What did you realistically think was going to happen?

FWIW in the school where I work there is no ability to distance within classrooms. Within year group bubbles, no distancing is enforced. I try and distance the students from me where possible (as I am moving between bubbles, so the greatest risk to them) but this isn't possible with a large class in a small room. Regardless, kids are sitting as close together as they ever were.

My child's school (secondary) have switched to a two-week timetable, and have made all the lessons double periods, to cut down the number of times the children have to move through the corridors.

That sounds sensible @Wheresthebiffer2. Ours have to gel going in or out of classrooms. I’m slightly amazed that teachers think parents know what their classrooms are like. I looked round parts of the school 5 years ago, empty of an evening, parents evenings are in the hall, sports on the pitch, I’m afraid I have no idea what your classrooms are like. I can’t guess how they are set out or how cramped they feel full of children or if the windows open.

I’m really interested in what schools are doing today. Discussions of how gormless I might be if I thought x or y are odd. If you want people to ask the questions and be informed how does that help?