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.

Yes, ours are sitting in Year-bubbles in forward facing desks. But not socially dustpan.

Distancing!!

Social dustpan....aka 2020!

I’m afraid I have no idea what your classrooms are like.

Did your children not tell you the set up of their classrooms before? Who they sit by, whether they sit in a group of 6 or whatever? Did they not compare them to their primary school classrooms when they moved to year 7, bigger or smaller? Can you really not remember what the classrooms were like from an open evening a few years ago? Have you not seen photos in their website? Did your kids never say they were hot because the windows don’t open in a classroom? Maybe my kids talk too much. 🤣

For 30 kids to social distance in a classroom, it would have to be a pretty big room. You certainly don’t get many, if any, classrooms big enough in your average state secondary school I’m afraid. I just don’t see how it’s not going to spread very fast around kids and staff.

My kids have told me about the window situation and I've seen and sat in the classrooms at school events. I've picked up my kids at lunchtime for medical appointments so have seen how busy the corridors get.

My kids are sat forward facing. Each year is a bubble (240 kids) and arrival, departure, transitions, breaks and lunches are staggered.

@BadTattoosAndSmellLikeBooze Nope. We mostly talk about what they did at school not the classroom layout. What are the dimensions of your child’s classroom and how many children are in it?

@netflixismysidehustle if we pick up midday the children are waiting in the reception. No parents wander round school through the corridors looking for children. I’m glad your children keep you up to date on which windows open and shut. Mine don’t.

So we’ve established that I should be more aware of the physical look of the individual classrooms and should monitor MN threads for what preparation schools are doing. How would that help? I STILL would be interested in what was actually happening today in people’s children’s schools.

So call me stupid but if a pupil has to self isolate how will that impact their family?

@Itsrainingnotmen

So call me stupid but if a pupil has to self isolate how will that impact their family?

Huge for me. I am a childminder and if my ds is self isolating i can't work.

Nope. We mostly talk about what they did at school not the classroom layout. What are the dimensions of your child’s classroom and how many children are in it?

I didn’t have my tape measure with me. 🤣 But I remember many of the classrooms from open evenings and know most were smaller than their primary school classrooms. Both my kids commented how small the classrooms were but how big certain areas of the school were like the gyms, music centres etc. They have both commented on certain subject classrooms being particularly small, cramped and hot as they dread those lessons especially in summer with no opening windows. They also tell me or I ask who they sit with, whether there’s anyone they know on their table, who the disruptive ones are or whether they sit in twos etc. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Talking about the layout often comes from asking what they did in school because it affects who they’ve worked with on a piece of work or who misbehaves and how that affects their table. Etc. From all this, it’s fairly easy to work out that kids were never going to be able to socially distance in classrooms. There are between 25 and 30 children in my kids classes. Hopefully that answers your questions.

Now they sit facing the front, next to 1 or 2 other children depending on the subject. Teachers teach from the front of the class, no walking round the room, Windows are open where possible. Hands are sanitised between each lesson. No sharing of equipment.
Masks are worn between lessons. One way system around the school and each year group has their own zone. Assemblies are done virtually. No sitting in the canteen for lunch, kids eat in their year group zone. No detentions. Each year group enters the school through a designated gate and start and finish times are staggered.

@ineedaholidaynow

And I still haven't received a response!

Same here.

@BadTattoosAndSmellLikeBooze the last two paragraphs were really what I was asking. Mine are more focused on the work they do in class than the things you mention but I’m happy with that. I genuinely was just interested in what the children were experiencing now

in bubblesof year group size, no social distancing or masks within bubbles.

So, if I meet one person in the bubble I have 'met' everyone in that bubble

3 kids each in bubbles of 150.
Oldest giving lift to his friend in a different bubble
Oldest also has girlfriend in a different school and bubble.

I tutor kids, each of whom is in a bubble of (minimum) 30 at their school.

So that is over 1,000 kids that we all have contact with, no social distancing and no masks.

That doesn't include the fatc that we are exposed to all of their families too.....

Or that the youngest go on public transport to school.

Now they sit facing the front, next to 1 or 2 other children depending on the subject. Teachers teach from the front of the class, no walking round the room, Windows are open where possible. Hands are sanitised between each lesson. No sharing of equipment.
Masks are worn between lessons. One way system around the school and each year group has their own zone. Assemblies are done virtually. No sitting in the canteen for lunch, kids eat in their year group zone. No detentions. Each year group enters the school through a designated gate and start and finish times are staggered.

we are the same, except no masks between lessons.

Itisbetter

I did put that information in my first post I think. To be fair, in your OP, you said you thought kids were going to be spaced out not sitting next to each other. People are just asking how you thought that would happen and are angry that it’s been portrayed that way on the news. I think classrooms would need to be 3 time’s as big at least. It’s pretty crap and for kids and staff.

I really wasn’t having a go at you. I’m worried for my kids and I think that’s coming across and I’ve met too many people telling parents that kids will be fine as they can social distance at school, they’ve seen the example classrooms on the news after all. Kids can’t Social distance at school because of the classrooms and they won’t social distance because they’re kids and are constantly in each other’s space. But if you don’t send them you get fined if you don’t de register them. 😡

we are the same, except no masks between lessons.

Are they asked to wear them between lesson and just aren’t wearing them or have they not been asked to wear them?

At my sons college, masks are mandatory between lessons but apparently no one is wearing them. That’s despite being told it will be enforced. As a parent I feel helpless sending him in.

No masks here. Our head even asked a pupil to remove theirs .... if I was a parent rather than a teacher at my school I would not be happy

The school I teach at is 30-35 children to a classroom, in rows. We have whole year group bubbles and staff cross bubbles.

Our leadership have done their best and I can't see how much more they could do whilst being told there's no money and we have to have everyone on site every day.

Just to be clear I am not criticising staff or heads, I’m interested in what is happening as schools are coming up with their own response to the guidance. I thought the children would be sitting in a more socially distanced way because that’s what we were told and frankly because that’s what I would deem sensible.

I’m irritated by the “don’t you read MN” and slightly pissed off by the implied criticism at not having hung out in the children’s classrooms or discussed their layout etc. It’s a bit unpleasant. My children are loved and cared for and we I probably spend far more time with them than most people, but if I didn’t I think I would find it hugely and unnecessarily undermining.

Have schools utilised the halls etc? Have any put up temporary buildings or built outside classrooms?

@Itisbetter schools have no money to put up temporary buildings etc, they have been specifically told by the Government that there is no additional funding for COVID. Most schools are operating on a shoestring budget at the best of times, these are not the best of times!

There's no money OP.
Then add in limitations of school sites.
Then add in staffing.
Then add in different children need to be in different classes for different subjects.

Out of interest, my school is above capacity and there's not space on site to build more classrooms. How would you propose we double the number of classrooms and double the number of teachers and put in all the cleaning measures on no extra money?

Serious question because headteachers, teachers and unions were raising these issues months ago. Unfortunately the national press decided to go on the attack and claim workshy teachers didn't want to go to work. They also showed lovely staged classrooms to convince the public it would be nice classes of 15 with lots of distancing. Unsurprisingly some people fell for it

@BadTattoosAndSmellLikeBooze

we are the same, except no masks between lessons.

Are they asked to wear them between lesson and just aren’t wearing them or have they not been asked to wear them?

At my sons college, masks are mandatory between lessons but apparently no one is wearing them. That’s despite being told it will be enforced. As a parent I feel helpless sending him in.

not compulsory, because not compusory according to gov in England

So encouraged, but not required. I don't know how many are wearing them, they are working in zones, so not much mixing of year groups anyway.

@ineedaholidaynow so you are using designated classrooms only in your children’s schools? Ours have moved some classes into sports halls.

So my DDs, year 11 & 9 are back and no surprises, the cramped corridors have not mysteriously doubled in size.

Back in 2012 the Conservative Government announced reduced space requirements for new school buildings being designed as part of the Priority Schools Building. Programme.

My parents fell for the whole photo shot spaced out classrooms and the lies about extra funding.

Any schools heard about the Conservative Government plan for additional tutoring which got lots of press a couple of months ago?

Have schools utilised the halls etc? Have any put up temporary buildings or built outside classrooms?

Not at my daughters school, no. In fact it seems the halls are just completely unused as they’re not having any assemblies or workshops in them. No temporary buildings either, just the normal classrooms being used. I guess budget health and safety restrictions are big factors.

Budget AND health and safety restrictions