Delayed restart - private schools? SW London in particular?

[Letsgetreal]

We have just been informed that our DSs school is just blindly and unquestioningly following the DofEs 'guidance' and delaying restart next term and linking it to testing.

In SW London in particular are all secondary schools (St Pauls, Kings Wimbledon, Harriodian etc) just doing this or have any decided that being independent means you get to make up your own mind and dont have have to follow any half-witted 'guidance' (which has no legal basis anyway) or decrees from the government or local council?

Can anyone tell me what other schools are doing or is it 'we will just do the same as the state sector' regardless of the consequences.

Utter, utter nonsense.

There's a press conference later, it's highly likely the return to school arrangements will be altered today so schools saying "we are following government advice" mean we are awaiting further instructions. Secondary schools are online only fir the first week in our area (state) despite being far below average infection rates rates.

I suggest the OP familiarises themselves with the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 particularly Part 3

“ 6. The standards about the welfare, health and safety of pupils at the school are those contained in this Part.

1. The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that—

(a)arrangements are made to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils at the school; and (b)such arrangements have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State.”

If they don’t follow guidance they could be sued

Their insurance is invalidated if they stay
Open when supposed to close

Etc
Etc
Etc

We have already heard from the head that they will be following guidelines and therefore my DS won't be going back initially. I believe they are frustrated by this but know that they must follow the guidelines or their insurance will be invalid.

DSs school have gone over and above to protect pupils and staff for example they all wore facemasks inside in the run up to Christmas and the exeat was cancelled to keep boarders in and minimise the spread. The school wants to stay open however it will just revert to the excellent online learning it provides if it can't.

Your knowledge of how the state sector operates is rather out of date.

What a shocking Op.

Op have you looked at the government pages where the instructions to schools are contained. You will see there is no optional element about it and rightly so.

The schools will have been hearing the information for the first time when Gavin Williamson spoke to parliament and when Boris did his Press Conference. During those presentations, the government website was updated, to include the list of areas where Primary schools could no longer return on 4 Jan. After the speeches, info will have been sent by the DofE to schools with further information - possibly until almost midnight tonight. After that point the senior leaders of the school will have to absorb the information, meet governors and their senior team and make plans. They will then need to tell staff and tell parents what the plans are.

The whole nature of a lockdown or severe restrictions, is that everyone has to stick to them. Being able to pay doesn’t exempt the school or parents. And the school wouldn’t want to be exempt either. They have insurance which depends on following the guidelines rigidly (this was an issue for schools returning in Spring) and they need to be able to have the confidence to tell Staff and parents that they are compliant and safe. Schools are not medical experts and cannot be expected to make their own decisions on these matters. And as parents, who would want them to? Totally bizarre.

Our prep has made it crystal clear that they will be following the guidance- as they should.......

Good grief. Your explanation which you think sounds so cleverly argued just digs your hole of entitlement still deeper. You still seem to be implying the rules (or guidance) are different for them and us.

Well our children's independent is opening fully at the end of next week. They are testing everyone in during thr week next week. So I effect they are opening way earlier.

They can do this as they are a smaller school and are able to test everyone quickly. Other child's senior school is reopening on the 18th.

Travelban is the first school you mentioned a secondary, and have you had the dates reconfirmed since yesterday's announcement? This was our school's plan too (test and return next week), but reading yesterday's DfE guidance it doesn't sound like the instruction to stay closed to non-exam years until the 18th is optional. Haven't heard an update from the school yet.

You lost me when you said the PCR is unreliable.

Thus particular form of bollocks has considerable traction in the misinformation and disinformation arena.

I suspect you will already have been pointed to many more reliable sources which explain the testing properly. The 'part of a medical diagnosis' refers to the wording of Portuguese law and one judgement made on how the test was rolled out in the Azores. It's not a general statement on the reliability

why do we not have these guidelines to in-school test for TB for example which is on the increase again?

If there is a case in a school, then yes there would be testing of contacts. And both state and private schools have to comply.

Your ignorance is understandable, as the case rates are so very low that it rarely happens and doesn't usually attract any attention.

Yea private schools need to follow the guidance in the same way that private nurseries do. The guidance is about managing a massive threat at a population level.

Also guidance for bodies and institutions is often statutory guidance which means there is an expectation it is followed unless there is a v good reason why. It isn’t a case of ‘here’s some advice you might find interesting’.

Your sense of entitlement is staggering. You still don't think the rules should apply to you.

Some of the comments on here are completely unfair and downright nasty. Ultimately, it will depend on what the school’s insurer says. My DCs independent school managed to persuade their insurer to approve the return of year 5 in June when this was still against Government guidance.

But @BunsyGirl even if the insurers says it's ok, that's not really the point is it? I mean the point is that if schools are closed to reduce transmission then ALL schools must close. It's like says oh this is a private pub or nightclub or shop so can stay open even if all the others are to close.

Truly shocking sense of entitlement.

Staggering!

My independent school is going completely against the government advice and opening fully on Monday 4/1. The argument is that everyone must take a rapid antigen test on Sunday and receive a negative result before setting foot into the school. I would be interested to hear if anyone else is doing anything similar.

oxconfused that’s very risky and I would say pretty indefensible. Rapid antigen tests have a very high false negative rate - something like 50% false negative among asymptomatic people.

We have to follow the DfE directive, otherwise we are not insured.

We will be teaching all years online next week, which may be a bit different to the maintained sector.

@scentedgeranium I am not saying that it is the same but it is wrong to say that private schools cannot open as they will not be insured if they go against Government guidance. They can if their insurer gives the go ahead.

Also, if schools are closed to allow for testing to be put in place then why does a private school that has had testing in place since September need to close? What is entitled about that?

@minipie But outside London and parts of Essex and Kent, secondary schools are not opening so as to allow time for testing to be put in place. If a private school already has testing in place, why do they have to close?

@oxconfused Which area of the country are you in?

BunsyGirl I doubt it’s solely to allow time for testing to be put in place. I’d bet it’s also to allow time for the covid cases to drop or at least stop increasing (hopefully).