What are your HT's thoughts re when we might reopen?

[DrMadelineMaxwell]

Ours was very optimistic at the outset that it would be over as soon as possible and may only a few weeks we were closed for.

Then they were hoping for after half term, so early June.

Now, they're saying that they are hearing that it might be later, not helped by the fact that we are in Wales and are being told that we are reaching our peak later than England. So we are being told to start to prepare in case it's longer term and we don't go back til Sept. It's obv not a definite, but it's interesting to hear him actually voice that.

People who are saying September - primary or secondary?
People who are saying May/June - primary or secondary?
I'm thinking it would make more sense economy wise if primaries opened fully
first..

My HT thinks June. He keeps sending articles indicating a June 1st return/post half term break. We're SEN though so half open as it is... the 12 weeks shielding recommended by the gov ends mid June.

I'm desperately hoping for September as I'd be terrified to go back due to my health condition in June. I want to put it off as long as possible. However, part of my role is getting prepared for the new Y7s so I really need to go back in July at least to prepare for them. It's so scary and difficult.

I'm thinking it would make more sense economy wise if primaries opened fully

I don’t think they will open primaries ‘fully’ in the way people are hoping, any time soon. They may open in some reduced way before the summer holiday.

I think it will be September before they are fully open.

I'm not saying I agree with them opening!
I personally would like to see full on track and trace / quarantining going on before schools open - which means numbers need to get a lot lower for them to cope with the numbers. For example estimates are 1.4% currently infected in my county with a population of about 700,000. That's a lot of cases....

Ours has said he thinks “in some form” after half term but has been as lost and baffled as everybody else throughout.

Head teachers have been getting their directives from the news, not direct from DfE. They know as much as the rest of us ie next to nothing.

Just listening to the government briefing. Question was asked about schools reopening and it was said that social distancing would still need to be adhered to. That is a completely ridiculous scenario. There is no way social distancing would be a possible in most schools. In my classroom the desks are not moveable for a start, and there isn't space in corridors or outside classrooms for students to wait. I just don't have any idea of how it would happen. So how can schools reopen with social distancing when that's not physically possible?!

My head had a meeting this week and they were told that shielding would last 6 to 9 months and if they were to open the schools in September children would be in on a part time timetable. So in our primary school half class in morning half in afternoon! But they acknowledged that in foundation phase this would not stop social distancing! I don't want to be the Guinea pigs in the front line to get it when there is a second wave!

There is talk at my place of year ten going back first. Personally, I don’t want a return before September.

Big cat who told them that though? As far as I can see there is no official advice.

I rarely agree with the Michaela school founder but she made a statement I fulky support saying not to kid ourselves social distancing can happen in any way in schools.

Im not sure why people think primaries would be able to do this at all.

Nobody has any idea really. Tbh I'd rather carry on teaching online and then open fully in August, than starting back in June trying to maintain social distancing with infants. There was talk of classes being taught in groups of 6 which would mean my class would need to be split 4 ways - no idea where these extra teachers are going to come from, or some pupils coming in the mornings and others in the afternoons.

@BigcatLittlecat who was the meeting with!

Our Head said there have been 'murmerings' within the DFE of a very partial opening in June, with limited class sizes to enable social distancing. Nothing official or confirmed at all.

The local authority have discussed having plans in place for partial opening until 2021 when they're hoping for a vaccine! 😬

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news/when-schools-return-social-distancing-18152311

Watching Dominic Raab this morning on Andrew Marr he was VERY clear that there will be 'a new normal', including schools. HTs don't know - but June is looking optimistic and best case scenario.

I have no idea how they think social distancing could work in schools - but the govt does at least seem prepared to accept that if you send schools back as normal then social distancing flies out the window. It will be interesting to see what they propose.

Not sure how I can teach half classes at GCSE and A level to be honest. I mean - my timetable is full. If I get half a class one week and the other half of the class the week after kids are missing 50% of their teaching. I can't teach the GCSE course in 50% of the time.

@selfsettling3 meeting was with the local authority representative and the heads in the cluster.

The lea will just be guessing too.

I teach in an infant school. Social distancing is impossible with 4-7 year olds and our playground gets incredibly crowded at drop off and pick up time. We are a very large school.

Our head has done a rota until end of summer term. But he just doesn't know and neither does anyone really.

We're open. Special school, staff and children in on a rota basis unless parents prefer to keep them home.

Initially, the impression I got from my HoD was that they were planning to be shut until September.

Now I'm getting the impression that people think there might be limited opening after May half-term, but certainly not a full one.

However, my head has been emphasizing to parents (in the newsletter etc) that we are in this for the long haul and we don't know when schools might reopen, but it won't be soon.

I think he has no more information than the rest of us- except perhaps a knowledge of how many staff he could put in school if he had to reopen tomorrow (and I think it probably wouldn't be enough for a full opening anyway).

The new normal will be a challenge, whatever it turns out to be. The mornings /afternoon split class idea is interesting - I only work mornings! Two classes go together in the afternoon. I imagine there'll be issues for many schools with part time staff.

Our HT said she expected September from the outset and that's what we planned for. Now she's changed her tune and thinks July Year 10 and 12 will be back in.

Some of you have very communicative HTs. None of us at my school have heard a Dickie bird from ours!!

Ours thinks almost certainly September, outside chance of after Eid for about 3 weeks before we'd break up anyway.

We're in the ME so basically following Dubai.

HT has been very open - but then we have an expat staff. People are moving on & worrying about whether they'll be able to fly; newbies need to be brought out here for September.

Very much a sense that a) we are all in it together & b) no one actually knows anything so we are all muddling through together.

I think our HT just wants A level and GCSE grades out of the way before anything else happens. We need to concentrate on that hurdle first

Scotland here. My HT says August at the earliest and a rota system (or similar) to reintroduce pupils safely. We've been instructed to plan our courses with this in mind.