"More pupils to return soon"

[Piixxiiee]

Any insight on school return? My head just sent an email with some info in, but she also states we'll all be doing more days very soon as more pupils come in?
Government has said it will give schools notice so have they already ?

I’d almost rather they just sent us all back at once and implemented some kind of weekly testing and tracing programme!

You're not alone. I think a phased return would be an absolute nightmare, and I can already imagine the moaning threads on MN.

Those of you saying teachers will get places as keyworkers - yes, we do currently, but a lot of the discussions around phased returns are talking about specific year groups / a third or half of a class at a time and not about maintaining provision for keyworker children.

I imagine, given the current emphasis on keyworker childcare, that will have to continue BUT it adds a whole layer of complexity to any return to school plans.

I wonder who would be responsible for the testing of students? Every student every day? The flimsy little disposable thermometers we have in school aren't particularly accurate at the best of times.

We've had quite a few requests to return from students with EHCPs. I'm mainstream secondary, we've mainly had keyworker children so far, but I think parents are understandably struggling with high needs children and some are returning next week part time.

Sunday Telegraph is saying primary children are going back 1 June.

Yeah and the Sunday Times said last week they were going back on the 11th May. The papers are trying to write the news not report it.

At the end of the article in The Telegraph it states:

"A Department for Education spokesman said: “Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has not set a date for schools reopening.
“Schools will remain closed, except for children of critical workers and vulnerable children, until the scientific advice indicates it is the right time to reopen and the five tests set out by Government to beat this virus have been met.”

I’d almost rather they just sent us all back at once and implemented some kind of weekly testing and tracing programme

That won't stop some people getting ill and dying though.

Both my DC had to do a "health" questionnaire this week ... This looked like it was set by the local authorities (same questions different schools). So maybe they are trying to identify children who struggle mentality in order to establish a phased return. But it's all just speculation.

I know someone who attends planning meetings one level down from COBRA.

It's a phased return from 1 June.

I don't know exactly what the phasing is as that was still under discussion when we last spoke.

They are extremely reliable in terms of source and told me weeks in advance of the weekend that schools would close and we'd go into lockdown.

I shared it on here but of course lots of scepticism which is understandable given that it's an Internet forum but this is genuine

The DFE has updated the guidance for parents as of late Friday (another well timed update). It has a Q&A section where it says if you’re a key worker, your child can go to school. All mention of keep at home unless no alternative has gone. So, numbers are going to go up well before any phased return.

@wheresmymojo I assume that is confidential information that they shouldn’t be sharing with you, and you certainly shouldn’t be sharing it on here.

Yeah they would be fearing for their jobs. Security clearance isn’t a joke.

I am stressing about this. DH & I both teach...what on earth will we do with our dc

Have you tried contacting the head of your DCs school (are they school-age?). I was super-stressed about this so I decided to email the Head. They reassured me that my DC could come in full time as soon as we were needed back in school. I can't see that key-worker children will have their time in school reduced from what it is currently. The purpose of schools reopening will largely be to facilitate childcare for workers, I'm sure.

Now, however, I am stressed that they won't reopen the breakfast and after-school clubs, which will be impossible to work around.

Wheresmy I believe you; from things I've gleaned from places it was all well planned out. Our closure and lockdown pattern followed France to a tea. They had to put a lot of key things in place but also not make it public to avoid panic.

There was a weird rumour going around about the 20th March as school closure too and I couldn't work out where or how that had come about, but it panned out.

I am terrified what it means for the flu jab group personally but at the same time my son missed his friends and others I know have seriously struggled with this.

I cannot fathom how it will work at our Sen school.

I suspect it will just gradually increase as more key workers are added alongside perhaps key years such as y6.

The other thing I keep thinking about is that they kept mentioning how the summer hols eased the swine flu outbreak early on.

I suspect they'll allow enough kids and staff back for some reinfections to rise for a few weeks, study numbers, and then everyone is on enforced school closure via summer hols.

🥫 🎩

Private schools followed the Government rules on school closures, so I assume they will follow them when they reopen.

DS seems to be doing more work remotely than he was when he was at school! Remote learning seems to suit him. He is Y10 so assume he will be one of the first phase of pupils back in school though.

I know this sounds like "my aunty's neighbour's cat's hairdresser" ... but ... my daughters friend says her dad has had an email from school (MAT) saying back on June 1st. Y7/8 for two days, and 9/10 for two days ... I must admit not listening to any more, I was too busy saying "Nope, not gonna happen" so not sure what happens on the fifth day! Nothing on the school website so I'm taking it with a huge pinch of salt. Surely the school can't make that decision without government go-ahead?

Last week the papers published the "traffic light" plan for reopening. This week they are publishing the 1st June. They have an agenda or are being briefed by someone with an agenda. That doesn't make it true. One week it will be true, but we won't know until formally announced.

The papers aren't creating a cohesive plan. You can see articles next to each other, one demanding that lockdown ends, the other saying that public services are overwhelmed at the current levels of covid-19. The papers don't need to create a single cohesive plan, they are providing articles for a range of views, so everyone can read something they agree with. In contrast the government does need to produce a single plan, frustrating as this is for ministers with a range of views.

This is all stressing me out and I seriously can't see how this will work. I'm a sole teacher of a subject with large classes. I just see how they will be able to be back and socially distance in any way. I just can't see a practical way it will work.
Plus, the year groups they are suggesting are going back first means I'm back in work but my own children are not. My husband's job doesn't really fit in with him looking after them (he can, but it means they are pretty much left to their own devices whilst he is working).
All these rumours are just making me very anxious

I think it's going to be very individualised if it happens. Normal teaching can't happen.

Normal teaching can't happen.

Going by the amount of threads we had on here moaning about teachers not doing enough. Those of in schools know teaching won't be as it was for some time, but I think the expectation for many parents will be that normal teaching will resume.

I wish the press would stop speculating. It's so unhelpful. But the longer this uncertainty goes on the more intense the speculation will become. Ireland have done the right thing by publishing a detailed phase by phase description of their plans. While I'm sure many parents there won't be happy that schools aren't reopening this academic year, at least it means the transition back to school can be planned properly without all this hearsay and conjecture muddying the waters.