Will it actually matter what the government decree is re opening?

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Schools have quite a lot of autonomy, especially academies.

If schools are told to reopen but your head thinks it can't be done safely, will you still open? E.g Schools were closing because they couldn't stay open with the level of staff absence before they were told to close.

I was talking to our head last week. He said that as it stands he couldn’t open now as we are 4 teachers down.

In France they were 'allowed' to reopen but haven't all reopened in the same way and some are still closed, I think. Not sure of the legal basis. Their unions also seem to have a lot of clout.

The head of our independent school is looking to government for guidance. If Boris says schools can reopen it will. How they reopen will be up to him - probably getting in Y6, 10 and 12 first as well as the youngest (who are on a separate but nearby campus).
School is actually open for key worker children and boarders currently.

Our head would open the first chance given. She did not want to shut.

Of course they will! Headteachers are not a law unto themselves and will do as they are instructed.

Our head will open if he can- but we may not be able to take all the children we are instructed to. Before school closures, mine, like many others had to do a partial closure to KS3 due to lack of staff. Even during lockdown, we have had to change in school rotas due to staff sickness etc.

Unless there is decent testing available, we won't be able to do a full reopening.

We also already have a split lunch due to lack of space, and lots of children come in on school buses. We had issues this winter with a lack of drivers for the buses, so it may be not all children are able to get into school.

That's not true though Chablis. They have a lot of autonomy re school closures e.g. snow days and the situation before the official closure. Regardless of what the government instruction is, heads can't/ won't open if they can't keep staff and students safe.

My personal feeling is that there will be a big relaxation in the social distancing requirements and possibly the advice to the vulnerable before they ask schooks to do anything different. Otherwise the small numbers of students we can accommodate will make it pretty pointless.

Our HT is asthmatic and our DHT is pregnant!

Our schools closed at the beginning of the week when the closure was announced for the end of the week as we did not have enough staff based on the guidance announced at that time. Now, there would be a number of staff who could return and make a difference to staff numbers. It would then become about the practicalities of socially distant learning. It's not practical for pupils to stay in form rooms as they will be in various sets. Not all classrooms have enough space to practise any form of social distancing much less a decreased distance. Secondary schools have a bigger logistical problem than primary schools.

I think there will be a lot of schools combing government advice with a fine tooth comb. For example, those living with a person shielding, but not shielding themselves, will be expected to go in as per current government advice.

I'm in the position of living with someone who is shielding. I've been going through the employer's guidance very carefully and it's open to all sorts of interpretations.
I think that I'm going to have to go in even though I've been working from home since we closed.

Have you signed the NEU petition to only open schools when it is safe?

actionnetwork.org/forms/open-schools-when-it-is-safe

Our school is investing in more to help with online assessments. I think we will have a skeleton opening if the timetable can work for some KS4 and KS5. I don’t think KS3 will be back until September

NAHT has said it will support any head in the decisions they make around extending provision.

My head had made it very clear to us as SLT that we will reopen only to the extent that she feels is safe. We are secondary. If the government says it is safe to reopen in mid June, then we are planning to have in relatively small numbers of Year 12 and 10 on a part-time basis. They will be spaced out, temperature tested on entry and we will have strict one-way systems and social distancing in place. The majority of our students will not be returning to school until September and in September we are not expecting all students to be back full time. We are planning to have half of each year group in at any one time, perhaps with the exception of Year 13, who are in small enough classes for us to socially distance on a full-time basis. The timetable will revert to full time only when we are confident it is safe for staff and students to work without the need for social distancing. Whilst social distancing is in place there will be lots of other measures in place too. No handing anything out, all work to be submitted electronically, no loaning of equipment, masks for staff, complex lunch arrangements, hand washing built into the timetable, staggered arrivals, assemblies will be streamed to classes rather than gathering in the hall as usual etc. It is going to be very different.

@Madameminimes - yes I think we are moving online for any homework submissions with photos uploaded of class work.

Our timetabler guru said if social distancing remains in force he would like the number of staff to double in Maths, English and Science with increases in other departments and could we have 60 portacabins to use as classrooms - he will scrap Technology, food tech and computing lessons for most year groups

#timetablingblackart

My HT has been very open in saying his main priority is the safety of staff, kids and families. We are an academy though so do have more autonomy in that respect. We had to start closing to individual year groups before lockdown due to vulnerable teaching/support staff, so my guess is that when we do go back it may be individual year groups rather than the whole school.

This was asked at the NAHT crowdcast last night ('What if I don't think it is safe to open my school?').

There was a moment of silence, then Paul Whiteman said 'Well, we really hope you will not be in that position...'

He did go on to say they would support Heads with difficult decisions.

We have already had this discussion.

If it isn't safe we won't be fully open. We will only operate at our safe level which may be different to the next school. School is responsible for the safety of staff and children.

We're SEN so have stayed open for 1/3rd of the kids. Our head does what he likes- he shut early and has more kids in than just the vulnerable.

@StaffAssociationRepresentative What on earth happens to the teachers of those subjects then?
Would the children taking them as exam subjects continue?

www.tuc.org.uk/news/unions-set-out-needs-safe-reopening-schools-letter-education-secretary

This is worth a read.

@Tigertrees - I think the plan would be for students to focus on their EBACC subjects. Current year 10 and year 12 continue but that’s it. Year 9 would lose those subjects as an option choice. The teachers involved would then be used as KS3 non-specialists.

It is all up in the air and depends upon what government says.

Thanks