Reception and Year 1 teachers. Come and sit on the carpet for circle time.

[FlamingoAndJohn]

Hello all.
So, how do we think this is going to work then?
I’m year 1 but I taught reception for many years.
I cannot see how any kind of social distancing would be vaguely possible in reception at all.
It might work a bit in year one if we have extra breaks for them to run about.
I’ve only got enough tables for 10 children to be distanced. I don’t really have enough for the whole class in normal times.

What are your thoughts?

@houseofrabbits there would need to be cleaning done between groups. Reduced resources, only things that are easy to clean. Individual pens and pencils for each child.

I’m assuming the people calling LBC at 10am on a Monday morning are not at work themselves.....

This means social distancing is over, for us. Or we will be ordered to try it then when it fails it will be our fault for not being alert enough. Children cannot socially distance. We may have had a chance with year 2 up but 1 and R are the least likely and the ones you have to be most hands on with.

Hopefully in three weeks the risk will be lower.

This is such a shambles, isn’t it?

The unions have been shouting it from the rooftops: do not open schools until the science says it is safe to do so

All I keep seeing is parents bleating that it’s not a high risk to young children. Meanwhile science behind that is still not conclusive. And regardless, what about the teachers, their families? Children’s families, grandparents?

Other posters have hit the nail on the head, re. social distancing. The government knows it’s not possible with young children, let alone sustainable. Early years is all about physical contact, which each other, and frequently with staff. There’s always at least one child who can’t sit on the carpet without leaning forward, putting their hands on the teacher’s knee!

I wonder how much time is going to be spent hand washing every day?! I don’t know about any of you but I swear in that last week all we did in our reception class was hand wash. We didn’t have play dough or sand or water or anything tactile as those sorts of things can’t be washed. It was just plastic toys and things on tables that we knew we could clean. We don’t have enough pencils, whiteboards, pens for everyone to have their own. We rotate groups and share resources.

Also we are a 2 form entry and have all 60 in one classroom, as when our school had building work 5 years ago, they plonked one of those temporary hut things down for reception. It’s about the size of one and a half classrooms but has two classrooms worth of kids in. How can we possibly socially distance them and make their day enjoyable, educational and worthwhile?

If they have to split into small groups then it makes it hard as no other classrooms will be set up like a reception classroom. Do we just put boxes of easy to clean plastic toys in a year 3 classroom and let them get on with it?

We can’t split ourselves into groups so some of the children would get their regular teacher and some would get another teacher? That doesn’t seem right? And if people say that teachers could rotate so they can see all the groups then we may as well not bother with social distancing as we will be mixing anyway.

If they split into groups then other staff members from other year groups will have to come in and teach as we won’t have enough staff. How do they then keep up doing online teaching for their own year groups through teams or google or whatever?

I think the government need to decide a national strategy and state what the expectations are because if they leave it for schools to decide then parents will be complaining that some kids are in full time as a whole class, some are in a few days a week, some are in small groups and don’t get to see their teacher etc. There’s already been enough criticism of how schools are providing work for children at home and I can see this being another thing that people will use to have a go at us.

On the plus side though, I read that enquires about applications for PGCE’s are up so perhaps all those people who constantly tell us how easy our job is are going to give it a go and can come help us staff our schools while we socially distance... 😉🤔.

If you got to the end of my stream of consciousness then congratulations. 😂😉

Well said Leodot I couldn't have put it better myself!

I think the government need to decide a national strategy and state what the expectations are because if they leave it for schools to decide then parents will be complaining that some kids are in full time as a whole class, some are in a few days a week, some are in small groups and don’t get to see their teacher etc. There’s already been enough criticism of how schools are providing work for children at home and I can see this being another thing that people will use to have a go at us.

Completely agree. Great post.

All teachers will also need to stick to it- regardless of your views on EYFS, CP, formalisation etc.

We have lots of physical room. I've been looking at my photos all morning and thinking about what we can set up. We have very few plastic or washable toys though. I suppose we could borrow from Y2/3.

DfE guidance is supposed to be released today-that will presumably be our national strategy.

@RaraRachael @MossWalk

Thank you 😊. I totally agree with your point that people need to stick to it regardless of how they think an EYFS classroom should be run. Now isn’t the time for debating formal vs informal learning.

@Appuskidu

I hope you are right and that it actually does contain a national strategy, rather than the approach lockdown has taken, where it’s been left for every school to decide.

I teach Year 1. I don't think I'd want to go back teaching formal lessons, I'd prefer more CP type activities but how would that work.

I think we'd start off well and it will all slip eventually. What happens when you have to administer first aid? Kids that need peeling off parents after weeks at home?

Social distancing just won't happen. It's impossible

It's ok spreading them out but what happens when the rest of the school join? BJ said about all schools back by july

I think we need to see the government's idea of an acceptable ratio of children to space available in a room. Then we will know whether we can split classes into 2, 3 or more. Spreading across classrooms won't work if the aim is for all classes to return. The "give" will have to be the numbers each day.

It's quite shocking how much of this basic detail is still being worked out!!!

No one has said the children have to be socially distant. Let’s not get hysterical.

It's 15 per class, one teacher and possibly a TA. It's a bubble www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-protective-measures-in-education-and-childcare-settings/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-protective-measures-in-education-and-childcare-settings

15 to a class (presumably 13 to YR) and if there’s not enough teachers then Head teachers can use TAs instead but you stay with your group.

I wonder if parents will complain if they don’t get a teacher!?