School letter about return

[Piixxiiee]

Just received an email from my childrens school. Basically says they have to open but very phased starting with nursery only then r then y2,then y6. No other years. Not full days, staggered starts/finishes.
No teaching, no marking, no feedback. Children will be given same work as sent home. Also adds social distancing isn't possible so we cannot guarantee safety of your child on the premises!
Very well written letter. I'm pleased.

I'm not a teacher so I hope it's ok for me to comment?
Can I ask why you are pleased, is it that the true situation is being communicated?

I have a year R child, they have advised classes of 8, staggered starts and provision likely to be only every 2/3 weeks.

The tone of communication is almost encouraging people not to send children back. Talking about fines not being applied and no pressure from them to return.
Cannot guarantee safety etc.

In all honesty do people here think the return will actually happen?

I'm a teacher. It's the truth being communicated. I work in a school now- it's not safe and I wasn't sending my kids in anyway but I think alot would have believing it's safe, fun, social and educational. When in fact none of those things are true.
I hear most schools tone is encouraging children to stay safe at home.

Still no teaching, marking or feedback?! I think that is awful, and being pleased about it is exactly what gives some parents ammunition to moan. That is a choice by the school, and it IS penalizing the kids, it isn't "the truth". And I agree you can't guarantee the kids' safety but the risk, for kids who are generally healthy, is low. In my town there is more risk of being killed by a car in the crush of the school run, than of dying from covid19.

If schools operate a "week on; week off" rotation as in some other EU countries, then you could have the group at home working with minimal supervision (a d no marking or feedback) on what is being done now (various websites for reading, SPaG and times tables, plus Oak National, Bitesize etc.) And then in school the kids could start to cover some of the curriculum areas they have not been able to cover year to date. That is manageable, isn't it?

Each to their own. I'm ok with everyone having their own opinion 😊
My opinion is my childrens school has got it right. They use a learning platform so do give feedback and lots of work. I feel it's not safe for children to be in or the staff- unnecessary risk for a few weeks of childcare.

I think you've summed it up in your post at 14.35 - your school is engaging with the kids.
We have had nothing marked, one phone call from a member of staff who has never taught my child. Just weekly lists of things to do with no feedback mechanism to even say weve looked at the list, let alone done any if it.
We are new to the area, I have limited connections to my sons friends parents. We have had contact from one friend of my 8 year old - I had their contact details from a party earlier this year. Nothing from my 10 yr olds friends. For their mental health, they need some socalisation. Messaging people several thousand miles away, in different time zones isnt the same.

I do think they need to do something about the wide variety of provision by schools.

My GC go to 3 different schools and they couldn't be more different. The 2 senior schools are 1. Working to normal timetable, if child isn't logged on and working there will be messages sent to child and parent. If work not being done then phone calls. If parents say they can't get them to do anything and parents exasperated school offer them a place as a "vulnerable" child. 2. Other school they send them a bit of work on a Monday, probably 8 to 10 hours work a week, they can submit on line or keep it all and hand it when they go back so some kids haven't submitted any work and haven't had any contact from school.

Two extremes but presumably teachers all being paid the same.

OP...why is your children's school bringing in Year 2? Have you queried this...when it should, according to the guidance, be Year 1?

If i got a letter like that from my dd's school I too would keep her at home, and feel relieved they were being honest. For now I'm trying to keep an open mind that they'll be getting taught cool stuff (stuff set online has been really dull) by their usual teachers safely in a group of children she likes. Don't think it's possible.

I teach abroad and so perhaps it’s not fair for me to comment but I have family in U.K. and was, until recently, working there myself. I think there is a bit of hysteria regarding school returns (fuelled as usual by the teaching unions). Nothing is 100% safe, but a staged re-entry, using the extra space left by the classes that are still out and their teachers to accommodate the children at a greater distance from one another, staggered break, start and end times, and very frequent hand washing (as well as staff staying apart from each other) means the risks can be mitigated. Children need routine and the stories I have heard about (some) schools having checked out and sent a few links or exercises a week are really worrying. Even when we were closed (And we only closed to secondary age), we were teaching live lessons online every day and ensuring the whole curriculum was delivered (with a few exceptions for very specialist subjects like woodwork).

OP what are the things you are concerned that are not safe? Virus transmission or other safeguarding issues impacted by the measures?

@Blackopal I felt the same about my school letter. They didn’t say it in so many words, but it was clearly written in a way to put parents off bringing their children back

They made the new set up sound as grim as possible, and finished it off with saying that no fines will be issued for non attendees

We’ve had a questionnaire so they can plan. Each question had 6 no’s v one yes. We’ve had no calls, no marking, no feedback and nothing for my dc who has Sen. Her 1:1 admits she needs differentiated work but school can’t be bothered to provide it.

Staged re-entry for returning age groups in my school nursery, reception, yr 1 and yr 6 would literally use all of our classrooms.So I have no idea how they think we can accommodate a whole school return if children don’t just attend part-time. We can’t magically co jute up additional classrooms and that’s before we even consider staffing ( I work in a two form entry school with just 1 TA shared across 4 classes). There is a reason why teachers want more time to sort all of this out. Prioritising the health and safety of children and staff can’t be rushed. I’m so tired of all the teacher bashing. I’m tired of all the fake teacher accounts claiming. They are ok with this. I’m a parent and a teacher. I genuinely don’t think this can be rushed through safely.

@Sauron this is the staffroom, so I am presuming you are a member of school staff. Is there any reason why you haven't approached the SENCO about that? I cannot imagine any member of staff expected to provide work keeping their job if they said they "can't be bothered to provide it".

There was updated guidance released last night that says YR, 1 and 6 must be offered full time placements. Rotas or partial days not allowed.

If that is not possible for all 3 year groups, prioritise the youngest, but no rotas.

My DS's letter was very good and balanced. It reassured parents they'd do their very best following guidance but there'd be no fines or questions for families choosing to remain at home.

Can you share the wording on the letter, obviously redact anything outing?

Whynotnowbaby are you happy then for the year groups who are at home to get even less work sent to them, as that is what will happen if more staff are used to split up the year 1 groups. They can't be in school and producing home learning.
My own dc has had work from every subject, including CDT.

@reefedsail the guidance is also not statutory so I can imagine many school not adopting this as the full time suggestion is not feasible. Many schools I have been in contact with are all part time and are not intending on following the guidance.

Indeed, hence Liverpool and Rochdale not expanding their offer at all.

My letter did read as if it had been designed to put parents and children off attending as it emphasised all the negative elements of returning and said pupils must understand their will be no opportunities to talk to friends, and classes and staggered breaks will be designed to interrupt current friendship groups.

My DC have had no feedback, barely any work set, nothing marked, one phone call just to check they had had a pulse. Given the woeful provision I will be sending them back when possible.

There is a specific FAQ in the detailed guidance that says they specifically CAN'T bring in any other year groups - so no Y2, which I suspect may have been a typo by OP.

No teaching, no marking, no feedback

Can I ask why to this bit?

I've had a letter from our schools head. She said that shes currently in talks with the union, as she does not think she'll be able to open the school safely. Due to the 2 metre distancing rule within very small classrooms. Unless only a few of R, yr1 and yr 6 return. If all if them return, then she cannot open the school. So..... not sure what's happening yet.