Has there been any information for teachers about children who opt not to go back to school?

[JemimaPuddleCat]

Hi, sorry if this has been spoken about,

I'm just wondering if there's been guidance for school staff as to how to continue to support families who opt not to send kids back to school when DfE deems it safe to do so. I expect virtual learning to still be in place for Y2,3,4,5 once the other year groups go back, but will teachers still be expected to provide learning resources for those in YR,1,6 that choose not to attend?

My children’s school has said that work will still be sent but probably not in the current format as teachers will be teaching in school. I expect it will be loose links to the oak academy & Bitesize.

Our school will continue as they have been. Kids in school will have same links etc

Hmm, the guidance says that children who are clinically vulnerable should continue to be supported to learn at home, what about those?

Sorry not a primary teacher.

At secondary it will continue to all be online delivery

I’m a primary teacher and we will continue to set work online. However we won’t be able to respond to questions or mark work as promptly as we have been.

Thanks everyone who has replied. Can I ask, is that Government guidance to continue to set virtual learning, or a school/LA decision?

For disclosure, I'm in Scotland, so this doesn't affect me as yet, but just trying to get an idea as to the sort of situation we might end up in.

@JemimaPuddleCat - I‘m in Scotland and worried about this too. Really feel there’ll need to be some kind of central resource, like the Oak Academy in England, otherwise it’s going to essentially double our prep time.

I'm in Scotland, not a great fan of NS and the SNP but the parent carer newsletter this week from Education Scotland was quite good not just worksheets and not relying on children having their own pc / laptop Maths was based around shopping money and receipts budgeting etc based in age groups P1&2, P3&4 ,P5-7, S1-3, the themed work was around a sandwich shop designing planning translating menu etc

As kids will only be back part time to start with there will be online homework between but I think kids going to school will be expected to take it in with them, but the government could develop some things with auto marking, this is easiest for maths, spelling

But I don't think the online stuff will continue for months at some point it will be back to 25-30 kids in a room, not that there will be a vaccine but tracing and treatment will be better and more streamlined and then if you still decide to keep your children at home you will be home schooling yourselves

From today's guidance

Is that government guidance?

@TeacupDrama

I usually get the Education Scotland emails, but haven't seen one. Will need to go hunting, thanks.

@MurrayTheDemonicTalkingSkull

Sorry if my post was misleading, I'm a parent - not a teacher thankfully. I maybe shouldn't have posted in here. I'm concerned about the increase in workload this will give to teachers, if you effectively teaching kids at school, and then kids at home too. That isn't sustainable for any length of time, so just wondered if the Government had given any guidance for that.

It is DFE guidance for primary schools.

@Jemimapuddlecat I'm a parent got it via Argyll and Bute council to the email address the school have for us
It's a PDF of about a r page document with links

@JemimaPuddleCat No, that’s ok. It’s something we all need to think about. :) I definitely don’t want to disadvantage those who have to stay at home, but at the same time if we spread ourselves too thin we’re no use to anyone.

@JemimaPuddleCat I’m also not a teacher but a parent, this is definitely something to consider when deciding whether to send children back to school or not.

I noticed that the guidelines issued to primary schools tonight also says that schools should not use a part time rota system for children either, children should be offered full time places. So I can’t imagine teachers having much spare time at all for those children still at home.

I think our schools are planning to get the children in school to do the work they are sending to the pupils at home. They will not be doing proper lessons to start with

The DfE guidance suggests that vulnerable teachers could be given the role of wfh supporting home learning for children not in school. They kind of suggest that is for ANY child not in school, so that would include those who can go in.

I am secondary but we have been told some staff will stay at home and deal with the pupils at home.

We're not doing anything other than directing towards Bitesize. They are being offered provision, if they don't want it, it's up to them. Not our issue.

If you choose not to send your child back when others are, for whatever reason, your school will support you in this. I think the best person to ask will be the school itself as all provisions, even across councils, vary wildly. Even during non covid times, i support pupils who do not attend school and the support will vary wildly according to circumstances. Schools will not be back before August, and then it will be part time of some sort. There is no way to predict what will happen, they just don't know yet.

The government guidance has never told schools that they must provide online learning. This is why the provision across different schools is so varied.

There might not be many teachers available to support online learning. As an example - Y6 will be need to be split into at least 2 groups, so Y5 and Y6 teachers will teach them in. R might be taught by R and Y2 teachers, and Y1 might be taught be Y1 and Y3.

So that leaves one teacher in the school to support remote learning for the Y2,Y3.Y4.Y5 and anyone else at home. It's likely that there will be more links to things like Oak Academy and Bitesize, and less personalisation/individual response to emails.

This will vary by school, but it's definitely unlikely that remote learning will continue in the way it has at many schools (again, before people complain - I know some schools have not been providing much)

Interesting to know if Oak Academy will have enough staff to somehow continue to provide a backdoor takeover of the national curriculum with booklets and quizes.

The best part of this guidance is at the top where it states

Schools are not required to use this guide, and may choose to follow alternative approaches to preparing for wider opening, or to use some sections of this guidance alongside other approaches.

Therefore we won't be offering full time schooling and I really don't expect any other school will either. It's impossible if they want other year groups.

The group of children you missed query are the keyworker/vulnerable kids in y2-5, so I guess the y4 teacher would be with them - leaving no one to set the online work.