Thoughts on sending kids back to school in June.

Schools didn't specifically have to stay open for key workers children, but they did have to make sure there was/is a provision in place. My niece for example was one of only two children needing provision at her secondary school so she's been going to the local primary school instead. At my school we've got a student from another secondary school on site as the parents felt it wasn't safe for the child to travel to the next town over where their normal school is as they'd be using public transport on their own.
 
Schools didn't specifically have to stay open for key workers children, but they did have to make sure there was/is a provision in place. My niece for example was one of only two children needing provision at her secondary school so she's been going to the local primary school instead. At my school we've got a student from another secondary school on site as the parents felt it wasn't safe for the child to travel to the next town over where their normal school is as they'd be using public transport on their own.

Makes sense. My wife’s 2500 capacity secondary and sixth form has remained open for 6 students (on some days less). Always struck me as a waste of money, why not team up with other schools. I think because they support country villages and there is no other secondary school nearby they felt the need to remain open.

Cheers,

Nigel
 
Makes sense. My wife’s 2500 capacity secondary and sixth form has remained open for 6 students (on some days less). Always struck me as a waste of money, why not team up with other schools. I think because they support country villages and there is no other secondary school nearby they felt the need to remain open.

Cheers,

Nigel
Initially at least English schools didn't want to do a hub system as it increases exposure. But I know N Wales did use a hub system.
 
Just a thought, how many would want to send their children back to school if the financial help was withdrawn and they needed to go back to work or they only qualified for benefits. let us hope there will be jobs to go back to. Stay safe
It won't make one bit of difference to my choice on whether my son goes back to school or not.

I'd rather be penniless than rich if it meant he was safe.

My daughters all work at the moment, two in the local Tesco and if I could afford to help them more financially they wouldn't be working there, they both had to take the jobs because they wasn't being furloughed at their regular jobs.
 
What were their regular jobs, such that they weren't furloughed?
 
Well we're (read: my wife) bouncing around from yes to no on an hourly basis.

Hopefully the government will put it back a few weeks to take the decision out of our hands.
 
I teach Reception weekly. Everything she said there is fairly accurate.

Regardless of what you think of the Daily Nazi, their website is horrible to navigate. Followed that link and was faced by more popups than content. Not somewhere I frequent regularly.
 
What were their regular jobs, such that they weren't furloughed?
One was working at the local Chinese and is still waiting for money for the furlough, her boss doesn't speak English very well, he said he has applied for it but hasn't received anything and just keeps saying "money, soon" whenever she asks him.

My 2nd daughter of the two that still live at home worked at a local hotel who were not going to furlough so she took a 12hr temp contract at Tesco to help until they started furloughing, which they started doing after a few weeks but only at 80% of her lowest weekly hours over the last 6 months, she foolishly didn't sign her new contract when she moved from being a chef to working in the bar.

The difference is being made up from being at Tesco but both of them will be finishing there the first week of June and it looks like the one at the hotel won't be back there anytime soon, and even then she may not get the hours she used to have.

My other daughter who doesn't live with me is a beauty therapist and is on 80% furlough but fortunately her husband is a helicopter engineer for Serco at the local navy base so is OK financially.
 
Primaries at least I thought that was a DfE dictact and they should have remained open throughout the lockdown anyway for children of key workers. Nurseries would depend on whether they are private or not. Even private ones (there is local one in a youth centre that my wife helps run) has had to stay open for key workers’ children if they accept the government provided free vouchers.

Cheers,

Nigel

Yes, they’re still open for children of key workers, as they’ve had to be all along. I meant a general re-opening.

My wife‘s nursery isn’t private and doesn’t look like it will be re-opening on June 1st to anyone other than the ones already attending. it’s not the governments decision to make unless they try and force the issue, which won’t be very popular.
 
Yes, they’re still open for children of key workers, as they’ve had to be all along. I meant a general re-opening.

My wife‘s nursery isn’t private and doesn’t look like it will be re-opening on June 1st to anyone other than the ones already attending. it’s not the governments decision to make unless they try and force the issue, which won’t be very popular.

The opening of schools is still focussing on key workers (now called critical workers) but expanding for other groups such as special needs, those on support and those that have not been following the working from home instructions.

The subtle difference is that previously key workers were asked to keep their children away if possible but now they are being told to send them to school.

I have seen some councils, such as those in the North West saying that they are not going to follow the instructions because their local R Number is too high - understandable, but those same councils are not forbidding people going out and gathering.

Also it is not every year, it is reception, 1, 6, 10 and 12 though there are very aspirational plans for all primary midway through June.

Don’t you work in the transport sector (train driver) or am I thinking of someone else. If so, you are a critical worker, and if your children are in those year groups then they should have places - unless your council is one that is saying no.

Cheers,

Nigel
 
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Just found out our plan.

Shut to all children at half term (we were previously open to key worker children).

All teachers back on the 1st. Key worker children return on the 2nd. The rest of the staff spend the week preparing for return of year 6 on the 8th and the return of year 1 on the 15th.

We're not planning on opening to Nursery or Reception at all at this point.

Zero tolerance on behaviour of parents and children. Immediate removal of school place.
 
Our Pre-School has contacted us to say that they will be opening from the 1st June if all goes well and they can put everything in place. They have been great since they shut with regular updates on a weekly basis and with activity suggestions as well as Formal stuff.

We've had a video update from them with what they are planning on putting in place and over the last few months the Nursery Workers have been sharing videos of them reading stories for the kids so they have been in constant contact.

My daughter is 3 at the moment and will be starting school in September and has missed her pre-school workers and friends so much, she talks about them every week.

At the moment our plan is to send her back for at least 2 days just so she can get some more social interactions before starting school and not be stuck with just me and wife. Might not be from the 1st but we do plan to send her back.

We don't have to send her back as both me and the wife can carry on working from home fortunately but we want her to get some social interaction with her friends and start to get back to some normality before starting school or whatever school looks like come September.

Our decision might change over the next few weeks but at the moment we trust the pre school and the parents who would send their kids.

Completely understand why some won't send their kids back and me and the wife keep thinking are we making the wrong decision but at the moment we think for our daughter we are making the right decision.
 
We got an update via video from little ones headmaster yesterday

He basically said they won't be ready for June 1st, and mentioned a lot of stuff to do with the council as well.
 
For us Yr 1 and 6 back on 1 June (not sure if on alternate days). Reception is returning the following week. Even though this won't include our children's year groups I am still pleased things are moving in this direction and I would support any school who wants to 'feel their way' into a return, seeing as so much of the learning environment will be changed.
 
Word on the street is that the Government wants English schools completely open to all pupils by the third week of June to allow for a month of schooling before the summer.

The only way that can happen is if:

A) All special measures and distancing etc goes completely out of the window and they literally open as normal.

B) Only a fraction of children take up their place.

To put it in perspective, we're needing every available member of staff to open for Y1 and Y6 (presuming they all come in).
 
I've heard that too, but our head sent an email last night saying there are currently no plans to change our provisions. At the moment we're open for the vulnerable children along with those of key workers and it's staying that way for now.
 
Our school sent full guidance on how reception, yr 1 and yr6 will return on June 1st. 10 page doc on how they plan to do it

within the letter was suggestion that all years will return for at least some time before the summer holidays
 
I personally just don't see the strong benefit in kids getting a a couple of weeks of school before once again breaking up for the summer.

There seems to be a few small positives and advantages but in the grand scheme of things, I just can't help but feel its a lot of faff, drama, oppositon and potential spread for very little benefit.

I know there as specific exceptional cases but generally the whole rush to get everyone back for <1 month just seems a bit strange.


From an economic sense, I kidn of get it. It gets kids back at school, which allows parents to work.
 
I personally just don't see the strong benefit in kids getting a a couple of weeks of school before once again breaking up for the summer.

There seems to be a few small positives and advantages but in the grand scheme of things, I just can't help but feel its a lot of faff, drama, oppositon and potential spread for very little benefit.

I know there as specific exceptional cases but generally the whole rush to get everyone back for <1 month just seems a bit strange.


From an economic sense, I kidn of get it. It gets kids back at school, which allows parents to work.
It also allows schools a chance to see any problems before a much larger return of numbers in September
 
All teachers back on the 1st.

Really, at my wife’s school it is going to be a rota from June 1st (subject to confirmation announcement by government on 28th May). Secondary school so just year 10 but not all of them, selected categories, year 12 because they have a 6th form, and the small number from other years that have qualified throughout the lockdown. So not that many kids in total so not all teachers required. For example in Year 10 they are preparing for 5 bubbles of 10 students each, with 2 teachers per bubble - so 10 teachers altogether for year 10. And a handful to manage the continuing load from other years - that has been 2 so far (plus some leadership). So excluding sixth form they are looking at 12 teachers needed out of 100.

To be clear, when you say ‘back’ I assuming you mean back to the school premises.

Cheers,

Nigel
 
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It also allows schools a chance to see any problems before a much larger return of numbers in September


Which problems exactly which are worth the risk and disruption?
 
If they're expecting the children to go back in September in little bubbles they need to have a rethink because it's just not possible. Many schools don't have the staffing or the facilities to do that.
My bosses are currently choosing not to even let year 10s back yet because of the difficulties it would have logistically and the detrimental effect it would have on the students.
 
Really, at my wife’s school it is going to be a rota from June 1st (subject to confirmation announcement by government on 28th May). Secondary school so just year 10 but not all of them, selected categories, year 12 because they have a 6th form, and the small number from other years that have qualified throughout the lockdown. So not that many kids in total so not all teachers required. For example in Year 10 they are preparing for 5 bubbles of 10 students each, with 2 teachers per bubble - so 10 teachers altogether for year 10. And a handful to manage the continuing load from other years - that has been 2 so far (plus some leadership). So excluding sixth form they are looking at 12 teachers needed out of 100.

To be clear, when you say ‘back’ I assuming you mean back to the school premises.

Cheers,

Nigel
I'm hoping it's just a case of 'all hands on deck' to get organised in the short term and then a rota until July depending on what happens with other year groups.
 

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