[SA Chris]

What a crapshoot for schools to have to deal with. They've already been driven to minimal administrative support and personnel provision by cuts, and now they have to improvise this stuff on the hop.

At least Scotland has been clear - no schools back until next term, and then it will be a mixed delivery of home and school teaching.

Impossible to arrange for siblings to be in school on the same day, so I likely that we will be on back to back rotas for days at work and working from home, as the out of school club will probably not be allowed to open (too broad a mix of children in a relatively uncontrolled environment) and we don't want grandparents (who usually do school pick up and drop off a couple of times as week) being exposed unnecessarily.

[Wil]

I don't know why they don't aim for an earlier restart, mid August or something.

I suspect they know they wouldn't win the union battle over this. Teachers have been working throughout and contracts have specific terms on days worked, directed time etc.

[nai]

Ok, but if they shut down earlier and gave them an extra week at half term, surely they could come to some compromise.
Ok, it'd be nice to think that they could come to a compromise. Might be a bit piece meal with staff off at different times but as long as everyone gets their leave allowance surely that'd be acceptable to the majority.

I used surely again....

[sherlock]

Mrs S is going back to secondary school on 1st  June.Small ish school roll about 250 students, a large catchment area up to about 60 miles. No kids until August I believe. Teachers will be there to try and formulate just how SD can work.I would imagine that kids returning will be done by location. It would be crazy for some to travel for up to an hour just for a half-day's lessons.
She has no qualms about returning and along with many students, parents and colleagues has struggled with home learning.
This is Highland Region by the way.

[SA Chris]

I expect for such a large spread that would be the way.

No-one lives further away from our school than 5 miles, pretty small catchment.

[Oldmanmatt]

Have we already had the link to the SAGE advice on reopening? I can’t recall, so apologies for any repetition:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/886994/s0257-sage-sub-group-modelling-behavioural-science-relaxing-school-closures-sage30.pdf

[mrjonathanr]

Sage advice? It’s been anything but!

[ali k]

OFSTED chief inspector being wheeled out today to criticise teachers for not having enough of a ‘can do’ attitude and sticking too strictly to the govt guidelines. I can see that going down well. Naughty teachers - it’s all your fault for not coming up with a coherent strategy to open up schools by some arbitrary date dreamed up in Downing Street.

[Wil]

Another ridiculous announcement. "Catch up summer schools" are, in principle, a good idea, but there's no plan for this. Teaching unions and schools have not been involved. Despite meeting with the government yesterday they had no notice of this measure before it came up in the briefing. Given that teachers can't be forced to work over the summer holidays there's no sign of how this would be staffed, where the money will come from, what the program will actually involve, who it will target... basically no detail at all. There's also the issue that many of those most in need of this would struggle to attend, for lots of different reasons, not least that school buses wouldn't be running (at least that should be solvable).

On the announcement last week that apprenticeships would be guaranteed: this isn't in the government's power to promise. Much like virus testing they can guarantee the capacity, but apprentices are employees. Even if the government pays their wages there's no guarantee that employers will take them all on, but it would help. Unsurprisingly, given the government's form, the Department for Education themselves were not informed of this announcement.

[SA Chris]

It looks like we are going to get an extra week of summer holiday next year, and the schools are starting back up a week early.

[tomtom]

Another ridiculous announcement. "Catch up summer schools" are, in principle, a good idea, but there's no plan for this. Teaching unions and schools have not been involved. Despite meeting with the government yesterday they had no notice of this measure before it came up in the briefing. Given that teachers can't be forced to work over the summer holidays there's no sign of how this would be staffed, where the money will come from, what the program will actually involve, who it will target... basically no detail at all. There's also the issue that many of those most in need of this would struggle to attend, for lots of different reasons, not least that school buses wouldn't be running (at least that should be solvable).

That was my thoughts exactly when I saw this first... another f*cking press release without any thought...

Most teachers I know have not stopped working - and will now be expected to carry on throughout the summer?  Next we'll be hearing its their civic duty etc.. etc..

From my bubble it seems like the biggest reason thats rising to the surface is physical space/infrastructure within which to teach people. Our (due to start in sept) school is half in victorian buildings and its clear from letters we've had from them that his really restricts what they can do with class sizes... Reception was already quite cramped (2 classes in one older building 1 in a new one) - so how that would work who knows...

Maybe we should start a press release Bingo game.

Hairdressers

Outdoor dining (restaraunts)

Swimming pools

Church Services

Betting shops

Cinemas

etc... etc.. etc..

I wonder if expect they have a group of SPADs sat around a Zoom table brainshooting this stuff....

[gme]

Totally different approach in Holland again. My partners over there and employees were all very much for getting schools open and just got on with it. All kids now back at school and some have been for a month. So far no increase in cases because of this.
Heres and article from TES. https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.tes.com/news/coronavirus-how-dutch-schools-reopened-no-pupil-distancing%3famp

[nai]

Maybe we should start a press release Bingo game.

Surely they have differetr categories of deflection statements press releases that they selection depending on how much shit they've dug themselves in to.

Big hole, go to to level one, look everyone, the pubs are reopening

[andy popp]

Totally different approach in Holland again. My partners over there and employees were all very much for getting schools open and just got on with it. All kids now back at school and some have been for a month. So far no increase in cases because of this.
Heres and article from TES. https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.tes.com/news/coronavirus-how-dutch-schools-reopened-no-pupil-distancing%3famp

Very similar here in Denmark. The very youngest children went back in mid-April and the rest in mid-May. We were happy to let our thirteen year old go back even though she's diabetic and thus immune-compromised. Communication from the school has been very clear. They've been starting mid-morning to avoid rush hour commute (most children get to school on foot or public transport) and have completely reorganised the logistics of the start and finish of the day to minimise mixing. I have no idea how much social distancing is occurring in the classroom.

The messaging from work has been overwhelmingly clear and consistent. We must take care of ourselves and our families first. Very human centred.

Same from the government - the messaging has been unbelievably clear, with no possibility of doubt or uncertainty. I think this might have been the single most important factor here.

Rates of infection have continued to fall since the phased reopening began and we've just had three consecutive days without a death.

[Wil]

Totally different approach in Holland again.

An interesting difference in messaging as well. The UK Government's messaging really hasn't been helpful and people are still very much focussed on the individual risks. Parents aren't sending their kids back because they think their kids won't be safe, not because they believe in any of the ideas about virus spread and R numbers.

Social distancing among pupils is a non-starter for most age groups based on my own teaching experience. Some older pupils would try, but peer culture would have seen it break down very fast. The approach outlined in this article seems pretty sensible, don't try to enforce it on the kids, but ask adults to try to maintain it themselves. There's been no attempt in the UK to communicate how a lack of social distancing among pupils might actually be ok, that being within 2m of a few people isn't a significant risk to you as an individual. It's left schools in an impossible position, because there's really no way most schools can even open to half of the pupils without understanding that social distancing can't be strictly maintained and that this isn't necessarily that significant.

[ali k]

I guess there may be more details to come, but on the face of it Johnson’s ‘plan’ of ”a huge amount of catch up for pupils over the summer” amounts to giving schools £80 extra per pupil to spend in the next academic year. And beyond a recommendation of using the money for tuition schools then have to come up with the plans themselves.

[tomtom]

I guess there may be more details to come, but on the face of it Johnson’s ‘plan’ of ”a huge amount of catch up for pupils over the summer” amounts to giving schools £80 extra per pupil to spend in the next academic year. And beyond a recommendation of using the money for tuition schools then have to come up with the plans themselves.

On the plus side - I understand its basically cash to the schools - with which they can do what they want (whether it be tuition or not). This was one of the criticisms of the laptop money - it would have been better given to schools to sort out rather than government/someone else.

Though when I first saw the news, my initial thought was £1bn isnt much....

[mrjonathanr]

Just considering money for tutoring (not the other £650 promised for next school year), £350M  divided by 8.8m schoolchildren makes about £40 available for a tutor for each school child. So an hour or two of extra tutoring each. Not going to do much.

If you look at the approx. 1.3M children receiving free school meals and direct all tutoring monies to them, it comes to around £270 per FSM child, very roughly. So 10-12 hour long sessions perhaps. Significant, but not enough in itself to properly compensate. And non FSM deserve catch up support too.

Worth stressing that these monies will only be provided in September.

The devil's always in the detail, but the only answer is to get them back into school. And for this we still don't have workable plans.

[SA Chris]

We had parent teacher group team meeting last night, got to feel for the heads. Ours has been working 12 hour day 7 days a week formulating plans, RAs etc for getting as many people into the school as possible. Our school is basically one big room, with cupboards etc as subdividers; they have basically sat with a sketch plan of the school, and moving things around by hand to try and maximise space. And if the rules change to 1m or 1.5m they have to rip it all up and start again. Under present guideline it will be one week in 3 they are at school, and she said trying to arrange "bubbles" getting siblings in the same bubbles is practically impossible.

[ali k]

On the plus side - I understand its basically cash to the schools - with which they can do what they want (whether it be tuition or not). This was one of the criticisms of the laptop money - it would have been better given to schools to sort out rather than government/someone else.
Though when I first saw the news, my initial thought was £1bn isnt much....

Maybe I’m being unfair, or it’s a sign of how low my respect for this govt has become, but my initial thought was that they’ve gone for the easy option of throwing a bit of money at schools and essentially saying “there you go, it’s your problem now”. And they have a nice round eye-catching £1bn figure to go along with all the other large-sounding-but-usually-inadequate numbers they use to silence any criticism.

[mrjonathanr]

AFAIK, this 6 month break is the first time UK school children have had their entitlement to education not honoured since 1880. Worth adding for teenagers rather than primary aged children I think we would have to go back to 1902. HM gov has failed to manage where the governments in WW1 and WW2 succeeded.

Edit: cross posts
Ali, the money is very welcome, but the government should be governing in my view. There seems to be no plan worked out for anything more than headlines.

[Wil]

Maybe I’m being unfair, or it’s a sign of how low my respect for this govt has become, but my initial thought was that they’ve gone for the easy option...

It's cynical, but I don't think it's unfair. It's money that schools have been stripped of in the last 10 years and should be ongoing support under a government that actually cared about positive reform in education. I also thought it's a suspiciously round number.

That said, it's a decent wad of cash and hopefully schools will be allowed to decide how it's used, even if the goal is set. It doesn't stretch far for individual tuition, but it goes quite a long way for small group teaching (up to 6 kids) which is also very effective (I would argue more effective in many cases). It'll be interesting to see how many parents kick off if their kid isn't getting this support.

[tomtom]

Edit: cross posts
Ali, the money is very welcome, but the government should be governing in my view. There seems to be no plan worked out for anything more than headlines.

True - where are the thoughts about school buildings - space etc.. and staff for smaller classes etc.. etc.. this could be planned for now...

[Wil]

There seems to be no plan worked out for anything more than headlines.

I can't be the only one finding this aspect of the crisis a little terrifying. There doesn't seem to be a plan for anything at all.

[mrjonathanr]

It doesn't stretch far for individual tuition, but it goes quite a long way for small group teaching (up to 6 kids) which is also very effective (I would argue more effective in many cases).

I agree. However, let's be clear about something. Currently, there is no workable plan for children to return to school in September.

Schools are not going to be able to offer a normal education to children in the autumn, unless something changes between then and now. And when/if there is a significant resurgence of the virus with the onset of winter, what then?

It's a disaster. This is what I wrote to my MP:

HM gov should have practical plans for children of all ages to resume their education. It doesn't. The DfE needs to match the ambition of UK teachers and parents, consult effectively and act. Were this a true priority, we would have practical solutions already.

Please, get a grip. We need you to.

.

It would be great if you guys and girls could write to yours too.