[Closed] Primary School Closure

Legal action against schools threatened by the government tomorrow.

U-turn by the end of the week.

Just a prediction.

Not yet, but will be happy when it happens

Nothing here as yet but I think it should happen.

Nothing here, but we still have a pretty low rate relatively. Are you in T4? The school is very good with communication and is sensitive to the notice parents need to make alternative arrangements.

Yup, turns out the unions did not like the pay freeze, the loss of holiday, the lack of testing, the lack of vacinnation priority and the complete contempt shown to teachers by this ****less government.

My wife works in a primary, they are still opening tomorrow. Lots of schools round the local area are not opening though.

Yup, turns out the unions did not like the pay freeze, the loss of holiday, the lack of testing, the lack of vacinnation priority and the complete contempt shown to teachers by this ****less government.

Give this man a medal!

Some schools not opening around Southampton with council backing, according to Echo.

Reading and Slough council backing primaries over non opening, sons school has inset tomorrow, wife works part time in private including primary, its shit for two weeks and has said do one on testing the kids themselves.

Monkey’s Primary Head emailed everyone this afternoon to say they’re continuing to follow regs and will open as normal on Tue with all pupils expected to attend.

As much as I’d like to see a semblance of normality continue, I’d be more pleased to see them close given the stats.

Yep, got told today and to be honest it relieves the stress of whether we were going to send out daughter or not. We're in Tier 4, are actually in a London borough but across the road is Surrey. The school is on our road, has a postal address in our London Borough but is administered by Surrey CC, the other primary school behind it is physically in Surrey but administered by Sutton so they were closing. Glad the decision has been made, seemed a bit mad locally albeit I appreciate that's a fairly specific and unusual scenario

Every recent Covid case I'm aware of has been through the schools, and my lad's primary was rife with it before Xmas.

Baffled why this is still even a debate.

But PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE can the mods close this thread down before we all have to listen to STEVEXTC go on YET ANOTHER rant about how teachers are evil and schools are the work of satan and that he would have been Master of the Universe had it not been for Mr Marshall who took his Tamagochi off him in 1984?

Nah, let him rant. If that is what he thinks it just underlines why paying attention at school would have made him less of a prick. (Married to a teacher who is in tomorrow with no plans to close the school).

My wife had to go for a flow test today (Sunday) ahead of going into school tomorrow. 40 minutes queuing in the cold. Awesome.

My daughters school (Greater Manchester) emailed us before new year (30th December) to say that it’d be home learning until the 18th January. Which was a relief to hear.

This gang of imbeciles, playing at being a government, will shut all the schools by the end of the week as the next huge rise in infections hits. Always too late. Always behind the curve.

How in gods name is that prize *-wit Frank Spencer Gavin Williamson still education Secretary? He’s out-Graylinged Grayling when it comes to weapons grade incompetence. Where is the *ing moron? Nowhere to be seen, as always

Baffled why this is still even a debate.

But Boris was adamant schools were safe this morning.....

I'd love to see the data he thinks he's basing that on. Or to see the data he's ignoring to press on regardless. I try not to fall for media hype and spin, but having seen what has happened in our kids schools, and seeing what TiRed is saying in the main thread, I can't see how anyone can claim "schools are safe but hairdressers aren't" without sharing how they are making those decisions.

I totally get how important education is, and my kids are definitely in a better place mentally at school, even with chaos and positive tests around them, but this is about wider society now with the current infection rates and hospital admissions.

Cumbria County Council have been told to **** off by tories.

However they (the council) have said they will back schools decisions to stay closed. https://www.itv.com/news/border/2021-01-03/cumbria-county-council-will-support-any-primary-schools-decision-to-delay-the-start-of-the-spring-term

Predictably my scumbag local MP (Mark Jenkinson - you may remember he claimed that locals swapped food parcels for drugs instead of feeding their kids...) thinks the county council are inciting panic.

Local Primary Schools are closing in North Cumbria, not just because of the Unions, but because the data is showing the dangers of meeting in large groups and the vast increase in cases.

The County Council and the Local Director of Public Health wrote to the DfE requesting that permission be granted for school closures. The DfE refused this request; with figures rapidly heading towards the 1000 mark, they considered schools were a safe place to be for children and staff.

Heads and Governors have made their own decision, backed by the County Executive, Leader of the County Council and the Director of PH. Schools will be closed so to give a bit of a 'fire break' and perhaps try and get numbers down.

Tier 4 here.
Had emails this afternoon.
The council have kicked off about schools having to open when other tier 4 with lower rates aren't.
They're going to keep the schools shut for two days " for discussions".
That councillor has just won my vote next time.

And I know people are stressed, but no need to take it out on others with personal attack posting.
Rule one should still apply.

@Simon_Semtex and all the other teachers on here, you're all great, keep up the hard work (wife is a teacher though stepped away last year to look after our son, so I know how much effort goes in) and try to ignore the vocal minority ranting away.

Your post made me laugh though!

Jaminb family all had Covid for Xmas after 6 year old came into contact with infected member of school staff. (Surrey next to London borough of Richmond)

If you want to catch Covid send you kids to school

Coyote..... I love u!

All the best to your wife.

It's important to remember 'closed' schools are actually still open. My girlfriend is still expected to work, the teachers (rightly) have refused to work, but the Teaching Assistants have no union and take over for keyworkers kids.

Thx TWISTED....

Glad i made you laugh!

It’s important to remember ‘closed’ schools are actually still open. My girlfriend is still expected to work, the teachers (rightly) have refused to work, but the Teaching Assistants have no union and take over for keyworkers kids.

Not quite as clear cut as that.
My union (NEU) are saying we shouldn't be teaching face to face, but that we should be volunteering to look after key worker/vunerable pupils, and should be teaching remotely, either from home or in school.

TAs can join a union, and I'd suggest they all do.

Sorry.... Not true. Teaching Assistants do have a union. Its called Unison.

Todays members briefing by the NEU made it very clear that Unison are throwing their full weight behind the Safe Schools cause.

Please encourage your gf to join the Union. If not for this then definitely as protection against false student allegations or bullying SLT etc.

Sure but girlfriend and others are all on zero hour contracts, so not same choice teachers have. None of them have joined the union

My OH's got an email. There's a "Dear [insert name of school here], I'm not coming in on advice of my union" template letter on UNISON's website.

Imo teachers have a right to refuse to work in unsafe conditions and should do so

Even on zero hours contracts you can and should join a union

Thank you all teachers. We know you’ll still be working, come what may.

We are in tier 4, and are expecting to be back in school on Tuesday according the the email from the head today, fully expecting Whitehall to shut all schools tomorrow though as it is the opposite of what was said yesterday

Totally agree, but you don't get paid in a zero hour contract if you don't go in.

I'm a teacher and so relieved I'm teaching remotely next week. Ill help my students as much as possible and even help write custom projects fpr those with limited equipment to work on.

I had symptoms of Covid back in March and the NHS told me to go home, yet my work gave me a hard time with HR on my case. Had a high temperature in October and informed work. They wanted me to come in and not bother with a test. In November one of my students tested positive so the class was sent home. Though I had to stay and continue to teach other classes and share a staffroom with others. There is no social distancing.

This is the reality. It is not safe.

We have a (Tier 4) County Council telling us its all good; meeting tomorrow with appropriate extracts from this to suggest that might not be the case or in the best interests of our staff, pupils or wider community

I fully back teachers standing up to keep themselves and others safe by only opening to vulnerable kids and those of critical workers. Absolutely ridiculous that London schools are advised to close but not others. One of our local primary schools announced they won’t open this week.

Thank you to all of you and others working in schools.

fully expecting Whitehall to shut all schools tomorrow though as it is the opposite of what was said yesterday

This^
Whatever Johnson and his band of twonks say one day, you can almost guarantee they'll do the opposite a day or two later.

Sons primary has shut for this week

Hearing a few teachers doing this, with so much going on i think the government can only get positive outcomes by another national lockdown, it'll suck but this death by a thousand cuts style lockdown is not working and just delaying (and increasing) the inevitable

Agree another full national lockdown will work, but only if it is enforced. Proper fines for people breaking the rules. Maybe a percentage of salary, and community service.

Hmmmmmmm.... it’s a dilemma.

On one hand we have highly qualified and experienced frontline teaching staff, doing the job every day, saying one thing and on the other hand we’ve Gavin Williamson and Boris Johnson saying the opposite

I just don’t know who’s judgement to trust on such matters?

Totally agree, but you don’t get paid in a zero hour contract if you don’t go in.

You don't get paid if you take industrial action regardless of your contract. And it doesn't count as a days service for your pension either.

But this isn't industrial action, it's exercising your legal right to refuse to work in an unsafe environment.

2 weeks starting tomorrow for my kids' primary in Durham. Fair enough I think. Don't think it's a council decision, just one by the school.

MK was on governments list so decision made

Sad for the kids (& my wife's & I's sanity) but cases are v high here- way higher than in April wave, so it's not surprising

Fair play to the teachers (and heads). My two aren't primary, but won't be going in regardless. Cases are up 100% this week locally to me, I can see the trajectory and it's not one which involves safety for staff, pupils or their families.

I just don’t know who’s judgement to trust on such matters?

According to Facebook comments it’s Katie Alsop.

But this isn’t industrial action, it’s exercising your legal right to refuse to work in an unsafe environment.

This. Teachers are not refusing to work. They are refusing to work in an unsafe environment. Lessons can be taught online and key workers children and vulnerable students can be taught in a properly socially distanced class room, say 6 not 30 by teachers on a rota basis.

Yup. Most of the primaries in Bristol are closing. Ours for 2 weeks. Heard at 4pm today. Bristol is in tier 3

Our youngest nursery is open but we've decided not to send him as it looks like the numbers are rising in Bristol

key workers children and vulnerable students can be taught in a properly socially distanced class room, say 6 not 30 by teachers on a rota basis

I've suggested this to my deputy head line manager, and been shot down.
Apparently in our place key worker/vunerable kids will be following normal timetables. So I'll have a few kids in every lesson, while also doing a live online lesson.
Seems an arse about way if doing it, but mine is not to reason why.

This can’t be right. Priti Patel herself assured us only last week that this government had been ‘ahead of the curve’ of the curve at every critical juncture.

But this looks like schools and education authorities unilaterally taking their own decisions, to save lives, in the face of government dithering and ineptitude

That can’t be right, surely?

What does Kirsty Allsop have to say on the matter?

But this isn’t industrial action, it’s exercising your legal right to refuse to work in an unsafe environment.

Sorry, yes, you are right.

So I’ll have a few kids in every lesson, while also doing a live online lesson.

Can your students in class do the online lesson, with some extension activities as they will most likely finish first?

Now a list of ~15+ schools around Southampton on Echo only opening for keyworker kids and vulnerable kids.

So p***ed off
Mrs Eyepic Senior Primary Teacher feels totally betrayed by government.
She is 58 and seriously wondering how quickly she can/will retire.
She loved this job and is born to teach, but hung out to dry. Local teacher died last week.

You constantly hear how little danger the children are in and indeed they are....

Teachers are cannon fodder needed to do childminding.

Can your students in class do the online lesson, with some extension activities as they will most likely finish first?

Yes, that's the plan.

But if it's the same kids as were in during the first lockdown, there were some, er, interesting characters, who may not want to sit down and do extension activities. Or any activities.

Mrs Eyepic Senior Primary Teacher feels totally betrayed by government.

Phone in sick, seriously all the number now

You constantly hear how little danger the children are in and indeed they are….

Teachers are cannon fodder needed to do childminding.

Agreed - the first message is extremely important. But it's disgraceful that there is literally no weight in the discussion about teacher safety. And precious little about the dangers of kids bringing it home.

Is there any other likely outcome in T4 areas than open schools leading to increased transmission and then schools closing? Or in T3 areas with open schools leading to increased transmission and then those areas entering T4? Because I just don't see it. Closing schools is a shit option, but isn't it the least shit option left?

2 closed in Cheltenham so far citing H&S

Is there any other likely outcome in T4 areas than open schools leading to increased transmission and then schools closing? Or in T3 areas with open schools leading to increased transmission and then those areas entering T4?

Tier 5 (complete lockdown) for everyone within 2 - 3 weeks. This shower will sit around with their thumbs up their arses, like they have done from the off, and then finally act once they’re forced into it, weeks too late for it to make a difference

I think the fact that local councils, education authorities and schools who are in a position to act unilaterally have all done so indicates how much confidence everyone has in these idiots to make the right call. I think Borises confidence-inspiring turn on Marr this morning sealed the deal

We’re in what appears to be the most deadly phase of a pandemic and we have a shower of sociopathic, self-serving incompetents running the show, who seem to have a casual, flippant disregard for reality

My daughters school is doing home learning for the next 2 weeks at
Least. If they were expecting her to go in then there’s no way I’d be sending her in. Not a chance

And it’s totally unreasonable to expect teachers to do so

there were some, er, interesting characters, who may not want to sit down and do extension activities. Or any activities.

It will be relatively normal then.😉

Closing schools is a shit option, but isn’t it the least shit option left?

And if the PM could just say this, it wouldn't be a problem.

On the subject of Covid and kids, my wife knows two who got it back in March and have since developed type 1 diabetes.

Doctors say it's very likely a consequence of the Covid.

I know anecdote isn't data, but perhaps there's more to it than just the death rate being negligible for kids.

MASKS, MASKS, MASKS!!!!

If we must have the schools open (and I don't think we should - we live in Rushmoor, with the highest infection rate in the country and the primary schools are still open) why on earth can't we have the children and staff wearing masks in class??? Lots of other countries do it, it doesn't affect the economy, doesn't affect the childrens mental health, to me its a total no-brainer.............

I wish they'd give us some more data on it.

On the face of it, Kids, especially under 11s aren't getting sick from Covid, and don't easily spread it.

Are Teachers getting Covid at a higher rate than the rest of the public? They don't seem to be locally at least.

I can't help but think that this has come about because of the Public Sector pay freeze and Teachers not being put into the Phase 1 vaccine role-out rather than their occupation being anymore risky than any other.

It’s nothing to do with pay.

Are Teachers getting Covid at a higher rate than the rest of the public? They don’t seem to be locally at least.

Again it's anedcdote, but my sister (school office staff) and sister-in-law (school lab tech) both caught it last month. Probably the new variant in my sister's case as she's in the SE and the whole family caught it immediately.

Nobody else I know personally has had it for ages.

Nothing from my Daughter's school yet - but today is an INSET day.
Fingers crossed that we get an email today at some point.
Although fully prepared to keep her off if needed - she really doesn't want to go, she's really worried about getting it and passing it on to us & grandparents - to the point that she has been in tears for the last couple of days.
They keep saying school is best place for children's mental health - not for my daughter it isn't....

Fully support the teachers in taking a stand.

PJay - that is not right. My 6 year old caught it at school (from her after school club teacher) and then infected my wife, her sister, me and her best friend. The best friend has now infected her family.

I can’t help but think that this has come about because of the Public Sector pay freeze and Teachers not being put into the Phase 1 vaccine role-out rather than their occupation being anymore risky than any other

You should probably lay off the Toby Young tweets.

But it’s disgraceful that there is literally no weight in the discussion about teacher safety. And precious little about the dangers of kids bringing it home.

Agreed, this is the only discussion we should be having, frankly.

I think the fact that local councils, education authorities and schools who are in a position to act unilaterally have all done so

Like in March, a lot of businesses who could acted much quicker than the government. They should be ashamed of the results big their continuous inaction.

Agree with masks - my lads college have been in masks at all times indoors, along with a lot of other restrictions, but are apparently one of the few places in the county that have remained open full time. Might have only delayed the inevitable, might have 20% off isolating at a time, but worked better for him there than his friends elsewhere.

Chaos here in Greater Manchester. We got email at tea time yesterday to say school closed until further notice (quite right).

Primary 1/4 mile away open. Primary 1/2 mile away closed.

Seems a similar story across the county judging by the MEN.

So avoidable and so stupid. Anyone can see that this was coming and is necessary.

On the face of it, Kids, especially under 11s aren’t getting sick from Covid, and don’t easily spread it.

Not convinced that the second half of this statement was ever that reliable, and there is specific evidence of increased transmissibility among younger age groups related to the new variant. If you consider that cases rose significantly in parts of the SE during the November lockdown (where schools were open, but pretty much everything else shut), then the idea that younger children are increasingly a vector for household transmission has to be considered. Add to that the issue of increased viral load associated with the variant (each infected person delivers more virus to the surroundings), then the likelihood of more serious illness in adults mixing with these children could well be higher.

It's not proven, obviously, but proving it would involve sending the kids back in Tiers 3 and 4 and waiting to see if case growth continues unabated.

Kids need to go to school, but kids also benefit from healthy parents and teachers to help them at some point in the future. The 'schools are safe for kids' line trotted out by ministers winds me up no end.

And the idea that teachers are best placed to roll out mass testing of pupils safely is ludicrous. The government is cynically exploiting teachers who desperately want to do the best for their pupils, and compromising everyone's safety in the process.

Meant to have a training day today but had an email yesterday morning to say that they were reviewing what was happening and followed it up in the afternoon to confirm school would be closing. We're in York where rates are steadily increasing so to be honest, I'm glad to have the kids at home.

Baffled why this is still even a debate.

Baffled? Have you seen the way this government has lurched from one wrong decision to another especially in the last 10 months?

Agree another full national lockdown will work, but only if it is enforced. Proper fines for people breaking the rules. Maybe a percentage of salary, and community service.

I've been saying this for months. Army/police enforced lockdown, get rid of it whilst everyone gets the vaccine or at least a certain %age of the population and close the ****ing borders. A huge part of the issue was because Boris basically opened up the country in the summer. Go out and stuff your faces with half price meals, jet off to Ibiza in a metal cylinder with a few hundred other people who could have it etc.

Go full lockdown again, get rid of it.

Thanks to everybody being understanding. Having had tested positive at my 4th attempt back in September, it has been a sore one just seeing the folk kicking the crap out of my profession without understanding the reality of what schools have been like. It is really nice to see folk supporting us.

Go full lockdown again, get rid of it.

too late. covid is now endemic in the population. All we can do is slow infection rates and even to do that requires very restrictive measures

So 2021 starts as 2020 ended. With complete chaos. Once again the government's failure to (or refusal to) get a grip on the situation has led to the inevitable.

They've now lost all authority and trust and I think everyone is just going to make their own decisions from here on in.

it has been a sore one just seeing the folk kicking the crap out of my profession without understanding the reality of what schools have been like.

I think most right-thinking people are very much on your side. Unfortunately, I also think that this right-wing populist government and their cheerleaders in the press are using this as an 'opportunity' to further their culture war and cast this as being the fault of 'lefty' unions

I wish they’d give us some more data on it.

On the face of it, Kids, especially under 11s aren’t getting sick from Covid, and don’t easily spread it.

Are Teachers getting Covid at a higher rate than the rest of the public? They don’t seem to be locally at least.

Presumably, if that data existed in any vaguely credible form relevant to new-variant covid we'd have has a "next slide please" presentation to convince the public and media that it was fine and guilt the teachers back. In fact, Borris and Gavin would presumably have been desperate to show that they were putting education first whilst Scotland's first minister was ignoring the long term well being of children despite having lower covid levels.

I can’t help but think that this has come about because of the Public Sector pay freeze and Teachers not being put into the Phase 1 vaccine role-out rather than their occupation being anymore risky than any other.

Even if it was - it would probably be reasonable! Why would we think nurses should be given PPE (eventually), a (paltry) payrise and be a relatively high priority for a vaccine but teachers would not. Its frankly bonkers that you wouldn't vaccinate people based on the number of contacts they are required to have in the course of running the country (I'd add police officers, prison staff, social workers) etc to that list - exactly when you pop them in the queue might be a valid debate, but suggesting its not a valid criteria rather than age and health conditions alone is undermined by (quite reasonably) proving vaccines to healthcare staff.

Are Teachers getting Covid at a higher rate than the rest of the public? They don’t seem to be locally at least.

* Anecdote alert * Mrs Pondo's school has had few teachers out with Covid, but one of her friend's schools has had 45 teachers out - that's more teachers than Mrs Pondo's school has! Most of her colleagues at other schools have had closures.

* Anecdote alert * too

My daughter's school (Greater Manchester) were at the point a week before shutting for Christmas where they were right on the limit of being able to remain open they had so many teachers off with Covid

I wish we had a like button for Binners post at the top of the previous page. gave me a good laugh