Why couldn’t he do that yesterday?

Two GSs, Y8 and Y11, have both started remote learning today. I have seen the email sent to parents and I can't make head nor tail of the jargon, but my DS and his partner have been through it all before and so have the boys who seem to understand what to do and how to do it. I am on call in case something is too hard to understand - please may I be excused from Maths? My impressions are that the school has a contingency system and lessons ready to go on line. I hope all schools are as well organised.
Most disturbing is the news that external exams are to be cancelled again and this will affect my Y11 GS and my GD who is in Y13 in a different school.

Well said Mawbe. And yet many people on social media still ranting about teachers or teachers unions. I would have hated to have to suddenly turn my style of teaching into online classes, it is not easy!

??Luckygirl
I wonder how many people outside education are aware of the stress and anxieties, not to mention physical exhaustion that teachers etc are evidencing?
I spent Sunday and yesterday morning with my D who is a secondary maths teacher and saw how the messages from her school were coming through every few minutes as the Head tried to make contingency plans for this week. She doesn’t work Mondays but was in a virtual (Zoom ) staff briefing at 8.30 yesterday morning , followed by a Teams planning session (which was why I stayed on to look after the children) and then SIL took over at 12 so that she could plan the entire Y7 online lessons for this week in the afternoon . She will be on a rota with other staff and also of course in school for the students who will be attending - vulnerable or key workers’ children and she like the other staff will continue to be exposed to the virus.
The grandchildren’s school was still scheduled to be open when I left so they were supposed to be looking out uniform, PE kits etc but of course that is all back in the melting pot.
To be fair, many schools would have had an INSET day yesterday so the children were at home, but oh the frustration of a planning day only to have the goalposts moved after you have finished! I can only think they were juggling several plans A, B and C .
Anybody who thinks that “closing the schools” is simply that needs to look closer- we are not talking empty buildings and staff WFH but a difficult balance of face to face and virtual education, by staff who are juggling their own childcare and depleted staff numbers with their own or family Covid infection.

I thought I heard him say nurseries and early years learning would still be accessible but my grandkids primary includes a nursery part and that is all closed apparently ?

Another one saying thanks to Luckygirl for her post.
I've just complained on another thread about the shambolic mismanagement by this government.
So many excited, happy young primary school children back in school yesterday. Their parents will have to find the lease scary way of explaining why they'll be out of school for weeks. The decision should have been made before they went back as it was so obvious to everyone, except it seems Mr J and his equally hopeless education minister.

I echo everything said by Ashcombe. My DD is a Deputy Head too in a Primary school, and she has worked so hard these past few months to help keep the school safe, but it's a near impossible task with younger children, plus some parents don't exactly help.

I echo those who have said “Excellent post Luckygirl “ Factual and fair. I shall keep a copy for any future nonsense about schools being unprepared, lazy teachers etc.

I bumped into someone who still works in a school, as a year head in a pastoral role, she looked completely exhausted, stressed and drawn, and that was before the term supposedly started again.

Sunday Johnson said that schools were safe and parents should send their children if they were open in their area. Monday national lockdown. It feels like the government don't know what they are doing from one day to the next. Impossible to have any confidence in this government or the decision making process.

Can’t believe some on here blame schools and teachers - it was this shambolic government lurching from one set of rules to another, despite all the red flags and warning bells that schools wouldn’t cope with rising levels of sickness plus being expected to do mass testing with no support. If this government really values schools, then teachers should be high on the list for the vaccine alongside other key workers.

Well said Luckygirl.

It's complicated where the vulnerable and key workers' children are concerned. No personal experience but my DD2 is the DH in a large Primary School. Not all such pupils attend school every day in lockdown, especially where key worker parents work shifts. (eg NHS staff)
They have to liaise with the school over their shifts so that bubbles and teaching staff can be timetabled, leaving other staff to prepare and oversee online work for the larger number working at home. At least one member of staff per Key Stage should be available throughout the teaching day to deal with queries from pupils (probably online).
Where children do not have access to a printer at home, the school prepares work packs for the parents to collect. There is also admin connected with provision of free meals, including (last time) the school kitchen providing food which is delivered by senior staff, if parents can't (or fail to) collect.

Excellent post, Luckygirl ???

Schools were absolutely safe yesterday. That was what Johnson said to Marr. Emphatically.

Why aren't they safe today?

Or could it be that they weren't safe yesterday but the lies are automatic.

We don't have a leader. This is not just appalling, it's very frightening.

Urmstongran - I am school governor. Let me assure you that we knew nothing at all in advance - certainly not in time to make proper preparations. The reason that the plans for the children of key workers are not in place is because we are waiting for the government's new rules about who this covers. It is likely not to be known till midnight.

The staff have been making preparations for the children's safe return to school today; and now they have to change all their plans and create an efficient home learning system in the blink of an eye.

It is utter madness that the government was reassuring everyone that school return was safe just a few days ago (did anyone really believe them?) and sent the children back for ONE DAY - time enough to exchange a few bugs, and then close the schools. It is total lunacy and we are being governed by a bunch of idiots. The children had been apart for over 2 weeks and it was a golden opportunity to maintain that distancing and help break the spread - but they sent them back for one day.........I am speechless; and furious.

I know what a strain this will place on school staff; and I know how difficult it has been to get children in the mood for school after the Christmas break and parents will have to now backtrack on all their encouragement to get the children back to school - my GC were a bit reluctant to go back, but came out all smiles after a great day at school and now are being told it is all off.

The actions of the government have been the height of irresponsibility and I am appalled.

And if I hear one more word against the teachers I will scream - I know what is going on from the inside and the toll on their health and well-being is enormous. And these are dedicated professionals who really care about their work and the children in their care.

Grumble about this situation by all means; but direct complaints to those who have bungled and mishandled their response to this pandemic from day one.

I don’t usually carp about last minute decisions - we’re in a rapidly changing situation and the powers that be have to react accordingly. But letting so many children go back for one day was ridiculous. Apart from upsetting the children and causing all sorts of problems for staff, we’ll now have grandparents looking after DGS who may have been exposed to the virus today. Brilliant.

Yes, apologies.

I’m tired and should take myself off to bed instead of fault finding.

I’d have thought my grandchildren’s school would have had a list from the last lockdown and have asked parents for confirmation. The school had an inset day today.

If they weren’t sure, why not delay the opening ?

Hear hear Grannyrose. Thoughtless.

Urmstongran

We bubble for childcare. Their school will decide tomorrow who needs to be on the list of children of key workers (our daughter as she will be in work teaching other key workers children). Their school had an inset day today. Surely be mid afternoon when the schools knew this was happening the list ought to have been ready? Nothing on their website tonight. I feel sorry for the parents with no back up who have to tell their employers.

Another fine mess Stanley.

Cannot believe you are having a go at schools with all that they are trying to deal with. It’s not long since schools were threatened with legal action if they didn’t open. Come on,

He simply waits to see what others are doing and reacts accordingly. Exactly. He said he knew Scotland agreed. Well yes, she'd already made the decision that he followed.

I don't think anyone is blaming the schools this time. It is outrageous that this has been so last minute. My daughter will have two confused little boys to deal with in the morning who both had a lovely day at school today. It is just so insensitive of Boris and so unnecessary too - he's known for weeks this was a possibility. Why on earth did he let schools open today?

The schools didn’t know today! Don’t blame them please

midgey - he's somehow made it look like he's been reluctantly forced into taking these drastic measures, all at the last minute.

Of course, anyone with a brain realised they were needed well before Christmas. We still await the death toll from those celebrations.

Some schools made the decision for themselves today. My grandchildren are at school in Cumbria. It was an inset day for them today and parents were notified at midday that school would remain closed.