August transitions for P7 and P1 pupils

Schools should not reopen prematurely in June. I am well aware of the importance of transitions and I think Scotland should play it safe by closing schools until the new academic year.

P7 pupils will relax more knowing that the pressure is off and they have a transition period in August coming. June will be a mad scramble to ensure that teaching staff have PPE. The summer break buys some time for the virus in Scotland to calm down.

Why the contribution is important

Scot Gov - please do the right thing. Do not reopen schools prematurely.

by Ccc1 on May 10, 2020 at 10:32AM

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Comments

  • Posted by Mitchy May 10, 2020 at 11:07

    As an educator, I believe the transition experiences are vitally important to the resilience of children. These are strange times for our children so having some kind of normality in relation to transitions and what the children will experience is key. Even if small groups of children were allocated to one nursery and teacher or on P teacher and 1S teacher to either do a virtual tour or an actual visit is vital.

  • Posted by Ccc1 May 10, 2020 at 11:26

    Couldn’t agree more!

    As a primary school P4-7 teacher myself, I would be very interested to see how P7 transitions would look/work on the ground.

    For example - would I be expected to teach my P7 children as well as provide online learning material to the rest of my class?

    The ins and outs of all of this need to be thought through with careful consideration before any kind of rushed reopening.

  • Posted by Lauri May 10, 2020 at 11:37

    Schools are empty (majority) so why not arrange transition groups of small numbers and let them have each a day or two around school using weeks we have from now until start of school year in August. Do it on a Thursday/Friday so 72hours can pass after each visit for the cleaners to go in on the Monday.
    Parents should sign up children remotely and small children nursery to P1 transition, can be walked in, contact less than 15 min and out the door. Kids stay the whole day or half day and then picked up outside. Again, cleaning and disinfection taking place 72 hours. Teachers doing transition monitoring symptoms for 14 days after visit. Use a rota of teachers each week. For younger kids, close contact would likely be required.
    All hand and resp. Hygiene precautions taken and to be used by teachers and pupils, at least older ones.
    Parents sent letter in advance with safe system of work: child comes back straight to bath, clothes and shoes washed at 60 degrees or more, then child can go back into home.
    Goes without saying anyone experiencing even mild symptoms including other households not be allowed in schools.
    Isolation kit available if someone becomes ill while at school and procedures to be followed. Every person in there is traceable, contactable. Agree in advance with parents to possibly not go out for their shopping after kid having transition day.
    There are lots if other precautions that can be taken it just needs to be properly planned.

  • Posted by gw09garciachristine May 10, 2020 at 13:07

    Re. The empty schools comment...Schools have been deep cleaned at start of lockdown and those not used as hubs are clean...so if they're unlocked to allow any people through them for whatever reason, this creates a need for cleaning again ..more personnel not staying at home when they've to go out to clean the building.

  • Posted by Louise33 May 10, 2020 at 21:33

    Transition is far more than a month
      Transition lasts a term especially for this with additional needs. You cant just cram it in, in Aug and hope for the best....it could be started now in small groups as lots of key worker kids have been together in our hub schools for 5 weeks with no issues

  • Posted by Katie May 10, 2020 at 23:44

    Return pupils in Aug to same classes and year groups and don’t move up until Sep weekend or October week.
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