Secondary school return

This is for secondary schools only as their pupils understand social distancing. Alternate days/ rotating days/ rotating years for subjects with two classes used per subject to maintain distancing by reducing class sizes. Teachers move between classes rather than pupils. Packed lunches only ( unless hub schools with kitchens open) Controlled & signed entry & exit doors. Hand sanitizer in each door, including classrooms. Toilets, controlled and cubicles only. All facilities used cleaned after each day. Shorter breaks to reduce time in schools, but this will still improve the current situation on the basis that 20% classtime is better than none & solely home schooling. Not all teachers required each day reducing car park & staff room usage.

Why the contribution is important

The education of people is of hugh importance for current & future motivation & achievement. A release from the current housebound homeschool environment would be beneficial to physical & mental wellbeing & 20% education by a professional is of massive benefit. A staged re-start allows all pupils to adapt to the new normal & the risk is minimised by control thus reducing likelihood of virus transition. Partial staged opening of their local and none hub schools will also allow other key workers & eventually none key workers to return to work, where they are currently restricted from doing so.

by TB37 on May 05, 2020 at 02:32PM

Current Rating

Average rating: 2.0
Based on: 4 votes

Comments

  • Posted by Laura89 May 06, 2020 at 02:20

    How would they get to the schools ?

  • Posted by Kirklistonjohn May 06, 2020 at 02:27

    Remote teaching should be increased but be more focused and teacher led - especially create the opportunity for one to one video links for tutorials between teacher and pupil. This would take the weight of parents especially key workers and those working at home and tap in to the vast teacher at home resource.

  • Posted by Acaruana01 May 06, 2020 at 08:13

    I am sorry to sound negative, but there is no way this will work. I work in a very large secondary school (>1500 pupils). By the very nature of the curriculum we cannot keep pupils in one class while teachers move to them. From s3 onwards every pupil follows their chosen courses. Secondary pupils may understand social distancing but will not follow it. As soon as they go into the corridor they will automatically group with their friends. With 1 teacher to 100 pupils (approx) this cannot be policed. We do not have the space or staff to teach smaller classes sizes. This has been an ongoing issue in schools for years. We cannot create the space or staff that are required for this. Social distancing in classrooms is impossible due to the size of the rooms. My school is in an area of significant deprivation. Packed lunches are not sufficient for pupils who may not get another meal until they are in school the next day. I have worked in various schools over the last 21 years. They have NEVER been deep cleaned. A quick wipe of the desks with a dirty cloth is all they receive because cleaners are so over-stretched. They are minimally staffed and do a fantastic job but they just don’t have the time. Will cleaners be provided with the correct ppe? Are teachers to become cleaners now? Pupil engagement with online learning has been an absolute disgrace. They will not work from home on a part-time timetable. S4- 6 must be in school full time to complete coursework. With the ridiculous workload caused by internal assessments and assignments there is no way we can have them exam-ready on a reduced number of days. Please think about removing assignments etc. All staff should be in school where their health allows. The cover situation is so bad in schools that it’s all hands on decks to ensure quality teaching occurs.m on a daily basis, never mind when some staff are shielding/self isolating. Who provides the hand sanitiser in each door, and ensures it’s kept fully stocked? The majority of classrooms don’t have hand washing facilities so sanitiser will be crucial. Will staff be expected to cover their faces to reduce transmission? If so, will pupils? What happens if they refuse? Please do not reopen until August. Bring S1&2 back in September. The pupils will cope! They are resilient but are children. They want to socialise with their friends. They do not want to be separated. School is the one place they should be able to do this! They share pens, pencils, computers etc. The issues around this are vast. Stay shut until our official opening days in August, and give the staff time to prepare to do this safely and corrrectly.
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