The Student Room Group

All schools in England set to reopen to all age groups from 8th March.

Poll

Do you feel comfortable going back to school on March 8th?

All schools are set to be opened to all age groups from the 8th March in what will be the first easing of restrictions in The Prime Minister's plan to lift England's restrictions. All schools will also open with outdoor after-school sports and activities allowed. In wider easing on the 8th of March, recreation in a public space will be allowed between two people, meaning you would be allowed to sit down for a coffee, drink or picnic.

This has now been confirmed by Boris Johnson to MP's.

Currently students, teachers and others have a mixed reaction, with some teacher unions and politicians wanting a phased return of key age groups (such as Y11 and Y13) first, such as the approach taken in both Scotland and Wales. To go alongside this reopening of schools, all secondary and further education students will be tested twice weekly. Breakfast and after school clubs will also be reopened.

With schools set to open now in just two weeks, the DFE and Ofqual are expected to layout how GCSE, A-level and Vocational Qualifications are to be awarded this year later on in the week. We will obviously update TSR as soon as there is news, so watch this space!

How are you feeling about the news? Although we have heard from politicians and teacher representatives about their thoughts on the safety of this plan, if you're a student who is now set to go back, do you feel safe doing so? Are you relieved to finally be going back or does the prospect of a full student cohort return make you slightly nervous? Are there any questions that you still have about your imminent return?

A few things have been mentioned in the wider media about these announcements but were not specifically reference by Boris Johnson, which included:

There will be mass Covid testing in secondary schools - with parents expected to carry out the testing at home, after three tests in school.


Face masks will also be required in some secondary school classrooms.


Schools will be able to decide a phased return during the first week if needed.


Update from Gavin Williamson - 24th Feb 2021


200m available for secondary school summer schools with schools being allowed to target students who are in need.

Face coverings should be worn in secondary school settings unless social distancing can be maintained.

Staggered starts and finishing times may be implemented along with increased ventilation.

Information about grading will be announced tomorrow, but they are fully putting their trust in the hands of teachers.



Link to story: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/news/coronavirus-education-help-and-advice/what-will-school-be-like-when-it-starts-again-in

The school coronavirus operational guidance has now also been published for anyone that fancies a long read: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/963509/Schools_coronavirus_operational_guidance.pdf

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(edited 3 years ago)

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It does not make sense. The cases are still high, there are several new strains and we are yet to vaccinate all teachers. We will only be going back for 2-3 weeks before we're off for 2 weeks when the Easter Holidays begin. If we held off until then the cases would be lower and we would have had the opportunity to ensure that more teachers are vaccinated. I want schools to be opened as soon as possible but opening too soon will lead to another lockdown. Even if there isn't a fourth lockdown students will be forced to learn from home if they come into contact with any positive cases. This leads to a disparity in learning. We will suffer in the long-term because of this decision.
They'll open for 3 weeks, realise their mistake and close again till summer. I don't mind one super long lockdown, just make sure they get it right for once please!
I think there's no point risking opening schools only for cases to rise again; instead, I'd much prefer going back to school after the Easter holidays when more teachers have been vaccinated.
I wonder on what logical basis are they using to support the return of all students to school rather than a phased return :laugh: Tbh if I get covid, I get it, it's more the fact of stopping the chain of transmission
I don't get how it is fair to reopen schools fully when they still haven't vaccinated the high risk or the teachers. My dad has bad asthma, diabetes and heart disease along with other issues and he is still waiting for his vaccine. My mum works in a primary school and poses a great risk to my dad. It's so stressful for me. I understand how working from home can negatively impact some student's mental health but nobody talks about how going back in full could cause great anxiety and stress to a family like mine. It's like my family is living under a rock and nobody can see us. I don't think we've ever been so stressed
Reply 6
have they not learned anything from the spike in cases in september?
I second what JakeStarn1 says.
I'm also worried because I have asthma and we've been told that we're more likely to get long covid and have covid symptoms, but they just removed most of us from group 6 unless we meet some very specific standards that barely anyone meets. So now most moderate to severe asthmatics have to wait to get their vaccine with all the healthy people in their age group, which is nuts, because they literally told us we are more likely to have long lasting problems. A small cold wipes me out for months and I can barely go a second without coughing when I have one- I've never had flu as I've had the jab my whole life- so why do they think it's fine to not vaccinate me for covid??
But here's the catch. Only 18+ year olds are being given the vaccine under the vaccination system, and I am recently turned 17, this means that I will ot get the vaccine for another year, until I turn 18, which terrifies me.
Combining this with the fact that covid cases are wayyy to high for schools to reopen and no one at school takes any social distancing seriously, I am not ready to go back at all.
(Also I love athletics as my name says and run a lot (weirdly enough running improves my asthma according to the sports specialist I saw) and long covid could completely wipe all of that out forever (I compete seriously so it would wreck me)
Yep I feel comfortable but idk why they aren't doing a phased return.
Original post by ILikeAthletics
I second what JakeStarn1 says.
I'm also worried because I have asthma and we've been told that we're more likely to get long covid and have covid symptoms, but they just removed most of us from group 6 unless we meet some very specific standards that barely anyone meets. So now most moderate to severe asthmatics have to wait to get their vaccine with all the healthy people in their age group, which is nuts, because they literally told us we are more likely to have long lasting problems. A small cold wipes me out for months and I can barely go a second without coughing when I have one- I've never had flu as I've had the jab my whole life- so why do they think it's fine to not vaccinate me for covid??
But here's the catch. Only 18+ year olds are being given the vaccine under the vaccination system, and I am recently turned 17, this means that I will ot get the vaccine for another year, until I turn 18, which terrifies me.
Combining this with the fact that covid cases are wayyy to high for schools to reopen and no one at school takes any social distancing seriously, I am not ready to go back at all.
(Also I love athletics as my name says and run a lot (weirdly enough running improves my asthma according to the sports specialist I saw) and long covid could completely wipe all of that out forever (I compete seriously so it would wreck me)

nope 17 year olds are allowed the vaccine I think. It's under 16's that aren't having it I think although I could be wrong.
Agree with the fact schools are reopening to support the education. Yet, uncertain about the number of students that will crowd the schools and not and will most likely not follow the rules.
Original post by Imane888
nope 17 year olds are allowed the vaccine I think. It's under 16's that aren't having it I think although I could be wrong.

We are allowed it but we aren't in the vaccination programme, so we will never get it, until we fall into the 18+ age group category. We are only certified to have the pfizer vaccine and they said 16-17 is too big a group, particularly when most people won't be badly affected by covid.
teacher strike or another spike?
Original post by 1hhh
teacher strike or another spike?

Most likely both. (imo)
Original post by mra1108
Most likely both. (imo)

My teachers are not that happy, they all think it's madness. It is madness tho ngl.
This is so ridiculous it almost brings me to tears at how idiotic this government is. This government clearly has not learnt any lessons and is bowing to pressure from their libertarian ideologues who are upset over their FrEeDomS being curbed in the name of, god forbid, saving lives. I cannot fathom how opening schools up for a bunch of Year 9s and year groups who can cope with online learning over Year 11s and Year 13s who need to be assessed is a good idea.

I am happy for the government to open up schools for two months and close them again if they do not put in ridiculous expectations of assessments - but no they want their cake and to eat it. Frankly, this is a poorly thought out idea and I would like to see which medical advisors says this was a good idea. Surely, I know I am a lowly citizen, if we are opening up schools like this then we ought to not open anything else up, ie. no meeting in public places? This STINKS of making the same mistake twice and I am tired of it. Is this government seriously wanting us to end up in a 4th lockdown?
Reply 16
They should do it so only exam years have to come in, having Year 1-10 and 12 in is going to be too much a risk
Original post by dylgeo
They should do it so only exam years have to come in, having Year 1-10 and 12 in is going to be too much a risk

in my opinion yr10,yr11,yr12,yr13 should be in school,the rest should wait.
-yr 10s are going to their gcses in the following year their gcses will most likely go on)
-yr 11 have their gcses (which are cancelled)
-yr 12s are missing out on so much which they will need to complete for their a levels (which are going to go on)
-yr 13 are going into uni
i think imna wear masks all the time
SAGE literally told them not to, Boris is an idiot

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