Teachers have expressed their “disappointment” and “frustration” that “bubbles” at their schools have “burst” after little more than a week of being fully reopened.
Dozens of teachers liked and retweeted a Twitter poll posted by Leeds primary head Chris Dyson, in which he asked: “Have you had to burst a bubble yet?” - and almost a fifth of the 5,300 respondents said bubbles at their school had burst.
As we start week 2 of the FULL reopening of schools... Have you had to burst a bubble yet? We are a NO but I would be interested to see the UK figures (I will repeat the Q next Monday and the following Monday)
- Chris Dyson FCCT (@chrisdysonHT) March 15, 2021
@head_undercover said: “Can I click yes twice?? 2 bubbles down already. 1 on full school return. Another today. Devastating and frustrating in equal measures.”
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Teacher @sezziemc said: “Having sent students home today, I am the most depressed I’ve been over the past year. 1,300 students crammed in a building; not much mask wearing in lessons; internal classrooms without ventilation. Feels like groundhog dog day/year.”
Latest Department for Education (DfE) figures show at least 85 per cent of pupils attended schools last week when all were due back in school after lockdown for the first time.
But the figures also show 33,000 pupils were self-isolating due to potential contact with a coronavirus case inside their school and that a further 31,000 were self-isolating because of potential contact with a case outside of school.
A further 2,000 pupils were out of school because it was closed owing to Covid.
@NonymousTeacher said, in response to the poll, that no bubbles had yet burst at her school but added: “I’m expecting a bubble to burst any day as our school are not following Covid regs and some staff are mixing bubbles and holding singing assemblies.”
@hannahjruth, a drama and personal, social, health and economic education coordinator in a therapeutic residential school, said: “We were fully open throughout all lockdown and have only had 3 bubbles burst in the whole of COVID. I think we’ve been really lucky by the sounds of it!”
DfE guidance says schools should manage pupils in consistent groups or “bubbles” thereby minimising the number of contacts with other pupils and staff.
The DfE has been contacted for comment.
