School called, said DS11 not socially distancing over weekend, is excluded, but it never happened!

[MinecraftMother]

Sorry for the long thread title.

I'm at my desk today and the deputy head of my DS11's school calls me.

She said that they've been made aware that he was not practising social distancing this weekend and so would not be allowed to attend school until next Monday.

The thing is, he's been with me, in our home all weekend and we've not been anywhere. Sure, dog walks, but they believe he's been gaming and had a sleepover somewhere.

I'm trying to figure out where this story of him spending THE WEEKEND (!!) at his friends' house has come from, but tomorrow morning, can they refuse to take him?

He, like all our kids, really needs to go to school. For his sake, and frankly for all our sakes. We have two younger kids and two frantic full time jobs, for the minute 😔

I told his teacher that it wasn't true. He was with me all weekend and we practiced good social distancing, at all times well within the law. She said she'd have a word with the head and come back to me. I haven't heard anything else - but her call was towards the end of the day.

Poor thing. Imagine having to make those calls and then reaching me with my absolute denial. What a position teachers have found themselves in. I really feel for them.

Anyway, the truth is he's been perfect, what if tomorrow they will not take him? I'm already taking DD9 to the office with me 😆 I can't bring another!!

Parents are going to send vulnerable to shielding kids in , of course they are. Kids with diabetes, asthma should be able to attend school in a safe environment.

*vulnerable not shielding .

Ask for everything in writing and reply in writing.

He won't have been excluded.

FFS. School is completely out of order by the sounds of it.

The other boys' mam isn't anywhere near the school. Her boys are in the year below and they've technically left already to go to the local private. So she has no contact with them, and nor do her boys. She's a friend and messaged me tonight laughing about getting caught, three months too late 😆

It's definitely an exclusion. She said it on the phone and although I cannot get the Covid safe guarding appendix thing they sent today, I'm nearly 100% sure they lost weekends spent not social distancing will lead to exclusion for 7 days. Or maybe 5, I'll check.

You'd have thought they'd call to hear my side of the story!

Also, maybe my boy's dates and days are all rolling into one, like mine are!! It's probably him who piped up,
Telling his class about his amazing weekend 🙄🥴

That's awful.
You should definitely complain regarding their lack of fact checking. Ask the school how they determine whether a complaint is real or vexatious. If they say they'll automatically believe any anonymous rumour then surely that should be in their policy.

I have been meaning to ask other parents - have your primaries been calling you? Welfare checks/making sure mum's not drinking at 9am and daddy's not gone bankrupt?

We've had no correspondence or call from them.

I did wonder if this might be a local policy. It’s not something I’ve heard about.

We too have been following the rules with all 3 due back shortly. What worries me are those not socially distancing and not following the rules being allowed into school.

It’s like a game of cat and mouse.

And the teachers playing investigator and magistrate. An impossible position for them.

The law on exclusions has not changed other than arrangements for virtual meetings. He has been sent home same as any ill or potentially ill child to isolate. The issue is where has this info come from and the steps taken to verify it.

My children have also been gaming with friends This weekend ONLINE. And they had a sleep over on friday too ONLINE. It involved them all playing roblox and FaceTiming until late. They could easily tell someone prying that they were ganing and had a sleep over, and miss out the online bit

I can't believe that teachers don't seem to know what gaming means. All the kids are gaming with each other - from their own houses!

There might be all sorts of reasons for medically vulnerable kids/adults to be in school e.g.domestic violence, parents not coping etc.

Presumably Dr & nurses & other keyworkers are sending their children to school? What an unnecessary fuss school are making.

Children with mild asthma and diabetes allowed in school so by vulnerable she probably meant those children.

Still take him in this morning and like you said, tell them they are mistaken.

Bet the person is a union rep....

There’s always one

I would be saying to them that it is incorrect and I would be bringing him in as usual and if they said no, would be asking if they were calling me a liar? I cant believe you are so calm about this. I would be raging if a teacher told me, where they thought my ds was and they were wrong. I'd be saying , are you telling me that I didn't know where my 11 year old was all weekend? He was with me, that's a fact, and hes coming into school! Dont accuse me of lying.

This is bonkers. My dd saw her friend, who is now back at school last Friday in our garden. Im wondering now if there is a similar policy in other schools.

I hope that your son is in school this morning!

what a load of fuss, when you consider what's been happening with beaches etc in the news recently and lack of s/d

@MinecraftMother Did they take him?