Anyone else finding it hard watching other children go to school?

[Uptonogoodtoo]

I understand that children of key workers and selected years are back at school and have been back a while. But it’s difficult watching them go past in their school uniform when my 6yo has been stuck at home. She can even hear them playing at playtime from out garden. I do hope when schools go back in September, there is a level playing field again. So key workers no longer get priority, particularly now only one parent has to be a key worker regardless of whether their partner works or not.

I will add my dh and I are both working full time from home. So it has been difficult and can’t spend as much time with dd as is needed.

Yeah, it sucks. DS is an only child so being off school means he's had hardly any company from children his age. Roll on September.

I imagine it is hard for children missing school to see some of their friends going there where they can’t.

I think there has been issues the other way too though. My friends kids (both parents nurses) have been at school 4 days a week throughout lockdown. They’ve been unhappy at going into school when there friends have been home. Their oldest was quite angry about it.

I think lots of kids and parents are struggling at the moment. Can’t wait for some normality to return.

I do hope when schools go back in September, there is a level playing field again. So key workers no longer get priority

That depends on whether you want essential services to run I suppose. I agree that two essential workers (like my house, yes I'm biased) should get priority but not one of a couple.

We have opened for all year groups (because we have the space and the staffing), on a 2 week rota. I would say that only just over half of parents have elected to put their child's name down though.

It is hard. My three have been off throughout, they're all quite anxious children and I think they will struggle in September when it's time to go back.

Other kids who haven't had such a long break from school may not be feeling as anxious I think.

Did you speak to the school about it? As we are not technically key workers, but both working, the school gave us places for our children a few weeks ago. Obviously if the school is already at capacity it isn't an option, the places are discretionary though.

I did speak to the school. They say they are at capacity with the bubble and key workers children. It is frustrating that a child of a key worker is going full time because they can even though the partner is furloughed at home.

Yes I feel really sad when I see local children in their uniform around the village getting ice cream after school etc. Just sad for my DD’s stuck at home and out of their routine. So many missing out on their fun end of term activities etc. It’s just shit all round.

What "fun, end-of-term activities" do you mean? The vast majority of those are not taking place.

I agree. I think it would have been better for children to ask schools to set up a rota of part time schooling for small groups of children of all year groups. The decision to choose just certain year groups was a mistake. Even one day a week would have been preferable. I teach a year 6 bubble and I feel desperately sorry for the children whose parents either chose not to send them back and for those in other year groups who didn't get that opportunity.

Why do you automatically feel sorry for the children whose parents chose not to send them back? Those kids may well be fine with (and involved with) the decision.

Completely agree with @cansu . I’m teaching Y1 and it’s awful when all the glum-looking siblings come along at collection time. I feel so sorry for them, I wish we could have got all children back even just for a few days. It is looking optimistic for September though, we’ve certainly planned for all children to be back.

Yes, DS in Year 1 who I can easily educate at home gets to go back alternate weeks and DS in Year 4 just diagnosed with SEN and with anxiety who really needs support won't be back until at least September.

Its pretty shit but then what do you expect from this government? Almost none of them went to state schools themselves, let alone working in one.

I hope you’re right @CallmeAngelina - there are some I’m more worried about than others tbh. I really hope they’re all okay when they do come back.

Yes. My two have been going every Thurs as keyworker kids (so in a random bubble and with none of their friends or teachers) but they don't like it. They say it makes them more sad because when they're at school it makes them realise how much they miss it, their friends, their teachers

They're Yr1 (but not invited back due to size of year group) and Yr4 and are so fed up and desperate to go back.

I think it's sad for the year groups that thought they were going back in June (rec, Yr 1 and 6) that then were told that there was no room for them in school.

Yes, I was so glad I hadn't actually told ds2 he was going back on 1st June when it was announced. I had a feeling he wouldn't be. And not sure I'd have actually sent him back anyway, as would've left ds1 (yr4) alone all day whilst both his keyworker parents worked from home.

Agree - we have two kids that live opposite and they trot past every day. Parents go back to work from home.
Our children are so sad and fed up. We have both be WFH full time and I don't want to say what I do for a living but hilariously I'm not a keyworker despite being critical to COVID response and having to work on a daily basis with key workers whose actual job is to engage with me...

One of our local schools is having all year groups back for the last week. They are splitting the classes in half and each child gets a morning or afternoon session everyday day next week. I think that is really good. I too hope September brings every child back, however, I don't begrudge keyworker children a bit of special treatment, even if only one parent is working. We have needed them and they have been at risk.

In Wales it's a rota of all year groups in, split into thirds or quarters, in for, mostly, one day a week. It's working well that the children have been able to have a few days back in school, but it's not really teaching still. It's more a way of checking on wellbeing, supporting the continuing online learning and spending a lot of time being active.

60% of my DDs Y3 class are apparently key workers’ children, several of whom have a SAHM and one (allegedly) key worker parent who have completely exaggerated their key worker status eg an accountant claiming to work in financial services, someone who works for a payday loan company, someone who is a lawyer in a town planning team...incredibly selfish behaviour

My Dd was really struggling being at home especially as she is an only child. Her school have managed to get every child back in all years who wanted to go back.

Each class was split in half and one group does the am and go home at lunch, the class is cleaned and the second half go in in the pm. They manage Literacy, numeracy + one other subject each day and it has made the world of difference to DD. Each class has one set of toilets and taps to use and only one child at a time in the block and they are cleaned regularly. They've done a brilliant job and it's such a shame other schools haven't managed something similar for those who want it.

We're lucky in that all children have gone back part time at our primary school. But my secondary school daughter isn't going back until September so it's hard for her

It’s appalling that some children are back over others. Two key workers? Fine. One key worker and one stay at home or furloughed parent? They should be embarrassed. Not embarassed at sending their child to school but embarassed at claiming a key worker place and preventing schools from offering provision to children in the specified year groups or all year groups on a rota. The government made a huge mistake with this. All children should have been offered some part time provision instead of some children getting a special status due to only one parent’s job!