To feel saddened and guilty that my (keyworker) child does not do the set class learning whilst attending school?

[WishIWasARunner]

DS (4) attends school as I am full time keyworker. i have some time off this week and have been following the class set online learning. It became apparent we couldn't do various things as needed to do the preceeding work over past few weeks. I presumed he would be following his class learning while attending school. I checked in and was told they have Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 in together so not following the online learning. Not only do I feel guilty for putting him in school, but to add to it I now know he's not following his class learning which puts him at disadvantage

@Weregoingonanadventure - August born in England will start school at just turned 4 and not turn 5 until the end of their first summer holiday.

@WishIWasARunner, while I agree in principle, at primary level there simply are not enough staff to teach across 7 year groups. At secondary school it is easier as they put all the kids on PC's and they do the set work. I'm finding it challenging enough at home with 4 dc, 3 year groups and 2 key stages.

He really won't be falling behind. What parents and children are doing at home is very varied in my experience. We are monitoring numbers and can see that it does vary day on day who is accessing the learning platform, or the other english and maths sites.

We have been told not to really set new work, as in teach new concepts, via home learning. It is more consolidation and increasing the width of knowledge.

At our school the class is a mixed reception to Year 2 at present, with two members of staff per 8 children/classroom. The children are not being set 'class work' as such. It is childcare rather than school.

They do have iPads at certain points in the day and can access the home learning platform but we have discovered, due to the school broadband filtering, they can't access all the videos. For longer videos we can't solve that issue. They can also choose to use the other websites we have suggested.

In class the activities are sometimes based on the home learning and at others based on the interests of the children in and/or the teaching staff in. For example this week the children have done shape work (what the home learning its is based on this week) and they are also doing some planting and learning about seeds, plants and growing, etc. as that is one of the interests of the teacher in - they are using the school garden to do this.

He would still be too young to be in primary 1 (reception) in Scotland. I didnt realise English kids started earlier than Scottish.
Here, if you turn five between September and February, then you will start school at 4 and then 5 by February. If you turn 5 between march and August then you start school after turning 5, because otherwise you'd spend the whole of primary 1 aged 4 and that's too young up here.

My 5 year old is in Foundation very little stuff sent home bit of practising letter formation. Your child will probably develop more through socialising with the other kids at school, mine is from playing with her big sister. Please please don't worry. More important to do some reading with them daily. Ask the school is the can practise writing/letter formation/numbers with some of the bigger kids who will probably like doing some "teaching".

Because presumably the OP isn't in Scotland! In England, most children start school in the September when they are 4, and will turn 5 in the year Sept 1-Aug 31. So the OP's son has until Aug 31 to turn 5.

OP, at this age, I really wouldn't worry. He will be benefiting from the social aspects as much as anything, especially if he's an only child. Do some reading with him when you can, some simple number bonds if he wants.

My reception aged child isn't doing much if that's any help. And we're doing our best to homeschool. Just keep getting him to read, count and do a bit of writing and he'll be fine.

Teach him to read and some basic number sense—he'll be miles ahead of the others by the time he goes back to school.

He’s 4. He will be fine and won’t be at a disadvantage because guess what? Every other child in the country is in the same boat basically.

@Weregoingonanadventure England is not the same as Scotland. In the normal course of events all reception year children start in September. This is the cohort who have their fifth birthday between 1 September and 31 August; so OP's child has another 131 days to have his birthday in.

I believe that they have introduced a system to defer starting school for the summer-born children (as it's not legally compulsory to start until the term after your 5th birthday) - not sure whether this puts them permanently into a younger cohort or whether they just don't do Reception.

oh, cross-post with a whole load of people. I really must try to be more concise.

YABU, the school are providing childcare whilst you work and it's free.

I think you need to chill. He is 4.

Besides, many other children cannot do home learning either. I WFH and have no time to home school. many parents are in s similar boat. you just do what you can do. it's really not a big deal esp for a child on reception.

Firstly for all the people working in schools in these trying times.
As others have said it was made clear that schooling in the present setting would only be basic childcare to ensure the children are safe so their parents could work.
He's only 4 OP he has plenty of time to make up what you feel he is lacking behind.

Aged 4 I wouldn't worry a jot. He's getting the social side which is more than most of his peers are getting which is more valuable tbh. If he was 14 I'd understand your concern. Dd didn't even start school til 5 and a half

It's a huge worry to me too, OP.
The other kids are being set up for learning from home for (months? more?) and those of us still out working, our kids aren't included other than what we can manage on weekends (which means our kids won't have weekends).

If they're hoping to keep keyworkers working, this hasn't been thought through.

Last time I was in school for the children of key workers we had 4 children. A year 5, a year 6, a year 3 and a reception. How do you think you could teach the different ages? What do you think I should be teaching them?
We did craft, talked about the change of the season, looked at the leaves on the trees in the grounds and looked up what type of trees they are.
It was made clear from the start that this was child care and not teaching.
Moreover at 4 it will make very little difference.

YABU. Reception is still classed as Early Years, not Key Stage 1 with good reason.

A lot of reception is about socialisation and learning how the school environment works and trying to instil a love of learning. And in a good school, a lot of learning will be through play.

Your DS will be ahead of the other DC (if you want to look at it like that) in terms of being familiar with the school environment, and in making friends at school. He'll likely be more than ready to learn when the other DC come back.

If you read to him at night, then that'll massively support his learning.

I really wouldn't worry. As a poster above points out, if he was in Scotland he wouldn't even be in school yet.

It’s shouldn’t be a worry for anyone. Learning is not just consuming information, it’s much broader. Children ploughing through worksheets set to keep them busy, with minimal input, are not learning more than keyworker kids in school.

Read with them at weekends. Some numeracy games/activities/thinking. Done.

I have a 10 yr old. Today he did tt rock stars, and a comprehension task. He'll spend about 5 minutes on Welsh after. That's it. Oh, a bitesize history class"do I have to?" No, but I thought you might want to.learn.stuff. Kids are in the same boat. The vast majority will not be being drilled at home by parents. Especially if, like me, they're working and spending all day telling their kids to bugger off and get on.with it.

YANBU but don't worry. DS is getting good social interactions at school. That is much more important than curriculum. That'll do him more good than a lot of home schooling, especially at such a young age.

I'm very grateful for the work key workers are doing, they deserve medals, you wouldn't get me to do them.
However, you are lucky to have free childcare and are no different to anybody else struggling to educate and work.
Many are trying to do this whilst wfh, some have a sahp to be able to H.educate.
The world isn't fair, some dc haven't had a break in their learning at all, just straight to online teaching the day after lockdown, others are having nothing or not much.
use your weekend, there's no difference between weeks and weekends atm anyway, and not like you have major plans.

Last time I was in school for the children of key workers we had 4 children. A year 5, a year 6, a year 3 and a reception. How do you think you could teach the different ages? What do you think I should be teaching them?

Well, to be fair, this is precisely what most parents who are not trained or experienced teachers are now having to do. I would have thought in that scenario you could be doing exactly what a parent at home is doing - setting each child up with the work that's come online and helping as needed, doing some activities all together, and including a healthy dose of play and physical activity.

He's not even of statutory school age, and as at this moment he's missed 12 .5 days learning.

OP, release yourself of this uneccessary guilt! I promise it will be fine and he is already patently NOT disadvantaged as he has a parent who cares about his education.

As I understand it studies show (at the risk of sounding like the daily mash) only about 1/3 of kids are accessing any kind of learning atm.

Read with him if you have the energy.

Don't be daft
My DS is going in two days a week and playing with other children which is invaluable. The teachers are adapting as best they can and doing a great job.

He’s 4. He should be playing. Try not to worry.