Keeping children at home until September

[Witchcraftandhokum]

I work in a school and I'm seeing and hearing a lot of this both on here and in the contact I have with parents. I am worried about how we will manage social distancing and whether we will have PPE if the schools open soon, but I do appreciate the need for kids to be in school, particularly Year 6 and 10.

I also don't know how it will work if a lot of parents chose not send their kids back until September. I wonder just how many parents will do this?

So...
YABU - My kids won't be back until September.
YANBU - My kids will go back as soon as the schools open.

Tbh reception does seem incredibly random. I know a few friends who dont see the point of sending their reception age children to school for a few weeks as it's just going to cause more confusion and distress, then for example having a longer 'holiday' if albeit a strange one.

My son is in reception, he won’t be going back, I don’t see the point.

They failes to mention how people returning to work will find appropriate childcare.

Whatnametomorrow10
I keep reading these - what is the difference between say June and September? The virus isn’t going anywhere? You can catch it the same now as you would do in September?

Its not been about how you catch it, its about how you spread it.

Why the hell are reception and year 1 prioritised over year 10 and 12. And half of you won’t even send yours in. I’m pissed off.

Tbh reception does seem incredibly random. I know a few friends who dont see the point of sending their reception age children to school for a few weeks as it's just going to cause more confusion and distress, then for example having a longer 'holiday' if albeit a strange one

A few dfs with reception age children and older children have been chatting about it and the only thing we can think of is that schools (round this way at least) tend to have reception separated off from the rest of the school in terms of classrooms and playgrounds. That said at our infant school's reception will see a lot of parents/carers in a small space at pick up and drop off. Whereas year 1's parents/carers can distance out quite easily. But reception have to cross over year 1 so they're hoping there'll be some differences in timings to avoid this.

It's also worth remember that boris Johnson's announcement is only for the UK, Scotland, Wales and NI have all made their own announcements, I know wales in particular is currently saying that lockdown will continue as is for at least another 3 weeks (no sitting in the parks, or travelling unlimited distances to beaches/forests etc) and so far have no plans to open schools on June 1st until it's safe. I imagine Scotland will follow similarly

Only for England not the UK.. doh!

Scotland has said we are allowed more exercise but that is the only change.

Scotland is same as wales then. Seems everyone other then england is in agreement

Will they let kids with special needs to back to mainstream secondary I wonder ? my ds is not coping at all

YANBU

My DC1 is in Year 1

@OnTheMoors
I'd talk to the school about your ds. It may be that he could be classed as "vulnerable" because of his special needs and so be entitled to go into school at the moment.
The set up will be very unlike whatever he is used to, so not sure if that would help or not?

I thought children with SEN could still attend.

No idea why he chose those year groups at all. Year 6 makes total sense and they’re old enough to practice good hand hygiene and social distancing. 4/5 year olds are far too young to understand it, they’re constantly all over one another! Also very little learning done in Reception let’s face it, they learn through play which is great but do they really need to be in school right now?

Children with EHCPs can't attend if the school decides they are safer at home.

I’m thinking in our school, this means the whole class could go back full time rather than part time. There’s space to space them all out.

@bigbananafeet12

I presumed he would try and get the younger kids into schools before the older ones because it would enable more parents to work as more of the children who need looking after will be in school.
The vast majority of secondary school kids can stay at home so less of a priority economically?

I don’t think it’s anything to do with results.

Year 10 are halfway through their GSCE curriculum, with no teaching going on.

That’s an issue, regardless of whether they can entertain themselves at home.

If little ones are going in (in totally separate schools) then I think y10 deserve better.

Lots of special school,s are still closed @LittleBearPad and all the children at special school,s ( in England at least) have an aEHCP.

He has SEN but no EHCP

I'd still contact school and let them know how he is struggling. You can ask that he be able to go in. They can only say no, and if they do you are no worse off.

@Poniesandgin agreed. They are effectively allowing half the children back in to primary schools (3 out of 7 years and probably some key workers/vulnerable children).

So of that 50 per cent they have to make a decision who to choose:

The advantage of having the youngest children:

• educationally eyfs is a crucial time, especially for FSM children.
• much more difficult for parents with this aged children to work at home/this will also increase the risk of accidents because of children being unsupervised
• infant class size means these classes will generally be smallest in school (likely to get bigger in juniors)
• often have bigger classrooms in eyfs
• probably get the least benefit from homeschooling - unless a parent can sit with them

There probably were various options. They could have said (15 per class) and every year, but TV en schools have to operate complex rotas.

There is also the risk that if this group doesn’t go back. Parents will draft in grandparents to help with childcare and they are more at risk.

Our child is not going back until there’s treatment or vaccine (which I’m optimistic about since the worlds working on it) I have an autoimmune disorder that I’m not on medication for so likelihood of immune response going haywire and my husband is anaemic and has also had atrial fibrillation. There are lots of families who are vulnerable. Kids will suffer more from a loss of a parent than education for months !!!!