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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

In September will the kids who have done homelearning have to sit bored at school while works repeated for the ones that haven't. Or will they start there new' year ' work as normal. Either way it's

538 replies

947EliseChalotte · 05/07/2020 11:31

It's not fair either way. The bright kids who have done their homelearning will be held back while it's repeated for the ones which were unable too .....or if it's a new year start with work as normal the ones who didn't do homelearning will have missed work and won't understand. So either is unfair to either groups. So what are the plans for education for September? Repeating work missed from march or new work from sept? Which group will be disavantsged the ones who have done work or haven't ?

OP posts:
FlamingoAndJohn · 05/07/2020 19:08

@formerbabe

Again, what would you rather happen?

a) everyone in, no closure, community spread

Or

b) full closure, no vulnerable or KW children in

I'll choose

C. Vulnerable children and kw children where both parents are key workers working outside of the home...not one sahp and another who works in IT or some other stretching of the truth

Or

Some sort of rota system so all children get some time in the school before the summer.

So really your problem is that someone you know who works in IT and you believe the other parent is a SAHP has been sending their child in. You have a problem with one family. That’s not a good look.
ktp100 · 05/07/2020 19:12

I'm worried about this.

My son is at a small rural school with mixed year groups. I'm sure they will end up recapping for those who haven't done the work that was sent home (lots of, full timetable, every week).

My son is the kind of kid who will happily zone out and daydream while catch up happens. I can't help but think he'd be better of academically staying home and doing something worthwhile while they do catch up and going in later.

chilledteacher · 05/07/2020 19:16

My eldest is year 10, he's second set for most subjects. He's seen what happened to this years year 11 and freaked thinking it could happen to him. So he's worked solidly for 6 hours a day-some school set and he asked for a subscription to Seneca. I suspect he will be ahead of a lot of his classmates now.

DS2 is in year 5 and home schooling has been like pulling teeth (he asked me how to get excluded from home school!!). He's done the learning but I'm less convinced he will have retained it.

So I suppose I am hoping that their schools do what I will be doing in my school and assess each child separately in September (whilst keeping an open mind for each of them and their circumstances) and then go forward from there.

Hercwasonaroll · 05/07/2020 19:17

I think some of you have also forgotten/didn't notice how school works. Every year you revisit skills you previously learnt. Every school does this in every subject. From September teachers will tailor lessons appropriately to plug any gaps, extend those who need it, and revisit stuff that was done over lockdown.

It's not like there's going to be swathes of things children have missed out on. Over their entire school career lockdown is 3.5%.

CallmeAngelina · 05/07/2020 19:21

@formerbabe, I have sympathy with those posters whose schools have been a bit shit with the support and work they've provided and with working parents who are run off their feet with trying to multi-task work with home-schooling. Yet you have been nothing but vitriolic on here about schools and now it turns out that you're a SAHP who's been given work from school and yet the main reason your dc hasn't done it is because they've thrown a strop, refused and you aren't prepared to persevere with it.
And now you're talking about being "discriminated against?!"

FrippEnos · 05/07/2020 19:25

CallmeAngelina

The problem always has been that some people just want an excuse.

SmileEachDay · 05/07/2020 19:27

now it turns out that you're a SAHP

Hang on former is that true??

formerbabe · 05/07/2020 19:27

Yet you have been nothing but vitriolic on here about schools and now it turns out that you're a SAHP who's been given work from school and yet the main reason your dc hasn't done it is because they've thrown a strop, refused and you aren't prepared to persevere with it.

I've not said anything about schools or teachers...I blame the government. I've always said my dcs schools have provided us with really good home learning resources. Im grateful for that. They've also been contactable and helpful.

As for my dc refusing...she has minor sn, she initially did the work but is now fed up...I wont nag her or punish her. Her happiness is paramount right now..I won't make our home a miserable one. She reads a lot and we do cooking, gardening and crafts together or go on bike rides.

And yes I'm a sahm, so I don't need school for childcare. So, please tell me why the sahps whose partners are key workers need a school place?

SmileEachDay · 05/07/2020 19:29

Oh ffs.

You’re a SAHP with (I assume) a partner who works in order that you can make that choice. Well good for you but for the love of GOD check your privilege.

There are people who are really, really struggling.

UserErrorMessage · 05/07/2020 19:31

@FrippEnos

CallmeAngelina

The problem always has been that some people just want an excuse.

Including quite a few of the teachers!😂
mbosnz · 05/07/2020 19:32

Well, much as I loathe and despise this Government, I first and foremost blame the Global bloody Pandemic!!!!!!!

That's you and your daughter's choice, fair enough. Whatever negative consequences result from your mutual choices (and there might not be any), they are on you.

Perhaps there are other reasons that whatever SAHP you're fixating on, with a key worker parent, is being included in the current school located babysitting scheme that you aren't privy to. In effect, are none of your damned business. Who knows? Or maybe they're a cheeky fucker that's managed to wangle it.

daisymay133 · 05/07/2020 19:34

Apologies as not read all thread but our schools not re-capping anything

Syllabus has carried on remotely each week through emailed resources

Kids will be assessed on return and be re set - so those who haven’t done anything will move down and visa versa which is basically the same as providing extra support for them really

I’m happy with that

Sittingontheveranda · 05/07/2020 19:40

.I won't make our home a miserable one.

I think this is a cop out tbh. You are the parent. It is your responsibility to be involved in your child’s education.

tonercartridges · 05/07/2020 19:48

Haven't RTFT but these are crazy assumptions! As PPs have said - the work set has been consolidation, not new learning, for exactly that reason - i.e to avoid huge differences in September.

But it's not about 'bright' versus 'thick' kids! My two are at secondary and aren't academically 'bright'. One is middle set and one bottom set. We are very fortunate that I work part time, from home, and so have been able to support them with their schoolwork. We have a PC, my work laptop, and an ipad (plus phones) so are lucky with access to devices - many people don't have that and don't have parents at home. Or don't have parents who can help the children - my DS isn't old enough/able to do much without more or less full time support from me, but if it was DH he wouldn't feel able to help DS much.

So many children will have struggled for any of these reasons to keep up with their schoolwork - and schools are very aware of this and will make every effort to support all children when they do go back. No-one ever said it would be easy......

BaconAndAvocado · 05/07/2020 19:50

Reading on here that our children have missed only 3.5% of their education is reassuring.

We, as a family, have found homeschooling extremely challenging and I've worried a lot about how much this time away from face to face learning will affect their education.

daisymay133 · 05/07/2020 19:50

That’s not true for all schools

My kids have not had consolidation work

They’ve had the entire syllabus they’d have had in school inc all half termly assessments

That’s a state school

I’d have been pissed off if offered consolidation as that’s failing them

I’m a teacher too so I know they shouldn’t be doing consolidation

UserErrorMessage · 05/07/2020 19:50

@Sittingontheveranda

.I won't make our home a miserable one.

I think this is a cop out tbh. You are the parent. It is your responsibility to be involved in your child’s education.

I don't know about this, what are your teenagers like? Some teenagers are really struggling anyway becoming the parent who goes on all the time doesn't always get results - you need to be careful that you don't make the situation worse. I know one woman who has nearly had a nervous breakdown trying to get her son to do his school work - it didn't work but it did damage their relationship considerably. Teenagers are complicated - anyone who has them, also they are fucking saints knows that you parent with extreme care. But blaming parents is easy - and imo a bit of a cop out in itself.
UserErrorMessage · 05/07/2020 19:53

@BaconAndAvocado

Reading on here that our children have missed only 3.5% of their education is reassuring.

We, as a family, have found homeschooling extremely challenging and I've worried a lot about how much this time away from face to face learning will affect their education.

3.5% is one way of looking at it. Missing 4 months of an A level course or a GCSE course is another way of looking at it - and it's not so easy to be chilled about that.
mbosnz · 05/07/2020 19:55

I think as parents, we make choices, knowing our kids, as to how we will manage and balance their education, mental health, and physical health in this situation. It's not easy. We don't have a user manual or parental bible to refer to.

We do the best we can, knowing what we do, with what we've got, but we've also got to accept that it's on us - both positive and negative consequences. And depending on the age and capacity of the kids, on them, too.

formerbabe · 05/07/2020 19:57

I know one woman who has nearly had a nervous breakdown trying to get her son to do his school work - it didn't work but it did damage their relationship considerably

This is what I mean. I don't want to nag and punish and damage my dcs mental health. These are not normal times

BaconAndAvocado · 05/07/2020 19:58

User apologies, yes that is very true.

Pebbleinthesand · 05/07/2020 20:00

I'm a primary scho teacher and we differentiate anyway to support children who are working below age related expectations and challenge children who are working above age related expectations. September will be no different. We always start with place value in maths and sentence structure in English in Year 2. This September will be no different, some children may just need a little longer on those basics while others move on more quickly.

Hercwasonaroll · 05/07/2020 20:03

User Yes that's true for A Levels particularly, however from what I have seen, teachers have provided well for y12s.

GCSE is an interesting one. Not many subjects are only taught at GCSE and not before. (Obvious exceptions economics, anything practical that involves coursework, or really specialist subjects). Maths GCSE you have been learning since reception, same with English.

UserErrorMessage · 05/07/2020 20:12

@Hercwasonaroll

User Yes that's true for A Levels particularly, however from what I have seen, teachers have provided well for y12s.

GCSE is an interesting one. Not many subjects are only taught at GCSE and not before. (Obvious exceptions economics, anything practical that involves coursework, or really specialist subjects). Maths GCSE you have been learning since reception, same with English.

Not in my experience or any of the other local schools. Provision imo has been poor. Lots of kids have submitted nothing - no one has chased them. I overheard one of my dc's friends wanting to put a selfie in her submitted work as a joke to check that given in 12 weeks she'd received nothing to suggest they had even opened it. One email a week, maybe that's enough, according to school it is, I don't know anymore - our expectations are on the floor!
Sittingontheveranda · 05/07/2020 20:17

UserErrorMessage

Fair point. My kids are still in primary school.