School will be closed at lunchtime one day a week from Sept

[Ilovecranberries]

The school (primary) had just informed the parents that they will be closing at lunchtime on one day a week from September to facilitate "planning".
I don't even know what to say. AIBU to think it is ridiculous? I am a single working parent, not sure how I am supposed to work around this. Extra childcare for these 3.5 hours at the local childminders rates will be £56 a week (two children here). Or two grand a year post tax. I probably will be told I am BU (I probably am), just very anxious right now.

I love all the people who clearly live in large towns/ cities talking about "all the local childminders". Do you know how many local childminders we have? None. Not one single childminder picks up from our school. We also have no after school club at our school. Working mothers were clinging on by a thread before all this- closing school at lunchtime on a Friday (which is what they've been doing up til now, so I'm expecting it to be their plan in September too) will be the final nail in the coffin. But hey, who cares. We're all just entitled madams for daring to think we might be able to have a career as well as children. Back in our boxes we go.

I sympathise with you OP. I hate it when people say "schools aren't childcare", well no but childcare isn't that easy to find and its expensive. Nobody I know works school hours only not even those working in schools.

I think there is going to have to be full school days and wrap around care open fully if people are going to be able to work. I have no idea how that can happen but I don't see any other way. My children are older but if they were primary age now I'd have no alternative but to give up work. No family willing to help, very limited school Mum's who would take my son...SN.

This is shit OP, I completely understand why it isn't suitable for you. However, on the other side of the coin, as a teacher I can see how the school are trying to accommodate their staff.

However, it just highlights how severely hit schools are by government cuts. The different in the last ten years is astonishing. Education was in a good place under Labour, the Tories have done untold damage to education. It's about time parents began to level criticism at the government that the schools have had to make these decisions.

@Loveinatimeofcovid

Schools aren’t childcare.

Yup, that's a significant reason why I jacked in my career 4 years ago when DS's class was hit by prolonged, disruptive strike action. Fortunately it was the summer term so I could use my gained time from my exam class to collect DS before teaching in the afternoon trying to pretend that I wasn't trying to push a (undiagnosed autistic) 5 year out from up my dress.

Because I worked full time, there was no community answer because I didn't know anyone. DH was out of the country and family is all at a distance and too elderly or working full time themselves.

Childcare is structured around the education system, and when the education system throws up holes like this, it's a fucking nightmare for working parents.

But hey, who cares. We're all just entitled madams for daring to think we might be able to have a career as well as children. Back in our boxes we go.

And you know that the same people would be up in arms at us getting any state benefits to support our children that we’ve been prevented from providing for.

So it comes back to marrying a wealthy man to provide. If you didn’t do that, you can fuck right off seems to be the message.

As school isn't childcare, it's education so you must always gratefully jump to the schools tube, I'm assuming no one would object to the school deciding they operate school 10-4 Friday - Tuesday?

OP I feel you. I wouldn't have 3 or 4 5/6 years old in my care without knowing them all v.well. And if you're doing care for te 5 yo a month presumably you'd need to coordinate care with the other child on the same day so have 4x5yr old and 4x7yr olds for example. And no way would 5yeat old sit in front of movie after movie every week

Covid has really opened up my eyes to the amount of people who can't stand their own children. We are in a pandemic and so many people are moaning about having to look after their own children. 🤣 You will have to take a half day from work or pay a childminder. Surely between you and your child's other parent it is only a couple of hours?

Ftm

Idiotic thing to say.

It's the guidance. Safest/least disruptive way to do it.

The bigger the bubbles, the more likely a bubble gets closed for 2 weeks.

A bubble across 3 classes (including the person who does the PPA cover for those classes), has one case in class A, and another case in class C. That's two cases, so considered an outbreak - the whole bubble goes home. 90 children, at least 4 staff, including the PPA cover person. 90 families affected.

A bubble with 30 children in class A, with no PPA cover person mixing with other bubbles. One child gets it, only that child goes home. Two people have it, only 30 children and one adult go home for 2 weeks. 30 families affected.

Much higher chance of 90 children going home than 30. Bubbles need to be as small as they can be.

And it's only temporary until guidance changes. Important to remember that. Anything a school decides, is temporary within current guidance.

@TimeWastingButFun

* My son's school closes from 1pm on a Friday every week and have done for ages. *

Even pre lockdown?

You will have to take a half day from work or pay a childminder. Surely between you and your child's other parent it is only a couple of hours?
I can't take a half day off from my job, and there is unfortunately no other parent. Yes, I am paying a childminder. Yes, I can "stand my own children". Good day to you too.

I haven’t RTFT so sorry if I am repeating something that has already been said, but what did you do with the DC during lockdown? If you have a job that can be done from home, at least one day a week, could you make a flexible working request to WFH on Fridays? I realise you might have to plonk the DC in front of the TV while you work the afternoon which isn’t exactly ideal but it’s better than nothing.

@ftm202020

Covid has really opened up my eyes to the amount of people who can't stand their own children. We are in a pandemic and so many people are moaning about having to look after their own children. 🤣 You will have to take a half day from work or pay a childminder. Surely between you and your child's other parent it is only a couple of hours?

Yes. That's it. I'm not objecting to being asked to simultaneously perform a full time job whilst looking after two small children for the last 4 months, the real reason I am on the verge of tears a lot of the time at the moment is that I secretly hate my children. And, oh, my goodness, why didn't I think of just talking a half day off, every week, for the foreseeable future! Genius plan. I forgot that I have endless amounts of annual leave and an employer who does actually care whether I'm there during my contracted hours or not. Whatever would we do without you and your amazing suggestions. If all else fails, I'll just quit my job. You'll pay my mortgage, and feed my children, won't you?

I’m sorry, OP, as a single parent I feel your pain. Unfortunately, PPA is a requirement in schools and actually you want it if you want your children educated appropriately with planned lessons with marking and assessment. Teachers and school staff already do stuff way beyond the realms of their reasonable job descriptions. The removal of PPA is simply not a possibility.

There’s a real danger that parents (and let’s face it, mothers) will be forced out of the workforce in the coming months and we’ll see child poverty levels rise. Wonderful

I agree. And it will disproportionately affect single mothers. I don’t have an answer but you can’t expect schools to do more and more with less and less funding. Teaching staff must now have to plan given the variables in the classroom will be wider than ever before. It really requires letters to MPs explaining how what is happening in schools affects you as a family but I implore anyone going down this route to understand that the real issue is lack of funding for schools to be able to fulfill their obligations and keep staff, children and wider communities as safe as possible.

Atadaddicted
Yes (secondary school though)

My son's school closes from 1pm on a Friday every week and have done for ages.

Yep, my old school used to too - 15 years ago. We had 650 children. When we changed the timings, the consultation with parents had fewer than 10 complaints. It wasn't for PPA either, it was just a decision the head made. School from 8.30 - 3.30 Monday - Thursday, school finished at 1.30 on Fridays. Was ace for teachers. No work home for the weekends.

I haven’t RTFT so sorry if I am repeating something that has already been said, but what did you do with the DC during lockdown?
I took the max parental leave possible (4 weeks, week in, week out), two weeks of annual leave (approved well in advance), otherwise have been working 6am to 10am and then 8pm to 12pm. I am empty, broken, exhausted, I can't work these hours anymore and entertain the children in-between. The office reopens in September, everyone is expected back. I don't really know what the policy re WFH would be, it is actually in the consultation phase now. Previously it was no childcare - no WFH, but may be relaxed for some time.

It’s so stark the difference between state and private

My son’s private
Full time For all
From the day allowed
Full curriculum and sports
Wonderful
They even did a bbq for the children and sports day!

My daughter’s state - Very limited intake vast majority at home.
She went back yesterday for last week.
It was ok but very limited. On an iPad doing same work as home schooling.
And this is a outstanding national leading primary

I’d been in two minds moving her.
Suffice to say - she will be at the private In September

(But probably not an issue past year 8 or so)

@Atadaddicted

It’s so stark the difference between state and private

My son’s private
Full time For all
From the day allowed
Full curriculum and sports
Wonderful
They even did a bbq for the children and sports day!

My daughter’s state - Very limited intake vast majority at home.
She went back yesterday for last week.
It was ok but very limited. On an iPad doing same work as home schooling.
And this is a outstanding national leading primary

I’d been in two minds moving her.
Suffice to say - she will be at the private In September

Why not question what the actual fuck the government are doing to support schools than point out the differences in a privately funded school and one funded by a Tory austerity policies?

Really fed up with all this. The staggered starts and the half day closures are making it really hard for women.

We keep hearing how much young people are being affected.

No one seems to have noticed or care about the affect on women. The months of school closures, staggered starts and finishes, closing early, self isolation and school closures if there are outbreaks. It will make it really hard for women to work. Not to mention that women are probably more likely to be working in hospitality and retail so more likely to be losing their jobs. And won’t be able to get new ones because of not being able to work around ridiculous school hours. And won’t be able to get job seekers as childcare issues mean they are not available for work...

That's the thing though isn't it, people have absolutely stretched themselves to the hilt over lockdown, both financially and with the use of all their annual leave. Now the school holiday clubs are all going to be closed and there will be nothing left for childcare in September. It's going to be so hard for a lot of parents.

For anyone who can even remotely afford it, private is clearly the way forward.

State education isn’t fit for purpose any more.

Shame for the vast majority who don’t have the £££ though.