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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

School in September

172 replies

Mumlookingforadvise · 31/07/2020 16:35

Hi all,

I have a girl who goes to a school in Wimbledon ( Year 4 ). I am thinking of not sending her to school in Sept due to the current situation around Coronavirus.

AIBU - to not send her to school
AIBNU - Your choice.

What are other parents thinking?

OP posts:
Freddiefox · 31/07/2020 16:39

It’s your choice, but you need to think about how long are you willing to not send her? What’s the rate of infection in Wimbledon like?

Figgygal · 31/07/2020 16:41

Why wouldn’t you send her?
Does she have underlying health issues?

Life must go on at the moment

I have a dc going into year 4 and it hasn’t crossed my mind for a second for him not to go

netflixismysidehustle · 31/07/2020 16:42

There are lots of threads about whether or not people are going to send their kids in September.

I think it depends on a lot of factors like your work schedule and can you homeeducate? Have you heard from her school with regards to how they'll run things in September?

Merrymumoftwo · 31/07/2020 16:43

Individual choice. My child will be going we are central London. May reason is she needs to be at school and school have already advised how it will be done. She is year 6, the rise in London is Camden.

Original poster
Mumlookingforadvise · 31/07/2020 16:45

Thanks for your comments. No underlying health condition. School will commence with no remote learning as of now. Between me and the husband, we have been able to school her till now. No issues there.

OP posts:
netflixismysidehustle · 31/07/2020 16:46

What are your worries?

NerrSnerr · 31/07/2020 16:48

If there are no underlying health issues what are your concerns?

Happygogoat · 31/07/2020 16:48

It's your choice but please consider the damage of missing education vs the absolute minimal risk to her demographic (assuming no other comorbidities/underlying hc)

This virus may well be here to stay and frankly the risk to a child becoming seriously unwell from it is less than a risk you take hopping in the car with them. Life was never risk free and it remains so.

If you and her and the school can take relevant precautions to put your mind as much as ease as possible then try to enjoy some normality :)

But you have to be comfortable so do what's right for you! I think the media have a lot to answer for in terms of scaring everyone. X

School in September
FluffyKittensinabasket · 31/07/2020 16:49

No doubt they will be closed again!

Original poster
Mumlookingforadvise · 31/07/2020 16:49

Me and the husband will be WFH for the foreseeable future. Just don't want my daughter to get infected. We have got books for next year ( Maths ), which we can teach. Class size will be 24. Just to be safe.

OP posts:
Gurtcha · 31/07/2020 16:56

It’s your choice of course but you need to weigh up the impact on her mental health, confidence and resilience against the very small risk of her catching COVID.

As an older child, how will she be feeling about being the only one of her friends not going back to school?
How are you going to arrange for her to socialise appropriately so she doesn’t miss out?
Can you and your husband match the standard of education she would be recovering at school, at home?
How does she feel about returning to school?
How long are you prepared to keep her away from school? Are you worried the longer you keep her away the harder it will be for her to return?
Is learning going to be confined to the house considering your keeping her away from school so therefore, she shouldn’t be going anywhere else with small managed crowds either.

These are all the things I’d be asking myself.

Original poster
Mumlookingforadvise · 31/07/2020 16:57

We live around 4 miles from the school. Used to take the train before. 20 mins journey. Now not comfortable with trains. Driving is exhausting.

OP posts:
BaileyMyDog · 31/07/2020 16:58

I thought it was mandatory from Sep? If you don't go then you will have to pay a fine. That or home-educate and risk losing the school place altogether...

TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross · 31/07/2020 17:00

It is mandatory from September. So do you mean you will be deregistering her and home-educating? That's quite a big step.

Original poster
Mumlookingforadvise · 31/07/2020 17:01

It's a private school

OP posts:
formerbabe · 31/07/2020 17:01

Why are you worried about your dd catching it? Children have not really been affected

strawberrymilkshakemonkey · 31/07/2020 17:01

either send her, or withdraw her from the school and commit to home schooling. you can't have it both ways. childen need to be in school, or interacting with other children, for both their education and their mental health.

cardibach · 31/07/2020 17:02

I realise you are in London so traffic may be an issue, but 4 miles is exhausting? Really?

SomewhereEast · 31/07/2020 17:02

How does she feel about it? I know my soon-to-be YR4 child can't wait to be back & was upset when his little brother got to go back in June & he didn't. Almost all my friends with similar-aged children have found the same (the one exception is a child who was having a very rough ride with bullying issues before all this. Even he wants to go back - just to a different school!)

TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross · 31/07/2020 17:03

@Mumlookingforadvise

It's a private school
I'm not sure how that's relevant?
Orchidsindoors · 31/07/2020 17:03

It's funny on here. At the moment we are still in the phase of people thinking its virtually gone away, but numbers are going up again, enough for Boris to start putting the breaks on. It hasnt gone away, it's still here. People can still get it, and people are still dying. OP I understand your worries, I'm considering not sending mine too. I'm going to see what it's like nearer to the time and make a decision then.

Happygogoat · 31/07/2020 17:05

@Orchidsindoors

It's funny on here. At the moment we are still in the phase of people thinking its virtually gone away, but numbers are going up again, enough for Boris to start putting the breaks on. It hasnt gone away, it's still here. People can still get it, and people are still dying. OP I understand your worries, I'm considering not sending mine too. I'm going to see what it's like nearer to the time and make a decision then.
The people dying aren't healthy children
cologne4711 · 31/07/2020 17:06

Save the fees (though presumably you'll still have to pay the next term's) and home-educate if that makes you more comfortable.

OverTheRainbow88 · 31/07/2020 17:07

A lot can happen between now and then so I wouldn’t make a decision now.

PablosHoney · 31/07/2020 17:09

Can you pick and chose with private school then? You won’t get fined like those of us with children in state schools?