So parents now have 5 days to...

[Tanaria]

... find appropriate childcare?

The announcement that secondaries are not going back until w/b 11th with exam classes and w/b 18th for all other years, together with the very vague "some" primaries will be shut in high-infection areas.

Given that most of us have been plunged into Tier 4, how will we actually find out whether our children can go back to school?

@Ribrabrob

I don’t mean to be rude and I’m certainly not intending to be fussy but, genuinely, what do you expect the government to do? The situation is fast-moving and they are reacting when need be.

I get that it’s frustrating but I do wonder what people want the government to do. They are damned if they do and damned if they don’t.

^^ This. If schools are closed it’s the Government’s fault. If schools are open it’s the Government’s fault. If Guidelines are introduced to prevent people mixing it’s wrong and the Government’s fault. If Guidelines aren’t brought in fast enough it’s the Government’s fault If people are not sticking to the Guidelines it is the Government’s fault. According to some of you everything is the Government’s fault.

What do you actually expect them to do?

I’m no fan of Boris, but he and his Government aren’t making up the Guidelines willy nilly to suit themselves. They are acting on the advice given to them by the experts such as those who are in the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE).

Do you honestly think things would be so much different under another Government? That they would ignore the advice given to them by the experts?

Areas where primary schools won't go back next week:
Barking and Dagenham Barnet
Bexley
Brent
Bromley
Croydon
Ealing
Enfield
Hammersmith and Fulham Havering
Hillingdon
Hounslow
Kensington and Chelsea Merton
Newham Richmond-Upon-Thames Southwark
Sutton
Tower Hamlets
Waltham Forest Wandsworth Westminster
Brentwood
Epping Forest
Castle Point
Basildon
Rochford
Harlow
Chelmsford
Braintree
Maldon
Southend on Sea Thurrock
Dartford
Gravesham
Sevenoaks
Medway
Ashford
Maidstone
Tonbridge and Malling Tunbridge Wells Swale
Hastings
Rother
Milton Keynes Watford Broxbourne Hertsmere Three Rivers

I had to leave DS alone for a few days a week in the holidays when he was in Y7 when I was working. Bearing in mind schools should be providing work for at least one of the weeks (bit confusing over the first week) they should have something to keep them occupied for a number of hours.

@Belladonna12

All day every day for 11 and 12 year old children? I don't trust it will only be a couple of weeks. Then you have the 13 to 15 year old teens who could be left if their mental health hadn't been affected by weeks alone in lockdown one.

That's what happened in school holidays when my children were that age. The same was true of their friends and my colleagues children .

Same for mine at 11 and 12. He could go out and meet up with friends though or have a friend over. I took holiday leave where I could to break up the long weeks. It was very different to being home alone all day every day in lockdown at 13.

@Tanaria

Is it not better to wait until your school sends out guidance?

I am awaiting news from 5 schools in 3 different counties due to living on the border of all 3 and children attending schools in different council areas and both exH and I are teachers in separate counties.

That is a really unique situation though so you would expect to be waiting for some clarity from 5 schools.

@LynetteScavo where did you get that list please?

Tier 4 here. DD is supposed to be starting her mocks on 5th...no idea if that will happen online, the following week, or be scrapped altogether .

Feel so sorry for all my colleagues having to deal with this crap.

I’m a secondary teacher with primary aged children. I’m obviously very keen to know what’s happening but can’t bear the Mumsnet hysteria! Give your school SLTs time to formulate a plan specific to your own area and then inform you about it.

I’m no fan of Boris and co but, as a PP said, they’re damned if they react decisively and damned if they don’t at the moment.

I organise childcare (grandparents sports club, friends) for the holidays or work from home. I would not leave a 12 year old all day. A few hours yes. Not all day. I am not sure its even legal???

One of my children's secondaries (T3 now T4) wrote out to parents the day after term ended, so we always knew only years 11, 13 and KW children were going back and that remote learning would be for everybody else.

My other child's secondary emailed last night with a keyworker form.

I thought it was known that secondaries would not be open for most for at least one week in January?

The London list is bollocks. Looks like they are keeping primaries open in some of the more deprived areas with higher rates (Haringey, Hackney, lots of others too).

@CallmeAngelGabriel

Boris ACTUALLY just said that "schools are safe."

Lying FUCKER.

Even more safe after everyone mixes on New Years Eve... Out and out gaslighting of parents and school staff now. Unforgivable.

The list has been released. 49 areas. Mainly london/Kent/Essex with a few others.

Myheart. You are spot on, some people just like to moan, moan about their situation and how it’s all the government fault misses the point.

They want to ‘blame’ someone, they don’t want to look at what they are doing and think maybe THEY need to change their behaviour and mindset.

Honestly being so negative, gloomy must be so depressing and pull you down even further.

Secondary might not need childcare but children in all the closed primary schools will.

@BlairCorneliaWaldorf

The London list is bollocks. Looks like they are keeping primaries open in some of the more deprived areas with higher rates (Haringey, Hackney, lots of others too).

I have no idea why they’re open in Hackney or Islington, the numbers are really high.

news.sky.com/story/covid-19-full-list-of-areas-where-primary-schools-face-delayed-return-12175797

I don't fully understand the issue? Secondary school pupils are surely old enough to stay alone? And those who aren't would be allowed in anyway as they would come under vulnerable (which I assume covers children with disabilities)
Maybe some year 7s aren't ok all day alone but the majority surely are?

@Coffeeandcocopops

Poor Head Teachers. They got Christmas Day off but now need to organise the return of kids, testing, Brexit. Such poor communication.

What, only Christmas Day? Seriously?

I don't fully understand the issue? Secondary school pupils are surely old enough to stay alone?

Primary schools. The issue is the primary schools.

I was forced to work for myself a few years back when made redundant but I can see the advantage now. I really feel for people struggling to juggle childcare/school work with work and financial worries. The constant adapting takes its toll, I think.

@Hapixmas - it’s not just secondary but huge numbers of primary schools delayed returning next term. Four to 11 year olds will need childcare if they don’t have a SAHP.

@LynetteScavo

Areas where primary schools won't go back next week: Barking and Dagenham Barnet Bexley Brent Bromley Croydon Ealing Enfield Hammersmith and Fulham Havering Hillingdon Hounslow Kensington and Chelsea Merton Newham Richmond-Upon-Thames Southwark Sutton Tower Hamlets Waltham Forest Wandsworth Westminster Brentwood Epping Forest Castle Point Basildon Rochford Harlow Chelmsford Braintree Maldon Southend on Sea Thurrock Dartford Gravesham Sevenoaks Medway Ashford Maidstone Tonbridge and Malling Tunbridge Wells Swale Hastings Rother Milton Keynes Watford Broxbourne Hertsmere Three Rivers

That’s not the full list of London and the south east though is it? Looks like some London boroughs and a few dotted around in Essex and Kent?

@Hapixmas

I don't fully understand the issue? Secondary school pupils are surely old enough to stay alone? And those who aren't would be allowed in anyway as they would come under vulnerable (which I assume covers children with disabilities) Maybe some year 7s aren't ok all day alone but the majority surely are?

Mine was latch keyed from primary school but didn't cope with being home alone at age 13 five days a week from March to May. He needed company.

I don't think there is a legal age when you can or cannot leave your child at home alone. DS had plenty of food, knew who to contact in an emergency and the PS to keep him occupied. Probably didn't miss me at all!

When you think of other countries who let their children walk to school on their own at about 5/6 years old, and they don't always have after school clubs so will walk home alone to an empty house. Now I wouldn't let my child do that at that age,, but he was mature enough in Y7 to be on his own. I gave him a packed lunch so no ovens/sharp knives to be used whilst no-one in the house and the fridge needed to be stocked up more regularly!