If you're tier 4 are you sending your primary DCs in tomorrow?

[Laiste]

(if you have the choice obvs)

We're tier 4 midlands. I've sent DD (6) in whenever the school's been open so far, but today for the first time i'm thinking i might not. I'm feeling a bit panicky. It's not like me.

I want her to go to school, she needs to and she wants to, but i want her, us (and the school staff) to be safe. I'm thinking of finding a reason to keep her off for a week or 2 to see what happens. We're in a village and there is v.little social distancing going on.

Anyone else dithering? What will you do?

We have inset day tomorrow but she will be in tuesday

Same here actually. An extra 24 hours to dither.

All tier 4's aren't the same though - we went from tier 2 to 4 last month and have had no cases at DD's nursery so I wouldn't hesitate to send her in. However if we were in London for example I would definitely be thinking long and hard about what's best.

We are also tier 4 midlands, I'm not sending my 2 DC in. I am keeping them off for at least 2 weeks in line with the London areas and will take it from there.

I'll be sending mine in, I believe that he needs not just the educational aspect of school but the social, hes an only child and in lockdown it can get quite isolating for him.

Good point. We've had 5/6 cases in the school (200 pupils). Last email was xmas eve.

Same boat here. I was glad to send my DC in sept-dec when cases were lower (albeit rising). I expect my DC will be fine even if they do get COVID but it’s not good for the wider community to have them in and spreading it between houses. As a late 40s single parent with a full time job I don’t much want them to bring it home either. I’m completely torn. I’m hoping that the govt do a u turn for tier 4 areas.

I’m sending my DD. She’s statistically more likely to die in the car on the way there than she is from Covid. She likes school, didn’t like home schooling and it’s absolutely to her long term benefit to get the best possible education.

Sorry that was to Angeldust

We're in Tier 4 in Manchester. Kid is in school nursery, not due back till 6th. Not sure what to do - our rates were loads higher before the second lockdown but kid was still in - they just sent whole classes home but no cases spotted in the nursery yet. Parents pretty much all wear masks and distance. This new strain is worrying me though.

In our village the infection rate is currently 1000 per 100,000. I don't really understand how it got so high so quickly.

Although we are quite close to areas where primaries are closed our primary schools are still open.

I don't see what choice I have really but to send DD in. I don't want to though. I'm actually very scared to send her and I feel terribly sad about it. My role is to keep her safe and I don't feel like she is.

I'm in the midlands too and my DD will be going in.
Her school is small and there is only 1 class per year so the bubbles are pretty tight. I would probably be more concerned if she went to a large school.
Her school hasn't had any cases yet.

No, we’re tier 4 and close to London. I’ll keep them home for two weeks and then reassess.

Unsure what to do.
If I'm not needed at work- I'm support staff in secondary- then I'm going to keep my two primary dc at home.
Unfortunately if I have to go to work then my dc will have to go to school.

Yes absolutely. DS going in to reception, and DD going in to nursery tomorrow morning. Tier 4, south of England but not London.

I'm in Southampton, so tier 4 since boxing day and cases seem to be rising fairly quickly.

I'm torn. I want the gov to keep primary schools closed for a week or two to see what numbers do post-Xmas. I don't see the benefit of sending him in for a few days to pick covid up, bring it home, then schools close due to numbers going through the roof. But I don't feel comfortable keeping him out of school against the rules / when all his peers will be in.

I suspect schools will be officially open but teachers won't attend due to union advice. This feels like a win for the gov PR machine but not the schools or teachers, however it will lead to the right result.
Waiting with bated breath

I don't know what to do, we're right on the border of an area where the schools have closed, like 2 roads away. And I'm very aware that the same hospital serves us and several closed/high case number areas, and that most people in my town commute into the high risk areas.

It just doesn't seem sensible to send them in, but the school have told us we'll be fined if we don't and the kids will be upset to see their school mates walking past on their way to school.

It's such a tough decision

I don’t know. We went from T2 to T4 this week, cases have increased rapidly and we are now around 300 per 100k but obviously this is still a lot lower than other T4 areas. Large primary school with 6 form entry but only one bubble burst in one year group last term. We don’t know anyone locally who has had covid, we WFH and we have no-one with health concerns at home. So those things make me think even in tier 4 going to school here should be ok, if it opens. But a lot of me thinks the new strain and the rocketing numbers are a real concern and all schools should close for two weeks for the sake of school staff, the NHS and the wider community.

Nodding along with all of you tbh.

Lindy2 you've summed up how i'm feeling exactly. I'm a stickler for not missing school. I've plodded along but right now i'm majorly torn.

DC (both in KS2) aren’t going in next week. We’re in a tier 4 area that borders London counties and have higher rates than a neighbouring county that has its schools closed.

Newjobnewslob - I don't see the benefit of sending him in for a few days to pick covid up, bring it home, then schools close due to numbers going through the roof. But I don't feel comfortable keeping him out of school against the rules / when all his peers will be in.

This! So much.

I’m not sending dd in just yet. Even though it’s a tiny primary, around 80 pupils, and very rural, there’s been a few cases last term and nursery had to close for 2 weeks. Dd and Dh both have underlying health conditions and Dh is also fat and middle aged. I’m just not willing to take the risk while cases are so high. We’ve gone from tier 2 to tier 4 overnight!

Yes tier 2 to 4 here too.

We have my elderly mum living with us. (83)

Lincolnshire. Im not worried about the local situation yet, so id prefer them in school for now, before we have to return to home schooling with an unreliable internet connection.

1 in primary and 3 in secondary... How are secondary not safe but dc 6 is? 500 were off the last week of school in secondary!! Had 4 bouts of self isolation for secondary dc.. 2 weeks and school closure for primary.. Juggling dc who are half housebound and school runs for the rest is crazy.. Hopefully by 18 th they will have mroe of a clue. All home til then for me.