Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

147 replies

Laiste · 03/01/2021 10:27

(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?

OP posts:
user89 · 03/01/2021 10:47

@MedusasBadHairDay

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

Can't you just say they have a temp and need to self isolate? Surely they won't fine you then?

Tbh if I was a teacher that's what I'd be saying tomorrow too

JaninaDuszejko · 03/01/2021 10:49

Yes, we're sending our primary child in. But we have no older family members nearby to infect and DH and I have no underlying conditions and WFH so if Covid-19 comes home from school it will stop with us (suspect I had it in March anyway). My primary age child struggled the most during the last lockdown and I want to keep things normal for him as long as possible, there have been no burst bubbles at his school and school were brilliant at getting things back to as normal as possible last term. I'm not looking forward to having the secondary age DC home, suspect there will be a lot more stress than when they were at school (we've only been affected by 1 burst bubble so their learning wasn't disrupted last term).

Having said all that I'm not expecting them to be back to school for very long, the government are handling this atrociously and there will no doubt be a last minute decision, probably about 4pm this afternoon.

zafferana · 03/01/2021 10:49

My DC will be going back to school and we're in the home counties, so cases are the highest they've been since the start of the pandemic. The reason I'm sending them in is because I don't believe that they are really at risk - they're not ECV - they're healthy kids who are much better off in school learning than trying to learn at home. The main risk is to DH and me - 50 and 47 respectively - but we're healthy and not ECV so we'll hope for the best.

vinoandbrie · 03/01/2021 10:50

Yes absolutely. We are tier 4 where schools are open.

We sent them all last term when rates here were much higher, and thank goodness neither had to miss even a day. Now we have much lower rates than we did all last term, and so there is no reason to keep them off.

zafferana · 03/01/2021 10:51

I should add that we WFH and don't see anyone clinically vulnerable, so like the above poster any infection will stop with us.

Greentrianglesarethebestones · 03/01/2021 10:51

No. It's not just about whether schools are safe for children, it's about whether they are safe for staff and what effect having schools open will have on transmission rates in the community as a whole.

Doyoumind · 03/01/2021 10:56

Yes, my DC will be going to school this week. The school hasn't been seriously hit so far and for the sake of their mental health they should be there. I'm sure the school would also take action for unnecessary absences.

moomin11 · 03/01/2021 10:58

Yes definitely.

TheBottleIsFullofHappiness · 03/01/2021 10:58

Sending DD (6 year 2) in on Tuesday when we go back. We're toer 4 but our actual borough only has 160 cases per 100k and our twon has less than 30k people. School are managing SDing well as they're undersubscribed and although 2 form entry have only 1 class in some years so spare classrooms to spread out in.

I'm monitoring the numbers in our borough though and if they go up too high I won't hesitate to keep her off and being honest about why. I'd rather pay a fine than leave her without her only involved parent (ExH only has her EO Saturday atm).

Cutesbabasmummy · 03/01/2021 11:00

I am concerned but we are both keyworkers and have been told in no uncertain terms that we are to be in our offices tomorrow morning. So DS (6) will gave to go.

Windmyonlyfriend · 03/01/2021 11:00

I’m a full time TA at a primary school in a Tier 4 area and for the first time during this whole pandemic I’m worried about going in.

Our area has always had relatively low infection rates compared to the national average but cases have increased 120% in the last week, one of the highest jumps in the country (though because of our low starting rate, it’s still not exceptionally high overall), but knowing we’re experiencing this dramatic upward curve, and knowing I’m going to be in an enclosed room for 6 hours a day with 30 children from 30 different households, all of whom could potentially have mixed with 30 other households over Christmas is making me nervous.

My children will be going in because I have to go in, but I’d much rather they delayed opening. And I never thought I’d say that!

HeyDuggeesCakeBadge · 03/01/2021 11:01

Both children will be going to school/nursery until I'm forced to do otherwise. A return to homeschooling alongside working will be a nightmare for all of our sakes, and just not practical for many parents who will still need to work and not able to do so from home.

Timeforanewname2014 · 03/01/2021 11:05

No - I will be keeping my primary school child off for a couple of weeks at least, to see how things pan out. I recognise that I am in a fortunate position in that I have this choice from a work point of view (me and DH work from home and older dc is at secondary school so will also be home(.

SeasonallySnowyPeasant · 03/01/2021 11:05

Yes. DC x 2 will be going to school as long as it's open and they're not SI. We're in the SE.

milkysmum · 03/01/2021 11:05

Tier 4 in Lancashire.
Yes in sending ds in.
I'm a nurse and single parent so can't work from home and nobody else to help out. Dd is in year 7 and she will unfortunately be at home doing on line learning whilst I'm at work. Not ideal but we have no choice.

FourTeaFallOut · 03/01/2021 11:05

I've been in two minds, as I'm shielding but we've decided to send our youngest in to school. We are in a tier 4 area but our case figures are not going up and hospital rates are beginning to decrease from a few weeks ago. It is not an easy decision but it's one which benefits my ds.

Rockbird · 03/01/2021 11:07

Genuinely torn. Surrey town that borders London and cases are high. School that I work in has an inset tomorrow but dd2's school doesn't. One minute I've made the decision not to send her, the next I've changed it again. I'm leaning towards not though, as you say, no point sending her in to be infected then they close the schools anyway.

Normandy144 · 03/01/2021 11:08

Yes. My DH and I work full time from home so if school is open I'm sending them in. Our school had one case last autumn term and that's it and neither of my children's year groups had to isolate.

funinthesun19 · 03/01/2021 11:16

Tier 4 here in Greater Manchester. Yes my children will be going to school and playgroup next week.

Sh05 · 03/01/2021 11:19

My three teens are home but DD in reception has to go. I am undecided if I will send her in, the rest of us are home, I don't see the point of everyone else being home if she is going in but have never taken unauthorized absences before so really unsure of what to do.
I suppose if BJ said 'should' and not 'must' then we can interpret that as we wish? (Clutching at straws here)

Housing101 · 03/01/2021 11:19

T4. No, not sending in. We are bordering an area where schools are closed and our numbers are pretty much the same as they are in the 'school closed' area.
I will be keeping off this week and reassess ahead of next Monday.

meow1989 · 03/01/2021 11:19

I'm tier 4 in the South East, keeping ds off nursery next week (though we have the luxury of grandparent (not elderly) childcare bubble who will have him next week) then will see about the week after. I want to see what the numbers do next week (2 weeks after Xmas mixing) and whether the government government decide to close schools... we are in an area with >500 cases per 100000

KEA321 · 03/01/2021 11:20

Yes, tier 4. I will be sending my daughter to primary school. She's has gone throughout as I am NHS. I feel for the teachers but I am also seriously worried about my daughter's mental health as well as her education.

Onedaysomedaynowadays · 03/01/2021 11:22

Tier 4 here and sending both of ours in. we both have to work and really struggled financially this year so need to keep going, neither of our bosses are v sympathetic

MrsMomoa · 03/01/2021 11:23

I'm back at work tomorrow (school) so my kids are going back too.
I'm not worried for myself or them.

Swipe left for the next trending thread