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 were the second batch of tier 4 areas (Oxfordshire). Looking at the statistics, the numbers are already climbing exponentially, school will just make everything worse. I worry about her health, the teachers and ours.

An interesting point made on Twitter (link below) was how in control the government is at the moment: twitter.com/jolyonmaugham/status/1345729431604764672?s=21

The teachers unions are saying their workplace is unsafe and I feel that one of the only ways I can support them is keeping my daughter home.

Tier 4 too - I’m not hesitating to send mine. Last I heard, only 42 people under 40 had died of COVID and only 322 under 60 - whilst this is obviously far too many, I agree with the analogy made earlier about car accidents being more risky. Children need to be at school for more than just their education (very vulnerable children need to be there for for their health and safety - and before anyone picks me up on that, last lockdown, most vulnerable children were not at school and were not accounted for during that time, despite the provision being made for them to attend). What I do think though, is that teachers over 50 need to be at the front of the vaccine queue.

Not sending my 2 primary age DC. Tier 4. Lucky to WFH.

@sassbott yes totally agree.

@sassbott

Tier 4. Yes sending mine in. But don’t live with anyone who is vulnerable and I’m firmly of the opinion that children need an education and socialisation.

You do know that caring about your children's education isn't exclusive to people sending them in? If I choose to keep mine home because of my own health conditions and very high local cases then that tells you that I don't care about their education and socialisation? Shit, my kids are screwed then.

I wish my children could go in tomorrow but sadly the school is in London and not allowed to open.

We’re reluctantly sending our 2 in, although I don’t understand why their school is being kept open - our case numbers today were higher than the neighbouring town where schools are closed, and we are all served by the same hospital, so I don’t understand the reasoning.

Mind you, I’m half expecting a text from school tomorrow morning to say not teachers have turned up... failing that I’ll give it til the end of the week before we have another govt u-turn and all primaries are closed.

Tier 4, south east, numbers around 350 per 100,000. Large primary school where two bubbles had to self isolate towards the end I of last term as a result of positive tests.

We aren’t sending our LO in. DD is in reception and below 5, we will keep her off this week and reassess next weekend.

We both work from home but will be requesting leave to support her this week.

Whilst no CEV we both are vulnerable.

I wish we didn’t need to make this decision because she would be much better in school.

Tier four Midlands here. Used to be tier three before, mine are going in. Dd in reception and needs to go in. Ds is in year three. Additional needs so needs the consistency. I'm a ta in a special needs school so I will be in too

Mine are staying home. Tier 4 north east.

Tier 4 rural West berks here. Cant wait to send DD in tomorrow as she is only child and mentally suffers when on her own. Let's just say this weekend has been very hard.

I feel for the staff but they have managed very well and DDs school is well laid out with separate entrances for all years/classes. Its a 3 year infant school in the village so small.

@Rockbird yes I do understand that.
Why have you picked my comment out of many posters saying the same?

Also, where in my comment have I stated that anyone who makes different choices doesn’t care about socialisation or education? If you have health concerns and that impacts the decisions you are making, then that’s your choice.

I believe the thread asked a question and I answered it. As have many others.

I think what gets me this time is that, for the bulk of the year I've barely known anyone with covid, but in the last month or so I know loads who've caught it.

Yes this is me too.

More than i thought have said they wont send in. Haven't counted but it feels 50/50?

I'm still undecided but leaning slightly towards keeping her off for those first 4 days back (we go back on Tue) and having this week as an after xmas buffer.

If the school is still open week commencing 11th then i'll send her in. My friend is in a rotten situation where she can't keep her DD (yr 2 like mine) home because she'll lose her job if she doesn't turn up, but if she sends her to school then her elderly mum will be the one having to do after school care and obvs friend doesn't want that either! It's a shit sandwich.

My BIL had decided to keep his eldest (8) home this week. Just texted to say the school has emailed tonight and are shutting. Reading.

Checking emails every hour to see if our school pipes up. Nothing so far ...

We're in South Northants for info.

We have a clinically extremely vulnerable person in the house who received another 'shielding' letter from DHSC a few days ago. We live in Tier 4 Sussex where rates are rocketing, and are having serious doubts about whether to send the kids to school tomorrow. School have sent an email saying they expect everyone to be in; they're already aware of the boys' mum's cancer. Anyone have advice for us?

Absolutely I send mine in even when they
are closed as I'm a key worker. Personally even if I had a choice I would, I feel they need an education and socialisation and the effect of missing school / routine will be far more detrimental.

Yes I am.

I’m very lucky that the school is open as there are two schools I know of locally that are actually doing limited opening where teachers are refusing to go in

dharmadaddy - School have sent an email saying they expect everyone to be in; they're already aware of the boys' mum's cancer. Anyone have advice for us?

I'd contact then directly and explain. Expecting everyone to be in is not the way to go on under these circs.

I'm surprised to hear that some school are sending out these 'we expect you in or else' type messages. I was fondly hoping they'd be grateful for families erring on the side of caution when they can.

@Laiste, the email doesn't exactly impy 'or else', but it does explain that the school feels confident that they're operating a safe environment. No word about vulnerable people or individual choice though... If I can persuade their mum not to send them first thing then calling the school in the morning to discuss is exactly what I'd like to do, but she's pretty determined that she doesn't want her cancer to deprive them of schooling. Hard situation. (They already stayed off school February-July, by the way.)

dharmadaddy I can understand how she feels. I would maybe see if you can get her on board with the 'just this week' approach. It's what i'm doing. I really feel that IF the shit is going to hit the fan post xmas it's going to do it by next weekend. If the school closes it's out of your hands, and if it doesn't the kids haven't been in during the riskiest week.

This thread suggests it might be out of your hands by the morning anyway?

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/4124666-school-closures-coming-in-thick-and-fast?msgid=103263523#103263523

I’m sending mine in while the school is still open (rural Northants - tier 4). They only had one case last term and I trust the measures our school have in place.
I know several friends and family members whose schools have emailed this afternoon to say they are not going to be open tomorrow though so I am keeping an eye on my email. We really aren’t getting the firm leadership we need and it isn’t fair on teachers or parents.

@Negnog sounds like you're near me. Just reading through the thread i linked to for deharamadaddy and it seems we're surrounded by closed schools on all sides!

Inset day tomorrow here. Bit more time for them to make a decision ...

@Laiste yes I was just taking a look through that linked thread too. I can’t quite believe we’re in this situation at 8pm on a Sunday night, it really is shocking. But also, not shocking.
We don’t have an inset day tomorrow so I’m expecting to send mine in for now at least. I just feel so sorry for teachers who don’t feel safe (I have several family members who are non union teachers and so am getting the story from their side) and for parents who don’t know what to do for the best.

Also tier 4 and the Midlands area. Whilst we have spent the whole holiday not seeing anyone outside our household (apart from deliveries) I am very aware of lots of people in our area that have been socialising, meeting up for walks and who even knows what people did for Christmas?. I'm going to keep my son off for 2 weeks to see what happens with the figures.