PRIVATE SCHOOLS allowed to open reception year?! How is this fair? Why aren't all reception classes open then?

[Worriedlyworried]

All schools closed... unless you are paying privately and in reception that is!

Just heard a close family member is sending their child in to reception in their public school which is allowed to open as reception is EYFS.

How is this fair?

Nurseries are allowed to open as EYFS but shouldn't all reception classes in all schools be closed in primaries to only the vulnerable and keyworker children?

Seems there is a handy little loophole for the well off parents of public schooled children. Either they all should be closed or all early years should be open, not just to the privileged elite.

My sisters kid's school is a state school and they have opened EY - Nursery and Reception (although there is some suggestion they might close again as take up isn't looking high)

My kids school is a private school and they haven't opened EY - are attempting some form of HL.

So factually incorrect, as usual, about private school elitism.

Private schools are not all swimming in money. Although the fees are v high out of a taxed income, each child's place per year is only a small fraction of the running budget. It's a huge bugbear of mine that so many people assume all private schools are like Eton and all the parents are v rich. My school is doing brilliant home learning but I'm doing it all on my own laptop. Staff who don't have one (and some don't) are either having to go in and work in empty classrooms with no heating on or use their phones which is not ideal.

@pinbinpin

My sisters kid's school is a state school and they have opened EY - Nursery and Reception (although there is some suggestion they might close again as take up isn't looking high)

My kids school is a private school and they haven't opened EY - are attempting some form of HL.

So factually incorrect, as usual, about private school elitism.

I just wish mumsnet would delete shitty Ill informed threads like this

Some will just read the title and presume correct because they won’t open and read

How is this fair?

Well it's not. But that's kind of the whole point of private school.

sup1979 I agree.

Maybe report and ask MN to edit the title?

Well it's not. But that's kind of the whole point of private school.

Not only is it not fair, it’s also not true according to some subsequent posters who have kids in private school.

@pinbinpin

sup1979 I agree.

Maybe report and ask MN to edit the title?

Will do

Ours is closed to Reception

The most recent guidance on the national lockdown rules, which someone posted on the first page, clearly states primary (reception onwards)....will remain open for vulnerable children and the children of critical workers. All other children will learn remotely until February half term.

This was published yesterday and supercedes the previous school guidance from 30th December that someone else linked upthread where schools could choose, so they shouldn't be opening their Reception class to all under the new lockdown guidelines.

My friends kids go to a Steiner school and their kindergarten goes up to the age of 7. They are in.

All reception classes were allowed to open. Most opened in much of Leicester that has been under lockdown since last March. Some schools, however, chose to close them.

@Blueeyesparkle

NettleTea

My son is in private but Im not well off. He has funding from the school, I use his DLA to pay my share of the fees and his dad and grandparents also pay a big share. Im in a HA home and get tax credits due to being self employed and a carer for my eldest disabled daughter. But private was essential for my son's wellbeing and mental health. But I dont drink, dont smoke, dont buy new clothes, etc. We all make our choices.
So Im gutted by the schools closing - he started in year 9 in Sept '19 and has spent as much time at home as he has in schoo due to lockdownl. But I dont begrudge those who are allowed to go in.
Bookmark

We all make our choices? Really? You get money and housing handed to you for gods sake!!

She's a carer for two disabled children and trying to work as well, she's getting tax credits because her situation (having two disabled children) means she isn't able to work full time. What would you suggest? She sells them to the pixies? Sends them back?

This isn't about state vs private. DS went to a state nursery school which also housed the reception year for one primary school (the one he ended up going to) because there was not enough space in the primary school to have a reception class. That nursery is now open so they are taking the reception children for the primary school they have an agreement with because they count them as early years .

I appreciate this is an unusual situation but it is all state provided. Schools which combine nursery aged children from 2+ and reception in one place will likely be accepting the reception aged children, it is just that this is more common in private schools I think

@lavenderlou

The most recent guidance on the national lockdown rules, which someone posted on the first page, clearly states primary (reception onwards)....will remain open for vulnerable children and the children of critical workers. All other children will learn remotely until February half term.

This was published yesterday and supercedes the previous school guidance from 30th December that someone else linked upthread where schools could choose, so they shouldn't be opening their Reception class to all under the new lockdown guidelines.

This seems quite key..

Reception class counts as EYFS and is allowed to be open. State schools are just either choosing not to or don't have the capacity to open the primary school for just one class.

From friends and family in both sectors there are variations. As posters have already suggested the rules apply to both fee paying and paid for sectors. Many private schools are remote schooling Reception class and some/many state schools are remaining open to select children including Reception. However unless you need to continue in person mass gathering multiple household mixing then the least likely continued asymptomatic mutating super spreading is staying away from other people if possible.

My kids go to private school and EYFS isn't open at all except to key workers

@lavenderlou

The guidance is contradictory though. After the bit you quoted, it says Early Years settings can remain open - and Reception is part of the Early Years Foundation Stage, which goes from birth to compulsory school age (at 5).

So it’s not surprising schools are taking different approaches.

@wildraisins

Reception class counts as EYFS and is allowed to be open. State schools are just either choosing not to or don't have the capacity to open the primary school for just one class.

Not according to the lockdown guidance published yesterday which states that primaries should've closed from reception onwards. Settings which combine nursery and reception will be more complicated.

Independent schools can receive 3/4 year old EY funding until there term after the term in which the child is 5 (statutory school age). This covers all reception pupils in the autumn term and then a decreasing number each term. State schools receive reception funding through a different mechanism.

So private schooling provides the kids of rich parents with a (further) unearned advantage over poorer families? Who knew!

The whole thing stinks of shit.

“ Resentment is a cancer in this country.”

So very true.

@Newdonewhugh

“ Resentment is a cancer in this country.”

So very true.

Better off to address the inequality.

I agree OP. It’s not fair. And I REALLY don’t like the “life isn’t fair” argument in the context of education. I think it should be as level a playing field as possible.

@Fr0thandBubble

I agree OP. It’s not fair. And I REALLY don’t like the “life isn’t fair” argument in the context of education. I think it should be as level a playing field as possible.

It also not true