School not teaching key worker children

[Frenchcroissant]

Hi all, my two dd are going to school everyday as both me and my partner are key workers. One is in reception and not bothered about her, but older is in year 5 and she's told me that they don't do any learning at all. I told her she can do the same work as home children but at school, but apparently that's not allowed, teacher said she's got to do all learning at home, she's just playing, colouring and watching Disney movies. That's not right, is it? Why is she not doing same as the children at home?

My DC in Y5 is the same. Apparently spent all week on an iPad.

Y1 here. Day 1 in school (Wednesday) was as you describe, but since then they have been in year groups and have been taught. I imagine they are doing the same work as kids at home. I wouldn’t be happy with your set up

My son has been saying the same that they watch films

Is he really annoyed with that, if they’re at school with a teacher they should be doing the same work as the home schoolers.

It's only week 1, give them chance. But yes, they should receive the same as those at home. At my school the key worker kids are on a computer accessing the same learning as those at home, just with a staff member to supervise.

*I’d be

I’d be annoyed with that. My year 4 daughter is in a bubble with 4 of her class, has her usual teacher and is having full days of learning.

Do you know what’s being provided for the children at home?

I'd take what a child says with a pinch of salt. If I'd believed him, my DS ate nothing, did nothing and played with nobody when he was younger.
The school I work in is being managed really well. A TA and a lunchtime supervisor watch all the children who have been sent in and they are expected to independently work on their work set by the teachers, either in paper format or watching a lesson on an ipad/laptop. They are taken out together for playtime and lunchtime. So school is basically replacing the supervision the parent would be doing at home, not providing additional education or benefit to attending.
The teachers are busy separately preparing and recording lessons and troubleshooting any issues with all children.
Not sure you can ask for more under the circumstances?

They should be getting the same stuff as at home in some format. Must be harder in small schools than larger ones though, who need mixed age groups.

(Maybe the school is trying to weed out the people playing the system that everyone is going on about...)

My DS will only be going one day a week and hasn't gone yet but I can see from the live lessons that the group at school are joining in. They also do a 'question of the day' on Google classroom and the TA always writes answers for the children in school, so they are clearly doing the same as the children at home. I would be very unimpressed if my child was in school so that I can go and teach other children, but no one was teaching him. I would follow this up with the school and discuss how they can facilitate your child doing the same learning. But please don't complain to Ofsted, schools are trying their best in very difficult circumstances.

I thought it was common knowledge that schools are opening simply to provide child care. In my daughters senior school the teachers are ash at home and it's just TAs in school.

Our school is muttering about not teaching the kids in class as they're struggling to do the online teaching with so many "critical workers" kids suddenly needing school - nearly 40%.
I hope they do explain that kids will get better taught online at home so that some of the wealth managers, recruitment consultants, estate agents who have suddenly decided they don't want their kids at home as they WFH themselves might get a conscious and stop taking places that should only be for frontline workers who are out of the home all day.

Teachers are being expected to supervise children in class whilst also live streaming lessons in many cases. In some cases support staff are supervising children on the computers doing the same as what the children at home are doing.
Schools are doing their best with huge numbers of children in when they are apparently ‘closed’.

I'm certain that your child is doing some learning at school but it is childcare in a sense. Most teachers will be providing lessons, resources and giving feedback online while teaching assistants or support staff will be supervising the children of critical workers/ vulnerable children who are in school to do the same online learning.

Mine are doing the video lessons and worksheets that have been sent for home learning. Thankful for that, I wouldn't be able to fit a whole week's worth into my two days off.

Your children are in school to be babysat, not for education. If schools have the facilities to allow online learning at school, great, but most wont. The education needs to be done at home.

Difficult for schools though: WFH parents aren’t able to teach their children as they’re working, so have to cover school work at weekends / evenings.

And there are so many people using the school provision this time round the teacher must be spending time supervising the group when she should be spending the time making sure every child is receiving appropriate education, not just the ones sat at school.

It’s a really unfair situation for everyone. I’d not be happy in your shoes, but I’m very unhappy with our “home school provision” (a link to Sumdog, two Twinkle worksheets, and a suggestion to help make dinner or bake a cake, for Y5 child... for all of next week). I think neither schools nor teachers nor parents nor children can win here.

No teaching in my school, just childcare and made clear on the application for a place. They are given access to the computers or iPads in order to do the same work as the kids at home, and next week will all be on zoom calls together as a full class.

You really can't be expected to homeschool, after school. That's not on at all. We get around 3hrs of work per day.

Difficult for schools though: WFH parents aren’t able to teach their children as they’re working, so have to cover school work at weekends / evenings.

This. Other working parents have to fit home schooling around their work. So do you.

What did the school say when you spoke to them about it?

Schools are only open for child care. Many classes are mixed age groups and staffed by TAs. The TAs cannot teach.

Same as lockdown. My son went last time for a few weeks and did nothing I was surprised. You can do the homelearning after school with them so they do not fall behind. This time I kept him home so he can atleast be learning.

Same as last lockdown I meant.

Arguably they have the same access to the school resources as those not attending and it's surely up to their parents to facilitate this if the school is simply providing childcare?

Maybe if more schools were taking this approach, it wouldn't be so desirable for so many to have their children attending!