To be angry there is no school place for my son?

[supersonicginandtonic]

I have been told that there is no place for my son in school. He has SEND and 2 parents are key workers. In year 7 at secondary school. They've told me there is no place for him as they've had to prioritise children of critical workers.

Also they aren't doing live lessons, the children working from home have to do the work from google classroom. I've got 2 children in year 8 and my nephew in year 11 but they can be at home unsupervised, not ideal but they are managing.

@supersonicginandtonic

I work in the NHS, not on a Covid ward but in safeguarding within the substance misuse team. My service users are very complex and high risk. My partner is a probation officer with very high risk offenders.

But neither of these roles are directly related to covid effort nor Brexit are they?

They maybe more key than a librarian, but not critical.

You're in no worse a position than thousands of others.

They're massively critical roles. Who's protecting the most vulnerable in society? They can't be done from home. These people need protection. Shall we just leave them to commit suicide or beaten to death by their partners?
My son has SEND, he needs to be in schools

I agree but it depends on who is able to work if the majority of them have young children they would need to get childcare themselves and aren’t people who are shielding advised to stay home now too?

So are you saying you think there are spaces left but they don’t want to take him?

Oh that's such a shame, OP. At my school we have no limit. Schools aren't really allowed to set them so not sure how they can say they are full. I had 21 in my class today all of whom are entitled to a space for whatever reason. We've never even discussed having a limit as it's not in our power.

@toocold54 the poor staff had it bad before Christmas. One week there were 58 members of staff either isolating or Covid positive. They only had 2 years in school.
My daughter is in year 8 and only did 9 days in the last half term as there were quite a few cases n her year too.
I really appreciate how hard they are working, I really do and the pastoral lead is going above and beyond in supporting my nephew. Even his head of year and the SENCO cannot understand why he hasn't got a place.
My friend who's daughter is in, informed me they magically found her daughter a place when she contacted the LA. She has the same conditions as my son.

@User415373 aww your school sounds lovely. I've had a few issues with this head in the past, she isn't the most supportive at the best of times. My step-daughter was assaulted by another student, she received a broken nose and there were whitenesses but when we met with the head she kept repeating about the "alleged result".

I have my nephew with me at the moment, he's been living with me since the first lockdown due to the mental health of his mum, my sister. She attempted suicide and the head was calling after him being absent for two days informing me if he wasn't back in school it would be marked as an unauthorised absence.

The problem is the criteria for 'key worker' has been massively extended and people have manipulated the rues so they fit in.
We had letter from our school saying they are closing applications as 35% of children are in!
I know at least 5 who only have one key worker parent, the other one at home, and it's annoying, but people are desperate to keep their jobs.

We found out yesterday that our DD would qualify, but had the letter on the same day so feel bad about applying even though my DD is vulnerable and school would do her good. But I'm at home, so is it ethical?

I've just moved my work to the evening and look after her during the day. It would be impossible to look after her and work and I'm very lucky I can make things work, the way I can. Although I'm way beyond tired!

@LittleMissBrainy I certainly feel you should take the place if you have been offered it. You know your DD the best.
My step-daughter is severely dyslexic, but she is managing at home. It's completely different for every individual child isn't it?
I would keep him at home with the others but I don't think it is fair on them to have to be caring for their brother and I know 100% that he won't be doing any school work.
Today I got him to build a technic lego set, watch some horrible histories and read a book about planets, the only thing I could do but it's all completely unrelated to his curriculum.

@supersonicginandtonic

They're massively critical roles. Who's protecting the most vulnerable in society? They can't be done from home. These people need protection. Shall we just leave them to commit suicide or beaten to death by their partners? My son has SEND, he needs to be in schools

They're as key as my role is. Bit I'm afraid it's not a critical to the covid or brexit scenarios. You may not like that, but if rationalising of spaces happens, quite rightly, your child is not in line.

My child also has additional needs. But my lo shouldn't be attending solely to make my life easier! Nor should yours.

@MotherExtraordinaire
Is that a serious comment? Those people op is trying to help might have kids at home. Kids who are not accessing vulnerable child places at school because well.... they aren’t being taken. So not seen, so fuck knows what will happen to them.
I think helping those children is more important than bloody brexit!

@MotherExtraordinaire are you serious? Who is protecting these children then? BREXIT is completely irrelevant and I am not wanting him in to make my life easier. I can't work of he isn't in. Please tell me how to do my job then, it'd be much appreciated.

@Underadesk you're completely right about the kids not being sent to school.

[quote thatwouldbeanecumenicalmatter]If he's in the process of being assessed then yes, he's within the vulnerable category.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision#vulnerable-children-and-young-people[/quote]
It also says the key words "this might include:" Not the it does include. It's all in the wording.

It's a balancing act. Schools have been shut to reduce transmission due to the NHS being overwhelmed with cases. To then have too many children in defeats that object, so schools go through and look at the children they have and decide if they are mentally/physically at risk staying at home. If you think your child is not coping at home you should let the school know this.

If, however, it's not about your child's needs but yours, in that you need him to access school so you can work, then I'd also take that up with them direct asking why as key workers your child cannot have a place.

I would think that you are high on the list so the only thing I can think is that there are quite a few vulnerable children who are a higher priority as they are not as safe/happy at home as your DC.

I would definitely speak to his tutor or the SEND person and just see if there’s anyway he can go in.

i hear ya. Its these kids who need to be in schools more than some keyworker kids tbh, but in a battle for resources, pushy parents win out
I honestly think some people think unless you have a shop badge or a certain logo then you aren’t doing essential work. Even thought that work was hard and essential even before all this.
But then if you came on here and said that your child had heard some of the conversations you have to have, you’d be a bad parent. And I can imagine your partner is in the same nightmare boat.

@supersonicginandtonic

They're massively critical roles. Who's protecting the most vulnerable in society? They can't be done from home. These people need protection. Shall we just leave them to commit suicide or beaten to death by their partners? My son has SEND, he needs to be in schools

The roles are not COVID CRITICAL. They are important for society per se. But not covid related. So no, you do not deserve a place based on this.

@MotherExtraordinaire actually our trust has said they are. One of our roles is to try and reduce their attendances in hospital. They are known as HIUs, high impact users. Them not attending hospital is having a significant impact on the A&E staff.

@MotherExtraordinaire are you the headteacher? My employers are saying he should be in, his head of year and the SENCO are saying he should be in. He qualified for a place during the first lockdown.
His needs mean he needs stucture and routine and he cannot get this at home.

MotherExtraordinaire the criteria are “being covid and Brexit critical”. Or fire, non-covid hospital work (like cancer, liver, gynae), and things like water/nuclear/electricity wouldn’t be included as key workers.

You need to re-read the inclusion criteria. All NHS employees are critical workers (and if they aren’t, they are redeployed to somewhere more critical - our dietitians are doing vaccinations).

not just being “covid-critical”

By @motherextraordinaire by your stance fire services aren't critical?

Of course critical workers include hose needed within society as a whole

@Changechangychange some of the substance misuse team in our authority are doing vaccines too.

Well, thanks for that @MotherExtraordinaire thanks for supporting the people who keep the try and keep you safe and cosseted from some of the most dangerous parts of society. Lets get rid of all the drugs workers, probation workers, social workers police, fire etc and lets see how long we last then, after all, none are covid essential. It’ll be like fucking bedlam.....
I’m assuming we are back to the stage of the little blue logo being the only support service worth having at the mo...... not everything in the world revovles around covid- people needed

Although based on one of your first comments, I’m wondering if you are secretly fed up you don’t qualify for a place.