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.

As you WFH one day a week, plus your DP WFH 2 days per week then I cant see how you need a school place. I’m assuming that you don't both WFH on the same day? You said that you both need to have confidential conversations as part of your jobs, but your other children are there - how do you manage to do so in private? At best, you really only need a place for the days youre working.

@Butterymuffin that's all I've asked for, I can support him fully in the days I'm off work.

@Soontobe60 we are needed in the Office more the homeworking is temporary.
DP changes offices next week so will be in daily.
Also have you not read that he needs one to one supervision with his elanring. How do you suppose I do that and work?

OK, I certainly didn't mean to offend anyone and I appreciate your comments. But if one parent is at home, surely a key worker place shouldn't be given.

I'm not an expert and I'm not saying I necessarily disagree with you but I'm can see why people are frustrated when almost 1/2 the school appear to be key workers all of a sudden.

Maybe charity workers would have been a better example. I know one who is home working, doing admin and social media for a (albeit very important) charity, but she's at home, so why does she get the school place over someone doing the same job for a business that's trying to stay afloat? I don't know. Yet it's only the charity worker who gets the school place.

I'm not saying anything to intentionally offend anyone, and I agree in normal circumstances all these jobs would be classed as crucial, but difficult decisions have been made and it seems that key worker status has trumped some vulnerable children.

FWIW, there are two in that list I would not necessarily consider absolutely crucial unless there were critical circumstaces but I'm not going derail the thread by discussing them. But services in a lot of areas are massively reduced, therefore only the most crucial cases should be seen, so wouldn't this mean workloads have reduced? and if not, should something be put in place where only crucial cases are seen?

OP I think your job sounds very essential and absolutely critical. Thank you for the work you do and I truly hope you get the support you need for your son x

Is his father around and able to have him? Any extended family?

@LittleMissBrainy which 2?? Genuinely interested as I can't understand what they could be

Oh and I totally agree that the OP should get a school place btw!

Both jobs are critical and child is vulnerable. It should be a no-brainer! My argument is more for why there isn't a space for OP's DC.

Does he have 1:1 in school usually? What is happening with that 1:1?

Is there a room he can use with just the 1:1 so he isn't adding to class numbers?

Could the 1:1 work remotely with him via teams or similar allowing you to WFH in another room?

I'm just wondering if there's workable solutions you could present to school?

And it's true that schools can't actually cap as a such but they can limit numbers where their risk assessment requires them to do so to meet the guidelines.

@DumplingsAndStew his dad lives some distance awAy and has him every
Weekend. He is also a key worker.
My parents were helping out but they're now having to shield my brOther again.
He needs tO be in school and qualifies under two categories. The head is just beIng difficult even her own staff are saying he should be in.

I can't help or advise with the school place, but just wanted to say thank you to you and your dp. What amazing jobs you do, on top of raising a family (and caring for your neice!)

There are no easy answers at the moment, but I hope that you get it sorted soon, and in the meantime, thank you for all that you both do for those on the edge of society. Hats off to you, working in such tough areas.

FWIW, there are two in that list I would not necessarily consider absolutely crucial unless there were critical circumstaces

Which two?

@itsgettingweird I'm not sure whats happening with his school support. Teams wouldn't solve the problem as I need to be in the office and hed get distracted too easy if I wasn't sat next to him. We've been waiting a medication review with his paediatrician but that's also been postponed. Was originally booked in for aprol last year.

@MotherExtraordinaire you are bonkers. Truly.

@Notverygrownup thank you so much. The people we work with a treated like dirt by society as a whole but if you get to know them you soon discover the horrific backgrounds they have. It's so sad.

As well as agreeing you are a key worker and your son should have a school place I would also be wondering why you had to take unpaid leave and not special leave under these circumstances.

Off topic slightly but more places would be available for people who genuinely need them if schools stopped allowing a key workers kids going in when the other parent is not working at all and sitting on their arse all day watching tv

(Rant over - found this out about someone I know today)

@Pollypudding I've had more than my entitlement over the past 9 months. My manager has been amazingly supportive and understanding. I wouldn't expect anymore. They've even written a letter for staff to give to schools explaining why were critical, head says she doesn't need to see it.

[quote Ostryga]@MotherExtraordinaire you are bonkers. Truly.[/quote]
She's not bonkers.
The phrase has changed from key worker to critical worker in the guidance.
It has changed to critical because it refers to jobs that are critical to the Covid situation/Brexit transition.
She has tried to make this point calmly and politely and has been shouted down and abused for stating facts.
Yes it's shit for parents. But if a school has a limited capacity you won't get a space over actual EHCP and CP children; you will have no clue as to how many of them they have.

The trouble is with making a hierarchy of what professions are more crucial than others, is that most people dont have a clue what others' roles involve, including many members of the NHS themselves.

For example a respiratory physio will work on a covid ward in full ppe and will be crucial to maintaining and treating covid patients. But most people have no idea this is what some of them do because the media perpetuates the myth about only doctors and nurse deal with covid and physios deal with sports injuries....

Alternatively not every qualified nurse and dr in the country is dealing directly with covid patients. Some will work in other wards or outpatients departments or management/teaching roles and not be anywhere near "the frontline" covid risk.

There have been many disparaging comments in the media about different healthcare professionals not "deserving" various stuff be it school places, pay rises or free food, when the authors have NO idea what those people do and what adjustments they have made to accommodate covid, ie redeploying from theatre work to itu work or from speech therapy & podiatry to the proning team.

As the op states her patients are extremely vulnerable and the covid situation could make their situation worse as it is with patients who have other non covid needs, they will be the hidden victims of this pandemic, like the cancer and heart disease patients as they get postponed, cancelled and moved aside in response to the immediate crisis.

[quote supersonicginandtonic]@Soontobe60 we are needed in the Office more the homeworking is temporary.
DP changes offices next week so will be in daily.
Also have you not read that he needs one to one supervision with his elanring. How do you suppose I do that and work? [/quote]
The same way every other parent is having to with their children home!

This smacks of an absolutely entired attitude!

Entitled!

@Mookie81
Thank goodness, someone who shows some sense!

@MotherExtraordinaire

You think everyone is dealing with a teenage (or preteen sorry, I can't quite remember the age) child with disabilities who needs one to one support?

I could send mine to school. I am a key worker. My children are young carers, my husband illness means half the day he is unabel to do much leaving oldest to look after youngest. However i appreciate that some schools half the kids are in, that is not going to help the current situation. More kids means more teachers it becomes a visciouse circle. (I look after the teachers kids.) If you can stay at home then I really think one should.