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.

@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.

You are a critical key worker and the school are taking the piss

@LittleMissBrainy

Maybe there should be a ranking of importance in the term 'key worker".

Of the 5 I know in my school one is a care worker, one a physiotherapist, one a GP, one a midwife and one mental health worker.

All these jobs are important but I wouldn't regard them all 'crucial, to society', but because they all work for the NHS, they get keyworker status.

I don't know if the NHS is furloughing people but they have all worked all the way through. All bar one partners have either been furloughed or working from home (during lockdown 1) and they have still got school places.

Not saying I blame them at all, but I can see why people think it seems like a free pass for anyone who works for the public sector regardless of postion.

This has to be a joke, right? Can you explain why you don't see any of those roles as critical? Or do you genuinely think only doctors and nurses who work on ITU are what's needed right now? Jesus wept!

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

Fortunately, there's nothing in the rules or guidance to suggest that you only qualify for a key worker if your job relates to one of those. It would manifestly be ridiculous if that were the case - if we said, for instance, the people with vital jobs in electricity supply came second because it's not directly related to Brexit or covid we could find ourselves in big trouble.

"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"

So I'm guessing you'd agree that oncologists and firefighters wouldn't be entitled to keyworker spaces as they aren't critical to the COVID or Brexit effort?

@LittleMissBrainy which two aren't needed? I'm genuinely curious!

@MotherExtraordinaire, what on earth is entitled about having to go to work to support incredibly complex and high risk patients? I'm sure OP would love to be furloughed and not have to worry about finding care for her children, but it's not allowed.

The guidance doesn't suggest that only those directly working in coronavirus-related occupations are critical workers, because it gives a long list including people like members of the justice system, religious staff, people in financial services provision, etc. In the health service, it is defined as:

"This includes, but is not limited to, doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers, care workers, and other frontline health and social care staff including volunteers; the support and specialist staff required to maintain the UK’s health and social care sector; those working as part of the health and social care supply chain, including producers and distributors of medicines and medical and personal protective equipment."

In effect, they are saying that people who work in the most non-expendable occupations are critical to the coronavirus response, not that they have to be directly working with coronavirus patients or anything similar.

OP very obviously comes within the health category and is the reverse of entitled. People like you who suggest that she is, however, need to have a think about their own attitudes.

@Arobase thank you. If I was entitled I'd be demanding A lot more than I Am.

This is ridiculous, of course your child should have a key worker space in school. 1. Has Send. 2 both parents clearly keyworkers!

For what it's worth I'm also classified as a 'keyworker' and could have requested a place for my 8 yr old. I wish I had of done during the first lockdown, it was bloody mental trying to homeschool and work at the same time. Thing was, at the first lockdown I was than a critical Covid response keyworker, I was administering the government Covid schemes, CJRS and SEISS,and while I was working from home it was MENTAL busy. I was able to devote 0% to homeschooling.

I was adamant that if things went back to lockdown I would send my kid to school.

Things change though, employers know what to do now re claiming CJRS and the self employed know how to claim their grants. The same pressures are not on me and we're back to our 'business as usual'.

I'm still expected to work my hours but can be a bit more flexible now so I've kept my kid at home. I'm fortunate I can do so. Fortunate in that I can keep my family safer rather than face my kid mixing at school, fortunate in that I can spend an hour or so with his homeschooling (loving cbbc for their help at the moment!).

Critical workers like the OP NEED these school spaces! My work is still adamant that we classify as 'keyworker' we don't, necessarily (some do are are still working the covid schemes, but most aren't). And my workplace as 10000s of employees. And that is the issue here. Too many workplaces are deeming 'keyworker' where they are simply not. It's wrong, and needs sorted, some clarification from the government would help here.

Yep I second that op. Your job is critical to safeguarding of vulnerable children, women, men,

My ds has severe SEN and was allocated a place at the 1st lockdown. This time he wasn't and I assumed it was because he was now in year 12. His SW called and she had a form to fill in to say he was vulnerable so he could have a place. So you have a SW who mayle can chase up a place?

If there are staff shortages school can't take cater for all they would like to.
Keep checking and if they have more staff they may be able to cater for him.

@TalesTheCat hi, no we don't have a social worker.

I'm hoping I am going to get somewhere today.

If he doesn’t have an EHCP and other children do, the school can prioritise. They may also have some very vulnerable children (but obviously can’t tell you that). Or maybe school has a lot of keyworkers critical to the pandemic so has prioritised NHS workers etc?

@HikeForward I am NHS staff.
I have discovered the following information for other parents facing my struggle.

According to this, no school should be restricting numbers of key worker children.

@supersonicginandtonic some of the comments on here are awful. Yet again more comments of it's fine to throw sen children and families under the bus. Our school is prioritising echp sen/vulnerable first. Then critical workers. Op have you got any services involved at all with your family??? How far along the ehcp process are you? Has your child a formal diagnosis. (Not that it should matter but it may help to argue) hope you get somewhere today

@RockPaperScissorsLizardSpock73 yes he's had a diagnosis for many years. We've just not needed an EHCP because his primary School and his new, secondary school have been so supportive until now. We started the EHCP route at the advice of his paediatrician. We're not far off a decision and she did say their shouldn't be a problem getting one. I am in contact with safeguarding at the local authority and somebody is due to call me this morning.
I also have the support of his head of year and the SENCO but unfortunately the final decision lies with the head who is always completely out of touch with the students anyway.

I am so sorry , it sounds like your son has a
a crap head. I cant imagine a situation in my school where the SENCO wants a student in and is refused a place.

You must be so worried about the people on your case load. An amazing job made tougher for no good reason. Fingers crossed you get something sorted today.

@supersonicginandtonic
According to this, no school should be restricting numbers of key worker children.
Workers whose work is critical to Covid take priority, read it correctly!!! You’ve already said they can’t take your son due to number of “critical” worker children, your job does not come under that category. You are probably classed as keyworker, but you and your husband are NOT critical workers. If they’ve no staff or no space for your son due to staffing/distancing restrictions, then they can’t take him. At the school I’m at, we’ve had to say no places to some keyworker families, there’s nothing we can do about it.

@LadyPenelope68 ok then let's all social care staff and probation stop work. Im sure you would love that. The school head is being ridiculous. Even the SENCO at the school thinks he should be in. She's not listening to advice. And from speaking with other parents, it appears she just wants the "easier" children in school.
We shall see what the local authority and safeguarding say today because I know they'll say he is to be given a place.

@LadyPenelope68 oh and I am classed as a critical worker. I have a letter from the trust I work for saying this and I've sent my ID. She's just completely ignored it. Her sentence was "I don't need to see that".
My neighbours year 7 son is in, his mum is a receptionist in a gp surgery and dad works at Aldi. Both keyworker roles, even they can't understand why he hasn't got a place.

This is wrong, your ds should have a place. I would contact the LA. I hope you manage to get this sorted.

@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

OP It's not always easy for people who don't come into contact with vulnerable people to understand how they need help even more in covid. I'm sorry you're having this stress.

@supersonicginandtonic
Your trust might think you’re a critical worker, but the guidance for schools states otherwise. You are a KEY worker, not a CRITICAL worker.