Be honest. Have you sent your kids to school when they could have stayed at home?

[Witchcraftandhokum]

I left my job in education before Christmas mostly because of the governments appalling response to Covid in schools and anti-teacher sentiment generally so I haven't really got a vested interest. But I'm curious, after speaking to my ex-colleagues and friends who work in other schools there seems to be a dramatic take-up on the offer of places for vulnerable students and children of Key-workers compared to the last lockdown.

The numbers in my old school during the last lockdown made it hardly worth opening the school, this time they're at capacity and are having to bring extra staff in at a risk to themselves. In my friend's child's class there are 21 out of 32 currently attending.

What's going on?

Also to add we have healthy young grandparents up the road, they haven’t helped at all as it’s not worth the risk.
Our classes our about 50% full up to 18 kids in one class. Awful for everyone. So short sighted. I don’t know why so many people are doing this.

I couldn't believe the length of the list in dd class when they read out who was a school!

Why would they read out a list of kids in school - who were they reading it out to? It’s literally no ones business but the school and the kids parents.

@Jellycatspyjamas

I couldn't believe the length of the list in dd class when they read out who was a school!

Why would they read out a list of kids in school - who were they reading it out to? It’s literally no ones business but the school and the kids parents.

It was a innocent I think but was very revealing. The children at school often come on the live lessons and the TA with them was reading out who was there on day 1. They don't come on the live lessons anymore, I wonder if it's because parents have complained. The school seems to have said to anyone who asked.

I have seen several posts now of people sending in unnecessarily. Makes me really cross. It's going to prolong the situation for everyone else.

It's sad to see that many people would judge a parent working from home sending children in. I have a friend who is admin for the NHS, they log on at 7am and are lucky to finish by 6pm. If they kept their primary age child at home then the work would simply not get done which would not be a good outcome for anyone.
So many people are quick to judge and tear each other apart.

Schools need to doubt check their lists other wise it defeats the object and they might as well re open school for everyone.

I work in a primary school, support staff. I wasn’t need in first lockdown as max of about 12 children in total, now were nearly at full capacity, had around 20 just in my class today.

At my daughter’s state primary the school counsellor is so busy dealing with the aftermath of lockdown on the children they are buying extra resource.

My daughter was at home with me in the last lockdown and returned to school a different child according to her class teacher - I agree she developed anxiety. Her teacher requested she attend full time. I am sure she is not the only child who wouldn’t have been classed as vulnerable in the first lockdown but is now. I am grateful my daughter can attend but I’m not discussing her mental health on the school run and I’m sure other parents judge. I trust the school staff to make the appropriate decisions as to who can attend.

@Dutchesss

It's sad to see that many people would judge a parent working from home sending children in. I have a friend who is admin for the NHS, they log on at 7am and are lucky to finish by 6pm. If they kept their primary age child at home then the work would simply not get done which would not be a good outcome for anyone. So many people are quick to judge and tear each other apart.

Yes I judge because they are doing harm to everyone else. They are putting others at risk and prolonging the situation. So if they don't absolutely need their child in school they shouldn't be just because it's easier. I am not normally judgemental at all and think each to their own but in this case people need to be more socially responsible.

It was a innocent I think but was very revealing. The children at school often come on the live lessons and the TA with them was reading out who was there on day 1. They don't come on the live lessons anymore, I wonder if it's because parents have complained.

I hope they have, I’d have hit the roof if they showed my child on camera in school and named them online. There are huge safeguarding risks for some kids in doing that.

DH is a keyworker, I'm a parent-carer. DS is going back into school as he's not coping well at home and needs schoolwork to happen in school so that home is reserved as his safe-space. The risk of covid is low when compared to the immediate risk to his (and my) mental health and he will benefit enormously by going, he will be doing 2-3 days a week going forwards.

Safeguarding- how? It's only parents who see them everyday at pick up and drop off anyway. We all know who is who.

Husband is a key worker according to Gvt list (not frontline nhs or anything like that). I WFH - we’ve kept our son off. It is difficult juggling but I wasn’t comfortable sending him in when I was at home and also was worried about the risk of the new strain. Teachers are doing an amazing job right now and need our support and help in terms of keeping numbers as low as possible in school. Of course there are children who have to be in school for various reasons - no arguments there. But undoubtedly there are some parents who are sending their kids in when they don’t have to. Because it is easier for them to send the kids in. Just like there are people who don’t wear masks when they could, or mix indoors when they shouldn’t be. Some people have no sense of social responsibility and take the piss. I realise that I sound judgmental but it’s been almost a year of all this and I’m tired and sick of selfish people!

@studychick81

You are over simplifying this.

There are many NHS roles which are directly involved in the covid response, it is not quite as simple as working from home = not frontline.

Please don’t be so judgemental of something when you clearly are so unaware of the actual situation.

Things are difficult enough for all at the moment without this too.

I wasn't a key worker during the first lockdown and was furloughed. I am now a key worker who cannot work from home, my husband is the same so my daughter is in school this time.

A lot less places have shut / furloughed staff this time so there are more people classed as key workers in this lock down. That's why numbers attending school this time is higher.

I do also think that more people are taking the piss this time and not taking things as seriously as they should be!!

I feel for the teachers and school staff and just hope everyone is managing to stay safe.

Safeguarding- how? It's only parents who see them everyday at pick up and drop off anyway. We all know who is who.

The images can be saved and shared, they can be viewed by anyone, even someone visiting a home or providing childcare if not online. There will potentially be kids there in foster care, or parents fleeing domestic abuse, or children who are adopted whose location needs to be kept private. Their name and image being shown online allows someone to find their school, class and teacher.

I’d hit the roof because it could expose my children to be found by people I really wouldn’t want to find them.

@Thisseatisnotavailable

Yes, but as we were coming out of the first lockdown, the school contacted me and said they had a space in one of their bubbles if my dc wanted it. I did say she didn't 'need' it as she was doing fine homeschooling so they should offer it to someone else if they actually needed it more; she really wanted to go back so she went back for a few weeks before the end of term.

I wouldn't lie to get a place though. My friend is a teacher and she told me that she had someone collect their kid from school last week, and commented to her that it was great that she'd had a chance to start decorating.

Ah but was that child vulnerable? It's not just keyworker kids who are in school.

It's sad to see that many people would judge a parent working from home sending children in. I have a friend who is admin for the NHS, they log on at 7am and are lucky to finish by 6pm. If they kept their primary age child at home then the work would simply not get done which would not be a good outcome for anyone.
So many people are quick to judge and tear each other apart.

Yes I judge because they are doing harm to everyone else. They are putting others at risk and prolonging the situation. So if they don't absolutely need their child in school they shouldn't be just because it's easier. I am not normally judgemental at all and think each to their own but in this case people need to be more socially responsible.

But in some cases if the admin staff cannot do their job to 100% of the standard then this will cause direct delays in staffing and equipment.

@Mum45678

Yes. I sent both mine in for a few days a week. I'm a single parent, work full time and technically a key worker. I work in a demanding job that can be done from home but requires lots of concentration and focus.

I had them home for all of the last lockdown but I almost had a nervous breakdown trying to keep all the plates spinning. The eldest is on the SEN register and she has been referred for ADHD. I have to monitor everything she does or she will not do any work.

I am eternally grateful for the teachers and TAs who are supporting them in school. I refuse to feel guilty. I'm really tired of people judging others when you have no idea why they have or haven't sent their kids to school.

There is t a register of children with SEN

*isn't

studychick81

So you would prefer an NHS worker quit than send their child to school, where they legally have a place?

Some of our admin cannot work with children present- they are making confidential and at times distressing telephone calls. Recording detailed, precise and extremely sensitive personal information. We have a list of workers (roles) who cannot have others in the room whilst they do their jobs, which includes children. The alternative is they are unable to work, or have to do their work in the hospital setting, which is a bigger risk. NHS can't be furloughed.

There is t a register of children with SEN

Yes there is. The school has a list/record of all children who have SEN, it is literally called "the SEN register" and your child gets added to it if they have an identified need for learning support.

[quote InhabitantofPlagueIsland2021]@studychick81

You are over simplifying this.

There are many NHS roles which are directly involved in the covid response, it is not quite as simple as working from home = not frontline.

Please don’t be so judgemental of something when you clearly are so unaware of the actual situation.

Things are difficult enough for all at the moment without this too.[/quote]
Then that's far enough. But there are people on here and in schools right now who clearly are not in that situation and so yes I judge. Putting them in more days than necessary- yes I judge.

I'm a single mum and I'm a keyworker (TA in a specialist school and all our kids are extremely vulnerable and in school). I have to be at work. My 5yo also has SEN. I obviously have to send him in, but on the one day I don't work, he stays at home with me. There are 60 kids in his year group and only 9 are in. I don't think that's too bad.

Question to you and those PP who agree -

In what way do you think people aren't being honest?