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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think we are supposed to be at home in suspended animation waiting for our children?

17 replies

drspouse · 13/07/2021 16:23

Just this minute got a notification through that DS school is having an inset day on Friday. 2 school days notice. Apparently the LEA has just told them they are allocated an extra INSET day so they are taking it now.

DD is at a different school and has a long-planned inset day that day so I am taking her away for the night, leaving in the morning, in our only car. DH can walk to pick up DS and has booked the afternoon off. He's up to the wire with annual leave (as am I) as the childcare we had booked for next week cancelled places for both of them, a week ago.

DS has SEN and he normally goes to a CM after school (but that's the one that's cancelled holiday care, and it's also too far to walk). The school apparently think we are sitting at home waiting for our children to come home, twiddling our thumbs, rather than a) working or b) doing things with our other children who need time away from their siblings who have SEMH needs. His school have organised us a family worker who has specifically been working with DD to help her get some mental space away from DS.

It would be bad enough if this was a mainstream school, but to do this to SEN parents who usually have no childcare options at all?

OP posts:
LaLaMelyn · 13/07/2021 16:24

Um, that's outrageous! Is that even allowed??

drspouse · 13/07/2021 16:26

DH says he thinks it probably is allowed technically, but it's really inconsiderate.

OP posts:
TeenMinusTests · 13/07/2021 16:26
Flowers
Tiari · 13/07/2021 16:28

Fgs!! Flowers

Streamingbannersofdawn · 13/07/2021 16:28

I totally get this OP. Our current SEMH school is really good to be fair but the last one seemed really surprised that I couldn't drop everything and come to get him...this is especially weird as I work with young children and you'd think the school a school would understand that I can't just leave at the drop of a hat.

Don't get me started on the fact that no school can understand that I don't have my mobile on me while I'm working...even though the teacher in question has come away from their class to use the phone.

Weird.

Cooldryplace · 13/07/2021 16:28

It will be an attempt to protect staff and students' holidays from burst bubbles and isolation. We did the same ar Christmas. You can't win really.

drspouse · 13/07/2021 16:31

It won't make any difference to that cool as they are still in tomorrow and Thursday, and they have just sent a load of children home for home learning due to short staffing (also illegal, also nothing parents could do about it - it was the KS1 class though and DS is in KS2).

OP posts:
Cooldryplace · 13/07/2021 16:33

It will, it will make one day's difference and also reduce the risk of it happening at all.

drspouse · 13/07/2021 16:34

If they are due to go on holiday on the Saturday it will not help them in the slightest.

OP posts:
Cooldryplace · 13/07/2021 16:35

No but it will if they're due to go the following week.

RoseAndRose · 13/07/2021 16:38

I agree with you - 2 days notice is taking the piss

drspouse · 13/07/2021 16:39

Given there are about 16 staff at the school in total including an outreach worker who is rarely in school, if they are taking their own holidays throughout the 6 weeks, it will affect a maximum of two members of staff who will be due to travel in the 7 days after Thursday.

As opposed to the keyworker parents who will have booked their last day in work before the holidays on Friday and will not now be allowed to change it (e.g. DH, e.g. the nurse, physio and teacher who are among the parents, as well as a couple of supermarket workers).

OP posts:
drspouse · 13/07/2021 16:42

The teachers themselves said that a short notice Inset day at Christmas was completely pointless

www.tes.com/news/teachers-scorn-over-plan-cancel-18th-dec-classes

OP posts:
LittleOwl153 · 13/07/2021 16:42

Could you speak to the family worker and see if they can organise something?
What would the schools reaction be if you simply sent a message back saying it is too short notice for you to find cover so they will need to have ds in anyway?

Streamingbannersofdawn · 13/07/2021 16:44

I do have some sympathy for the short staffing thing. I run a childcare setting and because staff have to be off with their own children due to school bubbles bursting I'm really struggling to staff my last two days of the term. We might have to close, I'm doing everything I can to avoid it but I can't run without staff. Its a complete nightmare.

drspouse · 13/07/2021 16:45

The family worker's only suggestion for a PA/carer type person for DS was to "look at childcare.co.uk and find a nanny" so I doubt it! She's said he's "not disabled enough" for a carer's assessment. This is a child that no mainstream school will take...

They would be closed if we turned up on Friday. If we spoke firmly to the HT then from another parent's experience, she would probably shout at us.

OP posts:
pastabest · 13/07/2021 17:00

Unfortunately this sort of situation is what emergency dependent leave is intended for. Can DP take the rest of the day he hasn't used for annual leave as emergency dependent leave.

Depending on the employer it may not be unpaid (but probably will be).

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