Schools closed, what next?

[Sparklypurpleunicornsaremyfav]

So they've just announced schools are closing which I have to admit has made me feel better but I work in retail, non essential and come in close and physical contact with customers. As of yet we aren't being given any precautions to take to minimise the spread of the virus. I'm scared that I don't know who I'm coming into contact with, before anyone says anything I don't for one second think anyone would deliberately come into store knowing they'd had contact with the virus. But it still worries me what I could bring home. So when do you think or will they close shops like mine?

@BogOffWinter I am not saying that every child should be schooled at home. I am saying homeschool should be more normalised. So that every child and parent has the option that suits them best- school or home.

So children who want to be homeschooled can.
And children who want to be at school, like your children can.

angel84 what you’ve been through is absolutely awful. It should never, ever happen to anyone.

I'm confused.

I work in a school where every child is vulnerable (all on EHCPs, many on CIN plans and high FSM).

My poor ds is year 11 and has just found out his GCSEs are cancelled.

But he is also on an EHCP.

Looks like I'll have to work. He cannot look after himself every day for 3 months. He can manage odd day at home alone.
Both parents have cancer and on chemo and so they cannot help.

So can he go to school? Is it likely he can do a reduced timetable so supported but can have some days at home?

• Perhaps, after this terrible virus has peaked, schools will re-open and the (very long) school summer holidays will be cancelled, to make up for it? The disruption would be awful-but is that a solution?*

No, I really really really wouldn’t want that!

God only knows what I am going to do. Looks like u will either loose job completely or have to take unpaid leave so jo money coming in. Single parent to dc10.

Cant claim income support as child over 5 years old.

Cant see being able to claim JSA as not available to work as have no childcare due to school closing

Are you joking @angell84 ??

*I am annoyed at the teachers on here complaining about schools shutting.

This is to save lives! I think many teachers vastly over estimate how much children need them.

All school work can be done from home*

I don't think any teacher is complaining about schools shutting. At all. Far from it.
They are (& parents too) expressing how sad it is that kids in Y11 & Y13 have got to face all their hard work being on hold for now. Justifiably so. It's shit. And unfair.

I also think most teachers are worried about the logistics but this is absolutely essential in order, as you say, to 'save lives'. Agreed. We just need to iron out the issues this raises. In a very short timeframe.

And yeah, there are a lot of kids sadly who need their schools & teachers. It the one safe space where they get guaranteed food and respite from a shitty home life so it's going to be particularly shit for them over the next few months.

@theluckiest schools have been shut in most other EU countries.

If you look online at the news, people in other countries have been very shocked at The Uk not closing schools.

So yes I think it IS selfish to be upset about closing schools, when lives are in danger

Agree angell

And you know what, Mumsnet? Most poor people feed their kids.

I think many teachers vastly over estimate how much children need them

That’s such a nasty, uncalled for, thing to say.

I’m not a teacher (thank fuck, love teaching, love kids, hate nonsense rules & ever changing guidelines).so no axe to grind

Good teachers are worth their weight in gold - and not just academically. Even crap teachers, teach kids things about life.

I’m all for homeschooling, but if your kids attend school, teachers are a big part of who your children turn out to be

God knows how this is going to work, exactly, but all the teachers (& others) invokved in keeping schools partially open are complete stars! & I hope they’re looked after.

I'm very sad for my year 11 dd. She has worked so hard for GCSEs and will get good grades anyway but she's a bit like a lost sheep this evening. Have told her to pick 5 subjects she was interested in for A level and work as though she has exams then we are going to look at OU for resourcea for subjects she hasn't studied before and BBC bitesize so look at psychology and philosophy and stuff. I start a degree in September with a foundation year and think I will have a reading list so will do thag together and she is going to tutor her year 10 cousins remotely and help me home educate her little brother.

Her beautiful prom dress hasnt heen fitted yet but have said we will collect it if we can anyway and have it fitted if they announce a late prom.

So sad for them all. Finishing school is such a milestone that they will all miss. Have told her to write a journal or a blog for this period to remember her thoughts and feelings and record the social mood.

Am worried for her mental health without school and exams to focus on. She did a team sport as well, obviously off now and she will miss her team.

Need to set up laptop for her.

Parents are about to see teachers in a whole new light....

My dc are reception and year 3 so don’t have anything like the stress of the exam years but nonetheless I am so sad for them. They both LOVE school, our school is fab, they love their teachers..... it will be so hard for them not to see their friends and bomb around the playground. They love learning, they love their clubs....
They are off at the moment anyway as my youngest came home with a temp yesterday - what bad timing. And now they don’t even get to say goodbye. I can’t even imagine how that must feel for kids who are in exam years or last year at a school.
And also

@langkaw

Year 11s from low income families are going to be absolutely shafted by whatever criteria they use to assess gcse levels. They are already massively disadvantaged. This has set them up for far shittier outcomes that will affect them for the rest of their lives. I'm not being dramatic either. I'm absolutely devastated for them.

I don’t understand why income comes into it? A child from a low income family could get much higher grades than a child from a rich family. It’s not about money it’s about how clever the child is.

Also many people are talking about being devastated that their children are going to leave school without saying goodbye, and missing proms etc. We have no idea how long school will be closed for so stop jumping to conclusions everybody!

PrettyLittleLiar20

Think a little about why it could possibly be about income.

Access to books, a quiet place to study and a laptop is often about income.

Sharing with younger siblings so not being able to study as well as a teen who has their own space.

Parents who can't afford more childcare for younger siblings so have to rely on their teenager, whereas a family with more income could afford more childcare allowing the teen space and time to study.

Lower educational attainment in the family due to lower income area with less opportunities notices so a clever child is not directed as no one knows how to as it is not within their experience.

A less funded school in a less affluent area or in a deprived area dealing with problems linked to poverty.

Children being more hungry due to low family income who then have poor concentration.

I could on....

Middle paragraph should say

Lower educational attainment in the family due to a lower income area with less opportunities. So a clever child is not directed as no one knows how to as it is not within their experience. I. E no one in the childs life having any experience of ucas, university, degrees, professional jobs etc

**What our unions are quite clear about is that if we are expected, as we are, to set work etc during these closures, we will have worked our contracted days and the school year won't be extended as a result as it would cost a fortune to pay the staff more for the extra weeks.

Can’t bloody believe you mentioned unions and not working any extra hours. Imagine if the doctors said that. We’d be totally fucked.

I think every household has a smart phone or a tablet. Even the poorest families. I know of single mothers on benefits who after paying bills can afford to buy a tablet. And the point about poor families not being able to feed their kids so the kids can’t come concentrate properly on work- that’s daft. If people can’t afford to feed their children then I think they’d be getting help with social services.

You’ll get flamed pretty but quite honestly I do think that most people feed their children, benefits or not.

@Millymaud I know I’ll get flamed but I genuinely think even poorer families will be ok. You can get tablets on eBay for around £40. My dad is elderly and is very clever. Very good at maths. In his days at school there were no computers/smartphones or internet. He still managed to be an intelligent human being with a good accountant job. No computer needed.

If people can’t afford to feed their children then I think they’d be getting help with social services.

In an ideal world yes

In the stretched world of social work atm?

@AvocadoPrime I was confused by this until somebody spoke about it on breakfast television. I think they are talking about not closing SN residential schools as the children are better off staying put. These children are in residential care because their needs are too great for parents to cope with.

My dc has Down Syndrome with associated health problems, has had heart surgery and has asthma, he will not be going to school whether it’s open or not. He won’t be going anywhere until the outbreak is over.

If special schools are kept open they would be literally throwing our children under a bus. Sending vulnerable children to school yet keeping healthy ones out of school makes no sense.

Our DS former TA does quite a lot of supply work in residential specialist schools and they will NOT be closing.

I am one of a very large number of people who collect from home, take to school, and drop off back home these vulnerable children. Some buses have very large numbers of children on them, some smaller six, seven, or less. I will be doing my job and probably working the Easter holidays.
Some of the comments on this thread are absolutely horrid. I adore the kids I work with, and just thank god that there are teachers who actually have a care for their pupils. Because believe me some teachers care more for the kids than the actual parents do.

Well, I think that is a horrid comment.