Special School Closures

[Royaldada]

My son is one of the children that could go to school because he has an EHCP however he goes to a special school which was closed indefinitely yesterday because of the children’s underlying health needs and needing enough staff to carry out the specialist care they require. Does this announcement mean that the school is now reopened or is it still closed

Only your school can tell you that. You should contact them tomorrow. However, if their staff have to self isolate, how can they open?

My sons special school has remained open but I prepared myself for it closing on Friday like his sisters mainstream school is .
I'm more confused now than I was before 😂
He has no medical conditions that make him vulnerable and He will go stir crazy at home so I'm praying it stays open 🙌🏼

Did Boris say something specific about children with an ehcp?
I haven't seen details just headline of schools closing

I was confused by this too.

Children with an ehcp should be able to go in but children with underlying health needs may still be told to stay off if it is too risky for them to be in.

I still dont understand. Are special schools being told to stay open?

It's a very confusing message as most children (almost 100%) who attend a special school will have an EHCP.

Do these schools stay open? What about staffing levels, esp when the staff pupil ratio is very high? Many children are taken by taxi, some with chaperones, who are often older people. What happens if the driver and/or chaperone are off sick?

ACupOfCoffee where was the message?

As far as I can make out schools are closed, except for children of key workers, children with EHCPs, and vulnerable children, for example those with a social worker.

I work in a special school and I simply can't see how this can work... apart from the fact that we have some very medically vulnerable children (who have NOT stayed home so far) , staff..have kids ..who are now home. And, the well children all have severe learning disabilities and are walking germ factories because they simply are not able to wash hands effectively, stick fingers up noses (and worse) (I'm not being disrespectful..it's a fact..including my own son) so the virus is not going to be contained any better by keeping open.

Not sure how essential workers kids are going to be contained for long either! The vast majority of teaching and support staff have kids of their own and we aren't being classed as essential!

Oh sorry, I was listening to Gavin Williamson address parliament, and then Boris Johnson's press conference.

I'm so confused too. DDs school has been closed due to lack of staffing and had been told they don't know when they will be able to reopen. DD has an ehcp and in a class with a high ratio of teachers to children.
Will try to ring tomorrow but unsure if anyone will be on-site.

Thanks all.
Will just have wait for the guidance in writing somewhere ...

If you can keep him off, please, please do so.

Part of Gavin Williamson’s speech

key workers included NHS staff, police and delivery drivers and that vulnerable children included those who have social workers and those who have education, health and care plans (EHCPs).

I've just posted a thread about this, sorry for the duplication but yours wasn't there when I started writing mine. I was sort of assuming we would class as key workers if our schools remain open, but I don't get how it is sustainable. You will have lots of children of key workers mixing together at school, then mixing with their parents at home, who have in turn been mixing with the children they teach/customers they serve/patients they treat - it seems the exact opposite of social distancing.

Every special school will have to make their own decisions. The advice from government is unworkable. Some factors are:

Government says there should be a place for all children with an EHCP and schools should reduce number by only taking a few pupils (but all special children school pupils have EHCPs - so to reduce numbers, they cannot take all pupils).

Special schools can only operate with a high staff ratio, if staff are self-isolating, not all pupils can be supported.

Pupils have specialised and trained support, therefore an even higher staff ration is not needed (do you want your child hoisted by an untrained person? ditto, feeding, behaviour plans, physio support, etc, etc)

Special schools have very high levels of adults, therefore are a risk of spreading disease).

SEND pupils often have medical issues (cerebral palsy, epilepsy, heart conditions, swallowing issues, etc etc, and are therefore more vulnerable.

Staff will be working over Easter holidays - burnout must be avoided.

We have been offered the choice at mainstream school.

My son has an EHCP but is in mainstream not a special school. Apparently new guidance was issued to schools this morning and the schools are being asked to make an assessment regarding health and safeguarding and whether it would be better for kids with EHCPs to be at home or at school on an individual basis. Looks like my son will be at home. He has no underlying health issues (he is visually impaired but otherwise in good health) and no concerns at home (other than his SEN mean he is likely to be more disproportionally negatively affected in his educational achievement by not being in school than his peers). Was not an easy conversation with the head of early years. I would like him to be at school and am worried about his education (as I'm sure all parents are) but understand the need for schools to "triage" and dedicate what resources they have to the most vulnerable children.