If you will be relying on your child going to school next week... [Title edited by MNHQ at OP's request]

[fedup21]

Whether they have a social worker, EHC plan, are vulnerable or you are key workers, will the schools being open without breakfast/after school clubs be enough to enable you to work?

We are planning a skeleton staff for the school day from next week but only 8.40-3.15. I’m wondering whether this will be much good! Our BF club staff are nearly all self-isolating.

No, I’m a teacher. If I’m in I’m dropping mine off at 7.30am as normal and need them to be in after school club as normal too.

No, I’m a teacher. If I’m in I’m dropping mine off at 7.30am as normal and need them to be in after school club as normal too.

Do you know that those clubs are running?

I thought that teachers would just take their own kids in with them?

ExDh is a key worker and I work in leisure. The DC will hopefully be going in still (under the keyworker rules) so I can work school hours and his contact weekends until the inevitable lockdown. Then I will take them out and homeschool. My company has the correct insurance to ensure I get paid, though it is not yet known how much. The longer I can work, the better.

Does anyone know if we as key workers HAVE to send our kids in if we don't have to? I personally don't want to- don't want to take any transmission risks or pose any transmission risks to others of the children all mixing when they are going back to homes where parents will have been working in the frontline often without correct protective equipment. Seems an unnecessary risk for me when I have 2 parents who live on doorstep, both qualified teachers happy to home educate, both under 65 with no underlying health issues.

I would be very surprised if you were compelled to send your child in. I'm assuming it's so people can continue to work. If you don't need to send them to continue to work I'm guessing you can do that.

@coco of course you don't have to! It's the option to ensure key workers can keep working!

As far as I know teachers are not classed as key workers yet so my children's nursery are closed!

Said not to use grandparents as childcare

Waiting to see a bit more clarification of details. I believe other countries have stated key workers children with proof that there is no one else to do childcare eg non-key working parent, old enough sibling. Also questions as to whether all schools will be open or just one per area. Rural schools may have transportation issues if coach companies don't want to put drivers at risk by transporting children of front line staff. Also questions about escorts in taxis.

There are also questions around special schools and pupils with EHCPs in mainstream and if the provision on the plans can be met with skeleton staff. Some children with EHCPs are medically vulnerable so is it sensible for them to be with children whose parents are on the front lines? I think we need to see more details before we really know how this will look.

@eatdessertfirst all my local leisure centres are closed down! Whereabouts are you?

No one will be forced to send their kids in.

I'm in Kent. I don't work in an actual leisure centre, but the small company I work for is classed as under the leisure sector.

darbs but live at same address as my parents so they will be exposed to me coming home from working on frontline anyway...
Also the school transport 1 of dc uses has been cancelled for so they wouldn't actually be able to get there as I'm already at work by time school starts (and my parents can't get both kids to 2 schools 20 mins apart for school start as only 1 car)
Just to add an extra dynamic - if schools are closed for a long time - say until end of academic year - we fee paying schools still expect us to be paying full fees?!

i would need child care for 12 hours to enable me to go to work. I work and hour away from where we live and the school and i do 10 hour shifts and even then i can get kept on.

my exp (father of children) works in a hospital and can not help at all, he usually has them 3 days a week (mid week around my shifts) but he can't during this.

therefore i'm stuck.

I work in childcare and I'm hoping they have some clause that stops people from taking advantage. I.e. if one parent isn't a key worker then they can look after the children. I've already had parents asking me if they'll be a key worker (the answer was yes probably) but she seems to forget that dad is not so why send the children to childcare when this is what we're trying to avoid. Also a friend having parents deciding they will be key workers when they work self employed doing admin for a nursing home BUT dad is at home. And telling friend that dad can't possibly have both the children

I'm a teacher and we've been advised (by deputy head) that key workers are:
NHS staff
Pharmacists
Police
Teachers
Care home workers
Community care workers
Highways agency
Delivery drivers

I don't know how accurate their info is tho.

Our school is sending out parent surveys so we can see how many want to take us up on the offer of onsite provision so we can plan adequate provision. I can't see anywhere that parents would be required to send in their kids.

We are also assuming that parents will be honest. We aren't (to my knowledge) going to be checking up on people - just assuming that they tell us the truth when they say they are key workers who require our help.

Were TAs not on that list, @jessicaselephant?

No, but as I said I don't know where they got the info from so can't guarantee its accuracy.

We have all parents’ places of works written on the admissions form, so if they suddenly announce they’re both front line A and E nurses when they previously worked for BT-it wouldn’t add up.

There will be forms to fill in-asking for an employers name/number-as an emergency contact (in case they had an accident/cough and they needed to be rung) for when we had them and the parents were at work, which could be verified.

The list of key workers has to expand to make sure the country’s needs are met (I’m not affected by this so I’m not pushing a point for my benefit.)
Things that appear to be among the things I’d see as essential that are missing from lists I’ve seen are:
Utility workers (no one want a power cut or broadband to go down now!)
Food industry (manufacturing, distribution or sales)
Medical supplies industry (pharma, gels, consumables, everything)
Plus the big ones:
Border security
Military
Strategic local emergency planning
Highways agency

The list has to be flexible surely.

Of course I’m affected by corona/lockdown, I meant not affected by being on the key worker scheme 🤦‍♀️

I’m a teacher, currently self isolating. When my DC go back there will be no out of school clubs and no childminder. I have told my head that I will not be available at the usual times. We’re a special school though so are going to need really creative work arounds, probably including a shorter school day so we don’t have to cover staff lunches. I notice taxi drivers/ passenger assistants not on ‘the list’ (or TAs but surely...?)

The out of school club for my children is open; they’ve said today that they will accept them whilst me and DH are at work on Monday.