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Original poster

Should I send my child to school tomorrow?

49 replies

nyebevanshair · 22/03/2020 06:46

What should I do?

Both my husband an I are teachers and have to go to work tomorrow.

Dd is 11 and in Y7. Should I send her into school or let her stay at home by herself to do the online work that has been set.

She is fairly sensible and mature and we have left her on her own for a few hours before, but never for a whole day.

I'm not sure what to do for the best.

OP posts:

Waffles80 · 22/03/2020 07:47

And yes in UK.

How?

We obviously already knew number of vulnerable kids. Did v quick survey of all parents to establish key workers in need of chocolate. Deadline for this was Friday 11am. Asked for volunteers for Monday.

Met staff team Friday and asked them to fill in a list of days they could do.

Rota going round tomorrow.

How hard can that be?

Waffles80 · 22/03/2020 07:48

@MrsWombat is your children’s father on the scene?

BrokenBrit · 22/03/2020 07:50

Ideally home.
Could she go to your or DH’s school with you occasionally?

MinesAPintOfTea · 22/03/2020 07:50

@Waffles80 Did v quick survey of all parents to establish key workers in need of chocolate

I think all parents are going to be in need of chocolate this week...

Mamimawr · 22/03/2020 07:52

I would leave her at home if you can't take her with you. My brother is taking his children into school with him tomorrow. He doesn't think he'll have to go in to school most days.

She can Whats App or facetime you if she needs anything. Tell her not to cook anything or answer the door. I have a daughter in yr 7 and I wouldn't send her in for childcare.

SmileEachDay · 22/03/2020 07:54

How hard can that be?

Are you primary or secondary?

Waffles80 · 22/03/2020 07:56

😂 childcare!! survey to see which key workers needed childcare!

MrsWombat · 22/03/2020 08:08

@SmileEachDay Our rota was finalised on Friday, as I would imagine most schools should have been? Staff have been divided up into SLT/Admin/LPA/KS teachers groups/lunch time staff groups and they alternate the days. It's was a bit of a headache but it's not rocket science for SLT who normally organise cover rotas. We are a big London school and have less that 10% of our pupils in.

Dawnofanewmillenium · 22/03/2020 08:09

Our school are insisting we all come in.

Ironmanrocks · 22/03/2020 08:09

Take your child in definitely. If they have the daycare system, she may be allowed (we are offering up to Year 8) When I am covering on the rota, my child will be allowed to attend. Otherwise he would be with me in my classroom.

camsie · 22/03/2020 08:10

I would keep her at home.

Haggisfish · 22/03/2020 08:11

Our large secondary school have also arranged a rota and are providing separate care for any primary children that teachers want to bring in with them for the day too.

Onceateacher · 22/03/2020 08:13

I would not send her in, I won't be sending my 12 year old in. Haven't worked out what to do with younger one yet. Where we are the key worker numbers haven't been arranged yet, we are closed for the time being

LolaSmiles · 22/03/2020 08:15

How have your school managed to put this in place so quickly? Are you in the UK?
I know of several who did this in the UK.
In a nutshell, SLT worked their arses off and did what would be unreasonable hours in normal circumstances to get it done. The rota will change once they know how many students they will have.

Others I know are putting the rota together for the first week over the weekend and are sending the rota out tonight.

SmileEachDay · 22/03/2020 08:17

less that 10% of our pupils in

Interesting. Are you fairly sure of the numbers?

My school are expecting all staff not self isolating in on Monday. Who knows after that.

Our large secondary school have also arranged a rota and are providing separate care for any primary children that teachers want to bring in with them for the day too

This is great. Reducing the number of settings a family unit expose themselves too is sensible, as well as the benefit of reducing staff stress.

Haggisfish · 22/03/2020 08:18

Our head is absolutely fantastic, as are the teachers in our school. One positive out of all of this is that our local community is finally realising how great the head is and are changing their entrenched opinions of the school (because they came to it thirty years ago when it was pretty crap)!

middleager · 22/03/2020 08:19

I would leave her home. It is the safest place.

MrsWombat · 22/03/2020 08:29

Interesting. Are you fairly sure of the numbers?

The numbers are from everyone that the school has got in touch with (vulnerable/ECHP) or has contacted us (key workers). I'm sure there will be more turning up but as long as it isn't all-of-them there is space.

Haggisfish · 22/03/2020 08:29

We have about ten staff in so even if they had fifteen each we can easily cope. We are expecting about twenty.

VadenuRewetje · 22/03/2020 08:32

if you are asking this question then the answer is that she should stay at home.

the schools should only be available for those who have no other way of the children staying safe. your dd can be safe at home on the occasional days when both you and DH are rota'd to work. please don't send her in. every exception increases the risk and increases the death rate. we can manage a small number of exceptions where there is no other choice. too many exceptions and the whole population suffers.

Italiandreams · 22/03/2020 08:36

I think larger schools probably had the capacity to do rotas, risk assessments etc. My school didn’t as everyone teaches full except the head , he can only so so much in a day in top of everything else. It will be sorted soon. As I read somewhere, the government took 72 hours to produce the key worker list and left schools and parents one day to sort everything!

toomanypillows · 22/03/2020 08:39

I work in a large secondary with a separate 6th form building.
My school are using the 6th form building as the base and have asked staff to volunteer to do a shift. Any staff member who is self isolating, or is vulnerable (pregnant, diabetic, asthmatic etc) has been excluded from volunteering
My school (over 900 students) have identified 35 who are children of keyworkers, and have arranged a rota of shifts for staff over the coming 4 weeks. Shifts are morning or afternoon. No staff member is expected to do more than one shift a week.
Staff members with children of their own are being asked not to bring them, and where possible those staff members are on the bottom of the list of volunteers. Our head said "not much point in you coming in to take care of other people's children, whilst sending your own children off to be taken care of by someone else"
Students will be around 5 to a room/staff member and should be able to distance quite effectively.
Place has been deep cleaned over the weekend.

Those of us wfh (I'm diabetic) are asked to check in to online meetings, support staff in school by preparing work packs and marking for them, and setting our own lessons for our classes for up to 2.5 hours a day.

I have moaned about my school a lot over the years but I am so impressed with their management and care over this

SmileEachDay · 22/03/2020 08:41

Sounds really sensible pillows

toomanypillows · 22/03/2020 08:48

Realise I didn't answer the question

If you are asking the question, you must have some doubts. Ask yourself what those doubts are and if they're reasonable. If they are, then don't send her in.
Hopefully your and DH's schools will work in a rota system and if she has to be on her own, it shouldn't be often.
What does she want to do?

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