Head teacher visiting all the children

[elliejjtiny]

Head teacher has announced on the school website that he is coming to visit all the children in their homes this week. We're not shielding but DH and I, ds3, ds4 and ds5 are on the vulnerable list. Ds5 really doesn't get social distancing (he has autism and global development delay) and will probably try and hug the head teacher given half a chance.

I'm quite worried about this, I really don't think it's safe for the head teacher to go and visit all the children. I don't think this is optional though.

[Bluntness100]

It could be months before a child is back at school

Exactly. It’s been nearly two months, it could be another month before they open, some parents are fighting hard to make it September, making it up to five months some children aren’t seen.

As said, any right thinking person would be applauding this man, because even if just one child is helped, then it was worth it.

[Itisasecret]

People say they are not ‘social worker’ vulnerable. Maybe they weren’t, doesn’t change the fact that statistically domestic violence is on the rise. People may not have been social worker vulnerable but are now. Also from a safeguarding perspective, children with SEN are statistically more vulnerable. Some schools are raising welfare concerns if they cannot make contact with a family or they ignore contact. Some schools are doing nothing, nothing to check that their pupils are ok.

Teachers and school staff cannot win, god forbid if anything happens to children in the home whilst lock down is going on, you can see when this is all over; the. First investigations will raise serious questions about why staff didn’t try and see these vulnerable children. Lessons will be learnt blah blah blah.

[Bluntness100]

Visiting everyone in the school at home while there is a countrywide lockdown to prevent the majority being physically near each other so they can avoid transmitting a deadly virus - obviously not essential


Here you go fixed it for you.

Visiting everyone in the school at home while there is a countrywide lockdown to prevent the majority being physically near each other so they can avoid transmitting a deadly virus - is obviously essential with som many vulnerable children, as long as social distancing is maintained

[loobyloo1234]

Surely every single right minding person would be willing to do this?

Anyone who is not selfish nor batshit should yes @Bluntless100 - not many threads do I read in disbelief, this is one of them

HT sound great. Clearly going to check how his children are and that nothing untoward is going on. Some of you people must live in a bubble to not realise how lockdown could be doing so much harm to children from abused/poverty stricken and so on households

[Ineedabreak19]

If the teacher is using a school zoom account & calling from school then I don't see what the sage guarding issues are.

[Lumene]

Lumene what’s your issue? Surely if he found and helped even just one child who is vulnerable and in trouble then it’s worth every single other parent opening their doors and letting the kids have a socially distanced chat for five mins. Surely every single right minding person would be willing to do this?

My issue is the danger of a parent or carer in one of those households dying unnecessarily because someone visited them all unnecessary, when there are other transmission risk free (or lower) ways of trying to protect and support vulnerable families.

It is right minded to want to protect everyone’s health as well as vulnerable families.

[Bluntness100]

People may not have been social worker vulnerable but are now

Many children aren’t social worker vulnerable but are still being abused or neglected. Parents doing fuck all for them, not feeding them properly. Not caring for them, no school work, living in abusive or chaotic homes, lashing out at the kids, screaming at them because they are stressed, and that’s before we even go into the escalating seriousness of abuse and neglect,

There is no doubt many children will be in a living hell right now, living with abusive parents with no respite.

[Lumene]

Some of the zoom issues:

//www.tes.com/news/coronavirus-head-warns-pupils-after-zoom-porn-attack%3famp

[ineedaholidaynow]

I would love it if the OP could confirm that the plan is for HT to come into every house and have a cup of tea and a chat, rather than probably standing at the end of the drive in the pouring rain, waving and smiling at the children.

[babychange12]

Sounds like a super spreading event waiting to happen!

[PrincessConsueIaBananaHammock]

Some parents refuse to answer phone calls too for various reasons. Some will refuse emails too and so on.

Should those children just be left for 6 weeks so far, and who knows how many more are left?

Some schools deliver food parcels and work packs regularly, the HT might hit two birds with one stone.

[Itisasecret]

Zoom is fine, with two adults in the room, knowing how to use it. Such as waiting room, lock room and not posting passwords publicly.

[PrincessConsueIaBananaHammock]

Oh FFS no one's dying from a wave and a chat 2m away. Unless you personally know the HT and he has a penchant for licking door knobs.

[ineedaholidaynow]

Many parents are refusing to pick up phone calls where the number has been withheld. Under safeguarding rules teachers have to withhold the number if they are phoning from their own personal phone, bit of a catch 22 there!

Again if zoom classes etc are being held, these need to be recorded for safeguarding purposes. Therefore, staff can't use their own personal equipment for this as they are not allowed to have images of school children on their personal equipment.

[Lumene]

Yes this:

Sounds like a super spreading event waiting to happen!

Visiting vulnerable families where children are at risk especially if you haven’t heard from them = essential work

Announcing you are going round as head to visit every single child at home during lockdown = idiotically unnecessary super spreader event putting children/families at risk with no good reason.

[ineedaholidaynow]

But why is standing at the end of the drive a super spreader event?

[GrimmsFairytales]

But why is standing at the end of the drive a super spreader event?

I have absolutely no idea. Honestly you're more likely to get a computer virus from using zoom, than you are a head teacher paying you a socially distanced visit.

[ineedaholidaynow]

I am sure half the people on here who are complaining about this, would also be up in arms if a child dies under lockdown due to neglect and it is found out that the school either never contacted the family, or had only spoken to the parents and never seen or heard the child for 6 months.

[Lumene]

But why is standing at the end of the drive a super spreader event?

You’re right. Let’s all go round and visit a few hundred friends and relatives with young children in their homes for a chat, in quick succession. What could possibly go wrong?

[GrimmsFairytales]

What could possibly go wrong?

Well providing he stays outside at a safe distance, not much.

If on the other hand he went to each house, licked the door handles and coughed in the child's face, his visits might possibly be more of a problem.

[loobyloo1234]

You’re right. Let’s all go round and visit a few hundred friends and relatives with young children in their homes for a chat, in quick succession. What could possibly go wrong?

Are you presuming the HT wants to go into peoples houses rather than a socially distanced chat? Sounds like it

[PrincessConsueIaBananaHammock]

Let’s all go round and visit a few hundred friends and relatives with young children in their homes for a chat

That's a pretty big assumption you're making there.

[Lumene]

The OP is concerned her young child won’t socially distance, even if the HT does. Very reasonable concern and unnecessary risk to visit every child in turn.

I have seen plenty of people visiting on doorsteps/in gardens ‘socially distancing’ it’s never 2m or the end of the drive and getting closer as the weeks go on.

[ineedaholidaynow]

But this will be seen as part of their role (at the moment under lockdown), so surely it is no different than the postman, courier, volunteers dropping off parcels etc, going from house to house.

I am sure the HT would rather they didn't have to do this. I am sure the SLT in my local schools have more than enough to do without factoring in one day a week they have to go and collect food hampers and deliver them to various families (I bet that wasn't mentioned in their contract). These are unusual times, and yes it would be better if HT didn't have to travel round 'visiting' families, but unfortunately not all children live in happy family circumstances, and more and more children are becoming vulnerable.