Key worker children in school

[madeittotheend]

What's it like for the key worker kids at school? I'm thinking of sending my DS in for the days I WFH in my NHS job. DH also key worker and out of the house. But I keep struggling along at home with him when really I should send him so he isn't watching Netflix for 8 hours a day...he isn't happy. Are you sending your kids to school still and is it okay? Have any of them been ill?

One thing to add, are you sure the school will take them if someone can be at home?
My school are really strict and although the guidance says only one parent needs to be a key worker, they won’t add a child where there is a parent working from home.
You might need to check that out

If your child is safe at home then that is the best place for him.

Schools are now repurposed as emergency childcare for those with no other option.

We have 500 pupils on roll. 200 were eligible. 10 send their children in, Y1-Y6.

We supervise them doing the same work that they'd be doing at home - no teaching.

We aim for social distancing - individual desks, spread out when lining up and so on - but it is impossible to enforce at playtimes.

Local schools are all based at our secondary school - school of 2000, has maybe 3-4 children in. Again, they are supervised but sit separately with no interaction at all.

Staff are all cheerful and try to make it as welcoming as possible, but I also find it quite sad. There are moments of enjoyment but most kids look really quite sad and are very happy to go home.

If you really have no safe alternative then you must send him of course.

I think you need to keep him at home.
Lots of people are working from home and don't have the option to send in their DC.
I don't think it's fair on the school either.
Plus if I was at home and I took my DC in to school I'd feel mighty guilty and like I'd taken advantage. I think if the school realise you're actually at home then they will see you as a bit of a CF.

There's definitely extremes of how schools are doing it, the kids are really enjoying it at my DDs school who are doing brilliantly.

They are also encouraging more kids in themselves as a small trickle of increasing mumbers

It’s childcare if you have no other option. Including those with EHCP’s in fact the guidance says most will be safer at home and it is not compulsory. They may refuse you the option going forward if they find out you are at home (I have seen hubs do this).

We have refused a good few if there are parents at home, even if struggling to work. We have got to keep people safe and numbers to a minimum. Until the guidance changes, if someone is at home, that’s where children should be unless there’s a child protection issue / vulnerability which means they are safer with us.

"the kids are really enjoying it at my DDs school who are doing brilliantly."

I'm genuinely interested in how your school are making emergency school enjoyable? I'd love some ideas. We do what we can but supervising homeschooling work is dull. With the children changing every day, it is hard for friendships to form, particularly across year groups. I've had tears from kids saying it's not fair that their friends are at home. Around their work we plan fun activities, but it's maybe an hour out of the day.

They spend much of their time outdoors playing games. They spend maybe an hour a day doing work and the rest of it playing or doing fun activities.

But then her school are realistic about social distancing with primary age kids, particularly the younger ones.

Thanks for replies. I think the school would take him as they have already taken kids with only one key worker parent and one WFH.
My NHS role is non clinical but essential and related to covid. I could continue to keep him at home but the days of being glued to a screen leave him angry, tearful and upset. I'm worried about the impact on his mental health.

Our school hasn't asked any questions about whether I'm working at home or not. They just asked if we need a school place because we are keyworkers and have no alternative options.

My daughter goes two days a week and there are only about six other children there so the social distancing thing isn't a problem. They don't do any work as such more like holiday club, she misses her regular class and friends though.

I'm in a couple of times a week am primary HT. We have max 10 kids tend to divide into older and younger.We attempt social distancing, but kids need a lot of reminding.
We do some online school work,art,read stories,outside a lot. Yoga and pe with Joe. I try to keep it as cheery and easygoing as possible .I think the kids are generally enjoying it.

Ignore these posters. They all do what’s best for themselves at the end of the day.

I’d send him in, even for a few days a week. You know your child best.

On Sunday night the government are going to be encouraging more keyworkers to send their kids to school!!

We are 2 keyworkers and our kids go 4 days a week. There are only 5% of kids in school. We are both doing some WFH as well as physical frontline work too but that is mostly because we can't commute and manage without our usual wrap around childcare.

I get anxious they are getting less learning than their friends but they are happy and active. There are lots of crafts, videos and Joe Wicks etc.

I feel safe sending my kids...statistically they've got just as much chance of dying from CV as dying in a car accident or from falling out of a trampoline!

People are going to be more affected by the damage to the economy than CV. The government has done a great job of flattening the curve but now they need to give people the statistics and the reassurance to get back out there!!!

Mine are really enjoying it! One ds in private secondary school following online timetable but with lots of fun activities too and ds in state primary having lots of fun!

Also it sounds like both of their schools are doing social distancing as well as they can

"On Sunday night the government are going to be encouraging more keyworkers to send their kids to school!!"

Most of our keyworkers are in education, so currently wfh or on a rota, and not using the emergency provision. If schools reopen, even partially, they will all be returning to work and our numbers will increase significantly I expect.

Ignore these posters. They all do what’s best for themselves at the end of the day

How clear does it need to be? It’s EMERGENCY childcare for key workers who have no other option.

It’s not bloody best for me if you add to my risk of getting it because you’ve rather your child wasn’t at home with you (even though you will be there) 😡 but instead in school with people like me!

"On Sunday night the government are going to be encouraging more keyworkers to send their kids to school!!"

Total speculation, KNOWBODY except for Boris and his crew know what is going to be announced on Sunday!

whatsleep
Total speculation, KNOWBODY except for Boris and his crew know what is going to be announced on Sunday!

Err....not speculation if one of the keyworkers in our household is actually working on the government plan!!!

@whatsleep

So what are you going to do when all children return to school? Quit your job I presume?

@celebrityskin oooh do tell us more!! Any more snippets??!!

So what are you going to do when all children return to school? Quit your job I presume?

The difference being is that at the minute schools are not open because it is deemed safer for everyone to stay at home.

The provision being offered is for those who have no alternative.

Once schools are back and people start to return to work we will all be in the same boat as regards risk.

No I won’t be quitting my job!

NHS here too. Mine are going in 2 days a week, online lessons in the morning the same as if they were are home. Then art, sport, music in the afternoon. It's been good for them even though there are only about 10 kids there and none of their good friends. It seems to have helped them focus on working at home as it's made them realise it is term time not holiday. You shouldn't feel bad, you are eligible for a place for a reason. Husband works long days when they are in so he can help with the homeschooling the other days

@whatsleep

If your child’s mental health is being fucked up through overuse of screens and a neglectful parent In the background, desolately trying to work, that doesn’t sound very safe to me. You’d send them in in a heartbeat if it were you, and you were a key worker.