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?

starrynightsabove. my school and my staff are not being idiots to make that call. I work in a big school and we already have nearly 40 children in per day. It is emergency childcare only. That has been the government recommendation from the beginning. If you can stay home, you should stay home.

When the announcement was made on the Friday, I had nearly 200 parents bid for a place, using the one keyworker criteria and saying other carers needed to work at home. There is absolutely no way I could run my school and protect the health of pupils and staff if I went with that. I had to turn people down if there was someone at home and I used the exact same message familyofaliens said above.

Working at home with kids is really hard. I know! I’m a single parent with 2 kids that I am trying to do some semblance of ‘home learning’ with whilst helping running a school from home.

It is bloody hard on everyone and we’re all just trying to do our best and keep everyone safe. I don’t appreciate being called idiots just because we’re having to make a judgement call if there is someone at home- that is the safest place to be and the government continually reiterate that

I don't think it should be just childcare. Long days alone can affect the mental health of young teenagers who are only children, and some do not have the self motivation to stay on top of schoolwork at home. They still need some structure and interaction even though they don't need childcare.

Especially since year 7 to 9 will likely be the last to go back to school.

Not true. The government guidance states clearly that children who can be safely looked after at home should not be in school.

Have you seen the thread where children are being neglected, having falls, mental health problems etc due to leaving them in order for people to wfh? I'll be glad to tell them that they can actually send all their children in now as it isn't in anyway safe to leave children to their own devices for 8 hours a day.

In terms of NHS WFH, a lot will be running virtual clinics which is essential. For my team, you aren't allowed to do this with children in the house so they have to go to school regardless of wfh. If schools kick up a fuss, then the clinician will work from the office instead just to justify their place which is ridiculous.

Have you seen the thread where children are being neglected, having falls, mental health problems etc due to leaving them in order for people to wfh? I'll be glad to tell them that they can actually send all their children in now as it isn't in anyway safe to leave children to their own devices for 8 hours a day.

If employers are failing in their duty of care to their employees and children are at risk of harm as a result, that is a job for social services to deal with.

The emergency childcare schools were directed to provide during this pandemic was not designed to plug the gaps left by employers not looking after their employees.

If schools kick up a fuss

Seriously? You think schools following government guidance about which children to have in school are kicking up a fuss if they adhere to that guidance?

My year 7 child did one day at school before I was told I could work from home. They were in the school library most of the day doing their assigned work on the computers, and played badminton in the afternoon.

The kids in my primary school seem to be enjoying themselves. The groups are split up into key stages and they spend an hour or two in the morning doing the work assigned by their class teacher, and their group teacher has the freedom to do what they like in the afternoon and encouraged to do their special interests like forest school/coding/PE. They come together to do Joe Wick and meditation at various points in the day.

If more children are going to be at school shortly, e.g. year 6 kids then I will be returning too and my kids will be joining the other key worker kids and I will send them in with a song in my heart. (dementors be gone)

School at the moment is really the last option. If you can struggle through looking after child at home do it. I'm a key worker and dh working from home. We now do work over 6 days a week and our of hours so our dc dont have to go to school.
I'm a teacher - honestly they're much safer at home.

Thanks for the lecture, PrivateD00r.
I am still working full time by the way, but not all of it is in school. I'm wfm the rest of it, just like the OP.

It's ok to say not all staff in the schools are gung-ho about it.
My rota is voluntary by the way, I could come off it if I chose.

We have had 3 children with it and our TA is now in hospital with it. Similarly, my nephew caught it at the school he attends with my sister who is a teacher there. He was in ICU with it and remains ill. My sister is still ill. They had to close the school as it caused a spike. And they only had 23 in.

I'd send him in. If it is having such a negative impact on his mental health, and meaning you are not able to focus on your work properly, then I'd say the benefits of him going to school outweigh the risks.

I hope your nephew recovers soon phleb

Well, water play will certainly be central to the new curriculum in the near future

Plus a water shortage.

About a month ago, a doctor working in ICU asked if he/she should sent their children in on the days that they weren't working. A lot of people agreed that they should so that the OP could rest and because their children were in school anyway on the other days. It wouldn't make much difference if they were sent in.
You can keep your child at home therefore you should. If he has to watch Netflix, so be it. Better to keep him at home than sending him in and risking infecting yourselves or other people.

Phleb that's awful, fingers crossed your family make a full recovery.

Even children with a social worker will not always be in school. It depends whether the risk assessment has shown they can be safely looked after at home

And yet social workers are being told to encourage parents to send their children in; that the take up of places for children with SW is worryingly low etc.

The government have issued guidance but local authorities are being given different messages from the relevant government departments depending on their priorities it seems.

I could send my DC's as i am a key worker but chose not too .DH is at home so he can care for them .Our village school has had such a low take up from our village that the children from our village go the next village primary school which is part of the same trust .Our school is very small anyway and it wasn't worth keeping the two open .
I just feel they are safer at home.