Sending a teenager to a primary school?

[Nochangeplease]

Just that really. Not all secondary schools offer key worker provision, I suppose because it’s not really needed. I’ve been asked to return to work ASAP and have a teenager at home that can not be left at home. Do you think it would be really unfair to them to expect them to go in to a primary school to be ‘looked after?’. I would struggle to get her to go and would worry about the effect on her mental health, and whether she would actually turn up.
Do you think it’d be worth talking to my bosses or is it a case of tough, a version of childcare is there, use it?

[Strawberrystar13]

Im sorry you are going through the worry of all this. Maybe you could ring someone from your daughters school, or if not, the education department(or whoever deals with this type of thing) in your area and explain the situation. Maybe they could help you find a High School which they are using as a hub school that she could attend for the time being. There may be one not far from you that you could drop her off at. At least she would be with kids her own age and they may be from different places too so she may not be the only one who doesn't usually attend that school.

[DamnYankee]

PP:
She did a combination of her own schoolwork and supporting the children in activities/playing.

My 15 year old has done this as part of normal service hours as his school is a PS-12. He thought it was great. No mortification involved. And he got to see how much work little kids can be!
Win for me, especially since he's started dating!

I would consider paying her for supporting the younger children. A certain amount per hour? Not a lot, but enough to make her consider it her 'job." It might give her some structure to her day, confidence, and a reason to show up.

But things are rarely black and white. I don't think it's a reason absolutely not to go to work. Maybe work out a modified schedule with your boss, so you can at least drop off.

[middleager]

I agree with the poster upthread about getting a letter from a safeguarding lead to give to your employer. I think you need to pursue the employer route.

Would the primary school also need full disclosure for safeguarding? I don't know your child's vulnerability, but if it is something that might impact on younger children too, then presumably the safeguarding team would need to know.

I have two 14 year olds who would not want to be in primary.

Your position sounds really hard OP and I hope you can sort something

[walkingchuckydoll]

And other secondary schools? If they do have several teens attending maybe considering the circumstances they might be willing to take her in? Worth asking.

[EugenesAxe]

I take it she is harming herself?

Blimey that’s so sad if so. I would certainly discuss with your employer and not be worried to do so. Could social services/ GP offer advice?

[MrsCVorFluWhoKnows]

In our area the High School have to provide staff if there's going to be any pupils at all, as the primary staff aren't responsible for the High School pupils ( although those of us who are happy to help do make that known).
Can you ask her to try it to see how she gets on? The high schoolers I've been with seem happy to be there and certainly we try our best to help them feel ok.

[SomeoneElseEntirelyNow]

Would it be possible to send her to one of her friends during the week instead of school? The exposure risks would be lower!

[Nochangeplease]

She’s doesn’t truant regularly. But I’ll admit, it’s happened twice when she’s been struggling mentally so I can’t guarantee this wouldn’t trigger it to happen again.
Especially when it seems all her friends are out and about as normal and she’s been in for 2 months doing her school work. I think she’d get pressured into going out and feel embarrassed about going to a primary school. She wouldn’t want to tell her peers the reasons why.

[Noworrieshere]

Lockdown really has left some people in really impossible situations. I'm sorry. Yours sounds really hard. Sounds like you probably have to try quite hard to keep everything on the level even in normal times and this has made it a million times worse.

I hope your work are understanding and you can figure something out. The hub near us is pretty boring for the kids, although the staff are doing their best, and there are only a handful of older kids there

[SomeoneElseEntirelyNow]

That's what i meant about her not doing what she's told, the truanting. Its not unfair to expect her to go to a primary school if that's the only place she'll be safe, it's perfectly reasonable and if she understands why she can't be left alone then she should be able to get her head round why she has to go, even if she doesn't like it. Everyone is dealing with less than ideal situations right now, and unfortunately her safety trumps her comfort. However, if she can't be trusted to go you can't send her, as her truancy will cause huge problems for the school.

[Nochangeplease]

I never thought to ask if there’d be any of her teachers there. Maybe there will be, which would help a bit I suppose.

No, she can’t come to work with me. She wouldn’t be allowed in the building.

[museumum]

Is there no way she can go to your work and do her schooling on her laptop there? Obviously depends entirely what you do but this is unprecedented circumstances.

[MrsCVorFluWhoKnows]

Hi, have you talked to her about it?
I work in a Primary "Hub" and we have a couple of high school kids, I try to make an effort to help them feel comfortable, ie not treat them like they are one of the primary children. But, there's usually a member of high school staff with them most of the time, will there be no high school staff? Because I think if High School pupils attend then the High school itself needs to provide some staffing (but I'm in Scotland so might be different).
Hope you can work something out.

[Nochangeplease]

It seems most
People agree with me it would be unfair and even unrealistic to expect her to attend a primary school where she will be the only secondary student.
I’ll try and get something in writing from the safeguarding lead although I’m not sure what. Then I’ll have to hope for the best when I speak to my employer.
If they are not understanding then she’ll have to go to the primary. No other option.

[Nochangeplease]

Would there be any possibility of you being able to pay for someone to be in the house? Maybe an older teen , who could also be doing some school work in a different room- apologies if that is a crap idea.

No I honestly appreciate the suggestions. Unfortunately I can’t afford that. Nor do I know any trust worthy teenagers.

unless you can get her to do as she's told
it really isn’t about her not doing as she’s told. Apart from the possibility of her not turning up. The bigger issue is the fact I can’t leave her alone and that has nothing to do with her being defiant.

[JudyCoolibar]

I suggest you phone the local authority Education Department. There may well be arrangements in place for children to attend other secondary schools if they can't go to their own.

[avroroad]

Sorry meant to add, we have as many high school kids as we do primary attending.

[JudyCoolibar]

I find it incredibly unlikely that there are no other vulnerable children who ought to be attending that secondary school. Are they seriously saying they have no children with EHC Plans, and no children whose parents are key workers?

[DBML]

If her secondary school is closed, where are the other vulnerable pupils from that school going? They're presumably not all going to primary schools?

They don’t necessarily go anywhere. Our school has a designated team who call home to speak to our vulnerable pupils and their parents weekly or daily, depending on their need.

[avroroad]

Our primary schools have been converted to 'learning hubs' for primary and secondary pupils. The set up is nothing like primary school. Both high school and primary teachers work within the hubs.

[pooiepooie25]

Would there be any possibility of you being able to pay for someone to be in the house? Maybe an older teen , who could also be doing some school work in a different room- apologies if that is a crap idea.

[ToothFairyNemesis]

If you dd is genuinely at risk and a Sw or hcp will conform in writing, then ask to be furloughed for childcare reasons. If you are just anxious about leaving her then I doubt either a primary school would take or that you could be furloughed.

[SomeoneElseEntirelyNow]

I think you're going to have to take leave then OP, unless you can get her to do as she's told or find someone to babysit. Its a shit situation, I'm sorry.

[Nochangeplease]

If her secondary school is closed, where are the other vulnerable pupils from that school going? They're presumably not all going to primary schools?

I was told the secondary school has no students attending. She would literally be the only one

[Nochangeplease]

She would promise she wouldn’t. But she would hate going and feel so hard done by that eventually she would.
Youngest has SEN support at their own school so needs to be with people that understand. She’s also been off since the beginning of lockdown so will be very hard to readjust to all the changes.
No social services but eldests safeguarding lead is aware but doesn’t really get involved. I guess one option is to see if they could write me some sort of letter to give to my employer although not sure what they’d be allowed to write. They can’t make it sound as though they are unwilling to offer her a place.