Do you think if schools aren’t back September there will still be key worker children...

[gingajewel]

.... allowed at school? Do u think key worker children will be allowed in full time in September?

[Slothsarecreepy]

@Allsortsofawkward. That must have been a local council decision which actually went against governmental guidelines where you only ever needed one parent to be a keyworker.

[itispersonal]

I think where schools have now done year groups for key worker children - this could be expanded to all children of the class but up to a maximum of 15 per day with social distancing and separated from other classes. Key worker still get preference but then it is open to the rest of the year / class. And the extended bubble is the 30 of the class but only 15 at a time. We have 15 key worker on register for my year group but only getting 3/4 in per day with 2 members of staff. I don't think it would be fair for key worker to go full time and be educated so imo this seems a fairer way to do it and those that want to, get some school time before the summer holidays.

[AllsortsofAwkward]

Slothsarecreepy not at my kids school both parents have to be key workers. Appalling for those might have to lose they're jobs because theres no place for their children at school because someone else only has one keyworker working and the other is sahm. Complete shambles.

[Slothsarecreepy]

@AllsortsofAwkward. That's incorrect. Keyworkers guidelines have changed and now advise DC be sent to school even if they could be cared for at home.

"Since 23 March, in line with the scientific advice, nurseries, schools and colleges have remained open only to a priority group of children and young people, children who have a parent who is a critical worker and vulnerable children.
Now that we have made progress in reducing the transmission of coronavirus we are encouraging all eligible children to attend settings (where there are no shielding concerns for the child or their household), even if parents are able to keep their children at home."

[HeadSpin5]

@NeurotrashWarrior it’s not an academy, no - it’s a small village school - 2 form entry with no more than 24 in a class at the moment, some less. It’s always taken a slightly different approach to be fair, they use ‘learning experiences’ as a method which I think in part is been why it’s been able to also provide weekly ‘challenges’ which then flow through into the lessons (eg healthy eating, not just making a dish at end of week but identifying imperative verbs etc in recipes for English).

[Enderthedragon]

but the message from the school is basically Safety First, and a strong implication that if you disagree then you're reckless regarding the safety of staff and pupils.

Yes, I have seen this from other schools as well, with headteachers implying that parents who want to send their kids in are reckless etc, I think it in turn creates bad feeling and judgement amongst the parents as well.

Im pretty sure my kids headteacher has been very worried about kids coming back etc but all the way though he has respected every parents personal choice and circumstance, has never implied anything either way, and I genuinely feel like he has the best interest of each individual child at heart, and has done his best to accommodate everyone (including the staff) under difficult circumstances.

[Nonotthatdr]

Also as a kid I went to a two form primary for a bit. Not a two form entry but two classes in the whole school. One for Infants and one for juniors. Fortunately Mrs Brooks did not see mixed age range and ability as an excuse to not to teach us anything for our whole school careers.

[littleducks]

If would be good to have consistency across the country but with so many schools now academies/free and some LEA in disagreement with government it probably just wouldn't be possible.

[AllsortsofAwkward]

Spinakker regardless if you're dh is a keyworker you're available at home for you're dc you shouldn't be sending them in. It has to be both parents who are key workers. This is an issue now everyones going back to work but schools are not opening for the rest of the year groups yet you're lucky enough to be at home yet taking up spaces other children could use and enable those parents to go work

[Nonotthatdr]

Buggeroff

Why can’t they even try though. There’s six kids with two TAs in the keyworker bubble for DD. Age range 3-11 That’s 1 adult to three kids. Why can’t they try to go through the home learning. There’s loads of parents with 3 or more different ages kids at home who are also wfh who are at least attempting the home learning.

If a mum came on here and said I’ve got three kids of different ages and I’m wfh so I haven’t tried to do any home learning they would get their arses handed to them and told they were letting their kids down. The TA and teaches in school have the advantage of a)being trained childcare professionals b)not having to do another job at the same time c)have all the physical resources of the school available to them yet it’s acceptable for them to not even attempt to provide the learning parents are? At least put bitsize on the tv rather than CBeebies ....

[TheTurnOfTheScrew]

interesting comment Enderthedragon! DH and I have indeed been feeling that the school aren't looking for creative ways to make the best of things, but the message from the school is basically Safety First, and a strong implication that if you disagree then you're reckless regarding the safety of staff and pupils. We've had two children at the school over a decade and been happy, but if this persists I may need to think about moving DD2.

[Nonotthatdr]

Theturn

That’s what it’s like for my dds school. I’m not glad your children are also getting a raw deal but it’s nice to have someone else say thats happening as well, i was thinking I was going mad. Maybe it varies by local area.

There needs to be some consistency across the country about what should be being provided to keyworker children, especially when their year groups go back and start advancing through the curriculum.

My DD cannot join her year group bubble because I am a keyworker, so she is being denied the education her peers are getting. It’s a disgrace

[buggeroffvirus]

It is all very sad but children allowed into school as children of key workers are in a place of safety and childcare and not education. There may be an assortment of ages in any one group so it would be impossible to teach.
It is mainly drawing or painting and watching cartoons etc.

[Enderthedragon]

No, there is no wrap around at my kids school either.

[NotGenerationAlpha]

Ours is also only 9-3 and no wrap around care.

[Enderthedragon]

the keyworker provision is minimal at our school. 9-3 only. 9yo DD is able to bring the allocated worksheets with her, and complete them, but isn't supported as apparently the staff are strictly there for childcare. So she gets less support with work at school than when I can WFH and help her. She only goes 2 days/fortnight currently and TBH I'm glad she's not in more often. They are not yet open to Y6 and refusing to open for YR/Y1 at all so I don't think the keyworker provision will change any time soon.

That is so different to my kids school! My kids school have been helping the key worker kids with their school work throughout and have opened up for R, Y1 and Y6. I would be pissed off with the set up at your school I think, it doesn't really sound like they have the kids best interests at heart tbh?

[TheTurnOfTheScrew]

the keyworker provision is minimal at our school. 9-3 only. 9yo DD is able to bring the allocated worksheets with her, and complete them, but isn't supported as apparently the staff are strictly there for childcare. So she gets less support with work at school than when I can WFH and help her. She only goes 2 days/fortnight currently and TBH I'm glad she's not in more often. They are not yet open to Y6 and refusing to open for YR/Y1 at all so I don't think the keyworker provision will change any time soon.

[NeurotrashWarrior]

Head is yours an academy chain? I wonder if their organised in a different way? That's how Oak started.

[NeurotrashWarrior]

Teachers in primary concerned with progress look at the literacy, numeracy and reading scores. And some science.

Some children need new learning to be very carefully introduced to make sure misunderstandings are avoided.

I think White Rose is great and could do this, if parents also support.

I get exasperated with arguments about progress and learning and who's getting more when I know of pupils who's parents are semi illiterate or / and abusive tbh.

[HeadSpin5]

@NeurotrashWarrior that makes sense, thanks for that. I agree though, while my DD has moved through the lessons it’s only because she’s in the position of having two engaged parents WFH and is an only child. Oh and we have the tech to facilitate, even if we are flying through annual leave and our employers’ goodwill to do it. I know for a fact others in her class are doing much less or none at all, for various reasons, everyone’s circumstances are different. The gap is going to be widening and I don’t know what the answer is. I do know we have hit the jackpot in terms if school engagement though, feel very lucky - I have been shocked to see the variances in provision from resting on here. Thanks again for responding.

[Enderthedragon]

Thinking about it though, I don't think my kids have just been doing revision. My Year 1 child for example had a task on alliteration, which was clearly a new concept for them, and also they have been progressing through Phase 5 phonics as well (I really don't think they had covered all of that before March). My Year 4 child doesn't seem so much to be covering new ground, a lot of the Maths etc does seem to be consolidation, but they definitely needed that consolidation anyway! But they have done different topics etc, not sure if new skills have been covered there or not.

But it doesn't feel like the curriculum has been on hold completely for them? They are at school now so I don't really know what they are doing, apart from the little bits they tell me!

[Qasd]

Our school has also gone from childcare for the key worker children to education with them now expected to be in every day and taught in bubbles with their age group. They have seen a massive increase in demand for key worker provision as a result which is unsurprising (they are not taking any year groups back).

Of course it could be revision learning rather than new stuff, but given the lack of home learning provision from the school it is substantially more than those at home get...eg I have no idea if the area work set on white rose is revision or new but my son hasn’t got a clue! But Having a teacher explain it to him would be significantly better than my attempts!

[NeurotrashWarrior]

Headspin children acquire new learning daily in a variety of ways daily. Ds has learnt new things about history from school this week; at the same time he's learnt as much from horrible histories.

It sounds like your school have attempted new learning; what the issue will be is how many have been able to access it as your daughter has, how many have been motivated to learn it, and how many retain it longer term. This is where the risk of the gap widening changes all the time.

Ds has learnt to make two layer dens and a stop motion animation.

[HeadSpin5]

@BastardGoDarkly Yr 3 here, but mine too. She’s even dressed herself in her school uniform today because she’s missing school so much (totally her own idea, one of the only advantages of this shit show has been that I don’t have to iron bloody uniform! 😂)

[itispersonal]

Also or keyworker bubbles before last week were definitely childcare, children played, did the home learning if they wanted to, but now we are timetabled like a normal school day with them and they all have a table space. The number of key worker children has jumped from 12-20 usually to 50 plus the year 6 children!