Has anyone not sent their Y1 child back?

[BatBoo]

When it was first announced that YR, Y1 and Y6 could go back to school, there was a definite feeling of it's too soon, using our little ones as guinea pigs etc. Because I am able to WFH we decided not to send either DD1 (5) back to Y1 and DD2 (2) to nursery. Most parents I know did the same and the ones who couldn't WFH and had to send them felt guilty.

Now, it seems to have changed and people have the opposite feeling on the matter, that all children should be at school and our kids are being failed missing out on their education and socialising with others their age.

So my question is... should I send them both back even though I am at home? Is being at home with me in their best interests? Or would they get much more from being at school/nursery? I initially felt I was doing the right thing but now I feel like a bit... I don't know... cruel.

[palacegirl77]

Would have let mine go back. Unfortunately the school has 200 "keyworkers" kids - and I'm putting that in inverted commas because most of these children have only just started back (there were 60 when the outbreak first started) - have only 1 keyworker parent and another sat at home :-( So no, no space for my y6 or y1 child to attend.

[Kitcat122]

My school is full with keyworkers and vulnerables and yr6 but only a handful of R and Yr1. The government should have offered the places to other years 4 and 5.

[catsandlavender]

I’m teaching year 3/4 key worker provision, they are distancing from each other pretty well and from the rest of the school VERY well. They all love being in - those of them who aren’t in every day have asked their parents if they can come in on their days off. I would recommend it. I feel pretty safe as a teacher and feel my class are safe too.

[Remmy123]

You can't just change your mind now anyway and send them in the bubble can't just change to suit all these paranoid 'my kids a guinea pig' parent - it just doesn't work like that.

All my kids are back, they are happy and we are happy - no one has got caronavirus in the whole school / nursery

[Cherrybakewellard]

We've had a letter from the local education authority today saying all children will be back in September in all years and they have provisions in place for this should the virus alert increase. No specifics.

[MinnieMousse]

Only 50% back at my school, including the ones who were already in as key worker children.

[Mumoftwo12345]

I said no at first but now wish she could go. I wasn't judgey. The emails from school were quite negative (how difficult it's going to be, school won't look the same, not enough staff, different teachers, no nice things in classroom) so I didn't have confidence to send her without her being upset. Now I see almost all of her friends have gone back & they love it. School tweets everyday about what a great day they've had. We were told we HAD to make a decision for the 1st June but now of course the situation looks a lot brighter than it did back then.
Hey ho. We're not alone, I'm sure she'll catch up in September.

[MoltoAgitato]

In our school the vast majority of YR and Y1 are back (no space for y6), and by all accounts, absolutely loving it. School have made it clear that for those groups, attendance is expected every day.

[Connie222]

She wasn’t on the school roll yet anyway as she’s not set foot in the building yet so we’ve not actually heard anything from then anyway.

[Connie222]

No, not sent my year one back.

I’m in 3rd trimester so won’t take any risk. Plus, we moved before lockdown and she hadn’t started at her new school yet. It would be a shitty time to start a brand new one.

[Sailingblue]

It must be very area dependent. I was speaking to one of the governors at our local school and they have 100% reception and y1 back full time. Year 6 are back but not sure of the numbers. By the sounds of it they have done brilliantly in getting the children back. I’ve spoken to other friends whose children have only been offered a day a week etc and haven’t bothered. Time offered seems to be tipping the balance of whether children are actually attending.

[CarlottaValdez]

No, I think children should be attending. I don't think they should be putting kids in and out based on whether they can be arsed to get up, or whether they fancy a day out. Schools have busted their arses over this, spent hours planning, then replanning around shit gov guidance, taken loads of flack from the media, possibly put some teacher's health at risk to offer provision to children. Parents say they want it, then don't bring their kids in.

This is completely crap of the parents and must be very frustrating- sorry I understand your point now and agree with you.

As I said it’s weird how this varies so much from place to place. Very nearly full attendance in DS’ group. If any of the 3 children not attending now want to join before the end of term there is space, I think 1 of them is going to.

[Bellesavage]

I sent my R child back immediately, she needed social interaction with peers and she is loving being back, literally skips into her classroom. But as others have said, her school is no longer taking any more children this term.

[TiredMummyXYZ]

I’m a year 1 teacher and only 4 out of a class of 25 have returned. I have also not sent my own year 1 child back yet. His school was only able to offer 1 day a week so it didn’t seem worth the extra risk, especially when his year 3 sister was still at home.

[Theresomethingaboutdairy]

Mine didn't go back originally, I regretted it and they have now gone back. Thankfully there was space. I think a few parents felt like me though as the school can no longer take anymore children after a sudden influx a couple of weeks after they reopened. So glad I changed my mind as my girls are so much happier in school.

[Parker231]

My neighbours DS is in the year group which have gone back. He is loving it. He’s getting proper lessons with his friends. Lots of learning and playing together. He looks so happy.

[UnicornW]

Nope I haven't sent mine back.

[confusedandtired99]

No I haven’t sent mine in and I don’t regret it

[ohthegoats]

No, I think children should be attending. I don't think they should be putting kids in and out based on whether they can be arsed to get up, or whether they fancy a day out. Schools have busted their arses over this, spent hours planning, then replanning around shit gov guidance, taken loads of flack from the media, possibly put some teacher's health at risk to offer provision to children. Parents say they want it, then don't bring their kids in.

Flipping rude considering other children from other year groups could have been back in their place. We opened 2 bubbles for year 1 children based on 30 parents saying yes they'd be back. 7 children are in, only 5 of those regularly. What about the 23 kids from my year 3 class who could have been in instead?

It's random. It's been poorly managed by the gov, and schools and heads have been thrown under the bus regards blame. Today the DfE lied in the guidance. Lied. It could be fact checked within 30 seconds, but still they lied. We should be collectively furious with this government, not trying to find reasons to say things are divisive.

[Lemons1571]

I think it’s worked out a bit oddly really. There seems to be some parents of year 1’s and Receptions who have all this choice about whether to send them back or not, and they can potentially change their minds week on week. On the other hand you have years 2-5 who are breaking down, desperate for their kids to go back so they can work and not get sacked, but they’re randomly prevented from doing so because their child is in the “wrong year”. It’s so, random

[CarlottaValdez]

The children at our school are getting fantastic education. With a smaller class DS is coming on leaps and bounds. It’s no more just childcare than it usually is. I don’t really understand your comment - do you think children shouldn’t be attending?

[ohthegoats]

And I said 'missing out on education' because that has been the over riding whinge on mn. It's clearly not a concern for all parents, maybe mn isn't representative...

[ohthegoats]

Bit shocked at the posters saying it's just childcare, not education at their school.

I'm not saying that - I'm saying that parents are using it like childcare, not worrying about the education side of things.

[ohthegoats]

You see, that kind of shit is just not necessary. No wonder things are so divisive.

It's not divisive - that's literally the facts of what is happening in my school. Children are not coming on the days they go to the beach, and the days they don't get a nice day out, they get brought in to school. They are using it for childcare, and don't seem to be concerned about the fact that their child is missing out on education.

That's not to say childcare is what is happening when they are there - the children in school are having a brilliant bit of education. 1-1 or 1-2 reading work with children in R and 1 is great for example, year 6 are having a great time filling all the gaps with the lovely stuff that gets pushed to the side in the name of SATs. The teachers are half loving the opportunity to have those children, and half bored by the lack of children.

[namechangetheworld]

I haven't sent my Reception child back and I'm in the majority; only 5 from the class of 32 have returned. I certainly don't regret it, from looking at the photos of 4 and 5 year olds sitting at seperate desks that the teacher emailed us. It looked depressing.