Is anyone not sending their secondary school child back initially?

[lastkisstoo]

I've decided to keep my 15 year old home, probably until the October hols to see what happens.

We are in Scotland. What just happened in the pubs in Aberdeen is exactly what I see happening in schools. Mostly young adults, enclosed space, no social distancing.

My child has asthma, and while not on the list for sheltering I still feel is vulnerable enough that I don't want to see him being used as a guinea pig while the government assess just how big the uptick in cases will be on schools re-opening.

There are some really bitchy and judgmental comments on this thread. Mostly from the ‘only the old and sick will die’ brigade. Pleasant bunch aren’t they

@mosquitofeast

Please could you explain the process and the timeline?

People always say this will happen, but never explain the process.

"Because children can and will be removed from the school roll, and parents need to be aware of that and tread carefully. I'm not saying don't do it, I am just saying be careful"

This is scaremongering at it's best. They wont be removed from the school register. Local authorities have a duty to educate, they cant just take kids off the register, it's a really really long drawn out process that takes months and months. They have to be seen to be working with parents, prove they've had meetings etc and done everything they can to support the child.

I'm sending all of mine back. But then, their mental health has suffered a lot with the lack of structure/normality.
I think everyone just needs to do what is best for them in the current circumstances.

I havent decided yet really but erring towards not sending mine, but probably for a short period. Ve got vulnerable family at home. Maybe even a couple of weeks to see how it's working and if numbers go up. I suspect schools will be opening and closing quite a bit anyway once kids start to get coughs and sneezes and if covid rises. I suspect a lot of parents are like me, in that not sending them will be a temporary thing, some may do it up to or just past Christmas. That's 4 months. No kid is going to lose its place for not going for 4 months.

@OMGafourth

I'm sending all of mine back. But then, their mental health has suffered a lot with the lack of structure/normality. I think everyone just needs to do what is best for them in the current circumstances.

And this is precisely why the Welsh approach is right. School can't be shut, but neither is it right for parents/children to be forced.

Going to be some massively unhappy kids forced in, then some other massively unhappy kids if there are closures.

@lastkisstoo I’ve listed out all topics covered per subject and resources we’ve used. I think if you e mail to Head when informing of your decision they’ll at least be reassured that the kids aren’t missing out, if that helps.

[quote lastkisstoo]@sunseekin thanks for your support and understanding I really appreciate it.

I recognise that this decision has implications on my child's education. But we are talking just a matter of weeks, where I will fill in with his education as much as I possibly can, while we see what happens with the virus when all the older children and teachers congregate together with no sd or face masks.

My child can and will catch up, one way or another. If school goes back to blended learning then what my son is getting will be no different to any of his peers.

The scientist in our family has also recommended the Khan Academy. Since so many of you feel that BBC Bitesize is poor what alternative do you suggest? [/quote]
Khan academy is fantastic. (can access most lessons via utube). They can take you to degree level.
Crashcourse science is also really good, if you can get over Hank talking at 100miles an hour!

[quote Oaktree55]@lastkisstoo I’ve listed out all topics covered per subject and resources we’ve used. I think if you e mail to Head when informing of your decision they’ll at least be reassured that the kids aren’t missing out, if that helps.[/quote]
That's a good idea @Oaktree55 thank you.

Not looking forward to contacting the school as I am unsure of the headmasters feelings about the whole situation. I just hope he is not of the mind that all should just go back as normal whatever. The judgement, when I am already feeling judged for parenting as I see best for my child and our circumstances, will just add more stress to a very difficult time.

@OMGafourth

Khan academy is fantastic. (can access most lessons via utube). They can take you to degree level.
Crashcourse science is also really good, if you can get over Hank talking at 100miles an hour!

Thank you

@lastkisstoo I wouldn’t worry too much. I’m sure I’ll get a curt reply, but I’m sure any teacher worth their salt knows that the pantomime of risk mitigation our Gov has set out, doesn’t do a thing to keep pupils/staff safe if community transmission increases. Heads tend to in normal times spend a lot of time trying to encourage critical thinking and strong, independent, confident actions. I honestly believe this will encourage mine to make confident choices in their lives later on too. I’ve made an informed decision for now and discussed it with them and they’re happy. I think they’ll take some positive life lessons from this.

Op good luck.

It’s hard as the fines are there not to stop you home educating but more for others not caring. But they can’t discriminate.

Well maybe they can, not sure. But I can see why if not.

Look at Oak National Academy Lessons. They have a full years curriculum which will cater for GCSE.

We have kids aged 10 and 13 and are full on socially distancing and only go out for shopping and the odd walk in remote places, they are worried about the risk to their health as are me and my husband, my 10 year old has asthma and gets chest infections each winter and my husband has very high blood pressure and is diabetic too so we have already decided they won't be going back probably at all this year, I know we will be fined but we are really not willing to risk our families lives by sending them back yet, I know their education is extremely important but their health and safety is much, much more important.

I’d honestly be amazed if fines stand up in Court. Someone will test pretty soon.

@Oaktree55

I’d honestly be amazed if fines stand up in Court. Someone will test pretty soon.

I agree someone will test this.

I would like to see the UK and Welsh government's legal advice seen as how they've gone opposite ways on this.

We have been told by our children's secondary school that all children will be expected to return to school in September, and there will not be any online learning provisions made by the teachers. We haven't been given any specific info on how the school day will be organised, except that maybe they will be in form class bubbles. We are waiting for more detailed info, and also regarding if extra school busses will be provided to enable social distancing on the bus. Personally, I don't want my children going to send from school by bus, but they may be forced to, as the newly built school is definitely not in walking distance, (the old school was), and due to work commitments, it is unlikely that we will be able to drive them there/back. Nothing has been said about travel. Obviously it is preferable to avoid public transport where possible. I feel that the school and the council have both side stepped this issue so far, and I cannot see how they will be able to enforce children attending if the boy way to get to school is by bus. These busses are also used by the wider public. I doubt any of the school staff will be travelling by bus.

Only not boy! Autocorrect sorry!

@user1490954378

We have been told by our children's secondary school that all children will be expected to return to school in September, and there will not be any online learning provisions made by the teachers. We haven't been given any specific info on how the school day will be organised, except that maybe they will be in form class bubbles. We are waiting for more detailed info, and also regarding if extra school busses will be provided to enable social distancing on the bus. Personally, I don't want my children going to send from school by bus, but they may be forced to, as the newly built school is definitely not in walking distance, (the old school was), and due to work commitments, it is unlikely that we will be able to drive them there/back. Nothing has been said about travel. Obviously it is preferable to avoid public transport where possible. I feel that the school and the council have both side stepped this issue so far, and I cannot see how they will be able to enforce children attending if the boy way to get to school is by bus. These busses are also used by the wider public. I doubt any of the school staff will be travelling by bus.

That's something else I've had to take into account @user1490954378.

We live a 30 minute public bus ride away from school. I am disabled and am only able to drive him some days.

Although the school situation is my biggest concern I would not be happy with my child travelling on public transport right now either.

No. My child has no underlying conditions and is least at risk.

Obviously this depends on where we are in October with C-19 but will I be using it as an excuse to keep my child home? No. She's been off school since March and needs normality so long as it's safe to do so she will be returning to school.

Orchids.
I am hopeful that a lot of empathy and common sense will prevail. Non attendance can result in fines and parents of absent students can be issued with number of additional measures, including prosecution, unless there is a genuine underlying, provable reason for that protracted absence. Choosing not to send a student, wouldn't usually come into that category.
Removal from register can be a longer process.
I hope that there will be a lot of empathy come September, but I suspect that schools and LEA's might be under a lot of pressure to follow the letter of the law and get everyone who is not actually ill or isolating in to school.

Who says they are more at risk of dying in a car crash? Where do you get that fact from? 💁

I think you are being far too cautious, at the end of the day it is up to you but it is DC exam year!

You do know that more children die of flu (22 in 2018) than have died of Covid-19:

As of 24th June 2020

5 children have died of coronavirus in UK:

Study of 71 children treated in pediatric intensive care units, 5 died, 63 recovered, 3 remain in intensive care

Now you know the facts about flu will you keep DC off during Winter now you have the knowledge?

I think looking at mortality figures is a little narrow. There is a lot of knowledge re flu, SARSCov2 is a novel virus which isn’t yet understood. There may be long term health implications. Kids also don’t live in a vacuum, there are staff, relatives, community to consider. If a parent is willing and able to temporarily home educate and the child is happy then there are a lot of positives that will come from it. They certainly shouldn’t be ridiculed or fined.