Temporary home schooling

[JamonCroissant]

My DM has an autoimmune condition which makes her vulnerable to covid. She's very unwell at the moment and her mental health is dreadful due to the isolation. However I cannot see her as my 4.5 year old is at school and therefore presents a high risk to her.

What I want to do is pull him out of school, isolate him for two weeks and then go to live with her with him on a temporary basis so I can provide care. I would want to do this until maybe the end of January and then re evaluate.

If I do that I will forfeit his school place, won't I? I don't suppose anyone has had any luck with doing this and keeping a school place open? I wouldn't expect it to be kept open forever, but it would be so helpful if I could be given a couple of months leeway. Otherwise the two options are I don't see my mum, which given her health and lack of support from others I don't feel is possible, or two I don't see my son for two months, which frankly I feel would be more detrimental to him than being temporarily home schooled.

I need to talk to the school about this I know.

Talk to the school. If the school is over subscribed another child needs that space. If it isn't, there will still be a space when yours is back.

There is leeway and there is discretion. Sadly it’s a bit of a lottery. However fining etc is a long process and I think things are finally changing. People are speaking out about the discrimination and it was reported on in the times, guardian and some national news tv reports recently 🤞

However, this need not concern you....

Your child is only compulsory school age the term after he is 5. So I’m guessing this would be Easter at the earliest for you.

The school might not be overjoyed or elbow bumping you to celebrate but you are well within your rights to defer your place until the term after he’s five? April? September?

I would leave longer than two weeks though, he could pass it to you asymptomatically so you wouldn’t know when you’re 14 days would start if that makes sense.

As your mum is vulnerable I would wait 21 days and then take a test - I think you can get one privately but you never know there maybe mass testing in your area or something.

Good luck x see your mum, family is precious, you can help your little boy catch up and so can your mum x

That sounds like a really tough situation. Are there no other family members or friends who could offer support to your mum? Is your son's school oversubscribed?

Are there no other family members or friends who could offer support to your mum?

No, none who are in a position to give her what she needs really.

It's London so unfortunately they are all over subscribed.

I really feel for you. As you say, the only thing you can do is talk it through with school. I hope you can reach a compromise with them. Two months is a long time but perhaps they might agree to a shorter period and hold your place? I wish you the best of luck

If you just happened to have a positive case in your house so he was off for 14 days, that would take you up to Christmas, then you have 2 weeks roughly of Christmas holidays, and oh what a shame, another close contact means 14 days positive. Gives you TIL mid Jan and a school place.

So,w children have had 2 or 3 school bubble burst and been off lots!

They can’t take your school place - keep in touch with them regularly, buy workbooks and ask for work from the school. You can keep your place, he’s not compulsory school age yet. You could have deferred for the whole year if you wanted to.

If they are oversubscribed the stark truth is that you want to keep a school place your child isn't using from a child who would use it.

Can you just take out and apply for next year? Or arrange that with the school if possible.

You are entitled to keep his place until the term after he is five. There might be others who would take his place and you might not get back in.
It is it fair if people lose places during a pandemic because they have vulnerabilities, caring responsibilities or belong to older or BAME communities. All these groups face greater risks.

Please don’t be guilted into giving up your child’s place. It’s a pandemic and needing to support your mum is more than understandable. It’s extenuating circumstances.
Some schools are confident in using their discretions, some schools aren’t.
However you find your school (they might be really understanding - lots of schools are being) I recommend standing your ground. Noises are finally being made, I am hopeful that there are moves away from these discriminatory guidelines.

School isn’t just about onsite attendance atm - we are getting lots of support remotely from our school atm. Don’t allow the current (and I hope temporary guidelines) to bully you into losing your place - it’s called “off-rolling” and is illegal.

Look up Parents United Against Unsafe Schools on Facebook - lots of people in similar circumstances x

I wouldn't want to remove him from school long term; my mum's condition is one that is bad at this moment in time but it may improve in a couple of months and she will no longer require the level of care she currently does. In which case I'd send him back to school at that point.

I've emailed the headteacher this morning so we'll see what she says.