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Original poster

Our primary school is not open for key workers until Wednesday

87 replies

RockawayBeach · 04/01/2021 21:21

Is this the same across the rest of the UK? I appreciate tonight's announcement - while not a surprise - was short notice and I wonder how many key workers needed at this critical time won't be able to go to work tomorrow due to childcare issues? We only have 12 key worker children at our school and I'm amazed provisions couldn't be made.

OP posts:
flowerycurtain · 04/01/2021 21:25

Same here.

Just had an email saying that online learning won't be starting till Wednesday either.

I'm pissed off. They've had 3 weeks off (private school) and could see this coming.

They were only due back tomorrow.

DebbieFiderer · 04/01/2021 21:27

Same here. They've declared tomorrow as an emergency inset day and starting keyworker/vulnerable kids and remote learning from Wednesday.

EspressoPatronum · 04/01/2021 21:28

Same, ours is closed until Wednesday. I'm an early years teacher so my setting is still open tomorrow. My dh has taken the day off much to his boss's annoyance but as he's not a key worker per say (though does work in a school) it's just tough!

I don't think it's fair to say the school should be up and running tomorrow for key worker children after an 8pm announcement...

NerrSnerr · 04/01/2021 21:29

How could they do any different? They can't sort the rota and figure out who is a keyworker child or not in 12 hours (and they need to sleep!)

TheBitchOfTheVicar · 04/01/2021 21:30

Same here. They are sending work through but I've said to DC that they can have the day off. I'm in meetings all day tomorrow anyway 🤷‍♀️

Waxonwaxoff0 · 04/01/2021 21:31

Haven't heard anything from school yet but I'm guessing they need to go through the lists and contact parents. It's quite late to be doing that now so might need to be done tomorrow.

EspressoPatronum · 04/01/2021 21:32

@flowerycurtain

Same here.

Just had an email saying that online learning won't be starting till Wednesday either.

I'm pissed off. They've had 3 weeks off (private school) and could see this coming.

They were only due back tomorrow.

I'm fairness, dh works in a private school. The pupils have had 3 weeks off but the head took 2 days off and had spent the rest organising how to go about the mass testing that was sprung on schools at the last minute, then an inset day today learning how to administer the tests and setting up the hall to be able to carry the testing out.

Then tonight to be told schools are closing and now needs to sort out online learning and key worker provision.

It is fucking annoying but it's not the schools fault.

Original poster
RockawayBeach · 04/01/2021 21:34

Our school collected data on key worker children before the Xmas break, they also sent all children home with home learning packs (plastic bag with exercise books) and we were asked to confirm our new home learning portal access was working... so they appear to have planned well.

OP posts:
Tartanshores · 04/01/2021 21:35

My friend works at a private school .she has been on zoom meetings all weekend and was working all day on how to cope with the various scenarios they could be dealing with depending on what decision the government would make tonight. This included how they were going to test all the children in the senior school so school could open to all senior pupils next week.
She and her team were on a zoom meeting as Boris made his announcement. She is now working on the letter to be sent out tonight to all parents explaining how remote learning will work . Tomorrow they will host sessions telling all parents and pupils how to access the remote learning ( a different system from last time as have seen what didn’t work and changed it in expectation it will be an improved service)
Trust me, teachers and SLT have been working on this - unfortunately the government doesn’t feel the need to tell schools before anyone else what is going to happen with education - they knew at 8pm which scenario they were facing.
Each one leads to different decisions.

Sweetpea84 · 04/01/2021 21:36

I’m London and the school was inset today so luckily time to prepare. The school is open tomorrow but only 12-4pm and then from 8.30am on Weds. That was agonising waiting for that confirmation email my kids had places

ClearingSpaceOnTheTrophyShelf · 04/01/2021 21:39

First schools knew was 8pm tonight.

It's one day

phlebasconsidered · 04/01/2021 21:41

We spent our inset day today working out intervention groups and planning for normal opening because that's what we had been told to do. Now, at 8.30, we are told by the head to come in tomorrow to sort rotas and online learning. Luckily we have never shut down our online classrooms because we knew it was likely to go tits up.

It's not our fault. We need a day. We don't even know yet in primaries whether we will be still teaching online towards SATS or off curriculum. Schools are literally told everything the same time you are. It's shit. Now i'm having to scrabble for kw places for my kids so I can go in to teach kw kids because of an 8pm announcement.

I'm cross because teachers have honestly been asking for clarity, safety and help since the last lockdown.

ThisMustBeMyDream · 04/01/2021 21:42

Our school goes back Wednesday. They emailed at 3pm today closing to all but keyworkers/vulnerable children. But they immediately messaged all those who were keyworker kids last time, so provision is not disrupted at all (thank goodness). But I appreciate my school already had tomorrow as inset so will be used for planning for rotas, dealing with all the issues that will arise and so on.
My DP who is a primary teacher returned to students today (his first day in his new job as an NQT from last year who only got one term done thanks to covid!). Their head has just messaged to arrange for all teachers to go in tomorrow to do the aforementioned dealing with issues.
My DP has luckily got to meet his yr2 class today for the first and last time (thanks Boris!) before he has to teach them from home. As an NQT. I feel this is going to be a really.... interesting.... experience!

Namechangeme87 · 04/01/2021 21:44

It’s only a day tho
Try not been counted as a key worker but having to work outside the home . To outing to day what but absolutely have to have people go in to work and have worked throughout . Gonna Struggle with Childcare this time tho

Namechangeme87 · 04/01/2021 21:45

To say not to day

SuperlativeScrubs · 04/01/2021 21:47

Both me and the kids Dad are NHS frontline keyworkers. But it's ok, we can just shut the wards with all the patients in for a couple of days while the schools sort out what they are doing. Hmm

They put a plan in place last time. They literally already have the plan because it's exactly the same situation as last time. The time to review and tweak these things to work better was over the last 9 months!

atomicnotsoblonde · 04/01/2021 21:58

@ClearingSpaceOnTheTrophyShelf

First schools knew was 8pm tonight.

It's one day

Excellent. Shall we tell that patients that then?!

Eldest child's secondary school had a plan in case this happened last week, with arrangements confirmed this morning just in case it did.

Second child's primary school has communicated nothing. It's not exactly unforeseeable.

Original poster
RockawayBeach · 04/01/2021 21:58

The time to review and tweak these things to work better was over the last 9 months!

Exactly this - surely following the last national lockdown the schools created a series of contingency plans to cover all eventualities - also known as business continuity plans? It looks like our school isn't alone, so key workers of U10's that won't have childcare tomorrow won't be in work - roughly 10-15% of key workers?

I'm not blaming teachers, maybe Academy CEO's & headteachers??

OP posts:
littleeggcup · 04/01/2021 21:59

Ours is Thursday! Private school too.

Voice0fReason · 04/01/2021 22:02

Blame Boris, not the teachers.
He should have made the call earlier, giving the teachers a chance to get organised.
This was foreseeable.
Schools cannot be expected to implement these changes at 8pm for the following morning. That's not enough time to contact everyone. Not everyone will have heard the announcement.

YouJustDoYou · 04/01/2021 22:02

Same. We have TONS of key worker children, it's going to be an utter cluster fuck for our local hospital.

mrshoho · 04/01/2021 22:06

With respect they got this confirmation at 8pm tonight. They are good but if you give them a chance to get staffing sorted it will be much more beneficial. We are a SEN school that covers primary and up to 14 and have made tomorrow an inset day so children not in until Wednesday. staff are being trained on lft and all staff are going to have them. This will give some additional protection to the children. I can't imagine how much organisation a large mainstream primary will have to do.

milkysmum · 04/01/2021 22:06

Will the schools email tonight do people think? I'm a nurse and ds was in keyworker provision last time. I'm kind of hoping I can still just take him in tomorrow- is that unrealistic if I don't hear hear from school confirming?

Char2015 · 04/01/2021 22:07

@SuperlativeScrubs

Both me and the kids Dad are NHS frontline keyworkers. But it's ok, we can just shut the wards with all the patients in for a couple of days while the schools sort out what they are doing. Hmm

They put a plan in place last time. They literally already have the plan because it's exactly the same situation as last time. The time to review and tweak these things to work better was over the last 9 months!

100% not the school's fault. You need to direct your blame elsewhere. Not everything will be set up for school closures. Parents need to be contacted, online learning needs to be uploaded, staffing arrangements/rotas need to be implemented. It's not as easy as you make out.
helloxhristmas · 04/01/2021 22:07

Ours always was due to open on Wednesday with two planned INSETs

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