Our primary school is not open for key workers until Wednesday

[RockawayBeach]

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.

@RockawayBeach

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??

totally unreasonable expectations. School returned from the Christmas holiday today!

To be fair to the schools, they need to get stuff ready. Appreciate lockdown could have come at any time. But the info they send home for children has to be ‘current’ and based on what they would have been learning now. So they need a chance to sort that.

Maybe it’s easier for people to blame something or someone closer to home I.e. schools, rather than this shit show of a government.

I feel utterly sorry for the schools. Boris and his gaggle of wankers have been saying how safe schools are, they do not provide advance briefing and literally make it up as they go. Schools have to then run around reacting and don’t have the time or resources for multiple option planning.

@Iggly

Maybe it’s easier for people to blame something or someone closer to home I.e. schools, rather than this shit show of a government.

I feel utterly sorry for the schools. Boris and his gaggle of wankers have been saying how safe schools are, they do not provide advance briefing and literally make it up as they go. Schools have to then run around reacting and don’t have the time or resources for multiple option planning.

the more I think about the carry on over the last days the more I think it is criminal how this government has behaved. The data tonight is no different to yesterday or the day before. This should not have happened.

I don't expect key worker children to be in school learning and for children at home to be online learning by tomorrow. I expected there to be a provision for key worker children to be in school - whether it's reading, craft, playing games - whatever. So key workers can go to work to do their much need work.

It has taken our head all day today to find out which parents want key worker places, which vulnerable children they can get in and to sort a staff rota so that there is a balance between teaching in school and preparing home learning. It can't be done in an evening.

Boris pre-filmed that speech - if only he had given schools and parents the news as soon as the decision was made.

@RockawayBeach

I don't expect key worker children to be in school learning and for children at home to be online learning by tomorrow. I expected there to be a provision for key worker children to be in school - whether it's reading, craft, playing games - whatever. So key workers can go to work to do their much need work.

Some teachers may have to shield, some may not want to work as per their legal right - so until headteachers know how many key workers children are actually coming in and what numbers they need, they cannot plan it in less than 24 hours.

Ds head teacher has just emailed me to say they look forward to having ds in tomorrow- thank goodness for that! - and school was in today so they are managing to open for Keyworkers at very short notice. Love our school and our teaching staff, and have made sure I told them so!

Don’t you dare blame heads and teachers for this shit show. YESTERDAY we were clearly being told that schools were safe and we had to work. YESTERDAY. We did not expect a U turn in one day. We planned for a full opening tomorrow. We can’t magic key worker places out of thin air. We need proper time to plan bubbles and work out groupings and rotas. We don’t know which staff will come in and which will still cite a Section 44. 1 day is not an unreasonable ask.

Our primary school emailed after Boris to say that school is open only to medical and education key workers tomorrow. And then they will spend tomorrow sorting out the other key worker requests and bubble organisations to hopefully let more key workers in on Wednesday. A fair compromise i think. As our head teacher said..... they have been told all holidays to plan and organise for full opening..... 🤦‍♀️

Our Head has emailed parents to say only vulnerable and keyworker children in. All us teachers in our classrooms to see who turns up. They'll sort rotas etc tomorrow.

Obviously this means that the online learning offer will not be up to much, but I think they have their priorities right - hospital and supermarket staff can actually get to work!

It also depends on the size of the school and the amount of key workers to organise.

It was INSET for us today, we were planning our mass testing and online working.

We heard on the news that there was an 8pm press conference so our Head emailed to basically say 'wait and see what happens tonight but be prepared for lockdown'

At 8.30 the SLT met on Teams and at 9.30 we got an all staff e-mail telling teachers to stay home tomorrow to teach online and TAs to come in to look after key worker's children, so it can be done if there is the will to do so.

@RockawayBeach

I don't expect key worker children to be in school learning and for children at home to be online learning by tomorrow. I expected there to be a provision for key worker children to be in school - whether it's reading, craft, playing games - whatever. So key workers can go to work to do their much need work.

Exactly this. Yes, I agree at this short notice it's the most sensible thing to do.

But lots of staff have already cited a Section 44. They can then be told to come in with 12 hours notice in a place which quite frankly is still incredibly unsafe.

can’t

@WellFiddleMyDiddlyDee

Don’t you dare blame heads and teachers for this shit show. YESTERDAY we were clearly being told that schools were safe and we had to work. YESTERDAY. We did not expect a U turn in one day. We planned for a full opening tomorrow. We can’t magic key worker places out of thin air. We need proper time to plan bubbles and work out groupings and rotas. We don’t know which staff will come in and which will still cite a Section 44. 1 day is not an unreasonable ask.

^ ^^^ THIS!

@UglyHoose

It was INSET for us today, we were planning our mass testing and online working.

We heard on the news that there was an 8pm press conference so our Head emailed to basically say 'wait and see what happens tonight but be prepared for lockdown'

At 8.30 the SLT met on Teams and at 9.30 we got an all staff e-mail telling teachers to stay home tomorrow to teach online and TAs to come in to look after key worker's children, so it can be done if there is the will to do so.

So those who have been campaigning for this since last week now need even more time to organise for Vulnerable and Keyworker?

More lost education and upset children, I mean we know Boris does this, why could schools not be ready exactly?

NHS don’t get any time we just have to get the fuck on and work and look after the Children, as PP said it can be done, so why aren’t all schools ready for this?

It’s been the Christmas holidays and we have been consistently told we MUST work. Schools MUST stay open. We are a huge primary and it will take a day to sort out key worker children. Last time we had parents lying to get their children in school. Lots of parent’s circumstances have changed since last time. 1 day is not unreasonable. What would you do if your child puked tonight and couldn’t go to school tomorrow. Or for 48 hours in fact?

No idea as haven't heard from the school since Boris' announcement, why did he have to leave it so late?! Our school was meant to be fully open tomorrow so not sure what extra prep would need to go into provision for less children?

Same here, received the email at half 9.

@WellFiddleMyDiddlyDee

It’s been the Christmas holidays and we have been consistently told we MUST work. Schools MUST stay open. We are a huge primary and it will take a day to sort out key worker children. Last time we had parents lying to get their children in school. Lots of parent’s circumstances have changed since last time. 1 day is not unreasonable. What would you do if your child puked tonight and couldn’t go to school tomorrow. Or for 48 hours in fact?

Have some Schools not been working throughout the Pandemic to prepare for exactly this event then?

Not as if it hasn’t been well publicised over the past however long.

If something happened to my child I or DP take special leave and our colleagues have to pick up the slack, however this is not one of those occasions.

Many keyworker parents in this situation even for one day impacts on NHS and other service provision.

Ours went in today.
They can go in tomorrow if needed.
Then start Wednesday for Keyworkers & vulnerable Children.