If your child qualifies for a school place through keyworker status have you taken it up?

[yefh]

I'm a keyworker but fortunately can wfh. Dh is not a keyworker but both our jobs are incredibly stressful and busier than ever. We have one child. Last lockdown we muddled through but dd yr2 was largely ignored whilst we worked all hours day and night and were on calls all day. We felt so guilty. Essentially the tv babysat. We nearly made ourselves ill with the hours worked and I am sure dd suffered too.

There is no chance of furlough for either of us.

We have contacted the school and they say we qualify for a keyworker place for dd but we are so torn as to whether to send her in. On one hand it will be good for her as she needs interaction with other children and she wants to go in and the alternative of being on her own all day whilst we both work is pretty miserable ( even with one hour of zoom lesson) on the other hand we are so worried about exposing her and us to risk. We are early 40s and in ok health.

We have no alternative support. GPS are far away and in vulnerable category

Just wondered if anyone else in this situation and what you did?

Nursery worker and police officer here so both key workers.
Dh is changing some shifts and taking some leave so we will use it as little as possible for ds year 6 (1or 2 days a week)
Dd in year 8 will stay home alone when she has to because I don't want her on the bus for nearly an hour each way.

How about stop being a selfish prat and also think of the increased number of school staff that will have to be in to care for the children like yours who don’t HAVE to be in, but who have been sent in as there parents are jealous of those who DO need a place.

How about not jumping to totally incorrect conclusions.................

@Wakeupin2022

^I'd love to know how I'm supposed to teach pretty much a full day of lectures while looking after and teaching a 6 year old at the same time?? Wfh doesn't automatically mean you can look after young children and homeschool.^

It doesn't! Mines will be babysat by TV & tablets. And schoolwork will be done in evenings and weekends I'm sure.

But what is the alternative if I want schools to reopen as soon as they possibly can?

So you think it's acceptable for me to leave my 6 year alone for hours on end? Because that's what would have to happen and would usually be considered neglect.

No. I’m a keyworker wfh 2/3 days a week, on site 2/3 days a week. I need wraparound care though as I work full-time, and school aren’t providing that. So my kids are going to my vulnerable parents instead. I guess at least this way they’re not risking catching anything at school.

SueEllen you don't get breaks? Its essentially what a lot of us had to do last time and will need to do again.

It totally sucks though- and yes I have a 6 year old!

@Boobahs

Yes. DS 4.5 years in reception and DS 19 months in a private nursery. I am a nursery teacher and OH is a postman currently working very long hours, so both keyworkers.

I’m so torn because we don't have the option of choosing to keep them at home. In one way, I don’t want him in school but then I feel like he’ll miss so much if he doesn’t go.

Last time lockdown happened I was still on maternity leave/verge of going back to work, DS1 was in the nursery class and they offered to have him in but he would have been in a Year 2 classroom in another building with a mix of staff and children he didn't know (no other nursery or reception) so I had to take unpaid leave from work for a couple of weeks before the summer holidays.

I don't have that option this time and no option of furlough for either of us.

So anxious about it all.

Meant to say I will have to be in school every day to have keyworker children and OH cannot change his hours.

No I’m keeping my teachers safe, bubbles will burst and I want nhs key workers to still go to work.

No I’m keeping my teachers safe, bubbles will burst and I want nhs key workers to still go to work.

So only NHS workers should have a space?

Both keyworkers and yes we will be using the places. No other choice

Do people on here honestly think those wfh sit with their feet up all day watching daytime tv not doing a fat lot? I work bloody harder at home than I did in the office so this really pisses me off. If it wasn't for the fact that childcare bubbles are allowed meaning I can send DD to my parents I would have to take up a keyworker place for her. As despite me working from home I can't look after a 3 year old at the same time. It's not as simple as saying those wfh should keep the children at home.

@Wakeupin2022

SueEllen you don't get breaks? Its essentially what a lot of us had to do last time and will need to do again.

It totally sucks though- and yes I have a 6 year old!

Not really. My lectures are 3 hours long and on some days I teach all day with about 30 mins in between when students usually 'need' to speak to me. We have comfort breaks but it's still means I am essentially leaving DS to his own devices for hours at a time. Why would I do that when school are happy to take him?

I'm the only person in my whole university who teaches my subject and we've had a bumper recruitment year - but a staff recruitment freeze.

I worked all last lockdown with DS at home but I wasn't teaching so it was just about manageable. It's just not possible with my
heavy teaching load this term. This is always a full on term at university so it doesn't surprise me that we've been added to the key worker list.

SueEllen I would take the place too!

@Wakeupin2022

SueEllen I would take the place too!

I cried with relief when the school phoned me this afternoon.

Yes. I’m a keyworker (older peoples mental health), DH isn’t, DC’s are 6 and nearly 2. Last time we weren’t eligible as only one KW parent but this time school have changed criteria and said we are. They are both going in. We wfh but I am on the phone to unwell vulnerable people ALL day and can do zero childcare. Last time I was just about to reduce my hours as was totally impossible then DH got put on furlough thank God. This time round he is back to working full time. So technically we could manage DH “lightly supervising” our 6yo but as the option is there we have taken it. OP I think in your circumstances it is fine. We are otherwise following all the guidance strictly and always have.

I think they need to trim the definition of key worker. I work in a school but oh works in the kind of job that could probably be manned by a skeleton staff, but because they are classed as key workers their employer insists that they all carry on.
With respect to people such as university lecturers etc I think it should be limited to genuinely essential services without which the country couldn’t run and the delivery of which cannot be postponed.

With respect to people such as university lecturers etc I think it should be limited to genuinely essential services without which the country couldn’t run and the delivery of which cannot be postponed.

Are you suggesting we just stop teaching? Postpone everyone's degree? Who would pay for the inevitable requests for refunds? And who would teach students in the future when most universities go bankrupt? How would these students get jobs without their qualification?

What about those that teach student nurses, dentists, doctors, teachers?? Are they permitted to carry on with their courses?

Yes. Both key worker nhs/social care. One cannot work from home the other can in variable amounts needing to make unplanned/pre arranged face to face consultations.
Our school have been amazing!

Teacher- I'm teaching 5 days a week, dh working from home, 2 dc 4 &6... what could possibly go wrong?! But not sending them in- what's the point of my family being at more risk than already is with me in & also thinking of the staff in their school.

Both key workers, both patient facing but I can work via zoom & 2/3 days a week husband is home although totally overwhelmed with his job. We haven’t taken up places because we can manage schooling in evenings, some odd spare hours & weekends. Kids are 7&8 and have each other to play with, they’re safer here, teachers safer seeing less kids, other people are desperate for the places.

I'm not a key worker but my husband is. I wfh in a very busy reactive job.

My children are in school as I simply cannot put them through what happened last spring/summer. I cannot do my job and care for them adequately, and I'm the higher paid of the two of us.

No brainer for us, need roof over head.

We would qualify but are not taking up a place

PS don't let anyone guilt trip you into saving the spaces for "those who really need it"

You really need it.

You have read the signs from your last experience. Use the space and save yourself and your family the trauma.

Yes I qualify, no not taking the place as husband can WFH. Did t take the place last time either.

@pumpkiiinpiiie

There are a lot of martyrs on this thread that seem to be shaming people who have accepted school places.

If you have nobody at home clinically vulnerable, a young child that will require a lot of attention and home schooling and you will be working from home, then bloody well send them in, or at the very least don't judge people who are. That's what they are open for

Obviously if it's all easily manageable then that's different but if you are going to be busting a gut stressed out trying to fit it all in why put yourself through it?! We are talking weeks, possibly months of this lockdown, not days. It's a long slog and people need to remember while covid is a terrible disease and we all need to minimise risk, our mental health needs to be balanced too.

If I wasn't able to give my kids the attention they need due to work I wouldn't want them to be housebound all day every day with nothing to do aswell as not seeing people or going anywhere.

My daughter has SEN and has been offered a place as she thrives on routine and gets extremely distressed when things aren't as she expects. They also offered her sibling a place as they don't want families having problems at home between kids especially where SEN are concerned.

As I am a stay at home parent I am keeping the eldest at home as I can easily home school and I know there will be no issues between the kids. It was very kind of them to offer though and I really appreciated the thought.

But I refuse to feel guilty for accepting a place for my daughter as I believe the covid risk to us all
isn't comparable to god knows how many weeks of meltdowns and the emotional stress it will put on the whole family.

You are my kind of lady

I agree wholeheartedly and those people coming out with nasty comments ought to be bloody ashamed of themselves

@rolliy

It is almost as there is no point of the school lockdown

I'm pretty sure once the LAs have released the attendance info it won't be 80% of the school body as a lot of MNs posters would suggest.

Our school had 8% of their usual kids in today, not half!