75% of my school are in

[ReginaPhalangee]

That's it in a nutshell. Three quarters of my school are classed as keyworker or vulnerable. Might as well chuck the other 50 in and be done with it.

Lockdown 1... 12 children.

No PPE and we've got to double our workload for the ones needing remote learning whilst we are teaching our classes. And then making phone calls to check on them.

It's the same for every school in my area.

I have to leave this thread it sick what some people/trolls are posting

Keyworkers nhs. Police. Careers. Fighters ect.

Key Workers and Vulnerable Children.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision

Teacher's were in during last lockdown and are during this lockdown. How do I know? Because unlike some I work in a school. Also our support assisstants do an amazing job and can't just be replaced. Nor should they hold the line on their own, educators should be working together supported by tgeir employers to be as safe as possible.

Wow, just when we wondered if the English Government could fuck it up any more?

[quote Flaxmeadow]**@Flaxmeadow schools have no money to employ more people

Assistants are not well paid anyway, but they went in last time we had a big lockdown. Keeping people on the dole costs money too, I'm sure many might even volunteer.

The thing is. According to MN, teachers, for whatever reason, still do not want to go into schools. It's a waste of time dwelling in that. So i think Gov't need to look elsewhere for help[/quote]
This is a very generalised comment Flax. In my s chomp we are operating a rota and 99% of staff are on it - reaching assistants as well as teachers and the only teachers in my school who are WFH are pregnant and in their third trimester.

Please don't far is all with the same brush as it's simply not true. Also, unions have made it clear they expect teachers to go into work to teach vulnerable pupils or children of critical workers.

School not s chomp!

Last school closure there were between 2 and 10 children in. This time there are 70! There were more applications so some were declined. I am. aware of one sahp saying she was going to chance her arm and get her kids in as she needed 'me' time but I doubt it will have worked. We had to say who our employer is and job title and be prepared to send evidence if required. It's a village school and the head and teachers know us all so unlikely anyone could pull a fast one. I'm a single parent with a barn door critical worker job so I wasn't worried but I can imagine it's stressful for so many now.

@happystone

I won’t to know what all the “Keyworkers “ will do when bubbles keep bursting. O I know work from home. The nurse police can’t work from home they have to stay home and not work

If the can WFH they will, if they can't they'll have to call in and take holidays or unpaid leave, meaning that our essential services are strained further.

There's a massive "I'm alright Jack" air about this and I'm actually so fucking pissed off. Infection rates won't drop. Our kids will still be off school come March: and the families who used the place because they're so fucking special, their husband is Very Important and can't possibly do what most women did from March-July and home school whilst working, will be the first to complain.

I got flamed on a post before schools were closed when I said those shouting for closures seem to be in a position where they'll be impacted the least. I wonder if it was all the (non-key) key workers who'd spotted the list and realised that even though they work part time from home they can send Timmy and Jemima in to be somebody else's problem.

I'm so glad the school I work in & my kids go to (they're sister primary/secondary schools so same policies) have protected my colleagues and been super strict - two key workers working outside the home only . Proof from employers this will happen. Can I please implore all teachers who've suddenly found themselves looking after triple the children to complain to your SLT and governors. You deserve to be safe. You don't deserve to be out at risk because someone else's situation is mint convenient.

I mean FFS i got up at 5.30am to prep for the lessons I'm delivering today. I'll be knackered later but at least I finish at 3.30pm. We all have to adjust our lives a little if we want life to get back to normal. No one gets to have it easy in times like this.

@Billie18

How strange? Why can't the teachers teach?

They can, but they can’t teach the key workers kids and teach the children at home at the same time. We are following their normal timetables so that’s 4-5 lessons each day online.

I know social workers doing lots from home but how on earth anyone can expect them to have kids home when they are on teams, phone calls etc whilst supervising home tutoring is ridiculous

But this is exactly what every other parent who WFH is having to do! How can you not know this - where have you been for the last 9 months?

@C0NNIE

I know social workers doing lots from home but how on earth anyone can expect them to have kids home when they are on teams, phone calls etc whilst supervising home tutoring is ridiculous

But this is exactly what every other parent who WFH is having to do! How can you not know this - where have you been for the last 9 months?

Exactly, no one is more special than the next person. Plenty of people have had to stick their kids on iPads in the next room while they take a confidential zoom call. Or, I don't know, buy some headphones so your conversation is more private.

There's a real feel of "but it's different for me me me".

@ReginaPhalangee

My union doesn't have a Section 44 letter (NASUWT).

I didn't make myself clear, only one parent needs to be a KW to earn a place for their child, not both. New guidelines.

I understand that you don't need to be in a union to work from home under this legislation. Certainly some of our staff who aren't in a union cited it

Some of us were off work for three months in March so didn’t need the school place
But this time we are newly classified as keyworkers and expected in to work
Both my workplaces have very firmly said we are to push for school places as we are now entitled when we weren’t before

We can’t be the only ones

Just popping int to say that just because someone falls into the key worker list it DOES NOT mean your school has to accept them if another adult in the house isn't a key worker or is WFH. Raise this with yours Heads and SLTs

@Heatherjayne1972 if you have to be in work that's different - but even if you're a key worker and you can WFH but your employer isn't letting you you need to raise it with HR. I get that employers have seen a rise in, well, let's just say piss takers, who WFH but if their employees are doing their bit in this pandemic they need to as well

@Itisasecret

For those at the back who are hard of hearing.

The unions called for safe schools, not closed.

The govt couldn’t make them safe, the stats show how at risk staff are and they were being exposed by legal action. The community transmission speaks for itself.

In some areas, ‘KW’ provision is so high the schools are working almost at capacity which means those children at home will get nothing plus bubble closures etc. It would actually be fairer and safer to have schools in on a rota so all get F2F.

Yes, this is what should have happened from September. This all or nothing set up for schooling isn't in the best ibtetrsts of pupils or school staff. I imagine many parents are trying it on because they know how detrimental it is for children yo be shit away at home. There should be no need at all for any child above year 7 to be in, unless they fall under the vulnerable category.

Reading the list of what constitutes a critical worker, I can't think of any family and friends who don't fall in to one of the categories. It's madness to allow on the basis of 1 critical worker in a 2 parent family.

Me and DH are both keyworkers but work shift and can just juggle it between us so have not chosen to send our kids in. I think some families where one parents is a keyworker and the other parent at home are sending kids in. People need to only use if absolutely necessary imo

Our HT has been very good at fishing out parents who were taking the piss, for example parents we know both work shifts and didn't need to pay childcare when their DC were at nursery, but now want a school place because "she really wants to come to school" or want to send their child to school if we remain in site, but not, if like last time we move 5 mins down the road to a neighbouring school building like we did last time.

We have a few staff recently tested positive, So now we're wearing masks I the building.

What we're offering is free childcare, and by no means education.

@Ilovenewyear

Our primary its only one key worker. We as a household qualify for a place. Haven’t asked for it as i’m a SAHP but i know others who have applied in similar circumstances and been granted - i saw them do the school run this morning.

I personally do t understand why if you have someone at home who can look after their child(ren) you'd sent them in?

We've had the evidence now about how they are 2-7 times more likely to be the index case in a household. Which does hint that teachers have that extra risk too although they've never seen it.

I'm sure your child's teacher is also very grateful for you making that decision.

Sorry....posted to soon. I think if parents knew the reality of what's school is like during lockdown (where I work anyway) they wouldn't insist their child MUST be in. It's definitely just free childcare.

Schools are definitely busier this time round. A lot of keyworker parents last time didnt send their children to school and managed at home, they've obviously reconsidered this time round.

Perhaps if the online learning that was on offer last time hadn't been so dire and parents given no support at all, people would've kept their kids off again. Even now, half the teachers at my son's secondary school didn't show up to their own zoom lessons citing technical issues. Fucking ridiculous.

So sick of teachers whinging. A lot of keyworkers whose DCs you are teaching are working stressful, frontline jobs in hospitals, care homes, prisons, law enforcement, etc. We appreciate your concerns over covid. But we don't have the luxury of working from home either or furlough and we are put in situations where we could potentially catch covid just you are.

I've personally made my peace with it all. I'm in a secure job and if I catch covid, it will likely be no more than a cough/temperature. You should try it too or resign and stop taking taxpayers' money for a job you don't want to do.

Our school are teaching those who are coming in. Half the teaching staff will be teaching those in, half working on the home learning. Home learning is offline, paper based.

My husband and I are both key workers, he worked from home last time but can't this time, I can choose to work home or office.

I have meetings most of the day so can't easily do much home learning during the working week. My work are not very understanding of having a child there as they have provided key worker letters so feel we should send children in. No option of furlough.

If my son was a couple of months younger he would still be at nursery and the government apparently now seem to acknowledge childcare is needed.
I have the choice I guess of taking a key worker space (school are ok with this), which a lot of people seem to think would be taking the piss as I can wfh.
Or I keep him off and he gets ignored most of the day, missing out on actual teaching that is still happening in school and getting very short bursts of the worksheets provided during the times between meetings I can pay attention to him.
Genuinely don't know what to do.