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.

itsgettingweird schools are going to be closed at least until Easter. Possibly all academic year. Boris wouldn’t rule that out.

If you can and want to work around your children’s school days, then fill your boots.
Most of us can’t or won’t. I possibly could but I’m not going to.

Seemingly people who can work at home are now so petrified (don’t blame them) that their job if not key or critical enough will be lost. Therefore try to get your children into school by claiming you are saving the world to go into the empty office as otherwise working from home also means you are on MumsNet and watching Netflix all day while trying to home school a young child too. What a society we have now become! No rules no adherence and each to their own so let the unchecked super spreading continue as it’s everyone for themselves and last one alive wins!

I think the companies and organisations who are being most accommodating to their staff who are parents ought to be named and held up as exemplary employers.

It's the age of thing of schools pretending working parents don't exist and workplaces pretending parents don't exist.

Lockdown one initially had lots of parents applying for places and then my kids school sent a doom letter basically saying only use it if you have no other option and use it for the minimal time etc etc...that led to about ten kids out of a school of 500 the first couple of weeks but by may my kids were in full bubbles of 15 and overflow bubbles were being set up so I think it was only the very initial scary March/April lockdown that was such low numbers .
I knew there would be a bigger uptake this time but don't think it's that different to the uptake by the end of lockdown 1.
Just to add as a key worker it is a very guilt inducing decision to send your child in and I don't think parents on the whole use it selfishly
Those wfh are often having to work virtually - the days when I'm not in base or on visits I do a lot of contacts with patients virtually or by phone which would be inappropriate for my child to be at home to hear.

I don't have school age children but my employer has somehow managed to wangle the whole company as critical workers (talking thousands here). Now this is true for a very small percentage of staff, but my role is absolutely a long stretch along with many others.

The trouble is, already two managers have breezily mentioned to the team I'm in "any trouble with childcare let us know so we can support you, but we are all now key workers". There is now an absolute expectation you will do what you can to get your children into school so your work isn't hindered. I don't know how my colleagues are dealing with this.

@Jericha

Do we work for the same company?

Work are totally expecting me to send children in still. I can't really do my job properly with them there as I have so many meetings and calls. But also can't be furloughed or take leave due to my "critical" role.

At the very least, the rules should have been very tight for 2 weeks to keep the numbers in school very low and distances, to allow a transmission break after Christmas holiday mixing.

Are children still going to be tested at school weekly?

Apparently children without access to laptops are classed as vulnerable - www.theguardian.com/education/2021/jan/05/call-for-pupils-without-laptops-in-england-to-be-allowed-into-schools-covid

I wonder how that works if there is one laptop between two or three children?

@boatyroo quite possibly! You have my sympathies, it is ridiculous.

I'm WFH. Quite happy to do my bit for society and keep DD home if society can guarantee my salary should I lose my job. Being the least productive person on the team (due to being the only one with a young child) would feel like quite a precarious position to be in. School are happy to have her and I'm very grateful.

The roll out of testing in primary school was going to be later in the Spring term, but maybe they will bring it forward as they won't need all the tests for the Secondary schools now, and there are probably more Primary children in school than Secondary

@MaryLeeOnHigh

Apparently children without access to laptops are classed as vulnerable - www.theguardian.com/education/2021/jan/05/call-for-pupils-without-laptops-in-england-to-be-allowed-into-schools-covid

I wonder how that works if there is one laptop between two or three children?

Shows how out of touch the government are with reality. In my primary school probably at least 75% of families don't have a laptop. Just because it's commonplace for people like MPs to have laptops in the home, doesn't mean that's reflected in the rest of the country.

I don't know what their game is. It sounds like they're actively trying to get most kids into school, in which case why bother closing them at all? There will be so many kids in school that it will be nearly impossible to deliver good remote learning to the rest. The infection rate will remain high so we'll all be subject to restrictions for longer and bubbles will keep having to isolate.

My daughter primary school is busy. First lockdown, barely any of her class mates were in but this time half her class are are. Makes me feel quite frustrated actually as I know many of these parents are playing the system.

I'm not sure why people are surprised the keyworker place numbers are so different to the first lockdown. An awful lot of jobs which were paused in spring 2020 are continuing this time round. Employers expect you to work. And in this climate who can afford to risk their income by saying no?

There are some areas where the majority of children will genuinely be key worker children.

What makes me cross are parents accusing everyone else of "abusing the system" - so it's ok for you, but judge knickers below thinks everyone else is cheating the system.

Why does it make no sense ?

2KeyorNot2Key

Kitcat122
My school has high numbers in. Support staff in. Teachers at home doing lessons.

This makes noooo sense!

Sorry why does it make no sense ?

The teachers can teach, they are doing it from home. We have to be physically there for them

If the unions are only on the side of teachers , that's wrong.
TAs and nursery workers are people too and they are being exposed to this virus in large numbers. A lot of schools have more children in than they did during lockdown 1 and key worker children are more likely to catch this virus I would have thought?
I bet a lot of support staff will end up leaving although I know it's a difficult situation and I haven't any answers to this problem.
It seems unfair and if I were a TA I'd feel expendable to be honest.
I'm not a teacher but I have worked in schools before and the Seniors ( if they are in) and office staff will make sure they are out the way of the children ( most will I bet! )
I have a few TA friends and they are concerned , but soldering on.
Same for kitchen staff too.

It’s not just about cheating the system as naturally the school bubble will burst soon when new cases are recorded or the teacher becomes ill. Do you think schools with even half class sizes without PPE nor enough physical space will be safe and open for long?

What it is - is actually about and fair(ish) and adequate single policy system for all. If the one teacher has to teach half the class with no social distancing as well as live online simultaneously - how is that going to work well?

Not just the so called digital divide or livelihoods divide but what about the class divide with different results from mixed schooling? Why are children divided arbitrarily? How is this going to stop super spreading and save the NHS, lives and livelihoods in the longer term?

Ridiculously high numbers in school, we are never going to end this lockdown.

Our kids primary has ~50% of the kids in. They will be taught (by their usual teachers) in class bubbles. I can totally understand why people have sent the kids in if they are a low risk household but it’s hard when we know several families with both parents wfh full time whose kids are at home with them and we know some that are in have a SAHP or a parent on maternity leave or where the key worker works one weekend day and 3 half days but have sent the kids in. I can understand why people have done it as it’s likely what is best for their families and particularly their kids. Most people will in the end do what’s best for their kids. I’m cross at how many times I’ve heard words to the effect but my OH has this very important job and can’t possibly wfh while looking after the kids. My colleague has a wife who works at Tesco. He could absolutely wfh and have the kids like many of his colleagues whose partners are not key workers (some of whom are not key workers but still have to physically go to work) but he’s chosen not to. I can understand why but just be honest about the fact you’ve made a choice and don’t pretend there wasn’t one to make

If the unions are only on the side of teachers , that's wrong.

The very purpose of a union is to fight for the rights of it's members. That's what you pay your membership fee for. TAs and nursery workers have access to their own union membership.

@Fucket

Tbh if your work involves patient confidentiality, perhaps your employer ought to re-examine whether it’s truly possible to wfh. In those circumstances perhaps you ought to be going to a proper clinic, and contacting your patients from there.

That seems a bit random. Why would a clinic be better in general terms? (Obviously not with others and children around but ordinarily).