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.

This is utterly ridiculous. We live near a hub, in a 'deprived area'. Out of probably around 1500 people, last lockdown they had around 5 in daily. Schools should be being used as an absolute LAST resort, not just because you find it difficult. Last resort, absolutely no other option.

@UsernameSaved What rubbish! I’m support staff and haven’t had Covid yet nor have any of my colleagues

@HeidiOfTheAlps

I think the person who said support staff were supervising at school was talking about secondary. I know my dcs' comp had very low numbers attending school so it made sense for the teachers to be teaching all online, at home or school, rather than teaching tiny numbers at school and leaving the kids at home to get on with it

I’ve left my kids at home to get on with it.

@Sweettea1

Schools are being used as a childminding service (hence no teaching and support staff watching them) so everyone who thinks its better their child is in school at the minute is wrong they are not being taught as normal.

Not in primary they’re not.

In my primary children are being supervised by support staff to do the work that is being set online for students at home.

so everyone who thinks its better their child is in school at the minute is wrong

I expect they are better off than the ones parked in front of screens all day because their parents have to do their jobs.

I did read that the Union that support TA workers isn't as strong as the teacher / heads one so that's why they are being asked to go in to schools.
Still, I would still feel as if i was expendable if I were in that situation and it'll cause more divide and rule.
I've always supported teachers and online learning can't be easy either of course.
At least they can send their children to school which is something , I guess.
It'll be mostly women that will lose out though or might decide to give up their jobs as they are concerned about catching the virus.
I know it's hard and schools being shut to do many isn't good but it still would feel uncomfortable to me if I were a TA.

the80sweregreat support staff can join the NEU. Fees are lower than for teachers, although still quite a lot of money.

Good. All children should be in school.

@CarolEffingBaskin

Good. All children should be in school.

Except they won’t be for even longer if people continue to bend the rules to suit themselves.

@CarolEffingBaskin

Good. All children should be in school.

How are the unicorns finding the weather up there on that rainbow?

@ediplace

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

Our local primary has 60 odd more children than last time I ve heard. Not sure why , but obviously the criteria has changed so more can go in this time around. Tough call isn't it? If more children are in then I guess many parents will start to resent having to home school and try and work as well.

The numbers in our local Primaries have rocketed eg one school had about 16 in for the whole school during the first lockdown, now have that per class. No social distancing will be possible in the classrooms

If many school are allowing so many children to attend, then I see no point of closing school in the first place. The spread won't decrease dramatically, so the restriction will go on for longer. I think the gov messed it up again big time, if it's happening everywhere.

It really infuriates me that people are bending the rules to suit themselves. The more people send their kids in to school, the longer this nightmare will last. I’m a single parent, working full time. I don’t understand how my circumstances are any different to a household with two parents where one is a key worker and the other works from home. I’m having to juggle homeschooling and working. It’s hard, bloody hard. But vital for the good of the country. People should just crack on and stop trying to cheat the system to get their kids into schools.

@HelloMissus

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.

You have no idea they are going to be closed that long.

What we do know is the more mixing and transmission that happens that will cause a longer lockdown.

I personally do not agree with doing what's easier. We need to do what's necessary.

It's frustrating people are not seeing the correlation and taking what was not confirmed as a confirmation that's what will happen. They've made it clear education is there priority when opening up. Despite everything this government has done I do believe that they will do this as they really didn't want to shut schools in the first place.

Perhaps the unions should get back to pushing for all pupils to wear masks. Is there any other country in the world with school children in school not required to wear a mask?

Obviously the government has changed the criteria as I doubt people have all found key worker jobs since the summer.
It's probably done to try and make life easier , but just caused more divide and rule and resentment from people who have to try and home school their children.
The curriculum was stopped last time around. It's clearly not this time.

@LynetteScavo

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.

Yes absolutely.

As a teacher I am so grateful to people who have decided to keep their kids at home rather than send them in even though the offer would be there.

I also think it's utterly ridiculous that teenagers are being sent it when a parent is WFH.

@the80sweregreat

Obviously the government has changed the criteria as I doubt people have all found key worker jobs since the summer. It's probably done to try and make life easier , but just caused more divide and rule and resentment from people who have to try and home school their children. The curriculum was stopped last time around. It's clearly not this time.

It's because lockdown one people struggled through, this time life has changed for them, they cannot sustain it prolonged

@FreekStar

Everyone has a reason why their kids need to be in school!

!6 year olds should be responsible enough to do their school work and dial in to online lessons without 'supervision'. How are they going to get through life when at at almost adult age they can't be 'trusted'. He's old enough to get a job, get married and start a family. Ridiculous! My 15 year old dd is in year 11 and following her timetable and revising for her exams which may or may not happen. She wants to do well and knows it's important. I can't supervise her because I'm a key worker and out of the house but I wouldn't dream of sending her in to be baby-sat - my expectation is that when I get home she's done some work.

Well said.

My 15-16yo pupils all managed to log into my lesson this morning without the aide of mummy. It sounds like "I can't be arsed parenting properly so gonna get the school to do it for me"

The numbers at our school have gone up dramatically this time too, nurseries being opened had an impact on my situation as I'm sure it did on many.

Whilst I had a pre-school child at home that I had to find childcare for I kept my older child off too.

My Mum looked after mine whilst I worked 3 days during the first lockdown but she's in her 70s and worn out so as I had another option I had to take it.

Both my husband and I are KW who can't work from home.

@Laquila

All the families I know where only one parent is a keyworker have been refused a place - to be honest I thought that was the rule/guidance.

nope, the government guidance says "at least one" parent is a critical worker.

I am a key worker, DP is not but he cant WFH therefore DS is going to school. I can WFH part of the week but school want them in FT so he is in FT.

It's not fair at all really, to anyone. If it was 2 keyworkers, then i would have to WFH full time, and spend my own time unpaid, driving back and forth to my office collecting stuff and dropping stuff off. I'd also be working and homeschooling a 4yo so my work probably wouldn't get done as quickly.

it is not an option for DP to take unpaid time off, we can't afford it.

I hope the government steps in on this one quickly and clarifies the actual purpose of KW provision on site.

This massive increase in uptake is concerning on two fronts.

1 - the larger the number of kids in, the higher the risk of frontline parents not being able to work.

2 - where actual teaching is being delivered, there’s a massive delta between those who are (fairly arbitrarily, in many cases, let’s be honest) in school and those muddling along at home.

(It’s also really fucking annoying to be someone who could use KW provision and is choosing not even though it’s a nightmare because staying home feels the right thing to do, but I do appreciate policy can’t be based on my personal feelings )