Page 4 | 75% of my school are in

lavenderlou · 05/01/2021 23:15

@caringcarer

If one parent is a low paid key worker and other parent not key worker but parent can't work from home but earns the majority of the family income, if schools refuse to allow children to attend school it almost forces the low paid key worker to stay at home so their family can pay mortgage and feed themselves. I wish schools would consider this.

It really should be the government who realises this and puts in support for working parents in this situation. Schools can't be held accountable for parents' jobs as well as everything else they are expected to be accountable for.

UsernameSaved · 05/01/2021 23:16

@Kitcat122

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

That seems to be the most common

Support staff are supervising pupils to do the work set by teachers- as a parent would if they were are home.

It isnt awful (comment above). It is practical

In March deliveroo drivers, taxi drivers and takeaway staff were all eligible as key workers but those businesses were mostly closed. Now basically almost everything except hospitality and clothes shops are open here.

DownstairsMixUp · 05/01/2021 23:18

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

Thewinterofdiscontent · 05/01/2021 23:18

@StacySoloman

OP sounds like your Head is not being stringent enough when giving out places?

If your workplace is not safe, put in your section 44 letter and insist on working from home.

Who is defining safe though? If all the kids can sit 1m apart and there’s ventilation it doesn’t matter how many you have in. Half of kids is safer, a third safer still. It’s never going to be completely safe unless they shut.

Fucket · 05/01/2021 23:19

I know someone sending their child in as a ‘key worker,’ works for our local council but works from home P/T. Her DH been made redundant but apparently he is now still working (no he isn’t he works in hospitality). Is on FB bragging how she doesn’t have to do home schooling as she’s a key worker. Completely the wrong attitude to have.

Just because you’re a key worker who can wfh doesn’t make you oh so bloody special that you get to send your kids in because it was very stressful the first time around.

Well I’m afraid it was shit for everyone and if you want to think you’ve got priority status just remember you are willingly sending your kids into school exposing them to the virus. Hardly parent of the year. The genuine key worker families who need this provision need your entitled brood exposing their children to the virus like a hole in the head.

If you could wfh and homeschool last time, then you can grit your teeth and do it again.

Doyoumind · 05/01/2021 23:19

Those people sending in children when they could be at home are going to have them at home self isolating if they abuse the system and push the numbers up, and they will stop genuine kw from going to work if they need to SI.

FlippinNoah · 05/01/2021 23:20

Yes we had 8 last time, we now have 37 (small primary). We know for fact some of these children have a parent WFH or an older adult sibling at home, but the HT has given them a place.

starrynight19 · 05/01/2021 23:20

@Billie18

Does seem very unfair on the 50 that are not allowed to attend. After nearly a year of messed up schooling and isolation there is an argument that all children count as vulnerable and if parents work to support their family isn't that essential? Maybe they could all be admitted on these grounds? Would be good for the children and no doubt easier for the staff than having to prepare and monitor two separate forms of educational delivery?

Or it maybe those kids won’t get back to school this year whilst so many parents deem themselves to be ‘critical’ workers and restrictions continue.

princessandthedragon · 05/01/2021 23:20

Our school has seen a massive demand for key worker places this time around. I think some people are taking advantage of it - I know someone who works as a PA at a bank whose claiming they are a key worker. It’s beyond ridiculous.

RedToothBrush · 05/01/2021 23:21

Its not about it being safe to staff. Its about the wider community... and the fact that if you are sat in a class with the kid of an ICU nurse and your kid tests positive that takes the ICU nurse out.

Every extra child increases the risk. Not by one. But by the chain of contacts everyone in their household has had.

Allispretty · 05/01/2021 23:21

This is all getting crazy...more spaces are being taken as parents now know the full reality of homeschooling so don't want to face it again!

I can't understand how the list has grown, DP told me today he is classed as key worker (financial services) and I can send ds to school there's absolutely no chance as morally it would feel wrong.

Ds school is following dfe guidance which is to triage based on 3 categories

Top priority - vulnerable children
Middle - x2 key workers or x1 single parent key worker
Bottom - x1 key worker parent.

This doesn't seem to be the case for all schools though. More guidance is needed quickly, wouldn't be surprised if this is all over the press by the end of the week

Hardbackwriter · 05/01/2021 23:23

The genuine key worker families who need this provision need your entitled brood exposing their children to the virus like a hole in the head.

But surely if these parents are all working from home their children are much less likely to have Covid than the 'genuine keyworkers', by which I assume you mean people who work out of the home?

RedToothBrush · 05/01/2021 23:23

@Allispretty

This is all getting crazy...more spaces are being taken as parents now know the full reality of homeschooling so don't want to face it again!

I can't understand how the list has grown, DP told me today he is classed as key worker (financial services) and I can send ds to school there's absolutely no chance as morally it would feel wrong.

Ds school is following dfe guidance which is to triage based on 3 categories

Top priority - vulnerable children
Middle - x2 key workers or x1 single parent key worker
Bottom - x1 key worker parent.

This doesn't seem to be the case for all schools though. More guidance is needed quickly, wouldn't be surprised if this is all over the press by the end of the week

Well given the number of threads on MN tonight about it, it'll be in the press sooner than the weekend.

Wontdothisagain · 05/01/2021 23:23

If you could wfh and homeschool last time, then you can grit your teeth and do it again.

Well no, not strictly true. I was wfh last time, I'm not now.

christinarossetti19 · 05/01/2021 23:24

It sounds like a combination of more parents/carers are required to go into work than last spring/summer and people remembering the horrors of home schooling last time and being concerned for their mental health.

The structural problem is that there hasn't been an infrastructure for childcare set up during all the months that the government has knowing that a winter peak was inevitable. I know that the new variant has upped numbers among children in the SE (at the moment, it's spreading) but it was very apparent from the summer onwards that schools set up as they were from September would spread the virus and that working parents need childcare.

Back in the days of decently funded local authorities, they could have set up mini-childcare hubs so that when schools were closed there would be an alternative form of childcare for people. Yes, there would be some transmission but if they were set up with similar numbers to nurseries with enough staff to maintain smaller bubbles (and families using them were diligent about not having extraneous social contacts) the situation would be much more manageable society wide.

This would involve the government being both prepare to fund and to give a shit about state education so a complete non-starter, but it's so depressing and worrying watching the current car crash of state education.

MaryGubbins · 05/01/2021 23:25

head has said both key workers and no one home working. This means I have applied for a place for the 2 days I am on site but will have to muddle through my off site days (regardless of what my boss says about essential nhs work).

Last time we were in a different situation. I was working the same but dh taken off the frontline due to his own health and seeing patients via video call at home. So no school place used. It was hell snd completely inappropriate for us both to be seeing patients online while my kids were shoved upstairs. But this situation wouldn’t even get me a place now.

ineedaholidaynow · 05/01/2021 23:25

There will be bubbles bursting everywhere, with those high numbers social distancing in the classroom won't happen like it was in the summer and we have a much more transmissible strain now.

Either they will have to restrict numbers or have a rota.

The schools are not closed because of the unions, the schools are closed because of the virus and lockdown. Boris didn't say, everything must close apart from schools because of the virus, but the schools must close because of the unions. Boris has finally accepted that schools are a massive vector for the virus, nothing to do with the unions (apart from the fact that schools and the unions had worked this out for themselves well before Boris did)

Fucket · 05/01/2021 23:26

I bet your bottom dollar the parents sending their kids in to school on a tenuous key worker special pass, are the ones who still arrange play dates etc.

As mentioned already it’s not just the child it’s everyone the one child has been exposed to. If your child is asymptomatic they could pass the virus on without knowing.

Batmanandbobbin · 05/01/2021 23:27

My secondary we expect all back on Monday (AP) my ds school (primary) text today to say they’ve had a large increase in numbers so they will only be able to take frontline key workers.... There was about 11 key worker children in school, the first lockdown.

Fortherosesjoni70 · 05/01/2021 23:27

@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.

Well that is ridiculous. You need to go to your union and claim unsafe conditions. Its unacceptable.

RedToothBrush · 05/01/2021 23:28

@ineedaholidaynow

There will be bubbles bursting everywhere, with those high numbers social distancing in the classroom won't happen like it was in the summer and we have a much more transmissible strain now.

Either they will have to restrict numbers or have a rota.

The schools are not closed because of the unions, the schools are closed because of the virus and lockdown. Boris didn't say, everything must close apart from schools because of the virus, but the schools must close because of the unions. Boris has finally accepted that schools are a massive vector for the virus, nothing to do with the unions (apart from the fact that schools and the unions had worked this out for themselves well before Boris did)

Quite.

But Johnson has created a great fucking scapegoat. And for that reason alone we will be in lockdown longer because no one is taking the issue of the sheer number of cases as seriously as they should.

Itisasecret · 05/01/2021 23:28

@Fucket

I bet your bottom dollar the parents sending their kids in to school on a tenuous key worker special pass, are the ones who still arrange play dates etc.

As mentioned already it’s not just the child it’s everyone the one child has been exposed to. If your child is asymptomatic they could pass the virus on without knowing.

100% I was told today about a play date.

ZydecoLaydee · 05/01/2021 23:29

We have a key worker place this lockdown as we did last time, however, this time I know many more parents have requested places and been turned down. The class What’s App this time has been horrific, DH is WFH on the vaccine for which work is still very much ongoing and I’m a frontline medic. Apparently DH should be just doing the home schooling, despite only having 3 days off work since March! This really is bringing out the worst in people.

Fucket · 05/01/2021 23:29

@ Wontdothisagain if you’re not wfh like before then how is it the same as last time? I’m talking about people who wfh last year and are STILL wfh this year.

ineedaholidaynow · 05/01/2021 23:30

Many places that were closed before aren't this time. Although non essential shops aren't open to the public, they can be open for deliveries and click and collect, so some staff will be required there. Many car dealerships shut the first time, but are now open if they have a service/MOT department. Garden centres are open. Many takeaways didn't open, now they are.

Also many parents who put up with homeschooling last time even if they could have had a place are not this time.

Something will have to change for this to have the right not wrong impact on the virus.