School requested my child attend school fulltime even though I'm part time

[Goldendeliciousness]

Title says it all really. I have one child who is school age. I am a key worker who works Monday-Wednesday. The school have asked that all children of key workers attend five days a week. So my child could go in on days I am not working.

I could say no, and I probably will. But my point is, should they be doing this? I was under the impression that school attendance was to enable parents to work, but by offering childcare on days that parents aren't working this is going to put children together for longer and increase risk of transmission?

For example, if a child in my sons class displays symptoms on Saturday my son would have been exposed on Thursday and Friday and is far more likely to contract the disease. If he had been at home with me then he would be less likely, and therefore less transmission between people.

Freeze thank you for explaining but I completely disagree, I think it could be quite simple. Most nursery's are not accommodating of shift work, they ask parents to request set days and these days can not be adjusted. Schools could quite easily do this too. Obviously for shift workers their children would still need to attend full time, but the children of part time set day workers would not, therefore reducing the spread.
I really sympathise with teachers and teaching staff, it seems an impossible task of schooling half the class and then providing home learning for the other half. However I don't think it would be that big adjustment to allow children to go part time, which would in turn keep everyone safer.

I believe they take this approach so that if one child tests positive they can send home the whole bubble rather then have to remain open for those that weren’t exposed within 48hrs.

I hadn't considered this, but it makes a lot of sense.

That way if the bubble bursts it's everyone at home for 10 days rather than having to find a whole new set of staff for the odd few children who could still attend. Some schools aren't doing a rota of teachers, they're using the same TAs every day.

This way if the school just closes no one can complain because no one would be not self isolating and able to attend

@justchecking1

I believe they take this approach so that if one child tests positive they can send home the whole bubble rather then have to remain open for those that weren’t exposed within 48hrs.

I hadn't considered this, but it makes a lot of sense.

That way if the bubble bursts it's everyone at home for 10 days rather than having to find a whole new set of staff for the odd few children who could still attend. Some schools aren't doing a rota of teachers, they're using the same TAs every day.

This way if the school just closes no one can complain because no one would be not self isolating and able to attend

I don’t think people could complain if there weren’t enough staff to come in because of burst bubbles - it seems extreme to expose more children and therefore more of the community just to avoid a situation that surely most parents by now expect.

My school is doing this too, but not sure why!

Keyworkers' and vulnerable children are not getting 'an advantage' though, by having 'face to face teaching' 5 days a week - they're getting exactly the same as the other children - they're being put in a room, with a PC/tablet/chromebook and are doing all the work online just as the children at home are. There is only an adult in the room supervising, but not teaching. The teaching's being done remotely.

All or nothing at my school. We have dinner ladies kids in full time. Head wants them in full time for education and not just childcare.

@Goldendeliciousness

It places key workers children at a huge advantage, they get schooled five days a week. My son is in reception class and told me it was the same as the normal school day, just with less classmates.

Now my child will be at a huge advantage over my colleagues child, colleague is working from home due to being CV therefore is unable to homeschool child. This will be the same for many children whose parents are not key workers. All while my child gets full time education.

On top of that my child will now be at a much greater risk of catching this bloody thing, while I am sat at home and could be keeping him at home during my non working days like the government recommends.

Thank you for acknowledging how unfair this is to non key worker children.

I think schools are asking for full time attendance from key worker children so that they can plan a full taught timetable for them without the inconvenience of having children missing from class.

Schools are in an utter no-win situation, though.

It is ridiculously complex all the different risks they need to balance.

They'll also be under pressure from other parents with a KW status but a lower 'need' than you. If your DC attends Mon-Weds, and your mate who has 1 KW parent who works Weds-Fri with the other parent WFH FT, and would really appreciate the Thurs-Fri you are not using to send their DC into school, and they KNOW the space is free because you're their mate and said so, and so they require the head to justify their decision not to offer... and times that by however many classes and however many parents...

It's much easier to say all or nothing.

I appreciate from your POV, it is riskier for your DC.
And I appreciate that for EYFS and Reception year, it's probably true that your DC is at an advantage, because of the nature of the curriculum and its delivery.

As you go up the school years, though, it won't be true. The kids in school will be doing the same 'lessons' as the kids at home, for the most part, with just a TA to assist them if they're stuck. It won't be the same as the usual education on offer.

Last time it was childcare only and although work was set for those at school and at home it was minimal. The school asked for them to only go when absolutely necessary and my DC went in one day a week as we could work around the rest. This time, although I only need 2 days they have asked for them to go full time as they have to continue with the curriculum unlike last time, although they haven’t made it mandatory. They have said it’s logistically very hard to keep track of the individual learning if the keyworker children were doing a mixture of home and at school. So mine are going full time and there seems to be about 25/30% of kids in. Last time it was less than 10 children most days and weirdly some people who wanted the schools closed have also put their children in.

I think schools are asking for full time attendance from key worker children so that they can plan a full taught timetable for them without the inconvenience of having children missing from class.

My (private) school isn’t. Our in school kids are getting the exact same online learning as those at home. However, the person responsible for tracking the child’s attendance, progress and wellbeing is different depending on the setting.

It is possible, OP, that the head knows more about how to manage the logistics of simultaneously running in school childcare and remote teaching. You may think “it wouldn’t be much harder to x, y, z” but given that you aren’t the one responsible for organising and implementing it you don’t really know how much harder it would be. And, unfortunately, teacher time is already stretched so even a small amount of extra work could easily push staff over the edge, which would be bad for everyone.

DD's class teacher is doing twice daily while class video calls, setting and marking a full day's work, answering a non stop stream of online questions, telephoning wfh children weekly to check in with them and their parents, plus from next week listening to them read during the weekly check in. All whilst supervising keyworker / vulnerable children in the classroom with the same ta support as in normal times.

All pulled off with no notice.

Fuck me her life's hard enough. If she said keyworkers kids full time or not at all. Fine. I can understand that having a set group of kids in the classroom who are in a routine and so come in and get on with minimum supervision would be much easier to both supervise and prepare for than having to resettle part time kids, so if they said keyworkers kids full time or not at all I'd respect that as schools decision to make and pick.

School have been very tough on who they offer places to and so less than 1/3 of the class are in and they're being flexible. If this changes it will increase DD's risk to be in full time, but that's just the way it is. Their decision to make and mine whether to accept or decline.

Shelvia I can assure you my reception child is being taught a full day of lessons, with games, singing and activities. I know this because of what he has told me, and what the teachers have shared on tapestry.

No squirrels I am not in an area where there are limited places for KW kids, there were three in child's class today so I don't feel this applies.

Chloe of course the head knows more than me about running a school. But I cannot agree with sending a child in to school simply because of logistics, when the government message is stay home, save lives and we are being told not to mix households.

If a child in my child's class develops symptoms on Saturday and I have sent my child unnecessarily to school on Thursday and Friday it is likely the disease will have been transmitted to him. If he stays at home with me, the risk is much much lower.

I am not in an area where there are limited places for KW kids, there were three in child's class today so I don't feel this applies.

Then the opposite problem may apply which is that if there are so few requiring a place, the staffing is more tricky if you have some days when there’s only 1 or 2 children in. Then they can’t provide an EYFS class bubble, perhaps, and need to put the bubbles together with higher year groups. And that’s a new set of issues.

Look, I don’t know. And I totally take your point that it exposes you via your DC to higher risk. But it is what it is. If you need it, take the 5 days. If you don’t, don’t. This situation is far from ideal for anyone and you have to believe that the head is doing their best for the whole school community under difficult circumstances, not just prioritising individuals.

Fgs op, do you not think that your child going to school an extra 2 days a week is literally the least of everyone else’s worries except yours??

It’s the schools policy. You either suck it up, or take unpaid leave, leaving your work stuffed. I don’t get why there has to be so much angst about something you cannot change.

Just get on with it!

That's odd. Our school specifically asked children to go in on the days the parent was working.

Isn't it about bubbles that they need to make as secure as possible? So having children come in and out is not ideal.
But they only go home, like they do at the end of the day anyway. I don't get that.

I have been offered mix and match as my days out of the house aren't set. They are in every day this week while I condense my diary for the next few weeks, then hopefully they will just do 3 days and I will get all my site visits done on those three days. However, I do on call as well and the head has said if I have them home with me and get a call I can drop them at school before I go. The only stipulation is once they are in, they stay until the end of the day.

I think if I was in your position, I would count my lucky stars. Think about all the other parents who has no choice. At least you are given a choice. And I agree with pp, that they have better things to do than trying to accommodate every individual parent's needs.

I've had an email from school asking parents to only send their dcs in on the days they work, mine are going to go in on the 2 days that I work and stay at home for the other days, makes much more sense to me than all or nothing

Most schools are limiting spaces so if you don't use the full time offer you are denying another child. I think the schools are right to take this stance, they can't piss ass around trying to teach and provide online as well as trying to sort part time places.

I think the point is that you are filling a place. Maybe there are very few places left and they don't want people taking place they don't really need by just sending them the odd day. We did last time have people who really pissed about wanting kids in for a few hours etc who also did not bother with school work the days their kids were home. Ask them why.

I think the fact that your DC is is Reception year might also be influencing you a little, OP. As your DC get older, and you experience more of school, and all the complexities of things as they move through the year groups, and the changing requirements of curriculums and expectations, you tend to gain more compassion for the head and leadership team. If it's a good school, of course. So you question things less. I've had 2 through 2 different primary schools, and each time Reception is the year with the most parents worrying and questioning and 'suggesting' - it's absolutely to be expected. Perhaps we just get conditioned and institutionalised! Whatever, it's almost never worth a fight unless it's absolutely critical. Take the 5 days, or don't.

Ostryga blimey, I'm not expecting anyone else to worry about it. I feel passionate about reducing the spread of this disease. I have lost two family members and one friend was critically ill for weeks. My children's father works with the elderly. So of course I worry because my actions, my decision about how many school days my child attends could mean life or death for someone else. The government message is clear and yet the reason my child's school gave me for going against this message does not make sense to me.

It doesn’t need to make sense to you. That is what’s happening. So either you take up the place or don’t. Moaning about it isn’t going to change a thing.

Oh if only life were that simple. I can't accept something that's wrong, or be selfish enough to be thankful and sod everyone else...and my role is too important to just leave I have people relying on me for mental health reasons, the service can't run without me. I think my child will be too sick for school tomorrow.

Thanks to those that were helpful, and my solidarity to those of you in the same boat with the same concerns as me.

I guess the other option if you don't like the policy of your childrens school is to move your children to another school whose policies you're happy with.