Don't expect your school to educate those attending

[bjjgirl]

I am a keyworker as is my ex, we have 2 dds one in primary and one in secondary.

The secondary school is amazing and she is getting full lessons. Dd2 is at primary school where we have been told not to expect education but just childcare. they don't have enough electronic devices for the children to view the lessons on line. The teachers are at home streaming their lessons so the children have to view it on line only.

I can't believe it, that as a key worker, risking my health to keep others safe, my child is at a disadvantage due to having to attend school.

I am very close to taking annual leave so that I can home school but we are already chronically understaffed

I offered to send her in with an iPad but apparently she won't be able to access their WiFi.

Surely there must be an answer

I offered to send her in with an iPad but apparently she won't be able to access their WiFi.

The answer there is for them to enable her to access their wifi, I suppose.

You do realise that school staff are risking themselves in order to provide you with childcare.

The answer has long passed. The government promised enough tablets and laptops to ensure everyone had access, these were promised for September and have never materialised.

You can't have children logging into the school network on their own devices, it's not secure or manageable I'm afraid.

Can you print out the relevant worksheets for your child so they can be getting on with them at school?

The answer is to give those in school the work on another format.
The 'live streaming' only benefits those who can access it. Not the siblings sharing devices, those with limited internet, those having to work around parents jobs, or in your case, those in school.

Mines in school in year 3 having a full lessons with timetable with a class teacher?

Why can’t she access the WiFi there?

At our school the classrooms all have a large screen and the online lessons (mostly pre recorded but some live) are screened for the children in class. They are fairly used to that as they had a couple of teachers who were self isolating in the winter term and carried in teaching from home.
There is a rota for teachers and TAs so that someone is in the classroom with the children.
From what I understand it’s working well (our DC are at home)

Our school has one teacher per year group on site teaching the key worker kids and the rest of the teachers at home teaching the children online. That way all the children are getting an education.

This isn't the same for everyone though. Everyone is getting a very mixed bag.
Our primary seems to really have it together for home and in school learning however secondary is literally offering a space for children to attend and work in and complete what's offered at home.
Seems unfair to tar all schools, unfortunately you have a short straw.

They are socialising (albeit distantly) with other children and adults not in their family. For primary DD, depending on how young she is going to school is a huge advangtage.

I'm sorry for you, this seems very tough. The kids in my DD's primary are being kept in their class bubbles with a TA or other approved learning mentor (eg the head teacher or the school secretary) so that when school goes back, they can easily rejoin the class bubble. This means just 2 kids in my DD's classroom. The TA is helping them with the work the teacher has set and is ensuring they join the online sessions which are now 4 times a day. I think that is amazing and I'm very impressed with my DD's school, but I can see how other schools may find this hard to do.

Why don’t they have any teachers in school?

My child is at home but half of her class are in school being taught by their teacher and doing the exact same work my child is doing at home

There's much variation.

Some of our primaries here seem to be delivering lessons, with children interacting in pairs, while children at home, with their parents busy working, maybe alone in their room for hours, while schools tweet about having so much fun at school with images of children playing !

Nobody should be disadvantaged in an ideal world. It is divisive and schools are doing their very best.

In your case, I would ask about WiFi again.

My child hasn’t seen another child in person since the last day of term before Xmas unfortunately. Being in school is a definite advantage in some respects!

@IceCreamAndCandyfloss

You do realise that school staff are risking themselves in order to provide you with childcare.

You do realise both parents are risking their lives too as key workers.

My DC are at school and are being taught, there are only 6 and 9 pupils in each class so teachers are in same risk as shopping it most people at work, in an office etc

Mine went in today. Her teacher was on rota today so she said it was just a normal day but with the online kids on the white board. Her teacher isn't in tomorrow but they are all logging on via iPads so they all get the same content.

@Waxonwaxoff0

Our school has one teacher per year group on site teaching the key worker kids and the rest of the teachers at home teaching the children online. That way all the children are getting an education.

Primary or secondary?

Because in primary, one teacher per year group is all there is, so I’m not sure where “the rest of the teachers” would come from!

OP, every school is organising differently. Some posters have started the absolute opposite thread saying the kids in school are getting live teaching and the ones at home only worksheets.

What school does need to do is make sure the children are all getting access to the same learning opportunities, whether in school or at home. So if they don’t have enough devices they’ll need to provide paper workbooks and resources etc.

Don’t forget loads of children at home won’t be able to access full on live teaching all day long either.

My dc are having lessons but no more than the home schooled dc (which makes sense to me). They watch the staff videos etc in school like the dc would at home but they’re on a level playing field at least. Your school plan seems unfair especially as some of those dc will be vulnerable and should have lessons!

Dfe spent £100M on laptops at start of lockdown #1. So many that there were barely any left to purchase and suppliers can't get hold of them. Nobody knows what has happened to the bloody things.

Because in primary, one teacher per year group is all there is, so I’m not sure where “the rest of the teachers” would come from!

Well I'm guessing that, like many schools, there is a 2+ form entry. Unless you are proposing one teacher to 60 children.

I actually don't want the secondary to give full lessons for DS, I just need him in school to engage with his school work because one does not do school work at home.

Well, my youngest claims he's "doing maths" and "bored" and school "is not fun like last time" (in the last pandemic year 1s and 2s just played!) My eldest seems to be having fun (and he normally hates school saying it's boring) so I'm not convinced theres much learning going on! Though I think they r doing a bit.

To be honest, I couldn't give a monkeys whether they r learning anything or not! I am just so so so so grateful that the teachers are in and the school is open and they've got a place (DH and I both key workers).

Thank you schools

I am aware how lucky we are to have the social interaction, I don't blame the teachers but it seems an organisational problem.

Dd1's school a secondary is fantastic, such a contrast really.

I am aware the teachers are risking their health as they remind us daily, but so am I and all the other key workers.

What also grates me is the teachers claiming there isn't enough devices/ space etc but then bringing their own children in with them.

Sorry I meant last lockdown! (In march/April) Not last pandemic!!

I think you need to contact the head teacher. The children we have in school are receiving the same as those who are online so pre recorded videos and are completing the work set.

They are supervised by a mix of support staff and teachers depending on the year group. If a child is stuck, of course the member of staff would help them, just as I am sure parents or carers will support their child at home.