If parents think that their children will get some kind of advantage by being in school, think again.

[OwlWearingGlasses]

I am a TA.
I am supervising 20 vulnerable and key worker children children in class (KS2 and spread across Yr 3, 4, 5 & 6).
They are doing exactly the same online work as the children at home.
Many of the children in school have challenges, I spend most of the day managing behaviour.
Children working at home have a MUCH better chance of getting individual attention.
Children working at home also have much less chance of getting COVID.
I would have much less chance of getting COVID if more children worked at home.

This post is not aimed at vulnerable children or those with 2 frontline parents. I am very happy to be supervising those.

This post is aimed at the (many) parents getting their children in on very tenuous links to a key worker space, quite a few with a parent at home who is not working (I am not kidding).

Sorry I needed to rant. I have had a very difficult day and it will be worse next week as I have another 4 in class next week.

It really is not an advantage to have your children in school. Please keep them at home unless there is no other choice.

I'd love to be able to keep DS at home but his dad is a critical worker and I can't do my job from home. Nothing I can do about that if I want to keep paying the bills.

Christ, how much is this going to be talked about?!?!

I’m sending my children in as last time my 10 year old walked in on a video call that I was having talking about sexual abuse.

I’m not doing that to my child again.

I can’t do my job with kids at home. My husband can’t do his job.

My kids get shit teaching from us.

I’m no longer sacrificing them.

Ktp100 I’m repeating myself but I’m referring to the children whoCANNOT function or access education at home, mainly SEN.

@Wontdothisagain

*Karma will see their kids bring it home to the parents, nurseries the same, should have been closed. Education and childcare are the reasons for the spread, but childcare and economy blah, blah, blah.*

Really? That's nice isn't it.

And yet McDonald's is open, Greggs is open, Burger King, KFC. I know plenty of people working in warehouses and factories for non essential items in crowded conditions. These never even get a mention.

Yep, that's me. The non keyworkers who can't work from home but people forget we exist as they think everyone who isn't a keyworker can just work at home.

Oh forgoodness sake. I'm an a keyworker, my husband is a keyworker. I work in safeguarding, him the NHS. We're not on covid wards or answering 999 calls BUT we are in critical roles supporting these services and families. Yes we work from home BUT were working over 10-13 hour days at the moment because of the pressure being put on our services. My dc has gone to school because firstly she has a place, secondly we cannot do our jobs at home with her and she will be exposed to police records, CCTV footage and conversations of a nature most adults would find disturbing.

Should I have to justify her place. No I should not. People have no idea what I do for a living because it's not something I broadcast.

I have been questioned and made to feel guilty about the school place she has. She IS better in school for welfare and education reasons.

@Wontdothisagain

Why do people keep posting about this?

Don't people realise that parents have to earn a living?

I've got a child in as a key worker this time. Didn't last time because I was working at home, don't have that option this time. I'm not 'frontline' but I'm doing an essential service (think nhs admin). Dh isn't frontline either but it working outside the home in an essential job, but probably not one that any of you would be familiar with.

They are going on about it because the spread won't stop until the contact between people is reduced. Many parents are quite frankly taking the mick. I work at a primary and the alleged key worker kids has risen to 65% of the school numbers!

Op i agree they should be kept home but

It is better in school
-friends my dc is reception and lost friends at preschool due to not going back. after 14w they are still settling making friends and those can last. She was already being excludedg
-_having 2 dc with loads of videos printing yourself on the day actually feels quite pressurised. the syste m goes down.

• We aren t even getting given answers

I wonder if ones in school are getting reading books. As we are not at home nor online access. As im concerned reading other online books wont count and we'll have to read them all whenever we go back which isnt ok.
The kids in at our dc are not the difficult ones. I
If schools do let say 80% in then effectively it's like an illegal exclusion for the others as their education will certainly suffer.

Our main issue is the distraction (tv and other dc).

I get it I really do, we don't want schools too busy.

However I have just started working for the NHS in the Covid Vaccination Clinics and really struggled to get one of my DC a school place.

I absolutely cannot WFH. I have to be in the clinics.

I was at home last time as I say working is still incredibly new and I'm a LP so really needed the place. But I had to get SS to intervene to get it.

I think the op is getting a hard time.
I think it is clear, some parents/ carers are taking the piss.
It is like the virus not important anymore to some...

Oh and both my kids have their class teachers. Not TAs.

In fact one of them have half the class and a ta.

Children working at home have a MUCH better chance of getting individual attention. How, if parents are at work?

What would you normally be doing in school. Aren't you just describing your job, that you are paid for?

They are going on about it because the spread won't stop until the contact between people is reduced. Many parents are quite frankly taking the mick.
I work at a primary and the alleged key worker kids has risen to 65% of the school numbers!

Why do you say alleged? I keep asking this on threads but no one has the answer. Do you think that the only essential roles are nurses?

@Wontdothisagain

Why do people keep posting about this?

Don't people realise that parents have to earn a living?

I've got a child in as a key worker this time. Didn't last time because I was working at home, don't have that option this time. I'm not 'frontline' but I'm doing an essential service (think nhs admin). Dh isn't frontline either but it working outside the home in an essential job, but probably not one that any of you would be familiar with.

That's what I was thinking when the OP said Children working at home have a MUCH better chance of getting individual attention.

Of course they don't if their parents are working.

The only benefit I can see those in school have is they have some normality, some structure, some socialisation, those things are very important to children especially younger ones. I think it would be easier to home school if the children had some form of escape or some peer interaction. My 5yo whole would now exists in the same 4 walls, there's no separation for home and school life. Its getting dark as they finish the school day so there's even limited time for them to be outside getting fresh air, even if it is another walk in the same woods with Mum. This lockdown is going to be so much harder on the children than April but I feel no one cares about that at all.

@OwlWearingGlasses
I agree with you completely.

OP, "Children working at home have a MUCH better chance of getting individual attention".

Absolutely disagree. I have 3 primary kids at home and both parents are WFH full-time. I agree that people who do not qualify should not be finding loopholes and getting places, but I can assure you the above statement is certainly not the case in my home.

I'm interested to see how many children are at DD's school next week. This week they had over 100 still ending, around 50%. They've asked that from next week people only send their children if they really have no other option, otherwise they'll have to start insisting that both parents are key workers and checking peoples working days with their employers. I know of a few just in DD's class who definitely had a parent at home (and don't have SEN etc)

The idea was to make schools safer, so the less children attending the better.

Oh and just so I don’t look like a complete cow, my kids are going in only 3 days W a week. Homeschooling 3 days, while also juggling work. Getting up and at my desk for 6 to do my work and will work tomorrow. Bloody knackered.

My daughter had 3 other kids in her class today, you might be a TA but you don't know everything about parents life. You also don't know how miserable kids are at home and lonely. We have multiple issues impacting on our families decision to send our two kids to school this time, we have discussed them with the school and they are supportive and not trying to turn us away. As if parents don't have enough guilt, thanks for piling it on...

@itsgoodtobehome

What would you normally be doing in school. Aren't you just describing your job, that you are paid for?

Normal?!?! These are not normal times.

Thank you to all the TAs out there (and teachers) going into schools to care for the KW/V kids. You are all amazing x

I am a University teacher. I have put my children in because as a single mum I have to work. The university is making substantial cuts this year and if I don't get decent student feedback I'll be cut and the kids won't have a roof over their head.

I am not doing it to gain any advantage. I am doing it to survive.

Depends on set up

As long as it isn’t that ridiculous live streaming where teachers attend class first

And all students are accessing same remote provision even in class

@GypsyLee

Karma will see their kids bring it home to the parents, nurseries the same, should have been closed. Education and childcare are the reasons for the spread, but childcare and economy blah, blah, blah.

Ridiculous

Don't people realise that parents have to earn a living?
If every child who has parents in employment went to school they might as well not bother closing them, because that’s about 90% of children. Kids need to stay at home and parents have to work around it with furlough, flexi time, reduced hours, unpaid leave, family childcare, or whatever else they can organise. These are exceptional circumstances and the school is unable to babysit kids so parents can work. Do people really not realise that?!