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.

Mine aren't in school.

But. The government's had months and months and months to come up with a better solution for working parents than 'do your jobs while homeschooling your kids at the same time', and has come up with... 'do your jobs while homeschooling your kids at the same time, unless your employer agrees to furlough you.' Which many employers won't or can't.

Fewer people are furloughed than last time round, fewer employers are willing or able to be flexible than last time round, and people are fully aware of what the last stretch of this did to them and their kids.

You can't surely be surprised that if there's a way to get children into school, many people are going to take it?

It's like self-isolation. We can't say 'everyone must isolate with symptoms or if they're a close contact!' and then expect them to cope on SSP or universal credit, and then just flap and tut about it when many of them go to work. If government want lots of people to all do the same thing, it has to at least investigate ways to not make it hellishly hard for them to do it.

Many people are using schools because they get the kids out of their hair for the day. I was horrified to find one multi-millionaire acqaintance who owns a chain of restaurants (so somehow a key worker I suppose) has sent all his children to school even though he is wfh and his wife is a sahm (and they could certainly afford to get more help in - on top of the cleaner, ironing lady and cook who are still coming to them).

Two months ago I was on benefits. I'm not now.

I must admit I'm loving Schrodingers benefit claimant - getting the moon on a stick when other posters reckon you can't live on them.

Newsflash - I did. For 11 years. And was called a scrounger for it on these very boards.

@Luckyrabbitfoot but plenty now don't even have the option of wfh.

Some parents are taking the piss. My friends are both definitely key workers but one works 4 days per week and the other works 3 days per week. Their child is in school 5 days a week. At our school you are told only to put your child in on days you’re working (or eg sleeping after a night shift). I asked them why they’re sending him on days they don’t work and they said they have “things to do”.

@unmarkedbythat

What is the point of this petty bullshit?

I'm guessing your child is in school?

@Wontdothisagain sometimes I think some people here are so detached from reality. Someone else told me I should ask a school parent to have DS instead. I can't ask someone I don't know that well to do 5 days a week of free childcare for me! My own family wouldn't do that let alone a school parent.

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

Well that depends doesn't it, if the parent is working then probably not, most people aren't in a position to just not work. If the government tightened the rules then workplaces would likely be more supportive and flexible with staff, but if they have any sort of keyworker link and can access school, it's not surprising many do.

@WinniePig

Hmmmm. My DB is a key worker (works in a hospital) and my DSIL works 3 days a week currently from home. They have two DC, aged 6 and 9. They applied for school places for the 3 days she works. Fortunately, they got them. There is no way DSIL can work with her two DC at home, and no way she can home school them. I feel tremendously sorry for those families with only one key worker who haven’t been offered a place at school. How incredibly stressful for the non key worker to be burdened with their job, childcare and homeschool. They must feel like they are failing in all quarters. Second time round, how many employers are as sympathetic to the plight of working parents???

Key workers aren't the only working parents!

Im broken today. I’m sat here crying and have been since we saw the 2 x timetables for our kid’s next week. Me and DH both work full time.
2 mums in our group don’t work and their DH by some weird loophole are apparently key workers so both their sets of kids, same years as ours are in. Despite the mums sat around at home watching Netflix all day. The sheer audacity of it - still inflicting their kids on the school who as you say OP who are already at breaking point, need to focus on kids with behavioural issues but instead have an influx of children in because their non working parents can’t be arsed. I’m so livid.

[quote Wontdothisagain]@Luckyrabbitfoot but plenty now don't even have the option of wfh.

[/quote]
Then those people need a school place for their primary aged child, of course.

But there are also plenty of people sending them in who ARE working from home but don’t want the inconvenience.

@GoldenOmber

Mine aren't in school.

But. The government's had months and months and months to come up with a better solution for working parents than 'do your jobs while homeschooling your kids at the same time', and has come up with... 'do your jobs while homeschooling your kids at the same time, unless your employer agrees to furlough you.' Which many employers won't or can't.

Fewer people are furloughed than last time round, fewer employers are willing or able to be flexible than last time round, and people are fully aware of what the last stretch of this did to them and their kids.

You can't surely be surprised that if there's a way to get children into school, many people are going to take it?

It's like self-isolation. We can't say 'everyone must isolate with symptoms or if they're a close contact!' and then expect them to cope on SSP or universal credit, and then just flap and tut about it when many of them go to work. If government want lots of people to all do the same thing, it has to at least investigate ways to not make it hellishly hard for them to do it.

This x10

Problem here is that Boris isn't making rules for businesses that choose to stay open regardless so alot of parents have absolutely no choice but to send their kids to school. Builders still out building, as are gardeners, cleaners all not essential but being made to operate. There kids have to go somewhere.

I can’t do any of that. My child is still at home though

So youve left your child at home alone have you? because I have to go out to work- I am a key worker

I honestly think people can't see any further than the end of their own noses so no that poster probably has no idea how others live. And probably doesn't care to find out

Agree. Its pretty easy to tell people to just go on unpaid leave when you have enough money to pay your mortgage/rent/ heating bills/ food etc
isnt it? 🙄

@MimiLaRue

I can’t do any of that. My child is still at home though

So youve left your child at home alone have you? because I have to go out to work- I am a key worker

PEOPLE WHO HAVE TO WORK AWAY FROM HOME ARE NOT THE ISSUE HERE.

I don’t see anyone saying genuine key workers, who cannot do their job otherwise, shouldn’t be using a school space.

Wonder if the OP is planning on coming back 🙄🙄

@Onemorefortheroad

Sorry but hasn't this been done to death now? There are so many posts on this!

For some reason this time round people are being made to feel guilty for using the school provision offered to key workers. What are people supposed to do that need to go to work and have no other options? Surely a better option that using older grandparents that may be at increased risk? Working from home can also be a 'key' job - please let's stop with all the assumptions and judging of other parents. Most of us are doing our best trying to get through this, not looking for free, unnecessary childcare!

Our school has been sending correspondence starting with 'thank you to those who have kept their children at home'. Believe me, I would if I could!

It was the same last time.

My child has a EHCP and has been in both lockdowns. I was treated like scum of the earth on mumsnet back in March.

Why do people keep feeling the need to lecture others - that’s what is going on in your school! If you aren’t happy about it, speak to your union. My sons year group, out of 60, there are 6. 3 of which are vulnerable children (my son included)

I trust our Headteacher. She makes the decisions regarding who can access the school. If she thinks the children will be better off in school, or their parents need to access the school due to their job I trust that.

I am thankful key worker are prepared to risk their children’s health so they can continue to collect my bins, put food out on the shelves for me to buy, nurse my sick relatives if they get sick, pay my wages, ensure I have gas to heat my home. Maybe instead of making them feel like their children are missing out of their education, we should support them?

Honestly if parents are incorrectly sending their children in, that’s on the Government. But remember you can’t possibly know the ins and outs of everyone’s situation. What might be an easy “she is a stay at home parent”, could actually be “her child has a disability she doesn’t advertise and so he needs to be in school”.

@Luckyrabbitfoot but op said about frontline workers. Not everyone working outside the home in essential roles are frontline HCPs. But the work still needs to be done behind the scenes.

[quote Wontdothisagain]@Luckyrabbitfoot but op said about frontline workers. Not everyone working outside the home in essential roles are frontline HCPs. But the work still needs to be done behind the scenes.[/quote]
Exactly this.

@Crazycatlady83 yes quite. We really don't know the ins and outs of people circumstances.

Like with anything you will always get the odd piss taker and rule breakers. But chances are most are genuine whose circumstances are different this time around.

We were both furloughed last lockdown and this time we are classed as key workers and both have to work. Child at school days we both work. But still I feel guilty and uncertain if best thing to send child in. I think perhaps the reason so many more children this time is because more people classed as keyworkers and are actually have to work this time.

And stop bitching about how many days people work - I work 5 days a week now as some of my team are off sick with Covid and some are vaccinating people so wind yer necks in and take your big sticky beaks out of other people’s business.

It isn’t for schools to police parents’ work status. They don’t have the time. Government should just lay down clear rules and say £10,000 fine if you game the system/bend the rules. Appoint someone at the Council to investigate complaints. Plenty of people will stitch others up and some of the game players will withdraw pretty quickly.