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 worked at a different secondary last lockdown and didn’t have to go in until April and then it was only once or twice a week so I was able to homeschool the majority of the time, this school wants all support staff in doing their hours as we can’t work from home so school it is for my DS

It’s tough though. If you can’t work then you can’t work. Lives and the economy are more important than education. Anyone who fails to understand that doesn’t realise how serious this pandemic has become.

Yes the economy is important to fund things like the NHS, if everyone just quits work will that end well? Also seen as though at the moment many companies aren't offering furlough etc because they are 'allowed' to open by the government, why should they leave their jobs and struggle for money? Not that many people are that altruistic that they would put that above being able to keep a roof over their families head and food on the table, no matter how much they understand the severity. Perhaps aim your anger and frustration at the government, rather than parents in shitty situations?

Stop stigmatising people using key worker places. I’m in school teaching full time so people can work. My DD will go to her school full time. I’m aware of the risks thanks but this is my job. The benefit DD will get is being with other children as she’s an only child. If you need the place and are eligible then use it.

Sick of these whingey posts. Yes there will be difficult days but please stop judging others and thinking that your experience is the exact same as other key worker bubble across the country. Parents have made their own decisions about what they think is right for their family and they are entitled to a place so please stop guilt tripping people.

@3littlewords

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.

@3littlewords I totally agree with this . I don't want to derail the thread but every other age group is allowed to meet outdoors with one other person outdoors . Under 5's are exempt thank goodness and rightly so . However primary aged children who are at home are not allowed to meet with anyone outside of their household . I'm a nurse I get how bad it is I understand the lockdown . I don't however understand why children of primary age are not exempt for the rule of meeting so done outdoors .

Well, my children will have an advantage by going to school. If they had to stay at home, where DH and I are working more or less 9-5, they would have very little attention. They certainly wouldn't be able to do the 3-4 hours of schoolwork they are expected to do. They are 6 and 8, the work is all online and needs full supervision. The 8yo has ASD and is not independent, so really needs a lot of support. Luckily we are keyworkers so they go in the 3 days a week when both of us are working.

I do appreciate it is hard for all school staff at the moment and the high number of children in increases risk. It is not a good situation.

Yes the economy is important to fund things like the NHS, if everyone just quits work will that end well?
Today they announced the highest number of UK Covid deaths ever and the numbers are still going up. People are failing to grasp how serious this is. They need to stay at home and if that means they can’t work it’s tough.

@Glenorma

Yes the economy is important to fund things like the NHS, if everyone just quits work will that end well? Today they announced the highest number of UK Covid deaths ever and the numbers are still going up. People are failing to grasp how serious this is. They need to stay at home and if that means they can’t work it’s tough.

People grasp it perfectly well. They also grasp what the consequences will be if they lose their jobs.

If you feel very strongly that people should not be working, write to your MP and tell them the government need to close more industries. If they’re allowed to open then they will be expecting their employees to work.

@Wontdothisagain

How do you know for certain that the parents are at home not working anyway?

Indeed.

My daughter has worked school hours every day since her children went to school on Wednesday. She works in a job that she can't do at home. However her children aren't in school to enable her to work, it's because they are classed as vulnerable.

Agree. But if you have two parents who are WFH you can split childcare / homeschooling between you. That’s not an option where one parent is a key worker and unable to work from home. The other parent is stuck having to work/do childcare/homeschool. It’s impossible.

Lots of people are struggling massively but don't have the option of a kw place

Absolutely agree but taking a key worker place I’m entitled to does not take a place away from a non key worker does it? I don’t see the relevance. Everyone is having a shit time.

As for the post about mums being able to do the drop off and pick up, oh FFS. That was me today, like I said my toddler sat on the iPad during the day so I could work. I’m waiting for both my kids to fall asleep right now so I can carry on working.

I bet if it was the dads doing the drop off and pick up in their work uniforms no one would say anything, and they would instead be applauded for “managing to juggle everything”

My sons special school must be strict on their rules of who's allowed to attend compared to your school op 🤔
My partner is a key worker working nights,my son doesn't sleep more than 2 hours a night,I'm his carer and I've got another child at home to homeschool 😫
I've had 10 hours sleep all week I'm knackered and broken but my son isn't vulnerable so can't attend 🤷‍♀️
I will be dead in a month at this rate I still haven't recovered from last year's lockdown 😫

One of the worst things about this whole shitty situation is the way we are all turning on each other.

@WinniePig

Agree. But if you have two parents who are WFH you can split childcare / homeschooling between you. That’s not an option where one parent is a key worker and unable to work from home. The other parent is stuck having to work/do childcare/homeschool. It’s impossible.

Yep. My children’s dad and I did this last lockdown, when we were still together. Both of us wfh, we’d split the day so one of us had 6-7 hours of work time and the other did the homeschooling and looking after toddler. Not an option for me this time.

They need to stay at home and if that means they can’t work it’s tough.

And if that means they lose their home then what, they have to just suck that up?

Last time there was just one key worker child at dd’s primary school. This time it’s 45% of the children. I can’t work out how this can be the case without some parents taking the mickey.

Yup same here. SLT encouraging the most challenging kids in. Emails saying it's our "moral duty" and yet they're invisible all day every day.

My child lost most of their language last time around; became too scared to leave the house at one point; couldn't sleep because of how unhappy they were.

Since then I've also hit the point of having a nervous breakdown - so hell yes at the moment, this kid from a "naice MC home" is incredibly fucking vulnerable and I'm pushing school for as much provision as I can get. I can do the teaching and the language intervention work till the cows come home - but I can't provide the variety of social interaction to really progress where we are in language now, and I'm not taking the risk of the sadness taking over to the point we lose speech again. No fucking way.

OP what's the alternative? 1000's of primary school children left for 7/8/9 hours to their own because parents are at work.
Not many people are on furlough this time round. People still need to eat and have a roof over their heads. Employers need their staff to be working in order to cover costs, mitigate damage or simply stay afloat.
Yes there will be some parents who can easily have their DC at home, but I bet the majority can't.

Thanks for that @OwlWearingGlasses.

I feel guilty enough having to send my children to school, without twits like you declaring that they will get less attention if at school, be more likely to catch covid, and - if they are looked after by people like you - have staff there who resent looking after them at all.

You need to pipe down, do your job to the best of your ability and accept that you are a TA so it is not up to you to the school or trust policy on keyworkers, just do what you are being paid to do and don’t put twatty posts on the internet about it.

*to decide

And if that means they lose their home then what, they have to just suck that up?
The government has to do what’s best for the nation. Not what’s best for individuals. Some individuals will suffer but only a minority, and overall the country as a whole will survive.

@bloodywhitecat

One of the worst things about this whole shitty situation is the way we are all turning on each other.

This! We seem to have lost the ability to see anything from someone else’s point of view. It’s scary

Hmmm I bet they get more than my DS as I didn't take up my keyworker place as I can work from home. I work on an inbound call line so he got my lunch hour and the rest of the day he was alone with only Alexa or the internet if he was stuck.

@Glenorma

Yes the economy is important to fund things like the NHS, if everyone just quits work will that end well? Today they announced the highest number of UK Covid deaths ever and the numbers are still going up. People are failing to grasp how serious this is. They need to stay at home and if that means they can’t work it’s tough.

Are you for real ? What lose jobs which means no money for nhs !!! Sorry I am not losing my job and then lose my house ..., honestly some people talk shit