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Original poster

If you didn’t send your kids to school in the summer term but are sending them now, please explain why?

92 replies

Bvop · 09/01/2021 17:02

There was a tiny handful of dc at the primary school during lockdown one, some days just one child. Now almost half the school are there. I haven’t been able to make sense of it from the other mn threads where there are lots of people explaining why they need places. I get that people need places but don’t see why the numbers have shifted so much. This isn’t meant to be goady btw: I’m curious, and understand that people really need the provision schools offer.

OP posts:
Sorryusernamealreadyexists · 09/01/2021 17:44

Both critical workers but last time I was furloughed, this time we will likely take a place. Eldest is SEN and was contacted twice in 6 months from school so I won’t allow that to happen again.

KipperTheFrog · 09/01/2021 17:45

DD1 had a key order place last time, but DH was furloughed so we kept her home.
This time DH is not furloughed, and has no chance of being furloughed due to him now being a manager. He’s in transport so fits in the broad definition of ‘critical worker’ allowed a space, last time his workplace furloughed all but managers. I’m a nurse so definitely a key worker!

Wontdothisagain · 09/01/2021 17:45

I was wfh during the Summer term, my work circumstances have changed and I'm no longer able to wfh.

A few others on my dcs school I can think of are a nursery worker who was furloughed last time, a supermarket worker whose dh was furloughed but now isn't.

BikeRunSki · 09/01/2021 17:47

Because I work on nationally critical infrastructure schemes. I’m employed by a national government body and classified as an essential worker by them. In the spring most of my schemes were at tender stage, tender appraisal and contracts and preconstruction information could be done from home. Now all my schemes are on site. Our work activities are also very seasonal and very reactive, far more significantly so in the winter. (Flood risk management).

lockdownconfused · 09/01/2021 17:48

Last time around I left my oldest child looking after my younger 2 he is 16 and didn't have any school work to do, I cut my hours in work by half so was only working 5 hours a day to reduce the time he had to watch them and so I could do home learning with them when I got in. He is in college now and has live lessons and work to do, would be wholly unfair to him to expect him to look after his younger siblings and try to do this. Also last time round the keyworker hub was in a different school to the one they attend normally. This time it is in their own school and I have applied for a place and sent them in. I am still working reduced hours and will continue to do so until things go back to normal. As a single parent I have to work and my work can not be done from home. So while I can utilise a school place I will.

AdelaideK · 09/01/2021 17:49

Work want me in the office and they didn't last time.

cadburyegg · 09/01/2021 17:49

Last time my husband and I were still together. We were both wfh (him as a key worker, me not) but as we could juggle things and split the day between us with homeschooling / childcare we didn’t take up the place we could have.

Circumstances are different this time round, my husband and I separated about 6 weeks ago and even though I’m still wfh my workload has essentially doubled. My role is a key worker role now. Kids dad is in a key worker role that he can’t do from home now.

If my children were older they’d probably be fine at home with minimal supervision but they are 5 and 2

Starlightstarbright1 · 09/01/2021 17:51

why don't you just read the 50 other threads on the subject ?

bluechameleon · 09/01/2021 17:52

Last time my head teacher allowed everyone to work from home if they wanted and we were not teaching live lessons, nor were we providing a full timetable of activities. This time we have been told we have to use key worker places for our children and we are expected to be in work at least some of the week. I have managed to juggle things with DH (also key worker) so that DS1 only needs to attend 1 day a week. I'd rather not send him at all but needs must.

HermioneWeasley · 09/01/2021 17:53

We have to justify ourselves to you why?

QforCucumber · 09/01/2021 17:55

Last time I'd just started maternity leave and ds1 was at nursery. We didn't send him. Now I'm back at work, hes in reception and baby is at a private nursery. I cannot work with a 4 year old and 7 month old needing me all hours of the day, I'm already not getting enough sleep to focus properly as it is. Ds class has 11 attending, but never all at once -max 8 a day.

mnahmnah · 09/01/2021 17:56

I’m a secondary teacher. Last time we set all work for them to do at home, but didn’t do actual online lessons. So DC stayed home with me. This time I have to live teach all my lessons online. I can’t ignore DC all day, leave them to their own devices and not do any school work. I’m not sending them every day, just on my busiest days.

louisejxxx · 09/01/2021 17:57

I was made redundant from a job where I was working from home all the time since the summer, my new job means I need to go into the office once every week so dc’s are going once a week (dp is the key worker)

Didyousaynutella · 09/01/2021 17:59

Last time we had two at nursery one at home. I was out at work ( nhs) and ds was largely ignored by DH as he had to work from home ( conference calls etc). DS was constantly on screens and got addicted. Then on the days I was with him he could not kick the habit and refused to do and work for me. He was year one. This time I have two in school, so double the workload and it’s DHs busiest time of year for his work. He earned about a half as much as he usually does last year. He can’t afford to take time off with them. If they don’t go to school their mental health will suffer again. I am in a frontline role but this time if they cant go in and this goes on for a long time, I will just not go into work, I will take unpaid leave.

lexi873 · 09/01/2021 18:00

I was entitled to a key worker space in the first lockdown but I was fearful of the virus as it was all new back then and I thought staying in school would be the bigger risk.
Also I naively thought I could juggle everything. I had visions of my children enjoying long bike rides and sitting at the table to do work nicely. The reality was endless arguments, fighting, mess and all under each other’s feet. It was awful. So this time my youngest is still in nursery and I have taken up my space for my middle child and my secondary school daughter is working from home in the peace and quiet she needs.

Grapesoda7 · 09/01/2021 18:02

My daughters school rang and offered me a place at school for her (I hadn't applied for one).

I think schools are looking more at who needs support as a vulnerable child this time round after seeing the affect of last lockdown. Some families circumstances have changed.

Original poster
Bvop · 09/01/2021 18:02

@HermioneWeasley Confused replying is optional.

And Flowers to others on the thread for explaining how different things are

OP posts:
Bollss · 09/01/2021 18:03

I didn't have a keyworker job, and now I do.

IcanandIwill · 09/01/2021 18:05

Ive started a new key worker job, I wasn't working last lockdown. DH can't work from home, he is self employed, his business couldn't operate last lockdown and we used up savings. He can operate this lockdown. Circumstances are very different for us this time round. I'm sure we won't be the only people with changed circumstances.

Wontdothisagain · 09/01/2021 18:07

I just get quite touchy over this as my dcs school know I was wfh last time. Up until fairly recently I was wfh and dropping dc off in my loungewear.

I wonder if they have me down as a piss taker. If they asked me I could confirm that dh and I are both working outside the home.

So I hope they don't just make assumptions.

CutCoverTakeThatTest · 09/01/2021 18:08

My children hadn't started at school then and they have now.

I also had a nervous breakdown in July and have now mental health that is fragile.

ThornAmongstRoses · 09/01/2021 18:12

Currently considering whether to send my son in for 2 days a week.

We are both KW.

When schools were closed last time it was fine because DH was furloughed, but this time he isn’t.

StillGardening · 09/01/2021 18:18

Because I work in a school , and whilst I can easily and effectively work from home , I have to be in because it’s “not fair“ on staff who can’t work from home.

I’m pissed off that our SLT can’t be arsed to have difficult conversations and think this is fair. I’ve lost all respect for them. Hope to goodness they’re not complaining about numbers in our school, because they’re guilty of causing unnecessary attendance at other schools.

loz12345 · 09/01/2021 18:21

Last time I stayed at home/ homeschooling my 9 year old while looking after my 2 (now 3 year old) and then working on an evening so in could keep up my normal 30 hour weeks when my husband got home - I am a key worker I can work from home as it is phone based appointments with vulnerable clients and it nearly broke me. As soon as I heard schools were closing I couldn’t stop crying until school confirmed that they could go in. I have tried to reduce the time they are in by halving my hours so they are in 3 days. My children’s mental health also suffered as they got to the point last time where they didn’t want to leave the house.

Christmasfairy2020 · 09/01/2021 18:22

In the summer kids play in garden etc and it was nice and warm and easy to keep kids distracted. Can't now. I'm wfh full time as a key worker. Both in school