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Original poster

School insisting KW children attend full-time

45 replies

Alllohaa · 10/01/2021 19:17

Just wondered how wide-spread this was. My kids' school is insisting that anyone who needs a KW place sends their child full-time whether they actually only need it 1 day a week or whatever. In addition, if you send one of your children, they want you to send them all.

Their logic is that it's the overall number of children in school that is the problem and they've argued that 'whether they're in one day or five, they could be spreading covid between school and the community'.

I know it is probably a nightmare (for consistency of teaching) coordinating children that are in on different days, but imo they've forgotten that the main priority here is minimising unnecessary social contacts. The day a child isn't due in might be the one they become contagious iykwim? Also, they are overrun with kids - it sounds like it's about 40% attendance so it's not like they have loads of spare capacity.

Please tell me if I'm missing something here. I haven't kicked off to school as a) I know they're super stressed right now and b) I now get a day off a week with no kids around! But it feels all kinds of wrong to me.

OP posts:
Dotinthecity · 10/01/2021 19:22

That seems very odd. In our school, networked children are only in on the days their parents are working, so if the parent has a day off, the child stays at home.

Littlebelina · 10/01/2021 19:23

My school is same. Can understand it (must a nightmare to jiggle) but feel really guilty on my day off, although still have dd that day as no nursery so not completely relaxing!

Dotinthecity · 10/01/2021 19:23

Keyworker children.....not networker children.😐

namesnamesnamesnames · 10/01/2021 19:27

What kind of logic is that? Ours go in when it's needed, otherwise they take valuable space.

tiggykate · 10/01/2021 19:29

Our school is the same. Over Lockdown 1 I juggled and managed with just 1 or 2 days a week. I now have to send my son in full time. I believe it’s to do with unauthorised absences - the government changed legislation over Summer. An X in the register is full time only - so part time would mean unauthorised for days not attended. To me this is the elephant in the room. Most key worker parents I know would cope with part time and schools would only be half as full. Obviously it’s more complex for vulnerable children.

MarcelineMissouri · 10/01/2021 19:30

That is how my school started, as the logistics last time were hard and that was with a lot less kids. However, they’ve now told parents they do not need to send them in everyday, although they will need to stick to the same days each week. We have over 200 children in everyday so managing part time attendance is hard enough without throwing weekly changes in!

Thinkingofabigmove · 10/01/2021 19:30

Ours is the same. We would only have needed 1 day week, but they are insisting on all 5 days and a commitment until half term, so we haven’t bothered

Original poster
Alllohaa · 10/01/2021 19:31

Interesting to hear that schools are taking such different stances on this.

namesnamesnamesnames - yeah I don't see the logic either..it makes me very uncomfortable.

OP posts:
Original poster
Alllohaa · 10/01/2021 19:33

Thinkingofabigmove - maybe they hoped this would happen and it would reduce the numbers in? I don't think that has happened...

tiggykate - that's interesting. But how are other schools getting round that then?

OP posts:
EvilEdna1 · 10/01/2021 19:34

The logistics from an admin perspective are a great deal harder if children are not in all week. Also if you have part time children it increases pressure to accept more children to fill days this increasing the bubble and increasing social mixing.

tiggykate · 10/01/2021 19:42

@Alllohaa

Thinkingofabigmove - maybe they hoped this would happen and it would reduce the numbers in? I don't think that has happened...

tiggykate - that's interesting. But how are other schools getting round that then?

I don’t understand it. My friend is SLT at a different school and that’s what she told me.
3JsMa · 10/01/2021 19:42

I think it's perfectly reasonable,the schools was always full time,5 days a week and school wants to maintain that.Was it diffrent pre Covid?

fairydust11 · 10/01/2021 19:42

My children’s school is the same - I’m also a part time teacher & have explained that on my days off I will have the children at home & home school them, but the school have categorically said no. If I don’t send them full time, then they won’t have them on the days I need them when I’m teaching...Yes I agree, it doesn’t feel right to me either...Where I teach we only have kw children on the days the parent/s actually working...

Cheesewiz · 10/01/2021 19:43

I'm in West Sussex and my daughter school has said the same, she was supposed to be going 2 days a week, there reasoning was that the time table would be different and 3 days a head in school so she wouldn't be able to follow it doing a mix of homeschooling and classroom work. I have lost my job this week due to covid so there is no need for her to attend school so will be homeschooling from now on

Original poster
Alllohaa · 10/01/2021 19:46

@3JsMa

I think it's perfectly reasonable,the schools was always full time,5 days a week and school wants to maintain that.Was it diffrent pre Covid?
Wasn't a lot of stuff different pre-covid?

As I said, I haven't complained, I'm just struggling to see the logic in terms of covid, but I do understand how it makes it harder for admin reasons.

OP posts:
Honeybobbin · 10/01/2021 19:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

boatyroo · 10/01/2021 19:48

My children's school lets you just book the days you need, no need to do every day or even the same days each week. There is an online system. Really good as it makes it easier to only send in when absolutely necessary and can do the home learning the rest of the time.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 10/01/2021 19:49

Our school are asking us to send them in full time as they said it was too much of a logistical nightmare otherwise. I work all week so I need DS in full time anyway but I know some people who only need one day.

Hugepeppapigfan · 10/01/2021 19:50

Just phone them in as absent on the days you don’t want them to go. There’s a special register code anyway.

SallyTimms · 10/01/2021 19:51

EvilEdna1 completely agree.

It makes it so difficult to track children who are some days, then not others, some parents had a set pattern.of days they wanted, some varied due to shifts, some couldn't be bothered sending them. In when they were supposed to, some turned up when they weren't expected, it started to be like a drop in centre, and if any child I'dms expected and doesn't turn up that absence has to be chased.. Mtiply that by a large number of children whose parents weren't expecting school to be chasing them so at work not taking calls etc and it's a nightmare.

Plus if you pick and choose a few days then more people try to choose free days the you are multiplying footfall in school and increasing the risk.

Please don't "kick off" as schools have good reasons for doing it and you "kicking off" is neither helpful or productive.

RuggeryBuggery · 10/01/2021 19:51

Mine are doing Monday - Thursday as those are my work days. It was a bit of a pain trying to work out on Friday where they had got to and pick up where they had left off with the learning.
Eg the 5yo for English was supposed to write up some sentences ‘in best’ she’d worked on the previous day but that work was at school.
The teacher has offered to print me off the stuff for Friday and send it home with her on Thursdays which is v kind of her. Can’t help thinking it would probably be easier for her if dd was just in for the 5th day too....
so I wouldn’t mind if the school demanded it but there’s no way I’m asking! Would feel so guilty

Original poster
Alllohaa · 10/01/2021 19:53

Cheesewiz - sorry to hear about your job :(

Honeybobbin - I don't even get that really. What if you have a year 6 who is capable of being basically independent while you do your (key)work at home and one in reception who clearly isn't? If they let you keep the Yr6 at home that's one less bubble at risk.

boatyroo- wow that's amazing. God knows how they sort the admin for that!

OP posts:
TotheletterofthelawTHELETTER · 10/01/2021 19:54

Our school is the same, they have to be in every day even though I only need to be in the office 2 days a week. They’ve said it’s so they can make bubbles with the children that are in and that the bubbles are consistent.

Original poster
Alllohaa · 10/01/2021 19:57

Thanks all, you have made it clearer why it could be a nightmare and although I'm still not convinced it's the best thing for covid, I do understand.

Don't worry, I definitely won't kick off. I'm not that parent - I've never complained to school about anything in the 9 years I've had kids there.

OP posts:
itsgettingweird · 10/01/2021 20:01

Try explaining to the the other way.

Yes it's same contacts.

But your kid is in school Monday. They then don't return until the following Monday.

Kid gets symptoms on Thursday. Because yours hasn't has contact for 48 hours thats 1 less person likely to have contracted it, maybe asymptomatically, and have taken it back into the community.

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