What percentage of your school are in?

[FlatteredRhubardFool]

Ours is 40% and that's with one year group isolating. HT is asking parents to review their child's need for a place. I feel worried for the teaching staff who only have face shields. They look so vulnerable on the teams meetings and has really brought home to me how little teaching staff are valued by some. Classes are being run by a TA and the teacher is in another room doing the online lesson. School have clearly said that there is no guarantee of a teacher or a TA being in the classroom all the time and were very polite but firm in asking that children only be sent in if absolutely necessary.
Are schools' hands tied because of the government? Do the rules need to be stricter and/or clearer? What's the answer?

2% - secondary.
Very tightly guarded numbers by invitation only.

Two of the schools near me are 75% and 60%. This time is different to last time as in the primaries round here childre are actually being taught . So you can see why parents are trting to blag a space as for any child you can argue its better in than out.

The secondarys are just providing a space to access online work so far less take up.

One village school I know of (75% one) isnt doing separate provision for those at home and just expecting them to zoom into watch all their friends having a lesson which seems so unfair.

Ours is bigger school so we have proper videos made by the teacher for each lesson explaining the topic and introducing the task. Its really good. But its made me realise how much deconstructung sentences and analysing bits of paragraphs yr 4 do. I much prefered it in my day when we made models and write creative stories or poems for the wall...

My friend has 21 out of 30 of her class in. It’s madness.

The headteacher of my children's school sent a strongly worded letter to parents asking them not to play the system, asking for places they weren't entitled to, as they were putting staff at risk by doing so. I thought that was pretty brave for a private school headteacher to say that. I think about 30% of the school are in, but it would have been significantly more if he hadn't sent the letter.

I work in a state school and we have 15% children in who genuinely need to be there. One class has half the class in.

I think people realise the reality of how tough the first lockdown was and are desperate not to go through that again, forgetting that it's putting adults at significant risk by sending their children in. In the schools around me, it is mainly the TA's who are working face to face with children. They are amazing.

The primary was at 50% but school has begged parents to reconsider and are down to 22% in years that are open (other 4 years closed due to positive cases).

Secondary has 3.5% in and no cases. Every pupil tested 3 times already.

My school has 50% in. It's crazy too many are in.. TAs are in class, teachers are at home delivering lessons. 3 bubbles burst in the first week. Mine has multiple positives staff and children. We will be back next week after self isolating and nothing will have changed. My HT has pleaded lots of times for parents to keep their children home when/if they can. Don't get me wrong alot have every right to be in but quite a significant amount are abusing the criteria. It's beyond selfish!!!!!!

My school is 10%. DS's school is around 20%.

Small primary, 75% of children in, all staff (apart from CEV) in as usual as we’ve so many. Absolutely ridiculous amount ☹️

Our Head sent a letter out last week asking that parents only send if absolutely necessary as she was concerned about high numbers, only 2 parents took her advice and have said they won’t have the places they had.

We have around 20% though not all come in every day. All staff are in, either working with the key worker/ vulnerable children or live teaching the children at home or both.

One village school I know of (75% one) isnt doing separate provision for those at home and just expecting them to zoom into watch all their friends having a lesson which seems so unfair

It is completely unfair. However, it will soon be the only way to manage a situation in lots of schools where most of a class is in, the teacher is in full time and there is no one to provide online learning.

The MAT that runs ds school says 15% on average across its schools (think DS's school is slightly higher so presumably some others lower). That's primary. Speaking to others at work that seems average or even a little higher than most of their children's schools which are below 15%. Family members school has 4 kids in total (again primary)

32% in the school overall (primary). Our head says her hands are tied and dfe guidance is quite clear she cannot refuse anyone a place. It also says it's not about reducing numbers at individual institutions, only overall - so if one unlucky school has 90% kw children then they have to take them. They ask that you try to keep your child at home if you can, but there is nothing to say you have to. We certainly know of cases where there is a stay-at-home parent (not wfh) but because the other parent is a kw, the child is in school.

We've amalgamated classes in KS2, so there are 15-20 children in the classroom. This is so teachers can work from home doing the online stuff while TAs are in supervising the children.

It's not safe.

@Timeturnerplease its tricky though isnt it. I think in their case its circular. More are going to send in if its an option of beimg taught or watching your friends beign taught and knowing they're playing etc.

Locally they all have classes with teachers so you can see how people are preferring that option after last time. Especially as the govt has pretty much encouraged sending them in.

I don't know the answer. But 75% in os madness.

So what is an “acceptable” percentage of in School attendance level?

What if some arbitrary cut off then excludes those eligible for a place?

50% special school. All children are entitled to go in but some parents are choosing to keep their child at home and a few are shielding.

Ds is at asd special school and all are allowed to be in and nearly all are in. Small classes max 12 people including staff and staff all wear masks.

All children at school are considered vulnerable.

I wonder if there is a correlation between how good the support from the school was during lockdown 1 and the schools that have a high percentage of people choosing to use their space this time? Schools that supported well in lockdown 1 probably only have those who really need to be in whereas schools that didn't do much first time around have seen parents desperate to send their children in to avoid another repeat

I only know of my DS's class (Reception) - out of the 13 in his class 8 are going in at least one day a week. So over 60%. My DS is not one of them and whilst I'm glad he's home as I'm CEV, I'm devastated for him that he's missing out on the routine and socialisation and concerned about 'reintegration' when they are eventually allowed back as so many of them have had at least some continuity.

We have about 10% (secondary) - the idea of closing schools was to reduce overall spread, so as long as the numbers in schools overall are significantly down, it isn't really important whether some schools have more in - it is more about the difficulties for teachers of managing children in school as well as at home. Cases are falling nationally so the reduction of numbers in schools would appear to be sufficient.

I think it depends so much on the local area.

Some schools will be closer to large employers of key workers.

Others will have an intake with a higher level of depravity and so could have more vulnerable children.

Take a school that’s close to a big hospital and/or food distribution warehouse in deprived area and you can easily see how they could have more than half their intake qualify for a place.

We are at independent school and now a class of 15 as 3 have joined since January (probably to access the better provision) and there are about 1/3 in. However the school is running online live timetable so still teaching as a single class with some kids having the backdrop of school on their zoom and some home . They have done a great job of creating an inclusive , undivided structure . The old state primary we were at for infants has very high numbers in abs is telling parents at home they haven’t got time to do the online provision for the 50% at home which is dreadful .

I think ours is about 46%. It is high and school are asking people to reconsider if they really need the places. They're also moving to part time, initially the keyworker places were full time or nothing. I think a big problem is that employers are much less sympathetic this time round too. My role is one of those deemed "critical" (justice system) - a large portion of it can be done from home although certain parts can't. My employers have made it very clear that we should use keyworker places where we have been offered them and there will be consequences if we relinquish those places voluntarily.

10-15% in at ours, although it does vary by age. Roughly speaking, I think the EYFS and KS1 classes are probably at more like 25-30%, KS2 about 10% and the KS3 class is more like 5%.

It really annoys me that so many schools have got 50% plus. Not because I think the children shouldn't be in, I want all my classes in. We have a full, live, online timetable but it's still no substitute for school. But those schools with 50% or more are going to keep schools with 10-20% at home for longer which is really unfair.