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?

indicates that 14% of the pupil population were attending school on the 14 January. This compares to approximately 3% of the pupil population attending school during the first week of the national lockdown in March. According to the data, 53% of primary schools had more than 20% of their pupils attending while 2% had more than 50% attending. Special schools on average had 29% of pupils attending.

We have now 24% in one and 11% in the other.
Higher number due to more critical worker but smaller school.
One case of covid over both schools, a cleaner.

The school are trying to say it's 48%. But as most kids are in part time, only taking places when absolutely necessary, it's actually 20% on any given day. Which seems about right to me. Primary, many SAHMs.

Almost 50%. Two class intake per year. Each year has one (almost full) class in being taught by the teacher, and one class being taught on zoom by the other teacher (available on zoom almost the full day); both doing the same work.

Small village school in area with much lower rates now than in October/November. Just under 50% are in each day.

Our head has now asked parents to reconsider if they really need the places.

I have relinquished our place. Kids were going in 2 days/wk - DH keyworker out of home, me non kw (initially out of home, now can wfh) It’s going to be a struggle esp with no help from dp & bit worried my employer will react badly to the situation as I’m expected to work normal hours with no flexibility, however I couldn’t justify them staying in school now I can stay at home.

What I do feel cross about though is the sahp who are planning to continue sending theirs in.

Around 50%, and rising. Head 'can't say no because it's against government policy not to let all keyworkers in'.

Class teachers teaching from home, other staff supervising children in school who see the same videoed and live lessons as the children at home.

Masks worn in the corridors but not allowed to be worn by staff in class, because 'it's against government policy'.

If it wasn't for the safety of my colleagues, i would almost be wishing for some bubbles to pop due to cases amongst the children. I think those parents who have blagged places are thinking that they are onto a good thing - easy childcare, they are comfortably wfh and someone else is taking care of their child's home learning.

10-20%

Head is being strict though.

Only TAs in school to surpervise keyworker bubbles - teachers are all working from home so learning isn't disrupted by teachers getting ill.

DD’s reception class has 9 out of 15 in, Ds’s yr1/yr2 class has 10 out of 30 in and that is direct from the teachers. The rest of the school has a lot more in than last lockdown, Ds’s class had 1 child in last time ( one of his best friends who has an ehcp). It’s a small village primary.

Classes are being taught as normal as so many kids are in. (no interactive online teaching for those at home as internet is dire and neither zoom or teams works, ongoing issue here).
Ds is struggling massively emotionally and academically and has been since last year, fell behind last lockdown and just started progressing when this one came into effect.

Half of my class. Most with stay at home mums. Saying that if there is one key worker they can go in. It doesn’t matter that someone is at home. Utterly selfish.

It averages at about 15-20% at our school, some year groups more some considerably less. Most being sensible

cantkeepawayforever

The heads can say no if they choose to. It's govt guidance to accept 1 KW families but it's not law (I don't think) and schools can decide on individual safe limits with the space and staff available to them.

@manicinsomniac

cantkeepawayforever

The heads can say no if they choose to. It's govt guidance to accept 1 KW families but it's not law (I don't think) and schools can decide on individual safe limits with the space and staff available to them.

It is all guidance and not law.

On what basis can Heads say no without challenge?

It's up to individual heads/academy chains/local authorities who they decide to accept.

The government guidance is only one parent needs to be a critical worker BUT children must always stay at home if possible.

On that basis lots of schools are saying if there is a sah parent, a wfh parent or a non-critical parent, children should stay at home.

@StacySoloman

It's up to individual heads/academy chains/local authorities who they decide to accept.

The government guidance is only one parent needs to be a critical worker BUT children must always stay at home if possible.

On that basis lots of schools are saying if there is a sah parent, a wfh parent or a non-critical parent, children should stay at home.

They are still not allowed to actually refuse a place though?

It is guidance, not law.

Just because lots are saying it, doesn’t mean it is “allowed” as such.

“parents and carers should keep their children at home if they can”

This is the exact wording in the guidance.

@waxonwaxoff0 Single parent who swore blindly there was no one, absolutely no one, who could help them with childcare and they would lose their job and starve if schools closed. Yet said child’s father suddenly materialised as a key worker in the 11th hour.

Keep sending your kids in folks - schools will close for EVERYONE in a few weeks. Real key workers will be up shit’s creek because of arseholes.

@UneFoisAuChalet me? My child's father is a key worker and always has been. I wasn't aware that I could request a space as we are divorced, I didn't require one last time due to being furloughed. Turns out I can. I do not have anyone to help with childcare, that's correct.

@Waxonwaxoff0 obviously the father never does any childcare, so DS being at home wouldn't stop him from going out to his keyworker role- he can go anyway.

While you may be within the rules, and I do understand the reasons why you were desperate for a school place, sending your DS in is not really in the spirit of it.

I can see that you really need to take a place, but maybe lay off telling other people that it's 'fair enough' if children with only one key worker parent have to stay at home.

Secondary I work at has ~5% of students in, although not all students are in every day. I think primaries have it a lot worse. Last lockdown I think we probably had half this number in at this stage.

My concerns are:

1)The more children in school, the more likely bubbles are to "burst". This is a real problem for the really vulnerable kids who then end up trapped at home for 10 days, and it can also potentially affect key worker's ability to work.

2. The more children in school, the slower we will be in getting cases down to a manageable level. The new variant seems to spread between primary aged kids as well as older ones. Also, there's more staff in school so more interactions between adults, more parents coming to pick up/drop off, more kids on public transport etc.

My personal feeling is that class sizes should be capped at a level that allows at least 1m social distancing all day. And students should have to wear masks whilst in the classroom.

On average about 25 - 30% as lots are using it for a couple of days a week, rather than the full week.

Oh and it's definitely a risk that schools could close fully due to lack of staff if there's an outbreak among staff. And that really would screw some people!

About 1/3 I think.

We are a 1 keyworker family and are keeping ours home.

@reefedsail what do you mean "obviously?" We share custody, if you look at my previous posts you can see that.

I work out of the home. I cannot do my job from home. Neither can DS's dad, so there is no one at home to look after DS. My role may not be "key" but I cannot pay my bills if I don't go to work. I couldn't care less if sending DS in is not "in the spirit", I care about being able to keep a roof over our heads. How do you suggest I do that otherwise?

When I said it's fair enough, I meant from the school's perspective. I never wanted them to close and I would still like them to be open for all pupils to attend, but I realise that their hands are tied.

I was trying to say that I did understand why you have sent your DS in. You said you have 'nobody' to help you with childcare. I took that to mean that your DS didn't see his dad.

I think maybe you should say 'I would be devastated if the school said I had to keep my DS at home because he only has one keyworker parent, so I really feel for the families at my school who have been denied a place' rather than 'some people in the same circumstances as me have been denied a place by my school and that's fair enough'.

@reefedsail they aren't in the same circumstances as me though. The ones who have been denied a place have a non key worker who can work from home. I cannot work from home. If I could, then I wouldn't be allowed to send DS in. I had to provide school with a letter from my employer stating that I can't perform my role at home.

DS's dad is a train driver so on his days off he can have DS and that is what he is doing, but obviously he cannot have him while he is working and if he's doing a night shift he needs to sleep in the day. If he isn't well rested he could put lives at risk.

I completely understand how shit this is for everyone. As I said, I never wanted schools to close. If I had any option to keep DS home I would.

@StacySoloman

10-20%

Head is being strict though.

Only TAs in school to surpervise keyworker bubbles - teachers are all working from home so learning isn't disrupted by teachers getting ill.

Our school clamped down this time after last summer when too many to get years back. Even more applied this time and it was a no to many.