No time to homeschool much but 70% of DC's class is in school. Worried about DC falling totally behind....

[Angelfishfan]

that's if really. I don't wanna discuss if we agree or not with the government. But my 10 year old who is needs a lot of help (no Sen though) can only do so and so much alone. Due to work (WFH but extremely busy, zoom calls frequently etc) and caring responsibilities (another child with complex needs, though luckily in school 9-3), I just cannot spend much time with my supposedly home schooled child.

I was much less stressed during lockdown #1 as it was the same for almost all of the kids in the class but currently 70% are in and are receiving lessons. Most of the others at home have a Sahp and get much more help. It means a huge gap will open up by Easter or even May for DC.

Not sure what I am asking but I am very stressed and worry, that DC will fall completely behind. How do other parents deal with this. School will just send some weekly work packs home but it doesn't work well die DC and we get some stuff online but it's all very basic.

Does anyone of any online tutors and is the financial help available? It not fair that 3/4 receive an education in school and a minority are left without for months and months. Just trying to figure something out so DC gets a regular education if this is gonna go on for a few more months.

And no, furlough refused and no other family support.

ETA that as well as being high earner my DP is self employed so if he doesn't work he doesn't earn!! He can take some time off if we get desperate but he cannot share the burden so to speak.

I am so sorry that you are going through this.

I would buy school books for maths (mental arithmetic and books that covers the relevant year curriculum) and English (comprehension, grammar and vocabulary). I would also find 4 books to be read as independent reading.

Then you set school work in English and maths every day. The books will help you to explain and will include answers so you can correct them. Set about 2 hours worth of that per day and include one hour “independent reading” in the book you set. Then give bribes in form of screen time for when the work is done.

Hopefully that will take you 30min-60 min in explaining in the morning and 30-60min in the evening to go through the answers. Your DC will get more English and Maths than the children in school and hopefully you will have time in the middle of the day to do your work.

@MothExterminator yeah but if theres a chamce the school can step up op should take it or at least ask, it could be spmething as basic as they havnt quite got it sorted yet as its only week 3...

Can you get your child to watch lessons on bbc and you tube for fractions? Find some maths games on the iPad etc?

It’s not right or fair op. Similar for my two DC’s half of their classes are in. There is no zoom or teams as the internet is so dire in our village it won’t work so it’s an uploaded video of a story or a 30 second recording of their teacher telling them their topic. It’s links to various stuff with worksheets. Those in class are receiving lessons as they were prior to lockdown with the teacher and ta, DD’s class has 8 out of 15 in, Ds’s has 7 of his yr1 in out of 15. My two are not in school and getting me and DH with a toddler and a preschooler to help whilst studying &working. My yr1 was already behind and struggling and suspected dyslexia and I dread to think how far behind he will be if this goes on until Easter or May. It’s shite and thoroughly unfair. It feels like some kids have been cut loose and no one gives a damn about their education.

also sounds basic but is your 10yo in the same room as you? i was in the kitchen on my own last time and he didnt do much. hes in with me now which makes for risky client calls but hey he has to learn what work is about at some point! i going to put a mirrpr behind him tomorrow so i can see when he's on Minecraft.

Stove, no. different rooms. I do a lot of teaching/training via zoom and really need the room to myself. I really must focus on the training I am delivering. It's nothing where I can supervise any home schooling in the background. Too distracting for me.

But I suppose the teachers have to focus on the 7/10 kids who are in class. Just like you have to focus on the training you are delivering.
Maybe better to decide exactly what you want to change. You haven’t said exactly what support your child needs to access WFH.

@Angelfishfan it's a complete pita having him in with me but somethings gotta give, ive decided it's work this time. it's mortifying to say "i am so sorry i'm home educating so you will have to bear with me" but its the truth.

so you all have teacher contact? shock

DC had a 2 week isolation stunt just before Xmas. We therefore have not spoken to the teacher at all since. Just the TA twice. Teacher will just prepare work sheets.

did not realise our school was so unusual. Will defo raise it. glad I have posted. I thought we got the 'standard' package but obviously not

No, you definitely don't. There is definitely something wrong with the way your child's school has things organised. The guidance was clear - all children must have the option to engage with live or pre recorded lessons and the provision for children in school and out of school should be broadly similar.

It;s quite easy for us because we only have 15% of the children in school at the most. So all our teaching is live online and the children in school use the computer rooms (KS2 and 3) or have the lessons shown on the whiteboard (EYFS and KS1) then get support from gap year students and teachers without live timetable commitments to complete the work.

For schools with a high percentage of children in there seems to be 2 main ways of coping (this is all anecdotal from teachers I know):
Either -
The teacher teaches online to all the children and the children in school are supervised and supported by TAs. Children either bring their own devices or lessons are played on the board depending on whether the school has chosen live lessons or pre recorded.
Or -
The teacher teaches from their classroom to the children in school and those at home join the lesson remotely via Teams or Zoom.

Teaching those in school fully and those at home not at all is unacceptable. No wonder the school has 70% of children in!

I really recommend you get your DS to give the Oak Academy lessons a try.

There will be ones that explain fractions etc. They seem to be incredibly well thought out.

Can you reach out to any other parents on WhatsApp/Facebook. A few years ago when I was part time and DS in primary I’d have happily helped another Mum and given a good got at teaching my DS & a school friend the same thing via Zoom.

If you have no joy with the school, I would second what MothExterminator says with the textbooks. That's what I did first lockdown (school provision was rubbish at that stage) and both kids (6 and 8 at the time) went back to school well ahead even though I keep home learning short and sweet every day.

In this second lockdown I am working 2 jobs while teaching so I really sympathise with you - it really sucks and involves working evenings and weekends to manage.

My children also definitely need at least a bit of support- with the older one, this is entirely because he gets anxious. Textbooks were way easier in terms of anxiety than the current school provision - I am already done with his Oak Academy poetry videos with linked tasks like "please write a free verse poem about your greatest talent" or questions like "What don't you like about this poem?" about a really innocuous and undislikeable bit of writing. These are both things that would make me anxious too, and I have two degrees in literature.

So if me and my kids start cracking up soon, I will go back to textbooks in a heartbeat and will be astonished if this causes any adverse educational impact to be honest.

You haven’t said exactly what support your child needs to access WFH.

some life lessons or recorded stuff? Some feedback on the written work handed in? the occasional call from the teacher?

and I don't agree, Wolfie, it cannot be right to focus solely on the 70% that are in and give next to no support to the 30% that are at home.

You cannot compare this to my job. it's s completely different set up.

If a teacher is in a classroom teaching full time then how do you propose they also free up hours for children at home?
My kids are both at home. I’m shielding. It’s far from ideal.
But other than saying it’s not fair you’re not making it clear what the solution should be.

I thought this time round there had to be live provision.

I thought we were supposed to contact Ofsted if we were unhappy.

@Wolfiefan

But I suppose the teachers have to focus on the 7/10 kids who are in class. Just like you have to focus on the training you are delivering. Maybe better to decide exactly what you want to change. You haven’t said exactly what support your child needs to access WFH.

No, the school has an equal duty to educate all the children, so they need to set up their provision accordingly. It's not reasonable to decide to only teach 70% of them, even if that might be easier.

For example, they could have a TA supervising the children in school, and the teacher setting work, doing live/recorded lessons and marking for 100% of the children.

DD is having video lessons and they are about 20 minutes of recording at the most, effectively going through the worksheet step by step (pause the video and try the next 3 yourself etc) it sounds like your son would be okay with that, he just can't teach himself from nothing? Could school at least point you in the direction of some Oak academy videos on the same topic? Then at least you might need to help him but not actually teach him from scratch?

OP I’m curious to know how many children the 70% is?

@Dustyboots

I thought this time round there had to be live provision.

I thought we were supposed to contact Ofsted if we were unhappy.

Live or recorded video teaching.

We're supposed to go through the school's internal procedures first before contacting Ofsted.

@Wolfiefan

If a teacher is in a classroom teaching full time then how do you propose they also free up hours for children at home? My kids are both at home. I’m shielding. It’s far from ideal. But other than saying it’s not fair you’re not making it clear what the solution should be.

Not sure what your issue is but maybe you should start your own thread instead of detailing others

Our school is shit. Nothing live, nothing recorded bar a voice message not even showing the teachers face. No contact from teachers.

Also, any key workers children in school are not being taught, it is classed as 'supervised learning' & the teachers barely help with the same assigned work as children at home. Several classes bubbled & seems to be more TAs than teachers in

I didn’t realise there had to be live provision this time round. My kids also aren’t having any (from either secondary or primary school)... my secondary school child gets regular feedback from her teachers which she can engage with, but I am disappointed with the provision from the primary school as it feels like they are having no interaction from school at all.

If a teacher is in a classroom teaching full time then how do you propose they also free up hours for children at home?

That is a problem for the school to sort out but they should have done so and the vast majority of schools are managing to do it. It's not OP's fault her children aren't eligible for school. Schools have been closed and education has been moved online. Some children are permitted to attend the school building but they are not entitled to better education due to their parents' jobs or their personal circumstances.

There are many ways of organising things to enable the children at home to access education:
Live online lessons taught by the teacher and accessed by the children in school and at home.
Pre recorded lessons taught by the teacher and accessed by the children in school and at home.
Live classroom lessons taught by the teacher to the children in school and accessed by the children at home using zoom or teams.

The first two ways require children in school to be supervised and supported by non teaching staff (usually a combination of SLT and TAs). The last way allows the teacher to be in school but makes it harder for those at home to interact.

They all have problems but they are all broadly fair. What the OP's child is experiencing is divisive and unfair. They are being denied an education because all the time and resources are being put into the children physically in school. That was definitely not supposed to happen.

so there are 3 problems here:

1. school not stepping up as per guidance - @Wolfiefan other schools do it
2. op needs to prioritise work and 10yo needs to be occupied

3.10yo needs to keep up his education somehow either through school or thru oak academy etc.

@borageforager

I didn’t realise there had to be live provision this time round. My kids also aren’t having any (from either secondary or primary school)... my secondary school child gets regular feedback from her teachers which she can engage with, but I am disappointed with the provision from the primary school as it feels like they are having no interaction from school at all.

Doesn't have to be live: "recorded or live direct teaching time". And it doesn't have to be videos made by the child's teacher, could be other teachers in the academy chain or videos from Bitesize/Oak Academy.