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.

@Legseleven1990

My dd is in primary 2. Can't yet read or write. 26 out of 30 in her class are currently in school, in their normal classroom, with their normal teacher and ta. She is being sent home worksheets and advised to look up bbc bitesize - no live or recorded lessons, no zoom calls, no phone calls - just an app where we send in photos of the completed worksheets (that are a fighting match to get through because she's had no lessons to along with them) with very little feedback. It's ridiculous. I've no advice for you, but just wanted to say you're not alone. I'm so angry and bitter. Me and dh are working (him out od the house, me supposedly wfh to keep a roof over our heads) but with 3dc who are bored and miserable, and no proper lessons, dd doesn't stand a chance, and the longer this goes on, the bigger the gap will be between her and her peers. All concerns raised with the school, and now my local MP have been dismissed, or minimised ("kids are resilient, she'll catch up" 🙄) or else the response has just been "there's nothing else we can do." There are so many in school that the teachers are flat out with what is essentially normal school life, they simply have no more time to work on the homeschooling children. It's a travesty, and the people in charge should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves.

Can you disengage with the school? Not worth trying to improve things if they’re not interested and you’re meeting a brick wall. Presumably at some point they’d have to contact you to find out where you are and at that point you could have a conversation.

I would keep repeating that your child cannot engage with the provision, this makes them vulnerable and they need to be in school. In the meantime do your own thing with your child. It doesn’t sound like they’re learning anything from this woeful school provision, it’s just so the school can tick a box.

@manicinsomniac I'm in Northern Ireland. The rules last lockdown were very strict, but this time are ridiculously loose. For example, only one parent has to be a keyworker, even if there is a stay at home parent. In My younger daughters preschool, there is a parent I'm friendly with who works a Saturday shift in tesco, so is counted as a keyworker but there are no childcare implications with her job, but her child is still able to attend school. I'm finding it very difficult to keep a level head with it all. I'm burnt out wfh, looking after a 6yo, 3 yo and 6 month old, while homeschooling and keeping a house ticking over, while my children are so miserable. My poor 3yo is stuck in front of a screen all day with no interaction just so I can teach her sister and do my job. All because mine and my dhs jobs don't fit into the keyworkers category. The fact so many are in school means this "lockdown" is not going to have a significant impact, and will drag on longer, causing more harm and distress to the minority that are stuck at home. I don't know how much longer I can cope like this.

@OwlWearingGlasses

The teachers will catch them up when they go back.

That’s not the deal though. Not the government guidance or requirements. They shouldn’t need special catch up sessions, they should have provision right now.

I think that's probably the best next step I can take, although after everything I have little hope that it will get me anywhere.

Last post was in reply to @lemons1571

Legseleven Ah ok, I see. It's exactly the same in England. A lot of schools have managed to keep numbers down, either by appealing to parents or by being stricter than the govt guidance and refusing to budge (that's why my school's done). But there are lots of schools with way too many in to be effective. I agree it's incredibly frustrating because it's just going to drag on longer for those who do have their children at home and it's not fair. I don't actually agree with closing schools at all and would like all my classes in now. But, if we're going to do this, we should be doing it properly! 26/30 is definitely the worst I've heard though. I'm so sorry. I agree with a PP that I'd just disengage from school if I were you and not let it cause you additional stress. You could keep asserting your need for a school place and say your child won't be doing any of their work in the meantime. At that age, they will catch up.

Can you give dc the work they could do independently while you work and perhaps look at online maths /English provision, documentary or BBC bitesize, Joe wicks and some independent reading. Then in an evening /weekend devote a few hours over the week to do the stuff that they need support with.
At 10 I'd concentrate on English /maths/spelling /reading.
I'd also work on building independent learning as this will be needed for secondary school.

@manicinsomniac yes, I agree. Either keep the schools open (my preference too) or close them properly so it actually makes a difference. I'm going to have to try that, as nothing I have been trying has been working and it's so disheartening. I'm trying to advocate for dd as much as I can and I feel like I'm letting her down. Hopefully something comes of the disengagement route

I work in a Yr 6 bubble. The children in school are not being taught by us. They are on computers doing the same work as the children at home. They are freezing cold because we have all the doors and windows open, it's miserable. My children, including a yr6 are at home comfortable and warm.

People saying "Your child wouldn't get individual attention or proper lessons in school either" are missing the point. Kids in school are in a non-home environment with fewer distractions, a teacher is in the class and they have the peer pressure of seeing other kids working. Kids at home are surrounded by distractions and toys, and they see their parents as parents not educators. Many kids will just play up constantly, and the parent cannot deal with it effectively because they are terrified of getting sacked from their job.

In our school the kids at school and at home are in the same google lessons. There's no difference

Aside from the fact that there's 70 odd to a class so I'm not sure how much learning is going on and the teachers are stressed to hell.

Level playing field though.

White rose maths website would be a good place to look for fractions videos

Another one here whose school announced they can't teach the children at home because of the number of children they have in school. They agree doing one
15 minute zoom call a week with the whole class, which has no teaching, just a "are they all alive?" check.

As an adult, if the only communication work gave me was a weekly office "hello" and a set of PowerPoint slides, I would struggle. How primary school kids are supposed to work from that is s mystery to me.

Have you recently emailed teacher?
I would put everything you've told us here down in an email. And ask her to respond.

OP, I would go for a two front approach.

a) Buy the curriculum school books. They really are good, easy to do, differentiated for maths (A,B and C set) and easy to send your DC away with for you to correct later. PM me if you want a list of suggestions (we have both ones we used on our own and books used by school).

B) send a daily email (friendly, apologising for disturbing) to the teacher saying that you are unable to supervise your child to do the set assignments by school and that your child has not engaged. Ask how they are going to help your child.

After a week or two of these emails, email the head teacher, attach your conversation (which will show that the school has been unable /unwilling to provide adequate learning for your child) and ask if this is in compliance with the government guidelines for learning this term.

@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.

Ours manages. She quite obviously records the lessons after the children leave for the day, so the home schoolers are a day behind. The activities are literally as though in the classroom, but with a number of options of how to complete, be that by printing off, online or directly in to note book. That's not an unreasonable expectation. As time is moving on there is also more additional materials provided, usually though the supplementary materials are via various websites the school has bought into.