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Original poster

If your kids are mixing in school

59 replies

Morph2lcfc · 07/02/2021 16:44

Are you letting them mix outside school?

I’m referring to primary school age kids that need supervision not teenagers. We are lucky enough to have a school place this time as ds has an ehcp. One of our neighbours kids have school places I’ve no idea of the reason and it’s not really my business. Today is one of the kids birthdays and they’ve had friends round all day few at a time. I’m not so bothered for our point of view but it feels like a real kick in teeth to other people in the street who are struggling to home school and isolate.

OP posts:
Bluewavescrashing · 07/02/2021 19:13

Of course not.

lavenderlou · 07/02/2021 19:14

No they aren't. They aren't seeing their friends in school, although they know the other children there. We arrange online meets to see friends.

DelurkingAJ · 07/02/2021 19:16

No. We’ve done a Zoom call with DS1’s best mate (they’re 8) and DS2 is having to cope (he’s 4). We’re lucky that they have key worker places and I won’t do anything to jeopardise the bubble. I’d actually have much more sympathy with those whose DC aren’t in school.

Wafflewife · 07/02/2021 19:18

Mine are not in school but I know that the ones who are are mixing. Sleepovers and everything. This is one of the problems with schools being open - it makes parents think they may as well mix outside school too.

lunar1 · 07/02/2021 19:22

That really is a kick in the teeth for the majority of us who have our children at home. I'd report them, our school would revoke their place for this.

RedskyBynight · 07/02/2021 19:23

This is one of the problems with schools being open - it makes parents think they may as well mix outside school too.

I don't think the problem is restricted to children who are in school. In fact there's been plenty of threads on here from posters saying that their home schooled children are meeting up with others because they are no getting the social interaction they would in school.

Craiglang · 07/02/2021 19:23

No, absolutely not. My DC are in school three days a week while I'm at a different school working. My DH is also at work but more able to SD. I feel our exposure is too high, I wouldn't be out socialising so neither are my DC.

FishWithoutABike · 07/02/2021 19:24

I’m allowing my children to meet one friend outside at the park or fir a walk. It is strictly against the rules as I’m there too but I keep a distance.

woodlands01 · 07/02/2021 19:26

If anyone thinks social distancing is in place in schools they are quite dis-illusioned I think.
I work in secondary.
I go in everyday so i can teach on-line to my classes.
I volunteer a lot to supervise the Key Worker students in school as other teachers have their own childcare issues and find it difficult to come in.
The 'bubbles' are in year groups. The amount of students in a classroom (computer rooms as they need to login to live lessons) mean it is impossible to adhere to social distancing. It has been brought up with SLT several times who have some fob off response.
One teacher who on supervision duty set up outside the classroom because it was impossible to social distance from students. They had a visit from SLT asking why they weren't in classroom. Our risk assessment says it is the responsibility of staff to socially distance from students yet when we do we are spoken to.
The students hang around after school on site on bikes, skateboards etc. breaking bubbles, all year groups together. It has taken me 3 eimails to get a member of SLT to move them on.
Do they mix in each others houses? I don't know but what goes on in school is not good.

MonsterKidz · 07/02/2021 19:29

Absolutely not. Walks, playing outdoors/in the street is fine and allowed. Indoors is not on and I would
be incredibly frustrated with that situation.

tigger1001 · 07/02/2021 19:29

I'm in Scotland and here under 12's don't need to social distance and can still meet outdoors in a group. Not indoors though.

I'm happy that this is the case here as my youngest suffered terribly in the first lockdown due to being isolated and it's made a huge difference to him this time around.

Itsnotlikethiswithotherpeople · 07/02/2021 19:31

No, of course not! Confused
I felt bad enough having to use a childcare bubble in half term (when school is shut) as don’t want to put staff or other families at risk. So my relative has kindly agreed to isolate for 2 weeks beforehand.

Kitcat122 · 07/02/2021 20:25

I work in a school and this really annoys me. I have children saying they are having a sleepover with friends etc.. It puts me at more risk and my own children who are at home not socialising with anyone. (My hubby is working from home) so we are trying to do the right thing.

allgoodthings84 · 07/02/2021 20:56

My daughter is in school and no she doesn’t see any outside of school. She’s incredibly lucky being able to see other children in school and it’s done wonders for her but no we are sticking to the rules. The children who aren’t in school need it more. It must be very annoying for their parents seeing other kids who are in school socialising out of school too.

Daisychainsandglitter · 07/02/2021 21:17

My DD (6) also has a school place due to having an EHCP and she doesn't mix with anyone outside of school. This would probably be the norm for her anyway when we're not in a pandemic.
Interestingly both she and DD2 (3) have both had positive tests this week. Both with very mild symptoms and fine in themselves. It's made me realise how easily children can pass it on as transmitters whilst barely having any symptoms themselves.

Ostagazuzulum · 07/02/2021 21:27

My child
Is at school 5 days a week as my husband and I work shifts which crossover. It's unavoidable abs she has to go to school.
Her best friends parents are in a similar position so she's also at school. We have to do a childcare bubble for usually 1-2 evenings a week where I have her child and she has mine so that we can all work. Other than that, we don't see anyone else, no one else has been in our home. We're sticking really strictly to the rules.
However I often sit and wonder if I'm in the minority. Friends at work day that they let their children play out with neighbours kids from a different school. One of our neighbours still has friends round on a daily basis. Another friend says she's having people round. Another neighbour has elderly patents pop by to see the kids. It seems rife.
On social media, a number this weekend put that her and her husband were chilling in hot tub as it was a child free night (presumably kids gone to grandparents). Is it just the minority actually sticking to this I wonder??

My biggest big bear is speaking when you speak to these people (and it's not my business to challenge anything) they all seem to blame the lower/working class from the nearby council estates. An assumption that they're all mixing as groups of teens are often seen hanging about. I want to scream that actually they're not different and they can shove their classist attitude where the sun doesn't shine and have a look closer to home.

Sorry. Rant over.

Lollipop1234 · 07/02/2021 22:16

@NailsNeedDoing

The children I’m looking after in school tell me that they’re meeting up out of school, with each other and with others in the class that have stayed at home.
It’ll be the people who keep posting on here saying they’ll do what they like to keep their kids happy....

Outdoors I don’t have too much of a problem with, indoors is wrong and unfair on everyone else doing the right thing. More mixing indoors = more chance of spread.

Spied · 07/02/2021 22:33

My dc go to primary school but I won't allow them to mix with their friends out of the classroom and have playdates. I also won't allow them to play out in our front garden together as it encourages the local kids who roam the streets to come over.
Being at school is very different to going to someone's home/garden and mixing with their other family members etc.
Our school sent a letter last week stating that any families mixing with others out of the allowed bubbles would have to keep their dc home for 14days before being allowed back to school and would possibly have their child's place at school withdrawn.
Quite how they could police this I don't know but I'd fully support it.

FloralCarpet · 07/02/2021 22:43

This makes me so sad. Dd is 12 and an only child. Dh and I work out of the home most of the week but are not keyworkers so no school space. Dd therefore spends a lot of time alone at home. She goes for a walk at the weekend with a friend but that’s all she sees. And yet so many other people are breaking the law :(

Sockwomble · 08/02/2021 08:48

No but this is our normal because his school is a special school a hour away.

Itsnotlikethiswithotherpeople · 09/02/2021 00:59

@Kitcat122

I work in a school and this really annoys me. I have children saying they are having a sleepover with friends etc.. It puts me at more risk and my own children who are at home not socialising with anyone. (My hubby is working from home) so we are trying to do the right thing.
I’m sure this is happening in some cases but also if you happen to teach my 5 year old please be assured that a) he has a very active imagination b) he has no concept of time and c) thinks zoom is real life. He told his class I had had a massive fancy dress birthday party for my 40th. Well... yes... but failed to mention it was entirely online! Cue teachers making pointed remarks.. He has also said - He visited his cousins (yes, last summer Hmm )

He visited Grandma (on zoom)

He went to the cinema (in our living room)

He had a sleepover (with his brother).

Msmcc1212 · 09/02/2021 02:45

Doubledoodlemummy

We’ve got groups of children who are socialising out of school (different year groups) and now we have 4 different year bubbles closed to key workers next week. All we’re playing together last weekend and all tested positive by Thursday. It’s now spread and an adult working in one of the bubbles and a child have also tested positive

I wouldn’t and ^ this is why not. It’s not within the rules for a good reason and the implications are key workers (e.g nurses and doctors) not being able to work, more transmission, longer lockdowns and extra deaths.

Cookiecrisps · 09/02/2021 06:51

Socialising like this is hugely unfair to anyone else who is in the child’s bubble and their households too.

MichelleScarn · 09/02/2021 07:55

Oh yes.. @Itsnotlikethiswithotherpeople mine told his teacher, "we went to the zoo with my cousins and had a big party after"..it was only when he was talking about the dinosaurs fighting at it I think they realised it maybe didn't actually happen!

Abraxan · 09/02/2021 08:09

In school, they are in fixed seats, open windows, santitised 10+ times a day, etc. No singing / shouting / contact sport. Yes, they are together but with controls. Will that really be the same at someone's house?

I don't know a single primary school which is operating in this way, nor have been since September.
Before the summer was stricter, not not since ime.

Reality in most primary schools, and certainly in reception and infants:

  • no social distancing at all
  • set seats in key stage 1, not reception, but with flexibility
  • room are cleaned 2 times a time in terms of tables wiped down, etc.
  • windows open where they are able to
  • extra hand washing but that's generally on arrival, before snacks and lunch, after each play time, before going home
  • singing allowed, ideally everyone should be facing same direction (though that usually means that all children are then facing the teacher)
  • children are making as much noise as normal, especially at play times
  • class bubbles inside school but year groups for playtimes (so often 90+ children in a bubble)
  • PE and play time games as before covid
  • no masks generally, some staff wear them through choice though not really within government guidelines
  • during this lockdown many schools have up to 50% class in so spaced out seating is less likely
  • many do have own pencil cases and equipment
  • some shared equipment get wiped down between uses, such as iPads, bigger toys and games, etc.
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