Is anyone considering keeping their child at home when schools go back?

[Chollok]

Just that really, considering keeping my reception aged DS at home after 8 March for a number of reasons. Wondered if anyone else was doing likewise?

Are you happy for all schools to open fully with no additional measures in place aside from those that were there last term?

No, not happy. But if schools are open they'll go back.

@unlimiteddilutingjuice

DD(5) is going back DS (8) is going to be homeschooled permanently. He's got some sensory needs and some problems concentrating and he's very introverted. School just didn't suit him and its taken lockdown for me to see how behind he was getting and how much better off he is learning from home. I'm super anxious about it but I know in my heart its the right thing. I feel very lucky to be in a position to give him the opportunity.

My 6 year old really wants to stay home. She isn't that keen on the social side of school and academically made lots of progress during both school closures. From watching some of the online lessons (which she's essentially opted out of now anyway) it seems the pace is all wrong for her anyway. Not sure what the best thing to do is! I worry if I let her opt out of the social side it will be worse for her not better in the long run.

No. Mine need to be back at school ASAP.

@pinkpip100

To everyone who has said they wouldn't consider keeping their dc off for longer if schools reopen on 8 March (the vast majority on this thread it seems). Are you happy for all schools to open fully with no additional measures in place aside from those that were there last term? If so, I just don't understand why - without additional measures (smaller class sizes, masks, better ventilation) then surely all that will happen is transmission in schools will become rife again? And bubbles will burst, year groups will be sent home, schools will close - and community transmission is likely to increase too. I can't believe this is the outcome anyone wants?

Let's not assume that just because parents will send their dc to school it means they don't feel further measures could be put in place in schools. Other than a strongly worded letter to an MP or making DC absent and face fines what else can we do? If its a choice between no school or what we've got currently then to the majority there really isn't a choice at all. Yes its sad, yes its unfair but realistically (not ideally) apart from deregister and home school what other choice is there?

Not sure what the best thing to do is! I worry if I let her opt out of the social side it will be worse for her not better in the long run.

Yes, I have the same concern as my son isn't at all social anyway.

Really think they should at least give parents the option of having their children at home without fines or loss of a school place until the summer term, where there are no safeguarding concerns.

DD2 blossomed last year at home, she was YR and I think in hindsight too young for school. Y1 has gone much better. Having had 3 months out you might find your dc is happier at school than they were previously.

They will both go back as soon as they are able to but I would say being at home last year was a huge benefit for dd2.

@pinkpip100 I would 100% support better protective measures. But thankfully we’re in an area where there wasn’t much transmission in school, in fact none that I know of. My child’s school had one class isolate once for one positive case and no further cases. If I lived in a high cases area I might not feel the same.

NO. Again children themselves are not at any considerable risk and the vulnerable groups in society will very soon be vaccinated, drastically decreasing the number of people who are likely need hospital care due to serious illness. Time to move in with our lives

@bluebellscorner

NO. Again children themselves are not at any considerable risk and the vulnerable groups in society will very soon be vaccinated, drastically decreasing the number of people who are likely need hospital care due to serious illness. Time to move in with our lives

Children are vulnerable to losing family members. Children get long covid. Children deserve mitigation. And stability.

@FourTeaFallOut

Well, they're welcome to be educated at home if it suits their parents.

As long as we are bullied out of our places perhaps with permanent consequences for secondary schools and all siblings attending the same school yes, we are welcome to do that.

Goodness no, in fact I'm planning to ask for a key worker place if we don't have a confirmed date after the 22nd.

I'm a key worker, mainly working at home, but with the potential to be redeployed at a moments notice and because of the conversations I have over teams or over the phone DD ends up spending most of the day by herself doing school work online in her bedroom as it's not appropriate for her to hear them.

She's become a shadow of herself, all the work that we did with confidence and managing her anxiety seems to have been lost, and it's become a battle to get her to do any learning. For a child who's teachers have always commented that she is motivated, pushes herself and is working above age in all her key subjects, she has been hugely affected by being away from school. Her teacher commented last week at the parents evening (on zoom) that she can see she is struggling and knows that it's hard as dd gets her energy for learning by being around her classmates. The only positive for dd is that she got a phone earlier than I planned so that she could keep in touch with her friends- I don't think she was alone in this either, a lot of her friends got mobiles during lockdown, when a lot wouldn't have until next year or the year after.

Schools were open in November with lockdown and rates went down. I think we should be ashamed at what we have done to our children. My dd is one of the "lucky ones" - we could afford a laptop for her to work on, she loves to read, we can afford for her to continue her extra-circular activities on zoom. I dread to think the impact this has had on children who aren't so fortunate.

And yes, I know the impact on children bringing covid home / parents or grandparents becoming ill and dying is horrific. But the impact on lack of education for our children and teenagers is going to be felt population wide for a long time to come, and I think far more children will be affected by our inability to keep schools open in some shape or form (split weeks / alternate weeks for example) than those who have lost parents.

Schools reopening cannot come soon enough for us.

Has there been many school fines for none attendance over the pandemic? Has there been one single withdrawn school place. Point it out, I'll be there and I'll sign every petition and write to every mp.

No

I’ll send mine back, but I’ll accept that probably means certain covid for the household so we will have to stop our support bubble with grandparent.

Despite falling local levels our schools and nursery’s have very high levels of covid, bubbles bursting/nursery’s closing despite being key worker only.

@FourTeaFallOut thank you 🙏 the solidarity is appreciated. There have been lots!
So many issues wrapped up in schools - completely get why some children need to be there but believe all children deserve better mitigation.
Putting that aside, the thing that shocks me is that schools and LAs have been made to believe that they have no discretion to act in the best interests of individual children. This should bother all of us.
If you join Parents United on Facebook you will find lots - people who have been bullied at times of unimaginable stress (cancer patients even).
There was an APPG hearing recently which you should be able to find on google. There is maybe a case coming to court next month.
Loads of people have given up places because is fine would mean not having enough money for food/bills.
People have been horribly bullied. People working very hard to home educate and protect their families, with real concerns about what the impacts of covid would be for their families.
And forcing them in only makes schools less safe! Plenty of countries have offered choice.

Sounds more like you’re considering homeschooling as it suits him OP rather than not sending him back due to risk.

Everyone who is worried about transmission - once all the priority groups and then some have been vaccinated, why does it matter? Statistically just about no one will die, barely anyone will need to be hospitalised any more. So what if lots of non risk people catch it? I don’t understand what the issue is. And post viral issues are a risk from almost all viruses so I’m not hiding forever just in case of long Covid.

@Iliketeaagain

Goodness no, in fact I'm planning to ask for a key worker place if we don't have a confirmed date after the 22nd.

I'm a key worker, mainly working at home, but with the potential to be redeployed at a moments notice and because of the conversations I have over teams or over the phone DD ends up spending most of the day by herself doing school work online in her bedroom as it's not appropriate for her to hear them.

She's become a shadow of herself, all the work that we did with confidence and managing her anxiety seems to have been lost, and it's become a battle to get her to do any learning. For a child who's teachers have always commented that she is motivated, pushes herself and is working above age in all her key subjects, she has been hugely affected by being away from school. Her teacher commented last week at the parents evening (on zoom) that she can see she is struggling and knows that it's hard as dd gets her energy for learning by being around her classmates. The only positive for dd is that she got a phone earlier than I planned so that she could keep in touch with her friends- I don't think she was alone in this either, a lot of her friends got mobiles during lockdown, when a lot wouldn't have until next year or the year after.

Schools were open in November with lockdown and rates went down. I think we should be ashamed at what we have done to our children. My dd is one of the "lucky ones" - we could afford a laptop for her to work on, she loves to read, we can afford for her to continue her extra-circular activities on zoom. I dread to think the impact this has had on children who aren't so fortunate.

And yes, I know the impact on children bringing covid home / parents or grandparents becoming ill and dying is horrific. But the impact on lack of education for our children and teenagers is going to be felt population wide for a long time to come, and I think far more children will be affected by our inability to keep schools open in some shape or form (split weeks / alternate weeks for example) than those who have lost parents.

Schools reopening cannot come soon enough for us.

It shouldn’t be either or, your child can be supported while making schools safer and offering some choice / flexibility to others. Our school rang everyone last week to check in on well-being - I think they would offer places if children were struggling. It might be worth contacting. If schools don’t open then I hope that they are able to offer your girl something. Insidiously circumstances must surely be considered. Good luck.

O.k. I'll check it out tomorrow.

I'm cev and have sent my kids to school throughout because I felt that, on balance, that was best for our family. But I was certain that I could have withdrawn them at any point with the support of the school in place - so I'm surprised to learn that hasn't been facilitated for the most vulnerable parents. So yeah, I'll put my nose in.

Mine will go back. Their grandparents have all been vaccinated and I'm getting my first dose on Tuesday.

I was one of the people who pulled them early last March and had already emailed the school in January before Boris announced the latest lockdown to say they wouldn't be in. I'm still a little nervous but I don't see what more we as a family would be waiting for to make it safe. At some point the benefits have to outweigh the risks.

@notalwaysalondoner

Sounds more like you’re considering homeschooling as it suits him OP rather than not sending him back due to risk.

Everyone who is worried about transmission - once all the priority groups and then some have been vaccinated, why does it matter? Statistically just about no one will die, barely anyone will need to be hospitalised any more. So what if lots of non risk people catch it? I don’t understand what the issue is. And post viral issues are a risk from almost all viruses so I’m not hiding forever just in case of long Covid.

Statistics are indicating that covid has a far higher prevalence than other post viral conditions.

Children get long covid.

The virus will mutate and perhaps evade vaccines - very frustrating!

Plus it is a bit of a game of Russian roulette re who gets really ill AND mainly we don’t know enough. It’s a new virus. I don’t see how we can rule out long term impacts like was seen with polio, etc. Lots of respected scientists have worries about this.

It just seems crazy when we are all so close to being vaccinated. Fauci is saying children 6* might be vaccinated in the Autumn and we are ahead of America in our vaccine program.

Why catch covid and have the vaccine in the same year if you can just have the vaccine?

I want our life back and we could have that if they just closed the borders and locked down properly. But they won’t even employ mitigation properly in schools. Beyond frustrating!!

Oh, now that's over egging the pudding. Polio, please.

Yes, I feel it’s pointless sending back to be off 3 weeks later for Easter holidays, plus never felt schools safe, the kids off all ages should be wearing masks in the classroom . Poor kids having to sit in freezing cold temperatures with all windows and doors open. We would not work in offices like that so Why should the kids?

@FourTeaFallOut

O.k. I'll check it out tomorrow.

I'm cev and have sent my kids to school throughout because I felt that, on balance, that was best for our family. But I was certain that I could have withdrawn them at any point with the support of the school in place - so I'm surprised to learn that hasn't been facilitated for the most vulnerable parents. So yeah, I'll put my nose in.

Thank you! Really pleased that you have had that choice and honestly totally get why some people have arrived at that decision. Please do poke your nose in. It’s a lottery - some LAs have been brilliant, some awful.

@FourTeaFallOut

Oh, now that's over egging the pudding. Polio, please.

Nobody really knows the long term impacts. I don’t know much about polio to be honest, plucked as an example of a virus that had consequences years later that nobody saw coming.