School Return in England

[DadAManger]

May I ask whether any other parents are seriously considering keeping their children at home until Easter? I will explain my reasoning lest I am accused of being a bad parent...

1. In November and December my two children (just 13 and just 11) were told to stay isolate for the full two weeks even though schools were "open". This was due to several cases within the school coming to light
2. We look after my mother, who stays with us and who has just had her first AZ jab
3. I have an underlying health condition which means I will be jabbed a little earlier, but not yet (it is likely end of this month just before Easter)
4. I feel that the decision to re-open schools is quite political and was pushed by a group of back-benchers who consistently rush the government. This is the same group that pushed us all to return to physically working in the City back in September (remember that?), before the science caught up with us again

I am not at all anti-Government on the whole and know that we need to get things back to "normal" soon enough, but I would hate for my kids or myself and family to go back, get exposed and then be sent home again until Easter anyway, after a brief spell of a few days/a week back in classroom.

Would value views!

You need to do what's best for you and your family. My kids will be going back as they are exam years.
How long since your mum had her jab? One jab offers considerable protection after 2-3 weeks

You're right that the return is politically driven. It's really a mass experiment as nobody has any idea what the result will be. The sensible approach would have been a staggered return, but they can't do that because the opposition suggested it.

I know a couple of other parents who are planning on waiting until after Easter. Personally in your shoes it's a no-brainer - gives your mother and yourself time to develop immunity. Also a chance to see what happens in schools - do we see a surge in cases like we did in September or are the new measures going to prevent that?

Nope, I can't wait for my 13 year old to be back at school next week. I say that as both a parent and a teacher.

We pulled our two DC out of school early before they closed them for the first lockdown, we also kept them off for the last week of term before Christmas as there was so many cases it didn't seem worth risking, we also didn't send them for the day return in Jan as I thought it would probably result in lockdown..

However, yes, both our two will be returning next week. Our youngest is preschool aged and only just returned this week as I felt it wasn't fair to send them in Jan / Feb when I was off work and to try cut the pre schools staff risk. Eldest will be back next week as planned.

I'm CV, but have had first vaccine, no other underlying conditions in our household but grandparents in our bubble are CV and only one had received jab, so cutting contact with them for school return.

I feel nervous about it, but I can't justify them missing out any longer.

I would do what you think is right for your family.

No, my teens are desperate to get back to school. I'm not vaccinated yet, but am happy to take the risk as their education and mental health is important to me.

Thank you. To answer the question raised, my mother got her jab two days ago so a little while until the antibodies are built (I hope to get mine just before Easter)...

Are you group 6 op?

If you keep them off until Easter what will you be doing to keep them up to date on their work?

Are we allowed to keep our children off? I thought it was compulsory they returned? If it’s not compulsory I will be having a big think about it.

@doghairismyglitter

Are we allowed to keep our children off? I thought it was compulsory they returned? If it’s not compulsory I will be having a big think about it.

Well you can just take the fines etc or fake illness I guess

God, no.

That’s what I thought re the fines etc. Just seen so many people questioning whether to send children back, I thought I may have it wrong and it isn’t compulsory. Not sure how parents can be saying they won’t be sending children back in that case then; if there’s no option and you have to.

@doghairismyglitter

Are we allowed to keep our children off? I thought it was compulsory they returned? If it’s not compulsory I will be having a big think about it.

There haven't been any changes to home schooling regulations, you don't have to send that back at all.I'd imagine that numbers being homeschooled will increase this year.

In answer to the OP my DC will be going back as soon as the school is open to them,they are doing a staggered restart

What are the covid levels like in your area? If you live in an area where covid levels are negligible, I’d say send them back to school. If you live in a current hot spot, I can see more of an argument for keeping them at home a few more weeks.

Your DM will have some protection (even if she is only a week post vaccination) and if you haven’t been jabbed already, you’re not on the ECV list - so if I was in your position I would personally send my children back to school.

I guess everyone’s circumstances are different, however my children need to be back, they are really looking forward to it. My DH is cev who has had the vaccine so he is happy for them to go back. I am at low risk, I am a little worried but now I feel I just have to take my chances, my kids can’t do this anymore and it’s sad to see how they are becoming

@doghairismyglitter

Are we allowed to keep our children off? I thought it was compulsory they returned? If it’s not compulsory I will be having a big think about it.

It is compulsory, but firstly I doubt if anyone will actually enforce fines for one week before Easter.

However, report you have symptoms, are awaiting a test result and the household is self-isolating.......

Hi @DadAManger . I'm in group four, and was vaccinated three weeks ago, however, I've been told to shield until March 31st, so mine won't be going back until after Easter.

I e-mailed the schools with the SAGE research that shows schools are viewed as a moderate risk, the fact that shielded children aren't returning yet, the 'advice' to stay 2m away from my kids, and the lack of evidence for vaccine efficacy for blood cancer patients.

I know our circumstances aren't the same, but all you really do is weigh it up and communicate with the school.

Good luck

@FlyingBurrito op isn't taking about homeschooling officially though, just keeping them off and likely expecting school to provide work / catch them up when they go back

"Your DM will have some protection (even if she is only a week post vaccination)"

False information.

Vaccine effects have been observed FROM 14 days after innoculation.
www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.01.21252652v1.full.pdf

@SleepingStandingUp no.

I was responding to a post suggesting that people who kept their kids at home don't care about their mental health.

To clarify.

Keep them off if you want OP. I doubt fines will be enforced.

I doubt it too.

Fining loads of sick people wouldn't be a good look.

Many thanks.

In answer to keeping the children up to date on their study for those weeks, they are solid performers at school and I have their books and online learning to hand. My mother was a teacher and then Headmistress and supports too. But it is a fair point as once a date is set to return, all home schooling support is withdrawn naturally.

On the point about it being "compulsory" I do have a rather different view (though respect the poster's point). In my view, the Government have picked this date and are not staggered the return for political reasons. As a result, I am not overly swayed by the "it's compulsory, Boris says so" argument. I feel that I have a duty to protect my family's health as much as I do to meet a compulsory date set by a Government under pressure. In addition, as pointed out by another poster, many home school for significant periods.

I've got 4 children in my class staying off until Easter. I get it.

I've sent them appropriate links to Oak National or White Rose lessons and that's that. I'm not marking it. They are aware that they may get fined and are OK with that.