100,000 vulnerable children missing

[KangSaeByeok]

This is why schools should never be wholesale closed again

www.theguardian.com/society/2021/dec/12/hunt-launched-to-find-ghost-children-missing-from-schools-in-england

Arthur’s school was OPEN for his year group when he died, so that point doesn’t really stand.

Abusive parents opting to keep children at hone is a separate issue.

That article needs a whole lot more explanation. Many parents have kept children off because they are clinically vulnerable and there were few, now no, protections in schools.

Yes MH problems are a huge issue but I’ll be amazed if Zahawi puts adequate support in place.

@JanglyBeads

Arthur’s school was OPEN for his year group when he died, so that point doesn’t really stand.

Abusive parents opting to keep children at hone is a separate issue.

That article needs a whole lot more explanation. Many parents have kept children off because they are clinically vulnerable and there were few, now no, protections in schools.

Yes MH problems are a huge issue but I’ll be amazed if Zahawi puts adequate support in place.

His school was CLOSED when the abuse started. He moved in with the pair of them at the start of lockdown in March 2020. Schools didn't open to certain year groups until June.

Of course covid wasn't the only factor, but it sure as hell meant that poor little angel was inside with his abusers 24/7 with no respite. Lots of kids did not go back in June as parents decided to keep them off thinking things would be 'safer' in September. It wouldn't have raised any suspicion at that point when it bloody well should have done.

Schools were always open to vulnerable children and children of key workers. They were never closed.

Yeah no child has ever been killed during term time.

The LA I work for has had huge numbers of children leaving schools during the lockdowns and then shortly afterwards. Many were returning overseas or moving to other areas but some did just stop going to school once it was open and home visits etc showed their houses were no longer occupied. We have a team who follow up these children and liase with other agencies like Border Agency and DWP for benefit claims and their work has more than doubled.

Schools may of been open for vulnerable children however if you remember the first few weeks people were encouraged not to send children in even those with key worker parents the schools were trying to get the other parent to look after them. If you remember Facebook etc people were up in arms about children going in. Don’t send your child in only unless you were desperate and were critical workers, at that stage vulnerable children were not even thought about. I think I saw a lot of comments to say unless you were critical workers sending your child in to school was murder!
Schools must never be allowed to close again and if they do I shall definitely be joining a protest

If you want schools open please petition government to put some, any safety measures in. Windows that open, masks in rooms, screens, the things other work places have. Because staff are getting sick and schools can't open without staff.
Get teachers boosted now (had mine as I'm old).
Bleating about schools staying open won't stop them closing. Putting some mitigation measures in will.

@mumsneedwine

If you want schools open please petition government to put some, any safety measures in. Windows that open, masks in rooms, screens, the things other work places have. Because staff are getting sick and schools can't open without staff. Get teachers boosted now (had mine as I'm old). Bleating about schools staying open won't stop them closing. Putting some mitigation measures in will.

Everyone over 18 can get boosters now. It was difficult to get appointments initially but a few days later and it seems straightforward.

Everyone over 18 can get boosters now. It was difficult to get appointments initially but a few days later and it seems straightforward.

They're booking for January in my area. Easy to book, but far too late.

The “schools were open to vulnerable children!” argument completely forgets the fact that a) you don’t know who all the vulnerable children are and b) vulnerable children are often the ones with the poorest attendance anyway and therefore not always likely to take up their place.

Maybe if social services didn't say there were no concerns he wouldn't been known as vulnerable.

@BoredatHome321

Maybe if social services didn't say there were no concerns he wouldn't been known as vulnerable.

Would've*

@Dailywalk no they can't. NHS website won't let you book unless over 40. Hopefully will change tomorrow but a 5 week wait around here.

If you want schools to stay open, you should be writing to your MPs asking for mitigations in them to enable this to happen, not making idle threats about protesting if they do have to close.

I think we need to remember here that in Arthur's case the school had reported concerns to Social Services who visited and declared that everything was fine. Had Social Services responses better, things may well have been different for Arthur.

Schools can’t stay open if a high % of staff are sick. Maybe that point should’ve been addressed, I don’t know 18 months ago?

In the case of vulnerable children going missing, that’s the remit of social when schools pass it on. Maybe don’t vote for a Government who slashed social provision.

The children haven't returned to the school they were registered at but there are plenty of other explanations. Quite a few will have gone abroad and failed to tell the school - between lockdowns I personally know three families who returned to their home countries eg Poland. Others will have decided to homeschool permanently, this may be good for the child in some cases, but again the family failed to officially tell the school/Lea. Others may have moved in the U.K. and started at another school and the paperwork wasn't completed properly to transfer them with so many Lea staff working from home, I know two parents who have put their kids into private schools as they have better online provision

@Appuskidu I really wish people would listen. It's so frustrating not getting any measures to prevent the spread. We are down so many teachers, and are only open as we are also down loads of students who also have COVID. Some for the 2nd time. We've collapsed classes just so they have an adult in front of them. Not sure I'd call it worthwhile education though. It's all v v sad. Again.

From the SEN / anxiety angle there is a two year wait in my county for camhs.

Children with SEN are excluded, or they are never placed at transition. I could name 5 kids off the top of my head not in school due to the above.

This minister might care. On ground the LA doesnt. Not one bit. No bums on seats = thousands of budget savings

@Dailywalk

Over 30's only in England, we have 30 something vulnerable DD's who still can't get boosted

[quote mumsneedwine]@Appuskidu I really wish people would listen. It's so frustrating not getting any measures to prevent the spread. We are down so many teachers, and are only open as we are also down loads of students who also have COVID. Some for the 2nd time. We've collapsed classes just so they have an adult in front of them. Not sure I'd call it worthwhile education though. It's all v v sad. Again.[/quote]
Absolutely, and no doubt Ofsted will still turn up expecting to see business as normal and will be putting schools in a category and ruining careers if despite all this, a primary school geography ‘Deep Dive’ isn’t good enough or the display board are written in a font that doesn’t match the new phonics scheme (which the school was forced to buy in a hurry because they withdrew the free Letters and Sounds scheme-lets not ask who owns the companies who are on the list of state sanctioned phonics schemes, shall we!).

It amuses me that the government say schools are failing if small children can’t ever everything they’ve been taught and how it links to prior learning, yet they themselves seem unable to remember if they went to a Christmas party last year, or not!

Sorry, rather off topic!

If local authorities hadn't had their funding cut to the bone over the last 10 years and had had resources to support their local populations during the pandemic (not 'emergency funds' but established, properly resourced services located in communities) some of this would have been mitigated.

And there would be an infrastructure in place to respond more effectively now.

@Appuskidu OFSTED has suspended visits until end of term. We assume the inspectors don't want to be ill over Xmas.