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Original poster

Will you send your DC to school if they're open for keyworkers only?

389 replies

BlowDryRat · 20/12/2021 09:31

Hopefully this won't happen but if it does (probably with hours' notice like last Jan Angry)...

DH and I both qualified as keyworkers (medical supplies) for all the previous lockdowns. We could WFH though so kept the DC at home so they weren't taking up spaces really needed by others and to minimise the risk to the school staff. The DC got on with it but both struggled socially and DD in particular fell very behind academically.

Now that everyone who wants a vaccine has had at least 2, if there's another partial school closure I'll be prioritising my DC and sending them in.

What are you planning to do?

OP posts:
BlessedBeTheFruitCake · 20/12/2021 09:35

My dc is in year 11 so needs all the face to face teaching possible so will want them in, the younger two I’m happy to home school. Well, not happy but they don’t need a place as badly.

flyingthrnest · 20/12/2021 09:36

Both parents work for Nhs and would be offered a place and would absolutely take it up. We have all had covid recently, double jabbed (apart from primary children). Hopefully they won't close schools

whataballbag · 20/12/2021 09:37

Yes, I'm a single parent and work for the ambulance service so it would be very much needed.

PurplePinecone · 20/12/2021 09:38

I'm a teacher but kept my kids off last lockdowns. If there was another lockdown I will send them in.

dreamingbohemian · 20/12/2021 09:39

No but I only have one child and he was totally fine with home learning

hopingforabrighterfuture2021 · 20/12/2021 09:39

My older one won’t, secondary, as she is old enough to be by herself at home and her secondary school have good online learning. My younger one will go in because he can’t be left at home for that long and I’ll have no choice but to work (school). IF we are put on a rota whereby we don’t come in every day, he would only go the days I work, but last lockdown I was in full time, and therefore so was he.

Bunnycat101 · 20/12/2021 09:40

Yes very clear expectation from my employer that the key worker places are used.

stitchmaker85 · 20/12/2021 09:40

If they're open for key workers kids only, how am I expected to earn money if my 8 year old is banned from school, as my non key worker job is unable to be done from home?

ILookAtTheFloor · 20/12/2021 09:40

I did last year and would do again, no hesitation.

Totallydefeated · 20/12/2021 09:40

Yes, j kept mine off last time, as DH is CEV, but it near killed me and left us in a financial hole. She’ll be going in if there’s another time. She’ll have to.

middleager · 20/12/2021 09:41

I have two year 11s, they also need all the face to face teaching time they can get.
We have never employed our key worker status but I would seripisly consider it. However, I wasn't aware it was face to face, so unless it is, no.

Taswama · 20/12/2021 09:41

My kids were offered places based on SN. We kept them at home in the first lockdown for the reasons you mention, but it nearly broke us. They went in for the second lockdown and will be going in again if schools do close.

I really really really hope they don't though as I'm very aware there are plenty of kids who need the safe predictable place that is school but aren't on any list of SN / vulnerable / KW kids.

Wheelsofdeath · 20/12/2021 09:42

@whataballbag another ambulance service worker here waves

Also a single parent, mine is at nursery but will definitely be sending him in as I did all through the last lockdown when I worked in transport.

Remmy123 · 20/12/2021 09:42

Errr yes why wouldn't you!!!!

Wizzbangfizz · 20/12/2021 09:43

Yep I didn't utilise my key
Worker status
Last time as worked
From home and felt needed "to do my bit" but they will go in this time.

Wejustdontknow · 20/12/2021 09:44

Just posted on the other thread, we haven’t ever used a place before as have been able to move work hours around to accommodate home schooling in the previous lockdowns but I am currently working full time in a supermarket whilst also doing a full time degree. There is no way I can also fit homeschooling into that as well so unless my dp is able to adjust his work to take on the full responsibility of homeschooling then our youngest, who is now year 4 would need to go to school in any further lockdowns.
Eldest is year 11 so although like pp i really don’t want him to miss out on any further schooling, is old enough to stay home and learn independently, I have been telling him to make sure he put all his efforts into his school work in case predicted grades were used for them, he thought I was being ridiculous but I think it’s a real possibility that a further lockdown might happen which could really affect him sitting his gcses next summer if they miss to much school

OnceuponaRainbow18 · 20/12/2021 09:45

@BlessedBeTheFruitCake

Our year 11s in school got the same online teaching as everyone at home otherwise it wouldn’t have been fair

Yes I’ll be sending my kids in

SaberToothKitten · 20/12/2021 09:45

I really, really hope it doesn't come to this, but if it does then the older two, no probably not. My youngest is struggling with mental health after the last round of lockdowns, school and wider teams are working with her. I will be sending her in and keeping her world as normal as possible.

Marmite27 · 20/12/2021 09:46

I work from home in finance, we did home schooling for my eldest for 6 weeks last time, then sent her in for the last two as I was dealing with ISA and mortgage changes that needed my full attention. In truth I could probably have muddled through, but her mental health was really suffering so I arranged for her to go in.

In the new year I will be starting a project to migrate some bank systems from legacy ones to new ones, she’ll be going back from the beginning.

StormyTeacups · 20/12/2021 09:48

Yup, absolutely

Stylinson · 20/12/2021 09:49

I work in a school - first lockdown we had 27 children in, second lockdown it was in the hundreds. I would imagine a third lockdown would be pretty much everyone as the definition of keyworker is so wide now

Wejustdontknow · 20/12/2021 09:50

Just as a side note for those with year 11’s. My ds’s school would only take secondary children who fell into the at risk or sen category, you couldn’t send in your year 11 because you were a key worker as they are considered old enough to stay home and do the online learning themselves so if there was another school closure due to lockdown I would expect it to be the same again

Howshouldibehave · 20/12/2021 09:51

Nope-mine will be at home.

Whyarewehardofthinking · 20/12/2021 09:51

@BlessedBeTheFruitCake

My dc is in year 11 so needs all the face to face teaching possible so will want them in, the younger two I’m happy to home school. Well, not happy but they don’t need a place as badly.
It wouldn't be face to face teaching, as not all teachers would be in and those in would be supervising the students in the building.

Schools are already making plans just in case; I am in school Wednesday for a planning meeting this week, and we all SLT available until Christmas eve incase anything is announced. We do not want to move to remote learning but we now have 18% of staff positive (not the highest we've had) and nearly all of those have had COVID before. One has spent 2 nights in hospital. Not to mention we had no canteen staff on Wednesday and Thursday after an outbreak.

I will do anything to stop us moving to remote learning, unlike this shitshow of a Government, so we need to be prepared.

firef1y · 20/12/2021 09:51

Not a keyword, but both my children count as vulnerable, one because he has SEN and the other because he lives in an autistic house (and is now possibly showing autistic traits). As long as the SEN school is open the older one will be going and yes I'll take up the vulnerable place for the younger one. I'm autistic as well and the first lockdown almost killed me, I didn't have my routine which meant I couldn't be the best parent possible for my boys. Plus both boys were struggling with their loss of routine and we all lost hard earned social skills

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