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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:
NeedAHoliday2021 · 20/12/2021 10:39

Yes for dd2&3 at primary but no for Dd1 - she’s self motivated and good at home learning plus her school was superb online.

Comedycook · 20/12/2021 10:40

First we were waiting for the vulnerable to be vaccinated

Then all adults to be vaccinated

Then teens to be vaccinated

Now we're waiting for all adults to be boosted

christmaspop · 20/12/2021 10:44

@Comedycook

I have no idea...but if they do close to her, I will turn up at the school and drop her off. It's up to them what they decide to do. I cannot go through this shit again.
Totally understand but not really fair on school staff. They'll only call you to collect her
Comedycook · 20/12/2021 10:47

I'm sure they will and I will collect her at the end of the school day. What can they do? Call social services? I'm sure they are overworked enough without dealing with a well looked after child who has a parent who simply wants them to be educated at school!

TinselTitsAndGlitteryBits · 20/12/2021 10:48

@Comedycook

I have no idea...but if they do close to her, I will turn up at the school and drop her off. It's up to them what they decide to do. I cannot go through this shit again.
Totally agree.

The 2 tier education system, with the tenuous KW links and kids who have one parent WFH... it's wrong.

FruitToast · 20/12/2021 10:48

We didn't send DD in last time (DS is in nursery so he went regardless). We will at least part of, if not the whole of, the week if they shut schools again. I'm NHS and can't WFH. DH is a teacher. Last lockdown he was teaching a full science curriculum on zoom and 'looked after' 5 year old DD. She worked through her school work on her own and then did her own thing the rest of the day unless DH had a 'free' lesson. Obviously he then couldn't do planning and marking so was up frequently until 12-1am catching up on the work he missed. It's caused a lot of stress and we still haven't got on top of some of the stuff around the house that we abandoned at the time. We really can't be in the same situation again!

DumplingsAndStew · 20/12/2021 10:49

I think they need to be much more strict on the criteria for having children in school if there's a lockdown. Sending to school should be a final resort, if there is no alternative.

For the first time, yes, I would be intending to send my child into high school as they are vulnerable. Unfortunately, I don't think this is something my eldest's college offers.

cliffdiver · 20/12/2021 10:49

First lockdown, DDs stayed at home.

Last lockdown they went in, and they will do so again this lockdown.

DH and I are both key workers.

AD80 · 20/12/2021 10:50

I'm not a keyworker, Dp is not deemed a keyworker but worked throughout all lockdowns in his workplace, not at home. my children have EHC plans. If they shut I will definitely be sending them in if there is space for them. They didn't go through the first lockdown but did in January twice a week. Dd can cope somewhat at home but Ds cannot.

My son has always been years behind academically, lockdowns has worsened that and he's off to secondary next year so needs to be imo, even if it's just twice a week again. Even when he went in January, he still fell behind as he didn't have the 1:1 he usually would and put into a different class. Even though that was still much better than being at home because he wouldn't do any work here. I can't get any work done with my youngest at home because Ds takes up my whole attention. I still had to homeschool them 3 times a week but it was better than 5. They are both falling so far behind. Ds needs the routine of being at school. If he has a prolonged time off, it will take weeks to settle him back down and he becomes anxious and withdrawn. It's beneficial for him, me and the school if he's in. If he was to stay off for a couple months, it would be a month if refusing to go in when it's open again. Keeping his routine going is the key. I'm hoping they could go in for more than 2 days a week if it happens again.

When he went back after the first lockdown it took from September - December to settle him back down - he usually loves school and has no behavioural issues but he was unsettled, lashing out etc.. Then the schools shut again in January - We. wasn't going to go through it again with him. I kept him in Just twice a eeek and I'm glad I did.

If there's space, take it. You are both keyworkers and are in more need for them to be in school than most of us.

IncessantNameChanger · 20/12/2021 10:51

It was never keyworkers only.

It was vulnerable and ehcp / sen kids too. I'm not going to declare on the class WhatsApp my dd has ASD and her brother has a disability socail worker. I'm going to let you jump to your own conclusions about my entitlement and protect my kids who are all registered children in need by virtue of their brothers disability.

But if you want to have three kids with SEN and two in SEN schools I would bite your hand off to be at home with them for months or years on end too see them live a neurotypical life. Can we swop places and then you can bask in the joy of my massive entitlement?

Maybe you could go into the office. Only downside really is you would be changing your 9 year olds nappy when you get home.

Small price to pay and I'm sure your family have it so much harder and need it more.

Actually I dont give a shit anymore but this is the reality for us. And the kids who has a child protection order. We dont boast about it as we are already heavily judged and looked down on.

Itisasecret · 20/12/2021 10:52

@Comedycook

I'm sure they will and I will collect her at the end of the school day. What can they do? Call social services? I'm sure they are overworked enough without dealing with a well looked after child who has a parent who simply wants them to be educated at school!
Yes, they will contact social services.
Comedycook · 20/12/2021 10:52

And I'll be very interested to see what ss would do in that situation

steppemum · 20/12/2021 10:53

I have two still in school, aged 16 and 14.
I am not a key worker, and as they are teens can easily work from home anyway, so obviously they were home last time, but dd2 (14) is now considered vulnerable because of her mental health so I will be asking for her to go in at least a couple of days per week in order to keep her health going.

manysummersago · 20/12/2021 10:55

I don’t think that would be a calling SS event. It would be akin to a child suspended or excluded turning up. Not sure what happens in those instances.

Covidworries · 20/12/2021 10:56

We both classed as key workers, so could send in but we wont. If schools are closed its for a reason and 1 child is vunerable so we would rather keep children home.

MarshaBradyo · 20/12/2021 10:57

Everyone is trying to get their dc in school - numbers will be higher still this time

It’s ridiculous some have to fight harder

I don’t blame anyone who does

If it happens, hopefully not

Pawprintpaper · 20/12/2021 10:59

@stitchmaker85

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?
I’m wondering this too, especially if they won’t even fall back on the “employers should be encouraged to furlough staff with childcare responsibilities” because no furlough.

Dh is a kw, I am borderline (small animal vet) we were considered kw in the first lockdown if providing emergency care (I staff a sole-charge branch so this counts for me) but in subsequent lockdowns we weren’t (around the time nearly everyone was claiming kw status). We used a nanny last time but that is no longer an option. I don’t know what I will do, my practice is severely short staffed and mental health/long covid is an issue for a proportion of those who remain. I can’t even get any annual leave approved at the moment.

But if the country is grinding to a halt, there may not be enough school staff even to open for kw children.

Trying not to think about it tbh.

Svara · 20/12/2021 11:02

Yes, they will contact social services.
And if multiple families send their children in? We need to stand up together and let the government know we will not accept children being shut out of schools again.

Itisasecret · 20/12/2021 11:02

That’s happened in my school already. Year groups closed to all because of no staff.

Itisasecret · 20/12/2021 11:02

@Svara

Yes, they will contact social services. And if multiple families send their children in? We need to stand up together and let the government know we will not accept children being shut out of schools again.
It’s happening already, you can’t open schools with no staff.
wizzywig · 20/12/2021 11:02

Yes we'll be sending them in

Comedycook · 20/12/2021 11:03

@Svara

Yes, they will contact social services. And if multiple families send their children in? We need to stand up together and let the government know we will not accept children being shut out of schools again.
Yes and if they do contact ss, are they really going to put my well looked after child into the care system because their parent took them to school?
Svara · 20/12/2021 11:06

It’s happening already, you can’t open schools with no staff.
That's different if individual schools can't open. Ours shut to some year groups last term, but now it's been through there haven't been any further closures.

Floundery · 20/12/2021 11:08

This reply has been withdrawn

Message from MNHQ: This post has been withdrawn

Katie517 · 20/12/2021 11:13

I don’t have a school age child but I think we need to start grasping that everyone’s job is “key” and important mine isn’t by the governments definition but if I don’t work my mortgage doesn’t get paid, we are not in a new scenario now and I think we need to stop after 2 years of this giving children who just happen to have “key worker” parents more of a chance of a decent education than those who don’t. People who worked in McDonald’s were sending their kids in last time as key workers now there is nothing wrong with working at McDonalds but i would argue it’s no more essential than my job.