12 days in school since Christmas, how can I help her?

[AchieveTheImpossible]

Posting this on Covid board and Primary Education Boards.

DD is 6, Year 2.

Currently self isolating and I’ve caught covid from her, tested positive today. Which is DDs day 5, so we’ve already been home for 6 days.

If I test positive right up to day 10 (DD is still testing positive today – very brightly positive as well) then she will have had just 7 days in school since Christmas.

We didn’t go back until 5th January. She then had a stomach bug which took her out for 2 days in the second week. Then last week had a hospital appointment which wasn’t meant to take as long as it did – she got to school after afternoon registration so is marked down as missing the whole day. Her class closed for 3 days last week with no work provided.

Tested positive Monday morning so missed 5 days, and I tested positive today, I have no symptoms right now but that could change. 10 days ends on 8th February so she’d be back for 9-11th then off for half term.

DD has suspected dyslexia (she can’t read, write or spell – she had some assessments last term but not had the results yet), DCD (new name for dyspraxia) and hypermobility. She also has a speech disorder and gets SALT through school (funded somehow – a TA works with her 1-1 and in small groups on specific exercises, I offered to help fund it and was told no, and the council don’t know anything about it)

We’ve had nothing at all from school apart from a list of general websites like twinkl for home learning.

I’m a single parent and cannot get her to school, all school said is to expect a fine. Her dads not involved in the week at all. School didn’t offer a solution to get her to school even though I asked for one.

So assuming she will have had less than half the days in school this half term how can I help her? Any specific resources, or anything?

It feels a bit impossible right now as we’d only just caught her up from the last lot of school closures.

Dyspraxia - you need to let her use scissors, beads, play doh - anything that builds muscle strength

Dyslexia - word game apps are good - look at Oxford owl online - lots of free books that read to the children and games to play

Look at Phonics play - gives you some ideas - print works and put them on the wall -

Ask her to ‘touch’ the/and/is/they etc if she wants a drink - dress it up as a secret password!

Get some phonics cards and play games with them - pairs etc all good for memory

There’s free touch typing on line - typingclub has a bright coloured one for smaller children

Get some chalk and draw on the walls or glass pens for the windows - all clean easily.

Download some free audio books and increase her vocabulary

Just to add to the good suggestions above pour some flour/sugar/shaving foam on a tray or even a large plate and practice writing letters/numbers/short words in it with fingers.
Helps with muscle memory as well as the obvious.
Tape a line of masking tape on kitchen floor or even on carpet for her to walk along to practice balancing. Also try some kids yoga videos on YouTube.

We are in the exact same situation, my daughter has had 5 days of school since the 16th December. We are on day 8 and she and I are a lot better, the school have been sending home learning and she's happy to do it as she's so bored.

We do reading together and games on TOPMARKS for maths, we only do an hour though. It's tough but I hope it all gets better for us all.x

I don't think she has to isolate, does she?

This is what the NHS website says

you will not need to self-isolate if any of the following apply:

you're fully vaccinated – this means 14 days have passed since your final dose of an approved COVID-19 vaccine
you're under 18 years old
you're taking part or have taken part in an approved COVID-19 vaccine trial
you're not able to get vaccinated for medical reasons

Sorry, if I'm misunderstanding the rules or you live elsewhere.

@SprinkledGlitter

I don't think she has to isolate, does she?

This is what the NHS website says

you will not need to self-isolate if any of the following apply:

you're fully vaccinated – this means 14 days have passed since your final dose of an approved COVID-19 vaccine
you're under 18 years old
you're taking part or have taken part in an approved COVID-19 vaccine trial
you're not able to get vaccinated for medical reasons

Sorry, if I'm misunderstanding the rules or you live elsewhere.

@SprinkledGlitter She doesn't have to isolate once she's negative but theres no way of me getting her to school as I don't own my own car so I'd have to pass others, school will not let me on school grounds while positive and won't pick her up, I asked all this, so she's going to have to miss school until I'm negative. Considering it was only faintly positive today and DD was the same until today I'm assuming I'll test positive until Day 10.

Can you drop a note in class WhatsApp and ask other parents to help? That's what's been happening round here.

It sounds like school is being unhelpful.
I understand you not being able to take her, but surely they can see this too?

What I really don't understand is why no home learning?
The only acceptable reason for this would be if the teacher themselves is ill.

I say this as an extremely overworked teacher currently trying to do 2 jobs at once being in school and also providing home learning!

@twinkletoesimnot

It sounds like school is being unhelpful. I understand you not being able to take her, but surely they can see this too?

What I really don't understand is why no home learning?
The only acceptable reason for this would be if the teacher themselves is ill.

I say this as an extremely overworked teacher currently trying to do 2 jobs at once being in school and also providing home learning!

@twinkletoesimnot Thats what I don't get there's 3 classes per year, I doubt all 3 have come down with it. But then I know last week when the class closed for 3 days the teacher left was sent to teach another class, so maybe they just haven't got time to sort homelearning too?

I am so sorry I misread your post due to my own panic!

My child had corona, has now finished isolating but my dh now has it.
My dh is my carer. He usually gets ds to school, so I am not sure how we will manage.

I am so sorry school are being unhelpful and horrid about the fine.

Sorry if I just came across as having a further dig.

You've had some good suggestions here so won't repeat but with regards to a fine, it's very unlikely and cannot see how it can be upheld if you're following the law. Don't pay it in the unlikely event they issue.

School are being really unhelpful.

I’d probably walk her to school and drop her just outside the playground, though. Must be a bit miserable for her - poor kid.

Can you ask a friends parents to take her? I’ve been picking up kids in my DDs class both last term & this term! Quite a few of us have been doing this across the school. We have a class WhatsApp & I’m always happy to help! I’ve also taken my neighbours kids to an entirely different school. They’ve been late in but at least they’ve been in!

I’m sure someone could help?

There isn't a class whatsapp, or facebook page or anything like that. There's a parents page on Facebook but it's run by the school and posts have to be approved. I've never had a post approved on there so no way to ask. Due to covid and them mixing the classes I only know one or two of the parents.

I had covid 6 weeks ago and she missed a full week of school then as well.

I don't have anyone to help. ExH won't contact me outside of court ordered contact, if I ask him to help I get told to f-off. My parents don't believe in covid so have told me to just get on with it and go out.