How many key workers children in your primary school?

[FreekStar]

My school has 70% of children eligible All the staff will be in full time including lunchtime supervisors etc. We might as well be open to everyone in my opinion!

If you can wfh then it shouldn’t matter if you’re a key worker or not, why should some parents be entitled to a school place and others not? If you can’t work from home e.g you work on a hospital ward or drive a bus then you are very much entitled to a place. Too many people taking advantage of this just because they have the ‘right’ employer.

The fact is that a key worker who is WFH is stil a KEY WORKER. The original definition being someone who contributes to keeping the infrastructure of the UK going.

In my role, even though I'm WFH, If I can't do my job properly as my kids are at home and I'm having to home school then lives could be at risk.

For some they're providing support to those front line workers, just behind the scenes.

I agree the list of key workers has grown to include some questionable professions but just because you're able to work from home does not mean you stop being a key worker.

Remember that the key emergency services work on more than just front line staff, without the support staff they wouldn't be able to do their job...it's not as simple as some people seem to think from the outside looking in

Remember teachers are key workers too and they're trying to juggle teaching key worker and vulnerable children while simultaneously remotely teaching those children who are not in school and finding time to care for their own children

If you're a Dr/nurse/social worker WFH and calling patients /clients you can't have primary school age kids at home.

Just an example.

@helpmum2003

If you're a Dr/nurse/social worker WFH and calling patients /clients you can't have primary school age kids at home.

Just an example.

Of course you CAN. You just wouldn't be having confidential calls in front of them. What do you think that the rest of country is doing? Most people are bound by similar issues.

@MotherExtraordinaire no you really can't. If your children are secondary age, maybe, but trust is absolutely critical in these professions and having a 7 year old pop in because their computer has crashed, or hearing a 4 year old in the background, could lead to very bad outcomes.

It's not ok to say 'just not confidential calls' because all medical calls should be confidential, and because you can't always predict what will happen. As a health visitor you can be making a routine check in when suddenly a woman discloses that she is worrying that she might kill her baby - how can this be managed with small children there too?

And no, the rest of the country aren't dealing with similar issues. I have had confidential commercial discussions while.wfh, but my 8 year old is not that worried about the terms of a deal renewal, and noone is going to end up unwell or dead if I screw up.

My husband is a keyworker and I am WFH full time. I put our children down for a place this time because we can but I have no intention of using the places until transmission numbers drop for the sake of staff - we are in a low tier area but I appreciate it must be scary for teachers so I will not use the places yet and we will soldier on like many people. However last time my mental health broke by June (husband has a very high pressured role and is out of the house day and night unpredictably) and our childrens’ mental health was suffering from having a very overstressed practically single parent working so hard at home and trying to help them. So like any parent I did what I thought was best and I sent our children in part time and the schools were delighted to have them. Please don’t judge those who can do this and have the legal option to do it - having a key worker job can be very very stressful at the moment and lead to not being able to parent properly. Also remember the children of NHS workers will have vaccinated parents and therefore not adding as much new risk as people think to the school environment. Schools tried so hard to do remote learning but it just isn’t enough to allow parents to work and for some people their jobs are key to keeping the world turning right now.

Are England more relaxed on who is classed as key worker?! Im in Wales and we have 23 out of 400!

I think they must be. Our school in Wales is now only taking children of two "critical workers", not "key workers", and the definition of CW is healthcare, emergency/rescue staff, teachers, or social services staff in critical roles eg social worker/carer. That's it.

Rates still came down whilst Reception, Year 1, 2 and 6 and Keyworker and vulnerable children were at school in May/June/July.
They will come down now when it is just keyworker/vulnerable kids. We just have to breathe and wait and be patient and brave. And our amazing teachers should be first on the list for jab alongside doctors/care workers and health care staff - and they should all get a tax payer funded holiday at the end of all this.

Our school have only offered spaces for approx 25% of children. Usually there is over 600 kids in.

@Thislittlefinger123

I can well believe these high figures. Our school does absolutely no checks or asking for evidence, you can literally put whatever you like as your job title, there's a lot of piss taking going on which is causing resentment amongst those either not eligible, or choosing not to take up a place. Like last time it creates a two tier school system, those in school get full teaching (at our school I know it's not the same for all schools) whilst those at home get weekly Twinkl sheets and naff all else 😒🤔

Yes to this.

I think it needs to be a level playing field. Our school is definitely teaching as they've sent their planning for homeschooling parents to teach at home! So it's a massive disparity between the one's at home and one's in school (loads). I feel so sorry for my Ds'. I'm not a teacher so can't 'teach' effectively from the teachers planning!

48 out of 152 children in today in the two form entry Infant School that I work in... in the first lockdown we had max of 11 on any one day.

@mellongoose

What a kind thing to say.

You don't know what my job is. I often have to go 'on site' at a moment's notice. That could be weekly or with weeks in between. The rest of my role is (at the moment) wfh.

Everyone is doing what they can since times are far from normal. Your judgment of me says more about you. The rest of us are getting on with it. I am grateful for key workers being able to get places in schools. All children who need a place should have one.

I think you're totally failing to see that many non key worker jobs are just as demanding as a key woker job and many non key workers are indeed working full time and homeschooling as they have no option. I'm sure lots of these parents are required on site but can't go in at the moment.

I know of one school that has only accepted 2 front line key worker parents for key worker spaces and I totally agree with this.

How can we stop the spread in schools if so many parents are sending their children in when they're at home?

"Rates still came down whilst Reception, Year 1, 2 and 6 and Keyworker and vulnerable children were at school in May/June/July. "

And bubbles had just 15 children. In some larger schools they are now more than 100.

^ yes we know all jobs struggle. The difference is most keyworker jobs either cant be done from home or are essential atm. My husband is working in benefits that are in place because of covid. Thats why its more important than other roles on his place of work.

At this rate I think the government is going to end up issuing a new, narrower KW list - more along the Wales lines.

Maybe. Im not sure because not everyone can be furloughed...

@justchecking1

Are England more relaxed on who is classed as key worker?! Im in Wales and we have 23 out of 400!

I think they must be. Our school in Wales is now only taking children of two "critical workers", not "key workers", and the definition of CW is healthcare, emergency/rescue staff, teachers, or social services staff in critical roles eg social worker/carer. That's it.

That's not correct. The Welsh list is pretty extensive and similar (if not the same) as the UK one. You've left off large numbers of groups including transport, broadcasting and more.

@Norestformrz do you mean keyworker / vulnerable bubbles of 100? Surely there will be room to haves smaller bubbles than that now?

Yes I mean keyworker bubbles of 100+

I think there’s around 20 - 30% on any given day at my dc’s school.

Around 420 pupils in the primary and 180 kids meant to be going back in. Although that number may go down after the head sent a v angry email saying that they would be checking to see if all met the eligibility.

It's bad isn't it? I know lots of parents with one keyworker (loose terms) and the other doesn't want to have to work from home with kids. But that's just how it is. Ours is at 70% too.

@Norestformrz sorry if I am being dim but why would the bubbles be that big - with adequate staffing and space now that others are remote learning wouldn’t the 100 children be split into smaller bubbles? Why are they considered 1 bubble?