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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Will children of key workers who can go to school during coronavirus outbreak have an advantage?

76 replies

Mollie564 · 20/03/2020 20:23

DH & I are both key workers so our son could go to school. I can probably work from home for a couple of days week. DS15 doesn't want to go to school and he's old enough to be left alone but I'm worried that he will be missing out if other children are going in. He's very easily distracted and I can't keep an eye on him all the time if I'm working at home. Neither of us have the ability to help him with school work.

Are parents supposed to be helping their children or spending the day closely supervising them? Will DS miss out if he's just doing work set online rather than being in school? Are the children who can't go to school, and whose parents haven't got the ability or resources to support them at home, going to be disadvantaged? I don't know what to do for the best, although the advice seems to be keep children at home if you can and it would mean that he wouldn't be using public transport.

OP posts:
HelenaJustina · 20/03/2020 20:26

It’s not education schools are providing any more, it’s ‘limited provision’, in our school they will be doing the same work as set for those not in. They will be in mixed age groups and though there will be some support available, it won’t be individual tuition. More childcare than anything else!

SabineSchmetterling · 20/03/2020 20:26

They won’t be teaching in school. The people supervising won’t even necessarily be teachers. Keep him home.

IceKitten · 20/03/2020 20:28

Judging from the info from my DC's schools, the teachers will be focusing on online teaching for the majority of kids and the provision in school will be more childcare than education.

FlyFishingg · 20/03/2020 20:29

It's not going to be business as usual with lessons for each age group. It's going to be more a case of supervision/babysitting the kids so that their keyworker parents can go to work.

Hotcuppatea · 20/03/2020 20:33

The children at my kids schools will be doing the same work set for the kids at home, but supervised. What they will have as an advantage is a structure and routine, something that's going to behard to maintain after a few weeks of closed schools.

grauduroi · 20/03/2020 20:34

In our school (and probably all the others) it will not be teaching. We are being told that teachers will be online teaching/making resources/available for questions. Support staff will supervise the work given out to all children for a couple of hours and then it is 'childcare'. If not enough staff then we will head for a 'hub' school to pool resources.

Butterflywings1 · 20/03/2020 20:34

It's childcare not education that is being provided in schools from now

Original poster
Mollie564 · 20/03/2020 20:35

On the news they were saying that some schools will have at least 30% of the pupils in, so in a secondary school I would imagine they'd be able to keep the year groups together. They also keep saying that parents will be home schooling from Monday, but I am worried because DH and I just won't be able to do that, because we haven't got the ability and also because we can't be at home all day with him. I am hoping that schools will have some way of monitoring what the children are doing all day.

OP posts:
SKYTVADDICT · 20/03/2020 20:36

Ours is only taking years 7 and 8. Yr 9 and above are considered old enough to stay at home.

SabineSchmetterling · 20/03/2020 20:47

No secondary that I’ve heard of has many coming in.

A school that I know of with 2,400 pupils has 28 confirmed so far. We have about 1000 pupils and have 20ish in on Monday.

SabineSchmetterling · 20/03/2020 20:48

And in both schools they are almost all year 7 with the odd year 8 and 9.

HowIrresponsible · 20/03/2020 20:50

I know someone who is a key worker and her DC can go.

But apparently it is little more than a creche and they would rather their children didn't go because of the infection risk.

FamilyOfAliens · 20/03/2020 20:52

Our school (primary) is providing childcare, not education.

A third of our staff will be at home as they have underlying health conditions and the rest of us will spend the time doing fun stuff with the children.

Though I’m sure it’ll stop being fun pretty quickly.

MrsTumbletap · 20/03/2020 20:55

Schools are not educating children, It is just emergency childcare, there will be very little quality or consistency.

In my school, year 7s will be put with year 11s and in some cases monitored by a first year teacher. There will be very little learning and we have been discussing that they will probably be told to go on a computer or just put on a film.

It isn't possible to teach children of different ages and needs in the same room with any real educational quality.

Keep your child at home if you can, follow government advice.

CallmeAngelina · 20/03/2020 20:55

No, he won't be "missing out."
He will be supervised as childcare, that's all.
Please keep him home. Schools staff need as few children in as possible in order to maintain their own good health as far as possible and to minimise spread amongst the pupils.
It has been stressed to our parents that sending children in should be a last resort, not for fear of "missing out."

FamilyOfAliens · 20/03/2020 20:56

I am hoping that schools will have some way of monitoring what the children are doing all day.

That’s not going to happen.

The teachers will be with the children all day so that will be their day’s work. They won’t then do several more hours work assessing what the home-based children have been doing all day, even if that were possible.

Original poster
Mollie564 · 20/03/2020 20:57

Our school is taking all year groups.

It'll be interesting to see how effective online learning will be. I can't stand online courses and always learn better face to face. I wonder if the children will need to repeat the year (DS is in Year 10).

OP posts:
Hercwasonaroll · 20/03/2020 20:59

Short answer is no.

Schools are doing different things. Our school is using a lot of Seneca which we can monitor. Consequences of not doing it are a phonecall home (ie some students won't do it). The students in school are supervised while doing the work set.

Hercwasonaroll · 20/03/2020 21:00

They won't repeat the year.

June 2021 grade boundaries will be lower!

Original poster
Mollie564 · 20/03/2020 21:01

It's worrying that there won't be a way to monitor what the children are doing. I wouldn't be able to work from home and watch over DS most of the day.

I do think that it was the right decision to close schools, just worried that DS will fall behind his peers.

OP posts:
sofakingg00d · 20/03/2020 21:01

I think your child would probably be the only year 10 in the school, there will only be children who can't be left alone. School should be a last resort - the whole point of schools closing is to keep kids away unless there is no other option.

FlyingPandas · 20/03/2020 21:02

No, I don't think those attending school - or childcare, as has been pointed out - will be at an advantage.

The ones at an advantage will be those who can be at home with a parent who has the time, patience, inclination and fundamental ability to help them complete the work set by schools. Sadly, there will be huge numbers of children who will suffer academically because not every parent is going to be either willing or able to homeschool them properly.

Some parents genuinely won't have the time (ie trying to wfh at the same time) despite best intentions

Some parents will try but really struggle to get kids to comply with home learning (I know so many children who work well in school and behave beautifully for their teachers - but fight against even simple homework or reading practice with parents at home)

Some parents will in theory have the time and ability but have to deal with a tricky mixture of ages/educational levels/special needs etc which will impact on their children

Some parents will really want to help their children but due to their own poor education level or low intelligence will really struggle

and some parents will simply not be arsed to help them because they're lazy twats and don't care.

The whole situation will blow the gap between the haves and the have nots a mile wide sadly. But I don't think those able to attend a school will necessarily have an advantage, no.

Mummyshark2018 · 20/03/2020 21:03

Children of key workers will not be advantaged academically imo- Schools will be providing childcare not a full curriculum. These children will not be able to do social distancing like other kids will so will be at higher risk . Whilst it's fantastic that this service is available it should be a last resort for people who have no choice, not used just because you can.

Vulnerable children however may be in a better position than what they would be if they were at home as the situation of kids on child protection plans for example is dire. I work with these kids and this service might literally save lives (from abuse).

I'm a key worker so could use this service, but I feel very fortunate that my dh was made redundant recently (not corona related) so he can be at home to look after dc so I don't have to send them into school. My dh is struggling to get a job though so not all great though!

Original poster
Mollie564 · 20/03/2020 21:03

I've never heard of Seneca before. Just googled it...looks very good!

OP posts:
HotDogGuy · 20/03/2020 21:03

If you’re child is 15 with no additional needs I think it’s ridiculous to consider sending him into school. Yes they should be doing his set work, yes the parents should be ensuring they are doing the work. That doesn’t mean helping him or hovering over him all day that means motivating him to work. Something that will stand them well for a-levels / uni. They won’t be missing out.

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