Key workers

[Whywhywhy1]

Are we still non the wiser as to what a key worker is definitively? Also do both parents have to be key workers for children to be allowed into school or just one? I don’t understand what this has not been addressed?

I'm waiting on an answer to this as well. I'm a ta and have been told I need to be in full time next week. I'm a single parent of 2dcs, feel very much in limbo.

Nope we do not know despite being assured we would earlier.

My DCs school has declared that teachers are not key workers. My own school is 100% pupils with an EHCP so should be providing something. Clear as mud.

If teachers are required to work through closure to enable other people to work, then surely teachers are key workers!

So unclear

Teachers are definitely key workers as they’re enabling front line NHS staff to go to work!

If it wasn’t for the teachers, this wouldn’t be possible!

I’m so surprised that BJ didn’t clarify who KWs are though.

We’ve already had parents trying it on trying to say their children should be in on Monday.

We NEED some clarity!

We have told parents that both parents need to be key workers in a family, but that there will be single parents or other circumstances we might need to consider so accepting we might need to be flexible.
My kids school and childminder have said the same, and it was my understanding that information came from the local authority.

When I left school today the head was still none the wiser.
Also the same goes to whom we are classing as ‘vulnerable’ children.
If it’s those on free school meals our school will be operating as normal without the staff needed.

I think free school meal children are being covered by food vouchers being sent to them. That’s my understanding

From the def website

DFE that should say

Vulnerable children are those with a social worker, under CIN or CP, not disadvantaged

As I've been repeating to staff all day. Deal with this minute now, in front of you. That's all you can do. It will become clear what is expected of you, whilst it's unsettling, knowing now or at some point tomorrow won't make a lot of difference.

I was on a call with the LA at lunchtime today. There is such a long list of issues to be resolved. Everyone is very concerned about the offer for vulnerable children, we dont know if school transport will continue, we don't know how we will feed the kids in school, let alone the ones who aren't.

We have good people working on it but there is an awful lot of "it".

Please, give us a little patience

Our local schools are saying that both parents would have to be keyworkers for the kids to go. I’m a nurse but as my husband can work from home, my kids are off. But my colleagues who are single parents are being allowed to send theirs I believe.

I was flabbergasted not to have this clarified by Bozo (as promised).

Our school is counting one parent as a key worker, even if there is another parent in the home.

We are looking at having a third of our school in if it’s 1 parents who is a key worker.

Our school has asked all staff to come in Monday. FSM kids aren't counted but will be provided with some kind of voucher I think. Still no clarification on key workers but we've said must be both or single parents.
I don't think we'll have more than 70 children in. How is this going to work?
Never mind my own children who are not impressed they're going to have to go to school Monday whilst most of their friends are home.
No idea about Easter hols provision either.
Just feel we've been told we're doing something through TV with no further guidance and left to figure it out.
So stressed.

We're all in too, all those who aren't self isolating.

I do wonder how the NHS is coping at all if the same % of staff needs to self isolate!

There is probably a huge row going on behind the scenes about this

I bet the ongoing row is why the advice is so late in coming out.

I think the list of key workers is much longer than anyone realised when this idea was first muted and there's a lot of debate about where to draw the line.

NHS, yes, delivery drivers, yes, teachers? Other school staff? Care workers? Supermarkets? water and national grid maintenance? Fast food delivery? Plumbers? The people who keep Netflix going?!

The Netherlands managed to produce a list at the same time the announcement to close schools was made so not quite sure why it is so hard.

Our school has 100% pupils with an EHCP and currently considering offering provision for the mainstream children of the teachers and TAs. However the school is already struggling with staffing as there are many self isolating so not sure how it will work.

There have been many unofficial lists banded about by the media but we definitely need the definitive list. It is going to be very long though!

So many professions could be classed as key, but I think they will want to keep the list small to ensure the settings that remain open aren’t jammed full of kids.

Our head was very good about it all today. School transport continues. We already know professions for most parents. Our school transport will run as normal for now. We’re being told tomorrow about the staffing rota. He is absolutely adamant that we shouldn’t feel the need to come in if we aren’t rotated but to keep ourselves safe at home as we are the fall back when those in school get ill, which will probably happen.

I just dont understand what's taking so long he presumably spent all of Wednesday knowing he would announce the schools were closing to all but key workers.

Surely when agreeing to that decision there was a discussion about who counted as a key worker. Anyone else woukd have been expected to havevthat information to hand immediately and put it straight online.

Instead we are now almost 30 hours on from the announcement and schools have 1 more official day remaining before opening to only children of key workers and those with ehcp and stil no list. I understand its going to need to be comprehensive but why bother promising to tell people when you know you have no intention of doing so.