Any other teachers going to have problems with wraparound care when we are back full-time?

[DippyAvocado]

DH and I are both teachers. We have managed rota shifts with our own DC at home but are both expected back into school on 1st June. I'm not sure why DH has been asked to go in as he is secondary and my understanding is the guidance for those pupils returning is not out yet. I think his head is assuming that Year 10 and 12 will be in soon and as DH teaches at subject at only KS4/KS5 and is covering for a shielding teacher he will be busy once they do return. Hopefully it will turn out he doesn't have to be in initially.

My DC have been offered key worker space at their own school, all good. But the before and after-school club is not running. It's only been open on-site for a year but had good take-up so the other providers that had been operating before ended their provision. We live in a village and used to use the one and only childminder but she is no longer operating. I asked if she might be willing to have them again for a short period and she said no.

I have put tentative feelers out among friends, much as I hate to have to ask them to take my DC daily, but my DC are not in year groups that are returning, so none of their friends are in school. Their parents are understandably reluctant to make special trips to school to collect my DC when they are busy working from home. I've advertised on the local FB page for a childminder but I'm not going to leave them with a complete stranger unless they have some kind of references.

I have been trying to think of solutions to suggest to mine and DH's SLT. We could take it in turns to leave early in the afternoons - I am within 15 minutes of their school, but unfortunately my DC's school finishes earlier than mine so I would have to miss half an hour of the afternoon. I imagine staffing is so tight that I may not have a TA in my class so don't know who would cover? DH is 45 minutes away.

I could ask if my DC could come into class with me? Do you think your SLT would allow this?

I could ask the DC's school if they could sit in the office for 45 minutes at the end of the day if I am able to bolt out as soon as my own pupils have left, but I don't see them going for this.

Anyone else with the same issue who has some suggestions?

Would staggered pick up times help? Think our local schools will have an hour long drop off in the morning, with set times for each bubble, so assume pick up will be the same.

Yes, that's an idea. I could ask my SLT to stagger my group so I could pick-up/drop-off my own DC. Thank you.

DH and I are both teachers too but also have a medically vulnerable (but not shielding) toddler. We’ve done the seek medical advice bit and he can’t go into childcare at the moment as he has respiratory weakness. My Mum would love to have him but isn’t allowed to due to current rules.

No idea how it will work 🤷‍♀️

It's so difficult isn't it user. In your position could you apply for emergency dependent's leave? It's unpaid of course.

I think you need to hand the problem over to your line manager, to some extent.
They won't know who has a problem unless you tell them - they might assume the other parent is available. I'm not facing this problem yet but will eventually, and there is no way I am bringing friends in to act as childcare (increasing our and their exposure) and I don't have family anyway.
I think your employers will need to allow you both to come late/leave early on some kind of rota. This will apply to lots of staff.

BJ said that any return to work needs management to be understanding. Surely this applies to teachers too? Schools will have to provide some flexibility for staff.
My ds is year 8 and so whilst he's fine at home in theory, I don't like the idea of him being on his own five 5 days a week if I am expected in every day.

Im wondering this. Three night a week were now shielding grandparents. Two were an after school club that is not operating atm.

Monday to Thursday breakfast club and after school club here. No GP support so literally no idea how I would work with no childcare

Our LA has sent out guidance that says staff have to use available worker provision but that headteachers should be flexible where staff have childcare difficulties. It said something about if there are two parents, the non-critical worker parents should enable the critical workers to go to work but as we are both teachers that won't apply. I'm going to refer to that guidance when I contact her.

available key worker provision

Hey Dippy- just seen this and I’m in he same position as you. Both DH and I are teachers. My SLT asked this question (amongst others) to help them plan and it is just nigh on impossible to exactly prepare until we know exactly what our three different schools decide to do as their plan. I do know my SLT will understand!

Yes, it is impossible to plan based on so many different possibilities! I don't know when DH will have to go in. I don't want them to start going to their school while he's home, then have to start coming into my school when he goes back as I'm sure we shouldn't switch "bubbles" like that. I don't know if drop-off will take longer than usual if we all have to line up outside.

I think my SLT will go by the book but they will probably be annoyed! It's nit my problem to fix really though - I am happy to make use of what provision is available to me.

Why not put forward a couple of suggestions to your SLT to show you've done some thinking around the issue and let them choose whichever one works best for the school?

Whilst your DH isn't required in school, the children can stay at home with him so email your school something like this, "DH and I are both teachers and once we are both back at school, our DC will need to be cared for using keyworker childcare provision. Their own school is offering places from Xam until Xpm but there is no wraparound care available. I have come up with a couple of ways to manage this so please let me know which works best for you;

1. DC attend their own school - I will arrive late (Xam) on three days and will need to leave at Xpm on two afternoons to collect them. DH will do the opposite.
2. My DC access keyworker childcare here at your school and I am available for my usual hours (DH teaches secondary so it is not possible for our DC to be cared for there).

The email address for DCs' headteacher is blahblah@blahschool - I'm very happy for you to get in touch to discuss accommodating my DC for additional hours if you would like to."

My DC are a bit older now but a few years ago I put my headteacher in touch with the head of my youngest's school and let them battle out a childcare/school journey dilemma. My DH also teaches secondary and at a school further away so wasn't able to help with the youngest - he made various arrangements for the eldest but she was in Y6 so was more independent. Getting the two headteachers to sort it out made it much easier.

That sounds very well thought out @SE13Mummy

Omg I was lying awake last night worrying about exactly the same thing. DH is a shift working key worker. Ds is year 3, I teach 3 days a week at a school 20 minutes away and he goes to breakfast club and ASC Or is collected by grandparents when DH and I are Both working. Haven’t been told yet when I’m returning (secondary) DS’s school have confirmed he can attend under their keyworker provision but no idea of timings yet. Think I’m going to email our HR person tomorrow.

I am in this position too. My trust are very understanding I can work around the drop off and pick up times of the provision in place for my children at their school. You can't physically be in two places at the same time and we are all in the same situation re. ASC and BC so I'd imagine they will be fine.

My school working round if we need it.

Oh dear, I am in this position now too. The school have been open 8-6 for key worker children u til now, but with other year groups going back they are reducing the hours. The breakfast and after school club they usually go to isn't open.

Will SLT just think that we should find another childcare provider, though? I don't even know how to go about finding a childminder with things how they are at the minute.

And what if the school's wraparound care never reopens (ie not even in September). How long will our employers be willing to be flexible for, do you think? Aaah I'm panicking!