Sending DC to School - Keyworker Places

[MrsGatsby99]

I am going to be live teaching from home for the next 10 days. If all primaries are shut, then I feel torn about sending my DC in as key workers' children. Did it in June/July but it feels somehow more risky now. I have looked and most reports say there seems to be no more risk to young children but new strain is more transmissable. If you are in same situation, what do you think you will do? Thank you.

How old are they?
I'm sending my 3yo out of necessity

7 and 9. I think we are going to have to. The 7 yo won't be able to have very little supervision for 5/6 hours in the day. We have to follow our timetable.

I think I will send my 5 year old in. We are expected to live teach too and I can't do that with a child around. Don't have much choice.

I don't have kids, so my perspective possibly isn't super helpful, but what sort of safety measures are they going to put in place for key worker children?

I am secondary, so it's a bit different, but ours are going to have strict social distancing from each other and staff, and be in rooms with much smaller numbers than normal (like in the summer with Y10).

I don't think the risk is to your children, but to you (and staff in their schools). Can you keep your children out of the wider community as far as possible?

My school have also said they will be sympathetic to those with childcare issues. I don't know what this will look like in practice.

I don't think there are easy answers.

Mine have to go in. Because I will be running a keyworker bubble myself. Can’t be helped. Smaller classes will make a difference, distancing easier etc.

I do wonder if it would make more sense for primary staff to take their own kids to their own school. Nightmare logistically but surely the risk is lower because you're exposed to the same people instead of two groups? Would be tricky to have a 3yo in secondary however!

Under about 9 they can't really social distance.

Mine are in whilst I’m teaching the keyworker group but with me at home when I’m teaching remotely. I think it’ll be doable, mainly because my school have been fairly reasonable and are only expecting a couple of live lessons a week.

I've got to do live slots twice a day - my child is going to the KW group, but not until Wednesday. She doesn't know anything about it yet, there are going to be tears tomorrow. Her best mate is also going, but not until Thursday. We might have to muddle through Wednesdays since it's now longer term.

I have been refused a keyworker place for my 7 year old because DH isn't a keyworker, although he will be working full time from home and his job involves being on the phone/on zoom literally all day and his employer so there won't be any home-schooling happening. I will be on-site every day either doing covid tests or supervising the children of other keyworkers.

Sorry, that should say and his employer wont furlough him or let him reduce his hours.

@Washimal This was me with a 3yo earlier. I rang and spoke to the head, emailed him the DfE guidance re one KW parent and they suddenly found a place.

I'm expected to live teach my entire timetable. I can't have a 5 year old for that, she would be totally ignored. So she will have to go in.

I’m supposed to be doing a full live timetable from home but have 2 primary aged dc.
I really don’t want to send them in when both dh and I are at home (dh keyworker too) so my compromise is going to be a mixture of recorded and live for my students and mainly neglect for my own.
I could take up keyworker places for my own dc but I think as many people as possible should keep dc at hone for the greater good.
When this is all over I want to say I did what I believe to be the right thing for everyone, not just for me and my dc.
I do feel sick at the thought of juggling it all for months though.

I admire you @CuckooCuckooClock but just could not do 5/6 hours of live teaching and look after DC. DP is a key worker working outside of home so no support in the day so, to me, it is for 'the greater good' that I send them as it means I can give a relatively good quality lesson to the 100+ students I have to teach without being interrupted. But am worried for my DC, that they might get ill or pass it on. We can all only do the best we can in our individual circumstances. That's why this is so complicated.
Good luck, all.

I understand- we are all doing our best in difficult circumstances. My lessons are certainly not good quality and I expect I will get a lot of parental complaints. Some of my colleagues are delivering amazing remote lessons and mine are total crap.
Life’s full of trade-offs.
Good luck to you too x