Coronavirus and schools

[ukaskew]

Every single kid my wife teaches is on an EHCP so she will be one of the few teachers expected to be in work every day presumably.

One slight issue, what if those teachers have kids in (closed) schools? The knock on effects are never ending.

[21TonyK]

ukaskew said:

Every single kid my wife teaches is on an EHCP so she will be one of the few teachers expected to be in work every day presumably.

One slight issue, what if those teachers have kids in (closed) schools? The knock on effects are never ending.

I think this is going to come down to head teachers to make the call. All our kids have EHCPs and we expect to close on Friday on the basis that we don't have sufficient transport or teachers.

There will be a lot of confused parents (and staff!) until each school makes its own announcement.

[page3]

21TonyK said:

ukaskew said:

Every single kid my wife teaches is on an EHCP so she will be one of the few teachers expected to be in work every day presumably.

One slight issue, what if those teachers have kids in (closed) schools? The knock on effects are never ending.

I think this is going to come down to head teachers to make the call. All our kids have EHCPs and we expect to close on Friday on the basis that we don't have sufficient transport or teachers.

There will be a lot of confused parents (and staff!) until each school makes its own announcement.

My son has an EHCP and so far the school expects to stay open, although they are going to confirm plans tomorrow. They are already children and staff down, so I can see them closing anyway. Additionally, all children travel by cab which I’m more uneasy about than when at school from a health perspective.

My son would like to be at home. We’re in two minds seeing as we had to take the local authority to court to get him there and they’ve done wonders.

Edited by page3 on Wednesday 18th March 20:26

[21TonyK]

page3 said:

...

Edited by page3 on Wednesday 18th March 20:26

PM'd

[bp1]

biggbn said:

bp1 said:

biggbn said:

bp1 said:

biggbn said:

My last three week placement as a student teacher was due to start at in April, cancelled on Monday. Tells me somebody somewhere knew the schools up here were closing, or, at the least, they foresaw the logistical nightmare of getting us on placement in a rapidly dwindling pool of schools.

All our classroom assessments had been done regardless so one step closer to qualifying but I will miss that last three weeks, learnt so much, yet, it's for the best for everyone!

My niece in the same boat. Worried she may need to repeat the year as missing more than 14 days means you don't qualify. I'm sure there will be some form of exemption but never can tell with bureaucracy.

We have been told we will move on to probationary year unless there are causes for concern.

Good to know!

She had glowing reviews from her supervisors so she should be ok. Possibly because shes one of the few women doing physics teaching!

I'm in Scotland mind, dunno where you are?

Glasgow

[Sheepshanks]

clockworks said:

My two younger sisters are both posting on Facebook how great it is that the schools are closing. They both have kids in year 3, and one has a daughter due to sit A levels. Not really sure if they have thought this through though.

One sister is a care lead in a nursing home, the other works in a supermarket. Although "key workers" doesn't seem to have been clarified in the context of kids still going to school after Friday, I'm pretty sure that care workers will be included, and supermarket workers will follow as soon as they have staffing problems.

Are they single mothers? If not then why can't their partners look after the kids?

Having said that, one of my daughters is NHS front line and her husband, who is a teacher, has said there's no way he's looking after his own two little kids for weeks on end. He's not joking either - they're lovely, but very full on and he's hopeless with them.


Current information from our other daughter, who is Deputy Head in a very big senior school, is they had no prior warning this was going to happen and have no idea what is going to happen. It's awkward as pearent don't believe them. Her Head is livid - they were running close to normal, they could have stayed open and they almost certainly will on some kind of basis.

His initial thoughts to staff is that he's expecting them in if they're not ill, but oddly teaching is not one of the essential occupations, and at the moment he's saying teachers can't bring their own kids in - often it would be difficult if they're young kids.

At infant / Junior level it's thought schools will group together to offer child-minding type services. Teachers may be redeployed to schools other than their own.

If they're going to have to look after kids where one or other of the parents is in an essential occupation, then some schools are going to be at near normal levels.

Edited by Sheepshanks on Wednesday 18th March 22:12

[Pistonpants]

Anyone pulling their kids out now or waiting until Friday?

I was going to take my kids out of school anyway due to the inaction from the government. Not sure whether to pull out now or send them in for the last couple of days?

[Wildcat45]

This is sensible.

However, my wife has come home from school a but teary. The work the kids have put into their exam work (The arts aren't just sit down exams) is outstanding.

The head is demonstrating outstanding leadership.in planning for who knows what. He's arranged for free school meals kids who have self isolated to get those meals. They're being put in taxis and delivered.

Staff who have ailments that put them at risk, reluctantly went home earlier in the week.

There's a palpable air if depression around the house tonight. She was planning to hold extra classes through the first week of Easter. She and her team always do. She doesn't want to be off school. She wants to be with her team and her kids - even the stroppy ones.

The whole thing is just so sad and so horrible.

[clockworks]

Sheepshanks said:

Are they single mothers? If not then why can't their partners look after the kids?

Having said that, one of my daughters is NHS front line and her husband, who is a teacher, has said there's no way he's looking after his own two little kids for weeks on end. He's not joking either - they're lovely, but very full on and he's hopeless with them.


Current information from our other daughter, who is Deputy Head in a very big senior school, is they had no prior warning this was going to happen and have no idea what is going to happen. It's awkward as pearent don't believe them. Her Head is livid - they were running close to normal, they could have stayed open and they almost certainly will on some kind of basis.

His initial thoughts to staff is that he's expecting them in if they're not ill, but oddly teaching is not one of the essential occupations, and at the moment he's saying teachers can't bring their own kids in - often it would be difficult if they're young kids.

At infant / Junior level it's thought schools will group together to offer child-minding type services. Teachers may be redeployed to schools other than their own.

If they're going to have to look after kids where one or other of the parents is in an essential occupation, then some schools are going to be at near normal levels.

Edited by Sheepshanks on Wednesday 18th March 22:12

One of my sisters is a single mum, the other has a partner (who will look after the kids, rather then send them to school if sister is deemed to be a key worker).

Having spoken to one of my sisters after my original post, I can see why she is happy about the school closures. As lead carer in a nursing home, she takes her job very seriously. She has been practicing social distancing for a couple of weeks now, along with a much stricter domestic hygiene routine (bleaching doorhandles and the doorbell for example). Apart from work, school runs and food shopping, the whole house hold has stayed indoors. She can't bear the thought of passing any infections on to the elderly people that she looks after.
The one in her plan was the kids going to school, and the risk of cross-infection.

I was against school closures initially, because of the potential impact on the parents' ability to continue working. Seems to me that the plan announced yesterday will strike a good balance between suppressing the spread of CV and keeping essential services going..

Also interesting to hear that one local supermarket (Asda) has started recruiting extra temporary staff to cover for sickness and self-isolation. They are targeting hospitality workers who have been laid off.

[21TonyK]

Not sure if its true but it would make sense. Has been suggested that schools remaining open to provide for key workers children will do so through the school holidays as well.

[vaud]

Our school is still awaiting guidance on "key worker" but have issued this in the interim:

• National Health Service staff
• Teachers and school staff
• Police officers, Community Support Officers and some civilian police staff
• Prison officers and some other Prison staff
• Probation Service staff
• Social workers, educational psychologists, and therapists
• Local Authority Planners
• Firefighters
• Some Ministry of Defence personnel
• Environmental Health Officer
• Highways England [Traffic Officers]
• Supermarket Workers
• Delivery drivers
• Workers in the manufacture of hygiene and medical products
• Workers in the food supply chain

[vaud]

v15ben said:

Similar list for us.

However the majority in my form who have key worker parents have said their families have made alternative arrangements, so they won't be in school anyway.

Very surreal atmosphere in our school today. Strangest day in my teaching career definitely.

Tomorrow at 3:15 is going to be very emotional I think.

Class was already down to 18 from 29 yesterday.

[Bill]

21TonyK said:

Not sure if its true but it would make sense. Has been suggested that schools remaining open to provide for key workers children will do so through the school holidays as well.

My eldest's 2ndary is planning to apparently.

[XJ75]

Our nursery has confirmed they are closing from tomorrow but as per their terms and conditions, we still have to pay full fees.

So my wife will have to take unpaid leave to look after our daughter, meaning we will lose her entire income, and we will still be paying £1k a month in fees.

I sympathise with the nurseries as they are in a difficult position, but this is going to put a lot of families in a tough spot. The only real solution I can see is the government bailing out the nurseries so that parents don't have to pay fees.

[stitched]

My OH is a self employed nursery worker, she and her full time colleagues are offering private childcare at the same rate as their closed nursery for any nhs staff.
Suggest you engage with the girls who look after your sprogs.

[KTF]

My nursery has emailed out to say give them 24h to work out what to do after he announcement yesterday and that they will not charge fees for children unable to attend.

I am quite happy to keep sending him there if allowed but waiting to see what they say first.

Have also heard that they government is only currently planning to pay the funding until the end of term (Easter) for the 'free' childcare places. This may change but is also going to have an impact on how long they stay open.

[XJ75]

Still waiting for more details from our nursery, they claim they might stay open for key workers children (we aren't key workers), but I'll speak to the nursery staff. Although that means that we will have to pay the nursery and then pay for the self-employed person to help us out. It might work out slightly better as my wife will be able to earn her income, but it's still not ideal.

[KTF]

Yes, I would be surprised if they turn down the option to bring in more money from people not on the list (assuming that is allowed). Something like that may well keep them going for longer.

Mine has also been shuffling staff between nurseries to maintain the ratios and that was working until the government let lose the torpedo yesterday evening.

[stitched]

XJ75 said:

Still waiting for more details from our nursery, they claim they might stay open for key workers children (we aren't key workers), but I'll speak to the nursery staff. Although that means that we will have to pay the nursery and then pay for the self-employed person to help us out. It might work out slightly better as my wife will be able to earn her income, but it's still not ideal.

Rather surprisingly the nursery my oh works at have said they will continue to pay the wages of any staff who continue to look after kids at home, obviously only those kids who free up key workers.

[768]

Didn't realise until this morning that the key worker thing only applies if it's both parents.

The Guardian said:

What if only one parent is a key worker?

If one parent is a key worker, the government will expect the other parent to have their child at home. Single parents who are key workers will obviously be entitled to a school place.

My wife's a respiratory specialist AHP in the private sector and wanted to go back to the NHS while it's difficult for her to work privately, on a fraction of the money but doing something positive - on initial enquiries they virtually snapped her arm off.

But I earn in an hour what she'd get paid for a day and we've bred too much (thanks to too many arriving in one order) so I'd be overrun on the first day. Consequently I can't see the NHS getting the benefit of her experience which seems a shame, I'd assume others are in the same boat.