trekka Posted January 5, 2021 VT Supporter Share Posted January 5, 2021 (edited) Out of interest, how are people finding home delivery services? Luckily, I was able to get a Morrisons delivery for Friday evening. I'm also signed-up to the home delivery through Amazon (using Morrisons) which I've heard good things about. As for Tesco and Asda, down here when I checked they had no slots available for another 2 weeks. Edited January 5, 2021 by trekka Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted January 5, 2021 Moderator Share Posted January 5, 2021 42 minutes ago, Genie said: I’m just pleased that we’re 2-3 weeks into the roll out and they’ve not managed a huge **** up yet. How do you know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheltenham_villa Posted January 5, 2021 Share Posted January 5, 2021 What's everyone experience of school so far. My childrens primary school have just reported that 250 children have been registered as belonging to key workers. School has about 600 kids in total This is up from 80 in the first lockdown (which reduced to 30 by the end). What's causing this? Employer flexibility, people not wanting to home school again or a result of businesses not being locked down in the same way anymore. Anyone else seeing the same? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted January 5, 2021 Share Posted January 5, 2021 5 minutes ago, cheltenham_villa said: What's everyone experience of school so far. My childrens primary school have just reported that 250 children have been registered as belonging to key workers. School has about 600 kids in total This is up from 80 in the first lockdown (which reduced to 30 by the end). What's causing this? Employer flexibility, people not wanting to home school again or a result of businesses not being locked down in the same way anymore. Anyone else seeing the same? Our kids school must have predicted this as they sent very strict emails out about needing to prove key working and kids can only go on days the key worker was working. In terms of home learning it’s been a messy first day. One child’s teacher has literally sent 14 emails of random attachments, explanations, apologies, more attachments. If I print them all it’ll be about 200 pages and 3 sets of ink cartridges. I think there was a bit of a backlash hence the apologies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choffer Posted January 5, 2021 VT Supporter Share Posted January 5, 2021 39 minutes ago, trekka said: Out of interest, how are people finding home delivery services? Luckily, I was able to get a Morrisons delivery for Friday evening. I'm also signed-up to the home delivery through Amazon (using Morrisons) which I've heard good things about. As for Tesco and Asda, down here when I checked they had no slots available for another 2 weeks. I’ve got most of my meals from Tastily or HelloFresh for the last six weeks or so (as I was sick before Christmas so I suspect my immune system is effed). Anything else I need I get from the co-op (via Deliveroo) or Waitrose rapid. As such, I’ve not been in a shop since November. Haven’t even tried to get a delivery slot from a supermarket but I guess being in London, I’m better served by quick delivery options than others might be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingman Posted January 5, 2021 Share Posted January 5, 2021 11 hours ago, snowychap said: It will depend on what the legislation says. I believe that's currently the case and the guidance simply says: Prepare to debate this point, however, if you're stopped by a copper. Unfortunately my folks are about 30 miles away so I'm left without any other options as the are Clinically Extremely Vulnerable Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheltenham_villa Posted January 5, 2021 Share Posted January 5, 2021 4 minutes ago, Genie said: Our kids school must have predicted this as they sent very strict emails out about needing to prove key working and kids can only go on days the key worker was working. In terms of home learning it’s been a messy first day. One child’s teacher has literally sent 14 emails of random attachments, explanations, apologies, more attachments. If I print them all it’ll be about 200 pages and 3 sets of ink cartridges. I think there was a bit of a backlash hence the apologies We have a printer in subscription, you've just reminded me to up the tariff. My frustration now is that with so many kids in the school, the quality of remote learning will be even lower. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HanoiVillan Posted January 5, 2021 Share Posted January 5, 2021 2 hours ago, bannedfromHandV said: Given that we’re now being told to stay home I’m assuming we’ve closed our borders and shut down all the airports etc right? I mean, what would be the point? We're running at more than 50,000 cases per day. There's no point to anything now except getting people vaccinated as fast as possible, and sorting out better financial support for the next few weeks. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ender4 Posted January 5, 2021 Share Posted January 5, 2021 1 hour ago, cheltenham_villa said: What's everyone experience of school so far. My childrens primary school have just reported that 250 children have been registered as belonging to key workers. School has about 600 kids in total This is up from 80 in the first lockdown (which reduced to 30 by the end). What's causing this? Employer flexibility, people not wanting to home school again or a result of businesses not being locked down in the same way anymore. Anyone else seeing the same? Yes, lots more parents applying as key workers. But the school being a lot more strict with criteria, and a maximum of 20 kids per year (out of 120) allowed on a priority basis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharkyvilla Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 39 minutes ago, HanoiVillan said: I mean, what would be the point? We're running at more than 50,000 cases per day. There's no point to anything now except getting people vaccinated as fast as possible, and sorting out better financial support for the next few weeks. Could it help stop new strains of virus developing and getting in and out of the UK? I'm at the point where I'm expecting the worst case scenario that something develops where the vaccine is rendered useless but I'm no scientist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HanoiVillan Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 8 minutes ago, sharkyvilla said: Could it help stop new strains of virus developing and getting in and out of the UK? I'm at the point where I'm expecting the worst case scenario that something develops where the vaccine is rendered useless but I'm no scientist. I'm not a scientist either, but Chris Whitty seemed to think earlier that the chances of a mutation that render the vaccine useless is extremely remote. Regardless, border closures could not achieve that protection at a price I would be willing to pay, and few countries are seriously implementing them at this stage. As far as I can see, the only time border closures would have made any meaningful difference to the course of the pandemic is if they were rigidly in place, along with an already-functioning track-and-trace system *and* quarantining, by the end of January 2020. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackbauer24 Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 2 hours ago, cheltenham_villa said: What's everyone experience of school so far. My childrens primary school have just reported that 250 children have been registered as belonging to key workers. School has about 600 kids in total This is up from 80 in the first lockdown (which reduced to 30 by the end). What's causing this? Employer flexibility, people not wanting to home school again or a result of businesses not being locked down in the same way anymore. Anyone else seeing the same? Same at my school, gone from 20ish in first (warm) lockdown to around 80 this time... In the cold. Funny that. We ask but actually we haven't asked anyone to prove it as it's already quite a tense relationship with parents. A lot more people consider themselves keyworkers now and some seem very very suspect. They also seem to use one parent, even when we know the other is at home. What's even stranger is most of our parents are unemployed so nearly every one of the ones who do have jobs are keyworkers. Really?! The other thing that always winds me up is 'vulnerable children' - slight tangent but not allowed to say this publically; if they are in such a vulnerable situation to NEED school despite the implied risks, why are they a) allowed home at all and b) abandoned over weekends, holidays etc. Not saying not vulnerable, just seems a mixed rule that can only mean we're being too cautious or abandoning them. I don't see what we provide them during a lockdown that they don't have a right to all the time anyway. Not free school meals as hundreds get that through vouchers. Don't know answer. But yes, currently about 20% full. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisp65 Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 8 hours ago, jackbauer24 said: Same at my school, gone from 20ish in first (warm) lockdown to around 80 this time... In the cold. Funny that. We ask but actually we haven't asked anyone to prove it as it's already quite a tense relationship with parents. A lot more people consider themselves keyworkers now and some seem very very suspect. They also seem to use one parent, even when we know the other is at home. What's even stranger is most of our parents are unemployed so nearly every one of the ones who do have jobs are keyworkers. Really?! The other thing that always winds me up is 'vulnerable children' - slight tangent but not allowed to say this publically; if they are in such a vulnerable situation to NEED school despite the implied risks, why are they a) allowed home at all and b) abandoned over weekends, holidays etc. Not saying not vulnerable, just seems a mixed rule that can only mean we're being too cautious or abandoning them. I don't see what we provide them during a lockdown that they don't have a right to all the time anyway. Not free school meals as hundreds get that through vouchers. Don't know answer. But yes, currently about 20% full. Like everything else, there’s a huge spectrum of grey area between the home situation being a clear danger so take their kids off them, and home is fine no need to give them any extra attention on protection. A few hours out of the house can be a release from stress for the kids and for their careers. Half a day without the kids can potentially stop something boiling over. It also allows teachers and others to observe some kids to get an idea if the home situation looks like its improving or deteriorating. The problem being, lots of home visits from health care workers and play specialists are being cancelled because those health practitioners are being recalled to the hospitals to work on covid patients. So no school and no visits would mean those kids dropping off the radar for a few months. That alone is one of the issues with this graphic that was on here a few days ago, yes the hospitals are ‘not full’, but they are on increased capacity, taking staff from other frontline jobs like protecting families. I never know if people are being deliberately nasty minded trotting out these half truths or genuinely don’t understand how the real world works. Lots of kids that are highly vulnerable would be invited to play schemes on weekends and holidays. I know you know all that! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turvontour Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 Really tiring situation with our 3 and 8 year old off nursery and school, and us trying to work at the same time. Online classes and videos for them both from school, which keeps our 3 year old occupied for about 14 seconds. I know other people are in far far worse situations than us but gosh this is testing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JB Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 8 hours ago, jackbauer24 said: The other thing that always winds me up is 'vulnerable children' - slight tangent but not allowed to say this publically; if they are in such a vulnerable situation to NEED school despite the implied risks, why are they a) allowed home at all and b) abandoned over weekends, holidays etc. Not saying not vulnerable, just seems a mixed rule that can only mean we're being too cautious or abandoning them. I don't see what we provide them during a lockdown that they don't have a right to all the time anyway. Not free school meals as hundreds get that through vouchers. Don't know answer. It’s broad range of reasons. I think the answer above mostly nailed it but also at our place, the daily routine of coming to school gives us a chance to keep an eye on the kids - essentially monitor their physical and mental well-being. We have kids who we’re in touch with the local authority over who, sadly in some ways, we’re almost their primary carers, given the situation at their homes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonesy7211 Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 9 hours ago, jackbauer24 said: The other thing that always winds me up is 'vulnerable children' - slight tangent but not allowed to say this publically; if they are in such a vulnerable situation to NEED school despite the implied risks, why are they a) allowed home at all and b) abandoned over weekends, holidays etc. Not saying not vulnerable, just seems a mixed rule that can only mean we're being too cautious or abandoning them. I don't see what we provide them during a lockdown that they don't have a right to all the time anyway. Not free school meals as hundreds get that through vouchers. Don't know answer. My wife is a social worker. There are loads of reasons why vulnerable kids need school access unfortunately, none of them positive. I've purposely not gone into this with specific detail as it makes me too angry and upset. For what it's worth I think schools do a great job of assisting social care with managing vulnerable children. The wider point about more keyworker kids in school, I don't know about everywhere else but my kids schools have called us to ask us what we do and identified for themselves that we're both keyworkers. I wonder if this is happening in other areas where there has been an increase in numbers of kids staying in school? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bannedfromHandV Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 I wonder how much more energy is being consumed now that everyone is stuck in their cold houses, using electricity and internet etc all day long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrenm Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 1 minute ago, bannedfromHandV said: I wonder how much more energy is being consumed now that everyone is stuck in their cold houses, using electricity and internet etc all day long. Theoretically it shouldn't be any different or should be slightly better because that energy isn't being used in large office buildings. Houses tend to be better insulated than offices. I guess the net effect would be negligible apart from the costs being moved onto the employee at which point the employer should be compensating them. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante_Lockhart Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 I've got a 6 year old and through the last lockdown trying to home school was more stressful than work. He just didn't want to do anything, which I can understand because home is the haven away from school. It was basically as others have said, uploaded documents to print off, videos and apps from all over to go in which was confusing etc... Managed to do some bits and bobs, and we do teach him 'skills' in normal day stuff so I didn't feel too bad (I.e. he likes baking with the missus, so he was reading the instructions and measuring the ingredients. English and maths right there with a bit of science >_>) This time around from Monday they're doing a more classroom based learning from 9 til 12, then some GC work on the afternoon. So I assume it'll be Zoom style classroom with everyone but the teacher muted, and the teacher will unmute for questions/answers as required. Much better. In theory. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wainy316 Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 13 minutes ago, bannedfromHandV said: I wonder how much more energy is being consumed now that everyone is stuck in their cold houses, using electricity and internet etc all day long. Yeah but we're reaping the benefits elsewhere of reduced car use and air travel. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts