Homeschooling better than going into school currently.

Santana, nobody should expect normality right now. Everyone is just doing their best to manage.

Obviously, you feel protective of your grandchildren, but they need to learn to take the rough with the smooth. It's a valuable lesson to cope with occasional bad days and less than ideal situations.

I doubt that they'd be happier at home. Who would look after them and provide the two hours of home schooling they'd need every day?

I am not sure what OP means. Do you mean that they are currently going to school as a keyworker child and you want them to do online lessons at home?

Santana firstly, who would homeschool? Secondly, have the children voiced any wishes, our GC, aged almost 8 much prefers to be at school, if they’d prefer to be at school I’d suggest a weekend trial so they know the reality.
growstuff children that young can’t be left at home on their own, they’d have no problem reclaiming their places once schools fully open again.

Two disadvantages of home-schooling are:

It could be difficult to get the children back into the school in the future, especially if it's an oversubscribed school.

When the children are ready for GCSEs and if here are still outbreaks of Covid and lockdowns (let's hope there aren't), entering them for public exams could be difficult. Last year, home schooled pupils had huge problems being entered for assessments.

Why do the children need to be home-schooled anyway? Just because there are places available in the school, they don't have to go. Who would supervise them during the day? Are they mature enough to be left on their own. It's not a decision which should be taken lightly.

I think if you ask the children, they will say they want to see at least some of their friends in school. You say yourself that the pupil grabbing your GD's ponytail has severe problems at home, so obviously she needs to be in school, where she can be helped with behaviour problems.

If the online lessons crashed, no-one in school or out would have been receiving lessons, up to the school to fix. If it was a problem with an individual laptop, you only have to ask the child to move aside.

I can see the damage that is being done to my grandchildren's mental health, shut away from their friends and teacher. Normally outgoing and sociable, they are so close to the edge the slightest thing has them in tears, and they have a loving home with a chromebook each to use, and as much adult help as their working mum and the pair of us can provide.