Could they get furloughed workers to help in schools?

[BlackWhitePurple]

We keep hearing that one problem with reopening schools is that there aren't enough staff to cover split classes.

Would it be feasible to ask now for some furloughed workers to help out in September? I'm thinking the likes of hairdressers, sports coaches etc who are unlikely to be back to work any time soon. If the government are still going to be paying furloughed wages (which presumably they'll have to, if the industries can't open), they could offer to pay 80% instead of 60% or whatever it is, do background checks now, and put some training in place to allow them to at least supervise groups of primary-school children. Also offer to pay SAHP the same amount if they help.

I'm thinking the school could then move, say, the older age groups (from primary) into, say, a village/scout/church/community hall, and spread the younger classes out over the remaining classes and assembly hall.

The teacher could then do the actual teaching, and then leave the class with the TA to complete work, and then go into the other classroom to teach there. An extra person in each class would help with supervision.

It's not ideal, obviously, but it would allow all pupils (in primary at least) back to school with social distancing in place. It would need money to be spent (to boost the furloughed workers' pay, add some SAHPs, hire halls etc), but they've already found billions, and it wouldn't be prohibitively expensive in comparison (plus it would allow taxpayers to return to work).

Obviously it wouldn't work for every school, but it would be a start for some.

It's not likely to go on forever (if everyone goes back to work then we either go back to normal, or Corona spikes again and we go back to lockdown).

Anyone have any other ideas for how things could work?

A DBS check does not, in most cases, take weeks, a couple of days is standard. You can get a barred list check in minutes. Even if you have one, it only tells you they've never been caught.

That doesn't mean it's not necessary.

It would be a child protection nightmare!

How willing do you think parents will be to hand over their kids to strangers in unfamiliar buildings for 'a bit of teaching and then some supervision'?

I think you'd be surprised Worst, but how would it be different to any other new member of staff? They're not going to be in a building on their own, there would be recognised staff too.

Other new members of staff in a familiar setting is very different to strangers in an unfamiliar setting.

Sleepy, I read Lola’s post as references plus DBS.
Yes, it's references plus DBS.

FFS! So many people are so free and easy with other peoples' lives, time, money, property, etc. 'They' can get furloughed workers to do . . . first it was picking fruit and veg, then care home work, now this.

@LolaSmiles

Sleepy, I read Lola’s post as references plus DBS. Yes, it's references plus DBS.

Yes, I'm aware of that. DBS checks which apparently can be got in a couple of days - extremely unlikely.

I get other parents are apparently fine with this. I would not send my 5 yr old into this set up. Not a chance.

Most DBSs are back within 2 days, some are even quicker. I know they take longer for some voluntary organisations but the system we use in school confirms a clear result very quickly, in almost all cases. The only delays are where the individual has a very complex history of house moves or if the Metropolitan police, who always seem to have a backlog, are involved.

I've never had a DBS check back in a couple of days and that's in normal circumstances - not when we're adding so many new workers into the mix. Its not just the DBS though - which is the absolute minimum - its the wider safeguarding issues that would be a nightmare.

The main issue though is what is the point of getting children back into school if they are not being taught by a teacher. I know its been a while since the schools were open but we do all remember they exist for children to be educated by trained staff yes?

I dont want random strangers with unknown histories, working with vulnerable children. That's a massive safe guarding issue. Enhanced CRBs can take 12 weeks to process. Teachers are qualified to teach. How are unqualified/untrained people going to teach?! They haven't been trained to teach children with disabilities. They'll end up doing more damage than good! My children will be better off using online learning resources, at home with me.

My children will be better off using online resources,at home with me
Unfortunately if your job won’t be there if you don’t go back when required, they may not have a home. Of course people need to be checked, of course retired teachers and other volunteers won’t be as good, but in reality at least parents can keep their jobs and children will have socialisation with some education thrown in.

Not everyone has the choice of staying at home indefinitely.

Terrible idea really. Complete underestimation of the profession as usual. And who says hairdressers or Sports Coaches won't be back in September?

Like others I've never had a DBS come back in two days.
DD's came back in about a week earlier this academic year and then felt quite quick. It's often longer in our experience.

OP is volunteering, great idea OP, go for it.
Don't expect others too, especially if it isn't safe, look after your own kids.

I'm going to shout this now because it's been roundly ignored...

THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF FURLOUGHED/OUT OF WORK SUPPLY TEACHERS CURRENTLY. UNQUALIFIED FURLOUGHED HAIRDRESSERS ARE NOT NECESSARY!

Staff could easily be found.

If it was as easy as just hiring rooms in the community and finding staff it would have been considered by now

And my hairdressers are planning to reopen on 4th July anyway so it's a moot point.

Besides, schools have got such stringent rules in place that were not coming into contact with each other at all. So the idea of having a teacher whonfluts from one room to another makes the whole idea of bubbles and social distancing meaningless.

Are all these people going to be training in supporting children's mental health and bereavement counselling too?

Because we have had training during lockdown in both of those.

There are huge concerns about children returning to teachers who they don't have a relationship with but who they stil know from school.

Once again the needs of the children are being completely overlooked by this suggestion.

There are loads of retired teachers out there...I’m a long time primary teacher and also a governor for many years.i get how schools run and no, it wouldn’t be the same as usual schooling. I wouldn’t volunteer to teach chemistry to secondary students but am pretty sure I could still manage a ‘bubble’ of small children with a teacher planning and overseeing. I’ll bet I’m not the only one....you do retain most of the skill set you accrued through many years of wrangling a class.

DBS checks do come back in a few days, but not in the numbers we are talking about needing to staff this many classes/groups. I do think it’s demeaning to say anyone can teach a group of children at school. What about behaviour management? What about specific teaching strategies? What about safeguarding? And why does everyone imply that because school staff say no to their ‘brilliant’ idea that they are putting blocks in the way? Perhaps they are saying no because it’s actually a stupid idea from people who have never actually worked in a school and no nothing about how they operate and wha the needs are. If we need childcare support then fine but don’t for one minute suggest that this would be school or education

There's supply teachers with DBS checks on books ready to teach. The issue is cost and agencies take a large amount of the fee schools pay.
The government could fund this once appropriate classrooms are arranged, but I suspect, like many things school related, they will expect schools to fully or largely absorb the costs.

@angstridden2

My children will be better off using online resources,at home with me Unfortunately if your job won’t be there if you don’t go back when required, they may not have a home. Of course people need to be checked, of course retired teachers and other volunteers won’t be as good, but in reality at least parents can keep their jobs and children will have socialisation with some education thrown in.

Not everyone has the choice of staying at home indefinitely.

You have no idea if the OPs children won't have a home. My children would be better off at home being taught by me than by random strangers who are unqualified teachers. I am at work but if I were to stay at home then they wouldn't lose their home because of decisions I made years ago for precisely this reason. As peers upgraded their houses and moved to larger and larger places and added all kinds of extensions I stuck with the smaller starter home I first bought and so have been mortgage free since before I had children.

@LolaSmiles

There's supply teachers with DBS checks on books ready to teach. The issue is cost and agencies take a large amount of the fee schools pay. The government could fund this once appropriate classrooms are arranged, but I suspect, like many things school related, they will expect schools to fully or largely absorb the costs.

As well as cost there is the issue that all schools will be looking for supply teachers to do this (if it went ahead).

DS and DD's Head Teacher had to point out to parents on the school Facebook page that if it was only that school looking for portakabin classrooms, community centre/church hall space, extra buses to allow distancing and extra staff then it would be relatively easy to sort. However, given that every single school in the country will be looking for it that will make things much more difficult