How do teachers feel about schools being open in Sept?

[Meangallery]

So kid's education is to get priority, schools are to open in Sept and if infections rise the Government will close down everything else.

Will the Unions tolerate this? It feels like teachers will be on the frontline next year...

I would much prefer to be in school than spending ages setting online work & not knowing how the students are getting on.

My own DD has really struggled with lockdown and is quite depressed and needs to get back.

I am concerned about seeing 30 students all in an enclosed space followed by the next 30 etc. Harder in secondary school to manage.

We're not currently allowed any PPE so not quite same as other jobs. GPs for example doing phone appointments and would be 1-1 in a room so not same as full classes in and out all day.

[quote MoreListeningLessChatting]@CountessFrog

"Well I’m married to an ITU doctor, so I wouldnt say that.
But I also think there’s a lot of huge, huge drama. Your post is very dramatic and shouty. And patronising.
Seems anyone posting optimism or hope on MN, or even just a balanced view is shot down and told they must be wrong.
Which does suggest that a lot of people think this is total doomsday.
And I say that as somebody whose husband went to work without adequate PPE in the early days. On actual Covid wards for diseased people. In a hospital.
I coujd have run around the garden screaming that he was definitely going to die. Wouldn’t have helped much."

I totally agree with you. I just wish more people looked at facts and stopped ramping up the hysteria.[/quote]
I third this. I do think a lot of the hysteria is self perpetuating on MN though.

@Dominicgoings

‘No funding for additional soap’This is SERIOUSLY being cited as a reason to keep schools closed?

Again only on MN. Some of the reasons for not reopening schools are hilarious!

Assuming the govt insists schools open in September, what can we, as parents, do to help teachers?

Keep children at home at the first sign of illness. I know this will be unpopular, especially for working parent - not to mention very difficult at times for them - but we don't want any illnesses going round classes at this time, on top of the potential of Covid.

If classes have to close, accept it and don't blame teachers, staff and school.

As well as encouraging good hygiene with your children ensure parents practise it too.

Follow the rules set out by school to the best of your abilities.

Accept that, despite everyone wanting the best for the children, sometimes this may not always be possible in the coming weeks and months. things will be different, things will be subject to frequent change. It won't be easy for anyone potentially.

Realise that some aspects of school life may be restricted or sims not able to happen - things like extra curricular activities, small group interventions, etc will be different at least initially.

Understand that some of the staff in your child's school will be clinically vulnerable and quite likely concerned. You may well not know who they are - many invisible conditions will be having an impact on this. Don't assume your child's tech, TA, headteacher, etc are all okay with what's happening and aren't concerned about themselves or a loved one back home. Their smiles and positive words may well be a cover.

Remember schools not doing any of this for fun. Its to enable school to open and to enable your children to receive their education and care in as safe a way as it possible.

@Mintjulia I would also try and limit your contacts outside school where possible. Schools want to reduce the risk of spreading the virus round schools but it would be great if the amount of virus coming into the school is limited as much as possible.

I went to work with what turned out to be pneumonia, that had me in hospital on oxygen a couple of days later. Most teachers just try to work through all illnesses

Good for those schools. Teachers should be given a choice on the wearing of PPE, actually I think it should be enforced at least in secondary settings but it obviously won’t be. ‘Gav’ can get in the fucking sea.

I’m fine. I want to get back to work and however we have to work round this is what we need to do.

It’s going to be difficult having any sort of normal as I won’t have my classroom base to work in nor will I have an office I can work in at any sort of distance. As long as expectations are not what they were beforehand and everyone works together it should be ok. My slt are great and will take no crap if kids take the piss! It’s going to be tough but I would rather be in with the kids than working remotely doing it again.

I'm a TA in my 50s, overweight and pre-diabetic. (Both things I'm trying to address, but I suffer from several auto-immune conditions too which makes things more difficult.) I worked on a rota throughout lockdown, and full-time since Y6 went back in a class of 15. Most of this time I didn't feel unduly vulnerable because we spent a lot of time outside and while inside, I was usually able to keep at least a metre away from anyone else.

I am very worried about September. I'll be with 30 Y6s with no room to social-distance. In fact, as a TA, I'll be expected to base myself on a table with a group of children. (No rows facing the front here. Our school's interpretation of the rules is we don't have to if that's not our normal practice.)

Ventilation will be a problem, not because the windows don't open, but because even in June and July the kids were moaning they were cold and so the class teacher shut them. (Class teacher is in their 20s and thinks this whole COVID situation has been blown out of proportion.)

Masks are a no-no because they'll scare the children. (They're Y6! They watch Friday 13th at sleep-overs!) We were taking the kids temperatures on entry to school before the holiday but apparently that won't be necessary in September. Oh, and if one of our bubble tests positive for corona we won't need to all go home, that's only if two do - so in other words when it's had a nice long time to circulate.

On top of all this, a large part of my day will be spent cleaning toilets, as they have to be thoroughly disinfected between bubbles.

I feel really torn because I love my job and don't want to have to give it up but I'm not sure if the risk to me personally is worth it. With Boris's over-50 thing in the news, it's made me think even more about whether I should be going back.

Has anyone asked the older kids how they feel about Ppe? When my year 12s came back I had several worried emails from them and I was able to reassure them on the whole social distancing front. Now I'll just be telling them it's basically back to normal except they aren't allowed to pop to the shop any more

Weird that the gov.co.uk is sharing the wrong information then regarding this hmmand all schools sharing it are informing their staff and students with incorrect information quoted also by Gavin Williamson the education secretary 🤷‍♀️

Not all of the guidance is statutory.

monkeytennis - 99% of ours walk / are dropped off so transport isn't an issue for us but appreciate it is for many schools. We are lucky to be a small school with a lot of space where social distancing is actually possible. Agreed that socialising out of school cannot be controlled but that is true in all workplaces.

Other schools may interpret the guidance as they wish, that’s not for me to comment on. I’m just sharing how it will be in my school.

We are also unable to stick to class bubbles in our three form entry primary. It’s not logistically possible as we are inner London and have a tiny amount of outdoor space. If we had strict class bubbles then we couldn’t give each class outdoor play. So we have had to use year group bubbles for break and lunch.

Students and staff MAY wear face coverings if they wish. Current guidance does not require the wearing of face coverings in school but this may change by September; we will monitor any changes in guidance. It seems our school has interpreted the guidelines differently than some have mentioned on here?

We are also unable to stick to class bubbles in our three form entry primary. It’s not logistically possible as we are inner London and have a tiny amount of outdoor space. If we had strict class bubbles then we couldn’t give each class outdoor play. So we have had to use year group bubbles for break and lunch.

We are the same. Year group bubbles to enable lunch and playtimes. Class groups rest of the time wherever possible.

PPA will need to go ahead as normal though so I will have a whole school bubble personally.

askmehowiknow
Dominicgoings

‘No funding for additional soap’This is SERIOUSLY being cited as a reason to keep schools closed? hmm

Again only on MN. Some of the reasons for not reopening schools are hilarious!

Just like the no money for extra cleaning.
No money for extra anything in schools.

Its absolutely hilarious.

Its almost a funny as your inability to realise that the government plans for going back are ridiculous and almost impossible to do.

@SleeplessWB
and changed the timetable to minimise student numbers in corridors
This is interesting - how can you alter the timetable in a way that does this? If we let a group out earlier than another year group, for example, they'd only end up in the corridor waiting for a teacher to finish up with a different year.
I'm currently trying out different masks to see what will be easiest to teach in.

I'm a MDS in school. Also have a second job in a shop. I'll certainly feel more safe and a lot more comfortable in my shop job, I have PPE, disinfectant, plenty of santizer and we're expected to keep 2m away from customers. I school no PPE, general cleaning solutions and 3 adults with nearly 100 children a hot stuffy dining hall for 30 mins. They have to stay with us until we can have our 30 minute timeslot with them in playground.

Totally recognise children need to be back in school for educational and social reasons, but can't see anything other than part-time working. In the summer the classes had 15 children in classes with open windows and doors and heating had to be put on a few times. There's no way the classes can stay warm with adequate ventilation and winter temperatures.

@Mistressiggi - when I re-read that I have not phrased it well - we have reduced the number of periods in a day to reduce the number of transitions and make it so that there is only one time between periods where students will be going to another lesson rather than straight outside to break etc. which should limit waiting outside rooms / numbers in a corridor, we hope!

@Aragog

I'm afraid without reassurance that we won't get penalised for too many days off... Which has been drummed into for years... Then I'm afraid parents will be sending dc in, when slightly unwell.

Covid symptoms are quite wide. Personally I'd like schools to say... Err on the side of caution but unless they do, dc will get sent in.

Khara

This is what concerns me, I also had many Co workers who got quite vicious about covid in the run upto lock down and didn't want windows open etc!

This is why if it's made law, people like you and I won't be victims of other Co workers who think it's all a nonsense. Ie masks and visors and windows open where possible.
Children need to wear warmer clothing!!

Many of us who want to wear ppe will be at the mercy of what our line manager and manager thinks!

Even our beautician sent round emails to tell her clients of the precautions she would be taking... Very reassuring, masks and visors.... Cleaning between each client...

Got there, masked up myself and the 1st thing she said... No mask was :you don't mind do you, I hate wearing it... ''

What a position to put a client in!
Unfortunately I can't go back!
If its made mandatory it puts pressure on these people to comply!

Thanks Sleepless

Ohsuchaperfectday

That would need to come from the Government. They haven't helped this matter by saying that fines will return. It's nonsense - the priority should be to only have well children in school next term - so any child with any Covid symptom, however slight (bearing in mind we know children can often be the ones without symptoms) need to be kept at home. The Government should be supporting this in order to keep the other children, the staff and the school families safe.

Not a teacher but an early years practitioner, as is my 17 year old daughter.
She is already back working, only been back a few weeks because we have vulnerable family members. Her work know this but still chose to put her in a room with an unwell child for an hour on Friday before he was collected! Apart from the fact she is still an apprentice and not qualified!
So yes i’m worried. Very worried about my daughter bringing this virus home to us.

In addition, as a parent i am worried about sending my children back to school. Parents in my children’s school already send them with illnesses and v&d so i can’t see them keeping their unwell kids home come September!