Aibu to think private school provision at home can be done in state schools too?

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Just that. Private schools are doing active live teaching via zoom, FaceTime and Skype. Full school days. Teaching via video link, then sending kids off to do work which they send back and gets marked, then another lesson. full school days of work. Even pe online! Parents don’t need to do anything and can get on with work.

State sector get home learning packs. No info about how to do bus stop division or similar technical stuff. Not heard from anyone at school since Friday, no information at all bar work timetable on website. Where are the teachers? Why are can state sector teachers not actively teach online and stay in touch with the kids? Why not more engagement? We are all having to work at home alongside our kids, why aren’t teachers doing this too?

My daughters private secondary school also have key workers kids in (mainly doctors children) and are setting full work on line. Very contactable. My sons are at a state primary. We have been directed to twinkl asked not to contact teachers as they are overstretched and told they may set some work after Easter and to be patient.

Anecdotally my friends who are state school teachers (primary and secondary) are very present on social media with lots of photos of their gardens..... some are at home but sending their kids in as key worker children....

I agree with you op.

They weren’t good enough for your child so piss off !

They most definitely weren't good enough, you do have a lovely turn of phrase though.

Are you worried about what teachers are doing because they are paid by the tax payer and therefore must be earning their money?
I assume then you are equally worried about all the librarians, museum staff, council run gym staff, council owned theatre staff who are currently also not at work.

And the MPs? Who have just gone on recess??

Anecdotally my friends who are state school teachers (primary and secondary) are very present on social media with lots of photos of their gardens

I posted a picture of my garden today in the 30 minutes I sat out there for lunch.
I’m out there now while I have a tea break before I carry on
Is that ok with you?

Flamingo - surely it’s almost time to finish for the day? Put your feet up and stay in the garden !

@ChloeDecker It's been a week for us actually, I should have been clearer, and no they aren't delivering meals or anything. There's just a lot of assumptions about independent learning which some kids will do... and some won't. Having to make kids follow a school timetable at home is the worst of both worlds tbh.

I'm 2 weeks in (posh private international school). We are setting work, screencastify-ing ourselves explaining said work, giving weekly feedback (in reality it's much more often - kids email continuously).

Zoom is happening, but is problematic as PPs have said. I met with my y13s the other day (just to catch up & check they're ok - their exams are cancelled). We had a lovely chat for an hour. Most of them - these are 17/18yos - were in their pyjamas. Everyone was perfectly decent, but you can see the potential pitfalls, I'm sure. Meanwhile, my dc/dogs etc were mooching around in the background, so that's distracting for a start.

Could I have delivered a 'proper' lesson? Sure, to these 12 highly motivated young adults - I could theoretically lock myself in the garage - no toddlers here. Colleagues, not necessarily so much.

No need to go into school - no key workers' children to care for.

Oh & since y11 & 13 had their exams cancelled, I'm actively needing to teach...37 students over 3 classes.

Every U.K. state school teacher on this thread has at least 4 times that load, I'd imagine. Could be 10 times for a non core subject.

If I'm knackered - & I am! - I can't think how they are even beginning to do it. I'm in awe.

Only children if a certain age can access this without parent help.

Not all children have the technology required to access online learning, especially live lessons where they have to be there at a set time.

Some state schools are offering this.

Some independent and private schools are not.

Live lessons would not work for our primary (infant) school catchment are a.

We have gone for a lower key approach but we have our work online using a learning platform with a range of activities, some online stuff and some suggestions for offline. Children were all sent home with a learning pack inc a workbook and the necessary equipment. For some of our children this included sending home pencils and crayons.

We have put no expectations on the pupils and parents and understand that not everyone will use them, or even be able to access online at all. It's there if they wish to use it though.

The juniors nearby has had a similar approach.

Our parents, so far anyway, seem happy with what we have provided. Over the top intense and live schooling from home would not be appropriate for our catchment.

most private schools closed for Easter last Friday.

My DH’s private school is not on holiday yet. I don’t think most of the GDST schools are on holiday yet either, according to my friends. Many of them are not doing online full lessons or online lessons to all, either.

Tonyaster- I do hope you get your money’s worth .

Yeah, private school not off yet.
His old school got a month at Easter, this one 2 weeks
I’m going to have to turn off notifications for social media. Parents are sending in lovely photos of their perfect children looking so happy with home schooling

It's been a week for us actually,

So did you close for holiday or due to Covid19 case and lots of staff are sick or caring for sick family members, etc. if you closed earlier than the guidance? There may be a reason and more information will come your way soon. It still hasn’t been very long. I hope your DC are doing ok with their emailed work for now and you have the ready for later!

Ours are getting self learning so powerpoints, clips, text and then work set to do at lesson time, it arrives daily at lesson time follows the timetable and includes PE - and yes its state. Why no live teaching well some of our poor teachers are being used for emergency workers kids. The ones setting their work are not always their normal teacher as they may be ill or taking class with the emergency worker kids. I have no problem with the way this is being done. They may also have their own kids home which adds tot he complexity - they may or may not go to their schools. Generally private teachers kids go to their own schools so there is some equality in what they have to teach and what is occupying their kids.

I think there is a bit of "we are better than you" going on here but comparing apples and pears

. Wtf are the others doing?

Maintaining the school equipment between uses. Cleaning and preparing stuff for those in school.

Some are taking their two week Easter break now so that they can go In school during the holidays to provide childcare. It's all rota based here.

Some have been ill with related symptoms though fortunately all mild so far.

Looking after their own children and assisting them with their home learning.

Ensuring the children entitled to a school meal, but who aren't actually in school, get them.

Producing home learning materials and lessons for the learning platform for those children at home.

I'm at home - self isolation and then will be off as in an at risk group. I've been busy.

Producing how to and help guides for the teaching staff to produce online learning materials form home.

Uploading and consolidating the learning activities in the appropriate places with the required resources and information.

Monitoring pupil responses coming in. Forwarding (or highlighting) what I need of these to the appropriate teaching staff so they can comment, like etc.

Monitoring the new email accounts set up for parents over this time so they can communicate with the teaching staff in their year group.

Updating the website and social media accounts.

To be honest I'm working longer hours than I was when I was at school, at the moment anyway.

Secondary school teachers are probably also trying to figure out how they are to award GCSE and A level grades to their students. I can't imagine that's going to be an easy stress free time!

It’s simply dependent on the schools. I’m a teacher, I teach primary. I’m setting work, receiving photos, exchanging messages, giving tips, ideas, sharing resources etc etc through an app that can be used via a phone. I’m doing this 8-4 minimum.

The secondary schools near me are live streaming lessons. They may stop if they become ill.

At my school (primary) many children have no internet access or devices to do this. The secondary school local to where I work are in the same predicament. The kids don’t have the facility to access live streamed lessons. Many of my children are functioning at present with 1 smart phone for all the family, we’re doing our best at an unplanned time.

Then what about schools who are providing services for key worker children? How do you live stream lessons and provide childcare simultaneously?

Perhaps we could stop having a go at teachers? It’s laughable (because otherwise I’d cry) that during a global pandemic, when we had 2 days to plan how to deliver lessons - with quite frankly appalling IT equipment, due to the chronic underfunding we face, that we’re still being told we’re lazy and somehow enjoying an unscheduled holiday!!!

And it doesn't matter what we do it will always be wrong for someone.

Too much
Too little
Too academic based
Not enough art, crafts, music, fun etc

You name it they'll be complaints from certain people.
But tbh as schools we also probably know where they'll come from too!

As said, our parents have been fantastic. Really supportive, really understanding and really open to the fact that we are having to all learn as we go.

My children are in state secondary schools and are getting set work along with their usual timetables. DD in year 7 has done about 5 hours work followed by the PE videos set by the PE teacher. She also needs to email proof of the work done to the teachers.

It's all new to the teachers, but they are doing a good job of getting the kids to carry on with lessons and to have some routine.

My sons are at a different state secondary and are also being set work via Show My Homework/email.

I meant that she has done 5 hours each day for the last three days.

I’m a state secondary teacher with two primary children.
I’ve spent hours per lesson recording instruction videos, making resources, posting powerpoints designed to be followed step by step. I’ve attended online meetings, emailed students, marked EPQs, marked online homework, checked lesson work, answered individual queries. I’ve checked in on my vulnerable students, liaised with our safeguarding lead and pastoral heads.

I’ve also put together a timetable for my children (one of whom is SEN and can’t do any of his worksheets alone). I’ve had to get them set up before attempting the above planning.

I’m now spending 10 mins writing this reply because I’m so cross someone thinks I’m sitting on my arse all day. I haven’t stopped since the school closed and I’m part time.

My first key worker duty is next week. Already wondering whether to take my medically vulnerable child with me or leave him with unknown staff at his own school.

However I am a little perplexed by the pack of worksheets sent home for my children by their primary school. It doesn’t even seem to be differentiated so I’ve had to provide extra resources from my own sources.

I'm a state teacher and I'm emailing work each Monday to my classes as requested by SLT. I am then marking, feeding back and replying to other general emails from students, especially those still processing the cancellation of exams and who are struggling emotionally.

I wish I could teach online lessons/ deliver more consistent lessons in time with our usual timetable, but we don't have that in place across the school yet and so many of my students do not have the technology or literacy level to access work in this mode.

As many posters have said, we are 3 working days into a completely unknown situation. I agree with my HT that it's best to spend a couple of weeks coming up with a more engaging, consistent system that we can keep up and running for a longer period of time, rather than rushing into online teaching with its various barriers to learning and safeguarding issues.

I agree it's not perfect but we are doing our best. I am far more concerned about the mental health of my students than them missing out on a bit of school work for a few weeks.

To the person who asked what business it was of mine what goes on in state schools, my kids are state educated and getting no input or contact from their teachers. Key worker numbers total half a normal class. Where are the other teachers? On here it seems like most are doing more, so I’m glad I asked.

If the education of my own kids is not my business I genuinely don’t see what would be.

And I think it’s incendiary for a teacher to be posting garden shots on social during school hours when the rest of us are juggling our jobs with our kids and the idea of a cuppa in the garden is frankly ludicrous. How unprofessional. Says it all really.

Waytheleaves: if parents were sent a letter setting that out I think all of us would understand. It’s the radio silence that’s making people wonder what on earth they are doing because ours simply are not setting work, marking work or fielding parent queries.

And the union stance is bloody unhelpful. Why shouldn’t they be setting work? Ridiculous. The rest of the world has to get on and make do, issuing edicts which counter common sense is unhelpful to say the least and might be why some teschers quoted on here are sunbathing in thr garden thinking it’s perfectly ok because ‘my union says down tools’. Jesus Christ.

One of my teaching colleagues just sent me a photo of him in his garden.

His wife is waiting for a transplant, she is self-isolating and he is worried sick, and two weeks ago he spent every night in school until 11pm running a whole-school production.

He is one of the best teachers I know. Unprofessional is not the word I'd use to describe him.

I think you could be kinder and less judgemental of others.

And yes, of course parental guidance could be clearer, but again, I think this will be improved next week once the keyworker system is up and running (I have had 7 emails today alone about which parts of the school are shut, staffing, health and safety, attendance tracking etc).

Schools are huge, messy, complex systems at the best of times and everyone I know who is a teacher/ member of SLT are prioritising health and safety first over parental communication.