year 6 class not getting any remote teacher support - what are the teachers doing all day

[anyname147]

My ds is in year 6 and has been at home, like most of his peers, these last few weeks. The (state) school has not offered much in the way of remote learning assistance to the kids or parents who are helping them, other than a few links on a page on their website which has remained static for several weeks. In spite of having to work full time, I am not a teacher, but have managed to cobble together some learning stuff for ds to do at home, but this is with zero help from the school. I understand some teachers are still working at school because of the key worker children etc, but surely the vast majority of staff are at home? What are they doing all day if they are still on the payroll? Surely a 10 or 11 year old can be sent homework tasks - that's actually marked - or weekly links to relevant year group content? I understand the kids don't all have laptops, but virtually all households have email and at least one computer or smart phone or tablet. I just find it hard to believe that his school staff haven't risen to the challenge of continuing their pupils' learning and instead have literally abandoned them because they cant go into school. I have, on the other, risen very much to the challenge and look forward to helping my ds learn new things, but this has come (time-wise) at the expense of my job.

If we are paid enough to cover leave, we are paid for that leave. The school leave year runs september to september.

Why would they? We live in a country where a government hadn't bothered to prepare properly for a pandemic.

Why on earth would a school prepare in advance for online teaching?

I think part of the issue is that a lot of people are assuming things like Zoom (don’t use it re security though) Teams, Adobe Room and Teams are all free to use. The are for individuals. However, schools have to pay a monthly subscription per pupil for it. For example, in a normal sized Secondary school, it would be roughly £6,000 per month for Google Classroom etc. Some schools can’t afford this and to be fair, last academic year when they were setting the budget for this year, a global pandemic would not have been in their risk assessment!

I’ve been lucky with my Daughter’s primary school in that we did pay a subscription last Sept (as parents) to EducationCity and I have been using that with her. I don’t expect her teacher/TAs to be involved with this while I use it, it’s currently my job to juggle education time with DD and keep up with work/emails/planning for my pupils too (and this past week have been putting together PPE masks to support my DT colleagues and these have gone to local hospitals, GP surgeries and one hospice so far!)

Hopefully in the future, the govt can help with school finances/subscriptions/equipment for families and staff etc. to help aid online learning, should this even happen again.

I am sat on my arse. I sit on my pile of golden (taxpayer) coins and count them whilst chuckling to myself, mwah ha ha! I dont have to plan lessons, as I just turn up and read from the textbook. The kids just sit there and write down what I say. I'm on holiday most of the time, and there is very little work to do. Ocassionally, my mind will turn to trying to decide which child I will give an unreasonable detention to next. This is such an easy gig, hence why it is so difficult to find a job. It really is "dead man's shoes"

I think part of the issue is that a lot of people are assuming things like Zoom, Teams, Adobe Room and Teams are all free to use...schools have to pay a monthly subscription per pupil for it. For example, in a normal sized secondary school, it would be roughly £6,000 per month for Google Classroom etc.

State schools must be making costs savings in other areas though - are you still paying supply teachers and exam invigilators for example?

Why on earth would a school prepare in advance for online teaching?

My dcs' (private) school prepared two or three weeks in advance of closure. Both dc (Year 7 and Year 13) had 'training sessions' during form time/assembly time and both had an after school activity cancelled so their teachers could be trained - fair enough.

putting together PPE masks to support my DT colleagues and these have gone to local hospitals, GP surgeries and one hospice so far!)

Their school have done that as well.

For the op I would worry that her Year 6 child might be disadvantaged for setting purposes at secondary school. Will secondary schools be basing Year 7 sets on tests early in the Autumn term?

I’ve been lucky with my Daughter’s primary school in that we did pay a subscription last Sept (as parents) to EducationCity and I have been using that with her. I don’t expect her teacher/TAs to be involved with this while I use it

DS2 had EducationCity at his primary school - his teachers used to set appropriate homework on it.

State schools must be making costs savings in other areas though - are you still paying supply teachers and exam invigilators for example?

This shows how massively misinformed you are. My school has an almost non-existent supply budget. We use in house cover at all costs! That often means that other, ‘non-essential’ cover will be postponed. We don’t have exam invigilators in primary schools.

One of my kids is a teacher, some of the stuff I know she is doing is

On a rota to look after keyworkers children, due to some staff being sick/self isolating she is doing 3 days a week.
Setting work and marking it
Phone calls to parents where children are vulnerable or aren't submitting any work
CPD that is normally hard to fit in
Preparing work for next term
Writing a policy to do with COVID 19

Hope that helps. Oh and she is also trying to have her Easter Holiday.

1forsorrow
Don't be so naive. That's nothing.

She is clearly sitting on her arse doing nothing when she should be setting up a full online remote learning system to facilitate the learning of only those children who have access to appropriate devices and technology at home with money that is obviously sat in a bank account somewhere marked "we know there's no money for glue sticks but please spend this in the rare event of a global health emergency".

LolaSmiles, the little madam, so she has been lying to her mother. If she wasn't so far away I'd go round and give her a piece of my mind, keeping a 2m distance obviously.

This shows how massively misinformed you are

Clearly a lot of schools do employ supply teachers.There are other ad hoc expenses schools may not be paying: outside theatre groups, author visits, music and sport activities, mini bus etc. Some schools are not catering for key worker children - these schools will be shut - lower heating, lighting and stationery costs. EducationCity costs approx £30 per child per year I think.

It's fine, it's fine - MPs are to be given an extra £10,000 expenses to cover their astronomical costs of working at home, I'm sure ours will be announced any day now for zoom, laptops, biscuits, you name it

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/coronavirus-mps-given-extra-10-000-each-for-home-working-expenses-w0h5sx99l?fbclid=IwAR0E78NycFEW943QrH3Vab0TQXrh8Ni9gfbcZnMj66Sc8ljo0k-uSI7n74U

1forsorrow
One of my kids is a teacher, some of the stuff I know she is doing is...

That's great - but surely the op is only complaining because her dc's school appears to be doing very little and she had no communication from the school before the Easter holidays. Clearly some schools and teachers are doing much more than others - that is what she is worried about.

Clearly a lot of schools do employ supply teachers.There are other ad hoc expenses schools may not be paying: outside theatre groups, author visits, music and sport activities, mini bus etc. Some schools are not catering for key worker children - these schools will be shut - lower heating, lighting and stationery costs. EducationCity costs approx £30 per child per year I think.

Ahahahahahahahhahahahaha! That list is so funny!

Where are the schools that are not open?

Education City is way below the standards of the 2014 National Curriculum, btw.

£30 per child per year

For the 480+ children in my school, that’s approximately £14,400. We made several members of staff redundant last year. Our budgets per class for resources is considerably less than that. Oh and it would be wasted because a large proportion of our children/parents would be unable or never bother to access it. Our school is open so the heating and lighting is on. The stationery has been bought already so how would you like us to get that money?

You said in a previous post that your children go to a private school. You can not compare the two experiences and should not comment on what you don’t know about.

1forsorrow Exactly! I'd go further as your taxes are paying her wages. This is at least complain to the head situation.

outside theatre groups, author visits, music and sport activities, mini bus etc

I forgot this bit!!! 😂😂😂

We have no money for these things. Any visits or visitors are either fundraised for or paid for by parents. We’ve cancelled trips in the past because less than 75% of parents have paid for it. One of the trips we were forced to cancel cost each child £4.75.

Yet 10 pupil has been told to re-read set texts for English and pointed at revision packs bought earlier in the year, yr 8 had a rainforest project to do which was fun, yr5 has had nothing.

I get that teachers are working from home with their own kids around but really this is pretty minimal output even with that.

We are all working from home at my work too but we're all putting in full days. Mind, with us there's the possibility of losing our jobs so I guess we can't just say "oh it's difficult with the kids around" and know that we'll still remain employed.

BeingATwatItsABingThing

The stationery has been bought already so how would you like us to get that money?

The cost saving would be made in the Autumn term because you wouldn't need to order as much for September.

Surely you run a mini-bus and pay for other school activities?

Our school is open so the heating and lighting is on.
Every classroom?

Where are the schools that are not open?

Some here for example;
www.norfolk.gov.uk/care-support-and-health/health-and-wellbeing/adults-health/coronavirus/key-worker-faqs

Surely you run a mini-bus and pay for other school activities?

Showing how little you know again. No, we don’t. Our after school clubs are run free by members of staff or parents pay for their child to join an external club.

What are you going to spend your PE and sport premium funding on next term?

State schools must be making costs savings in other areas though - are you still paying supply teachers and exam invigilators for example?

Many schools are paying supply teachers still to cover extended absence - maternity, for example. Those teachers will be doing whatever the regular staff are doing. Shorter term supply costs are covered by insurance ie sick teacher, insurance kicks in on day three. Schools are still open, incurring costs.

Surely you run a mini-bus and pay for other school activities?

Surely you know that some teachers have to buy their own gluesticks, ffs? Minibuses are so pie in the sky that you are coming across as ludicrous.

My dcs' (private) school prepared two or three weeks in advance of closure. Both dc (Year 7 and Year 13) had 'training sessions' during form time/assembly time and both had an after school activity cancelled so their teachers could be trained - fair enough.

I was wondering when you'd appear clav.

Firstly, two to three weeks is what most school were doing, private and state,(whilst being lambasted form some quarters about our doomsday desire to close and why weren't we getting on with proper teaching instead) and isn't really the preparation length required to set up the proper online learning platforms that the OP was implying in that comment.

Secondly, my DH's (private) school did not do that . They are having a virtual meeting about it on the 15th of this month, so rather later than most schools!

This is not a private v state thing.

I do, however, agree with your other post that OP's issue is with her year 6 DC's specific school.

We have a minibus as a large secondary. It is fully funded by our PTA.

I love the idea that "surely" schools have minibuses.

It is fully funded by our PTA

Perhaps the PTA would like to spend their funds on facilitating home learning instead of petrol etc? Have you asked them?