School not re opening

[Onone]

Just that really,just had an email from my daughter’s school to say that they won’t be opening on 1st June, don’t know when it will either,Thanks to the mayor of our town,I’m quite upset for my daughter,Hardly any cases in my town

[MrsTtobe]

@myself2020 for someone that claims they barely have time to shower or eat I find it strange that you choose to spend your small amount of free time away from your 19 hour days to search mumsnet and read/ comment on these posts.

Quite a lot of parents on here claiming not to have time to spend with their kids yet ironically are on here moaning about it? 🤔

[LivingThatLockdownLife]

@MrsTtobe wow! Get off my phone! Stay up late preparing fun activities! Why didn't I think of that!

[Abuelita]

'...some teachers are dragging their heels at the idea of normal school life resuming because they are treating this as an extended summer holiday..'

Teachers are still working unless they are shielding someone or have health issues. The children of key workers and vulnerable children are still going to school full-time. Other staff are providing work for pupils to do at home. At the same time, schools are expected to open on June 1 for some pupils and June 15 for some secondary pupils (Years 10 and 13 with no more than 25% in school at any one time). Secondary teachers will be expected to prepare work for them, teach these classes, mark work as well as doing the same for those still at home.

[myself2020]

@MrsTtobe i was checking this thread to see wether tgere was something ongoing that schools couldn’t reopen. thankfully ours does
@Devlesko lets just forget about the rent/mortgage. i reduce my hours, we’ll pitch a tent in the park? will do the kids soooo much good...

[thunderthighsohwoe]

Schools did try and point out that this model of opening would be problematic, but they were chastised for being too negative.

Equally, the government have basically said to schools here’s the guidance (we’ll change it 41 times over the next two weeks by the way), we ‘trust’ you to sort it out. 15 to a class. No extra money, staff or space. Oh and if parents are cross, it’s not our fault, we told you to sort it.

[FlamingoAndJohn]

Teachers are still working unless they are shielding someone or have health issues.

In fairness every teacher I know, including those shielding, has still been working online.

[Oakmaiden]

Having a look, the only figure I can find is that 20% of the working population are clinically vulnerable. That is not counting pregnancy, I don't think.

So, yeah, two or three in the average primary school, 20 or 30 in the average secondary.

If your primary school has 14 classes normally, and 14 teachers - one average 3 teachers will be unable to work, leaving 11 teachers to teach 28 classes. Hmmm - a bit tricky, that one.

Even with just the "starting" classes you are talking 11 teachers to teach 12 classes plus extra classes for keyworker children.

I keep saying - people say "the NHS adapted and coped" but they had bucket loads of money shovelled at them to help them cope. Schools are just being left to get on with it.

Even if they had money to hire supply teachers I doubt there are enough around. I know I have a number of supply agencies rining me on a weekly basis - but I am actually one of the 20% (although I may end up working anyway, as I need the money).

[mrscampbellblackagain]

My yr 6 child is going back on Monday. As are the nursery, pre-school, reception and year one as well as all the key worker children.

It has undoubtedly been a lot of work from the school but as our Head pointed out, it is a fee paying school and as such parents expect quite a lot.

I think there needs to be a lot more clarification around who can go into work now. I thought the only people who shouldn't were the actual shielded - so if you live with someone shielding ie your DH, you can still go to work. There seems as with all things covid to be lots of different interpretations of the rules going on. I also thought people with diabetes could still work as not actually shielding, I get some employers may have allowed them to work from home or furloughed them but is it actually a legal requirement to do so?

Hope I don't come across as saying all the vulnerable should be at work but I think there are a lot of misunderstandings out there at the moment and more clarification is needed.

[Mary1935]

At my sons school which is 3 form entry, they are letting 15 children go in from the class for one week, then the other 15 go in the following week. They will also give them work to do in between.
I really think they are doing their best with this.
I can see not all schools are the same.

[trinity0097]

Of our staff in school, about 45....
1 is very vulnerable, just getting over cancer treatment, finance assistant, so can do some work from home, but is also our main first aider.
2 TAs live with very vulnerable family so can’t come back
2 teachers have medical issues that mean they can’t come back yet, not normally an issue but they can’t take the risk of getting Covid-19
1 teacher can’t come back as her childcare is shielding, she will still be doing her online teaching for the third if children not coming back in from her year group.
1 teacher has a very vulnerable spouse so won’t be back until he gets the all-clear to go out.

[Somewhereinthesky]

Mrs Trobe, maybe teacher like you are causing all these teacher basing thread. To be grateful for this time? Really?

[Somewhereinthesky]

*those, not these. I didn't mean to imply this thread was one of the teacher bashing thread.

[mrscampbellblackagain]

Just checked on BHF website and you can go to work if your partner is shielding. So that isn't actually a reason as to why some people are choosing not to go back to work. Controversial I know but I think employers are going to start really cracking down on this.

[donquixotedelamancha]

If your primary school has 14 classes normally, and 14 teachers - one average 3 teachers will be unable to work, leaving 11 teachers to teach 28 classes. Hmmm - a bit tricky, that one.

I bet it's a lot worse than 3 in 14 on average. Because there is no PPE or resources for extra cleaning both Shielding and Clinically Vulnerable teachers have been advise to stay home. Older teachers tend to have more health problems than average.

On top of that a lot of primary teachers and TAs are parents to young kids and many childcare settings are not open.

Those absences won't be distributed evenly: our primary can manage (though only because many parents are not sending kids in) but some local schools have almost no staff in.

[Piggywaspushed]

mrscamplbell the precise guidance for teachers is more or less the same as for all workplaces to be 'Covid secure'. Being an teacher or TA does rather complicate it , because
1 shielded people should WFH
2 people form a shielded person's household should either WFH or be offered a role which affords stringent social distancing and should be assured the school risk assessment considers them

1. Those who are vulnerable but not shielded should be offered the opportunity to WFH. If this is not possible, they should be offered a role in the workplace which is not people facing and affords stringent social distancing etc risk assessment. This is often nigh on impossible in teaching and other jobs, so may schools are keeping these people at home.
   
2. If your spouse etc. is on the above list you must ensure stringent social distancing and the risk assessment is robust. Again the first bit is hard in school posts so the employer may decide it is safest to ask these staff to wfh or work only in offices etc.
   

Many offices are set up to ensure all staff, regardless of status SD all the time and many offices are being kept very clean with temp checks and so on. This is very hard to achieve in schools. (and obviously other workplaces, too, before anyone leaps down my throat !) and not many other workplaces have basically been instructed that SD is not possible so to muddle along as best you can : hence the increased risk in early years and lower primary settings. I am a secondary teacher so I think it is safe to say my pupils won't try to hug me.

[cansu]

I think it depends a lot on the size of the school. Some very small schools will struggle if a few staff are clinically vulnerable. We are bigger but even so we are bringing in a regular supply teacher and I am increasing my working hours to fill in. It is more difficult than it might appear. Plus schools have got to make sure they follow the govment rules to the letter so there is a lot of pressure around cleaning, hygiene and keeping groups away from each other. However, I can't see how schools can refuse to open at all to any more children without explaining fully their circumstances to parents. The wisdom of all this will be seen in about three weeks when we see whether this has led to more deaths and an increase in the R rate. The danger for the public is risk of catching covid and becoming seriously unwell. The risk to the government is that the low level of trust and confidence they have at the moment will be reduced to zero.

[NearlyGranny]

I don't think teaching has a particularly high rate of people with chronic conditions (if you don't count stress and exhaustion once you're in!) but on the other hand, it's not the police or the military where you have to pass gruellung fitness tests and demonstrate your ability to fling yourself over an eight foot fence or outrun a fleeing villain!

[mrscampbellblackagain]

I agree @piggywaspushed - think you are safe from hugs

[GabsAlot]

my niece is recedption but theyve said shes not goung back on the 1st think theyre testing out year 6

ot how does everyone do quote now?

[JeSuisPoulet]

Same here. Personally think it is fair enough, they will be the ones to take the blame if anyone gets sick (onus is NOT on the govt at all ) and they haven't the funds to make the workplace safe for them or the children. You wouldn't expect it in any other profession.

[Piggywaspushed]

As you can see the government doesn't help as they keep contradicting themselves, which rather explains why some heads might be rather cautious

www.tes.com/news/coronavirus-gibb-clinically-vulnerable-teachers-safe-schools?fbclid=IwAR33P0qu9aItwSixbxN-xuTcPt_CTot2KZdgLtqBM-zBumKatdQqorUiXlc

[NeverTwerkNaked]

@devlesko oh yay! Why didn't I think of that! I'll just sell my house and live on a bench with the children! Such fun!

Plus I am working hard to set up emergency premises to help with the covid 19 response but sure, I guess my work can wait a year or two for that to happen ...

[NeverTwerkNaked]

@Abuelita I am referring to teachers like @MrsTtobe who is finding all her extra time with the family such fun.

[MrsTtobe]

@NeverTwerkNaked So im required to work every other week and in my week of working from home and calling all my pupils and checking they are ok I shouldn't be having fun with my children?? So what should I be doing? Looking after your children?
It's a pandemic. Unprecedented times. Make the best of a bad situation and yes of course as a mother any free minute I have I spend it with my kids?

[manitobajane]

However, people like @MrsTtobe are a disgrace to the profession and are clearly enjoying a paid holiday.

^ This. If I knew my child's teacher was doing that (and they are not, they work incredibly hard and go above and beyond) then I'd be questioning if they were in the right job. @MRsTBe is a goady fucker who I hope is on capability measures if her view here is representative of her attitudes to teaching.