School Staff. How do you feel about summer schools?

[Witchcraftandhokum]

Just watched an ex-Ofsted inspector on BBC Breakfast talk about how important summer schools will be and how they should be staffed by the same teachers students have normally.

This hasn't been mentioned in our school yet but I really don't know how it will be managed. I can't imagine a lot of staff will be happy to give up their holidays. In our school a good number of the middle leaders and TA's salaries are pro-rata'd to term time only. I've worked full-time from home so it's not like I've been on holiday since March.

How would you feel about being asked to work?

I would support it. I've got three children at three different schools & had hardly anything from them! There is no way they have worked the same as when kids in school. Our primary school has had 6 key worker children in at most, most days it was 2! No works been marked, 1 phone call in all these weeks & no live lessons, the same from the other 2 senior schools except not even a phone call from 1 of them! I spoke to 1 teacher that did ring & he said he was going out of his mind with boredom at home he'd been in only 3 days at school in the 3 months they'd been off.

@Flinstones

I would support it. I've got three children at three different schools & had hardly anything from them! There is no way they have worked the same as when kids in school. Our primary school has had 6 key worker children in at most, most days it was 2! No works been marked, 1 phone call in all these weeks & no live lessons, the same from the other 2 senior schools except not even a phone call from 1 of them! I spoke to 1 teacher that did ring & he said he was going out of his mind with boredom at home he'd been in only 3 days at school in the 3 months they'd been off.

Are you a teacher?

Cos frankly, I don't think anyone's interested in whether parents would support it. Teachers are saying they won't - and the OP was addressed to school staff and whether they would work.

Being in the physical school is not the same as worked days.

Boredom does not equate to no work to do. There are a whole range of reasons why a teacher might say they are bored.

There are huge numbers of people WFH at the moment. Many may find this boring. Are we assuming the only place anyone does any work is in an office building?

I felt sure that Boris said, five days ago or so, that schools wouldn’t open , even for key workers.
Maybe he’s done a u-turn.
Trouble is, he’d have to pay extra for school staff to attend as they’re paid pro-rata.

We’re carrying on until July 31st and closing for August.

Won’t happen. Not worth even worrying about.

I am term time only and have worked through Easter and half term gratis. Already exhausted , have my own kids at home and would like some quality time with them before we face whatever joys September brings. I don't think people realise that a lot of support and admin staff are already 25% down on lots of published salaries because they get paid in 12 monthly instalments, but are not paid for holidays. I don't mind showing willing, and I have worked since FEB half term without a break, but summer hols won't be worked through by me, and I don't care if they offer to pay me because I am absolutely shattered.

No thanks. We haven't been furloughed for the last 3 months. We've been working hard, whether at home or in school. We need a break to recharge our batteries and get ready for the next academic year! Which will include going in to school to set up classrooms and doing all manner of planning and preparation at home

Teachers Firstly A Big Big Thank You.
I think they need a break, they have continued to teach our children through a very very challenging time. Our school have been an amazing support unit and been there not only for the children but parents too. The children will catch up, encourage but don't force doing some free on line things. We have to remember our kids will need the normal summer break too, they have had to adjust to new learning skills; which has had good and bad impacts on them. My son goes into yr 11 his GCSE year, but I feel he will do much better taking a six week holiday, it's not going to be easy but he and his teachers will do it. Teacher Have a break....

They have not taught our children at all, they have not taught mine I have! What a joke that the children need a summer holiday!! I do work in a school & we are all in agreement that we would all carry on through the summer if we could, we have worked hard but not as hard as having the children in all the time. I definitely agree we need Money from the government to do so but we feel as a school that working through the summer would be exhausting but it would be one summer & our job is going to be an absolute nightmare if the children come back after being out for 5 months plus! I'm shocked by the amount of teachers on here not willing to do more to sort this.
Also the bored teacher I spoke to was bored because he had very little work to do.

Well I think your school is an exception to the rule to be honest. All schools seem to be doing different things, so kudos if your teachers and staff have not been working as hard during this but many have. We have support staff running pods in place of teachers (as there aren’t enough teachers able to attend schools for other reasons). Catering staff still in, Cleaners working many more hours than usual, Maintenance and IT and office staff working over their hours. It doesn’t just take teachers to run a school so maybe some of them aren’t doing anything but ours certainly are and have been throughout.

@Flinstones good for you. But some of us have lives outside of school.

You WORK in a SCHOOL?

Wow.

Not teacher , I suspect.

That is one hell of a drip feed.

I'll work. Just a few weeks. If they offer my normal hourly pay/ day rate etc. And I'd want that for contact time and also for any extra planning out of hours etc.

Then I could save up for a fab summer holiday next year when all this is over

But in seriousness I think the children also need a break. Time to be kids and improve mental health. I'd like to see some out of the box thinking to keep running out if school clubs and holiday clubs though. Perhaps means tested like Germany does. Priority clubs for keyworkers. For working families. Clubs for families who are vulnerable (DV/poverty/send) etc. We could have marquees in fields. I don't see why of kids can go to a beach this isn't possible if bubbles of 6 are made up etc.

This catch up programme is a sound bite from Boris to appease people. To be effective this programme needed to be properly planned and delivered by teachers who know the children, the syllabus and also for the exam years the school’s chosen exam board for the specific subject. There has been no funding promised to schools for this and the government have not consulted the educational professionals (those best placed to plan and deliver it.) The most vulnerable children in need of catch up are not likely to attend unless it’s compulsory and even then I don’t think the attendance would be good from this group in my school looking at the percentage of vulnerable children returning to my school so far.

No thanks. Count me out. I’ve been online teaching full time (even in the holidays) and home schooling my dc since March. I shall be switching my laptop off on the last Friday of the summer term and spending 6 weeks of summer with my family. Anyone who wants to volunteer can crack on. Anyone who doesn’t can not. I don’t give a flying fuck. Not. My. Problem.

"There are many evidence-based programmes that are proven to help children catch-up. Government should be increasing funding to schools so they can afford extra support staff and specialist training to run proper intervention classes and provision for children from September rather than wasting money on unsafe, last-minute summer schools."

Yes exactly. Funding for additional staff and specialist training, plus more for cleaning, PPE, additional equipment to reduce transmission risk etc.

Obviously won't happen, but this is what parents and others who are wringing their hands about children missing months of education should be campaigning for.

Not to mention that it would be a much more equitable intervention, as schools will have the authority to chase up children who aren't attending.

Oh yes, additional teachers to create and mark online education for children who will be shielding for some time too.

Those saying teachers should just suck it up as they are salaried what about those who aren’t, Admin and other support workers? They just have to work for free as well? Schools have been struggling to pay their current staff for many years now how will they find the extra money to pay their admin, cooks, dinner ladies, cleaners and care takers?
I asked this on another thread and was told that working in excess of contract wouldn't be expected for support staff as it would put them below minimum wage.

At that point I laughed to myself and rolled my eyes at the idea of a school running without an army of support staff.

Some people haven't a clue about schools but have a giant teacher sized chip on their shoulders.

As I now supply teach so haven't worked through this other than a couple of weeks after initial closure, I would gladly teach over the hols but it is absolutely unreasonable to ask permanent teachers to do it. Schools haven't shut, despite media reports, teachers have earned their holidays same as they usually do.

I assume the thread I just started reading about bloody schools being open in the summer since "teachers get paid the holidays" 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ just went zap?

@yogafailure it’s apparently been hidden, so mnhq can ‘take a look at it’...

Not a chance!! Have worked from home since lockdown & been back in school for past 3wks till end of July.

Ah thanks @apusskidu.

I'm a TA. I have 4 children. I want my holiday!