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 am for a short "summer holiday" maybe last week in July and 2 weeks August/ September to give everyone a break... After July break back to pt school for everyone. And a longer half term in October & February and extra week at Christmas ...
But this will only work if there are still heavy travel restrictions and a closed hospitality sector...

In addition, similarly to everyone else, there is no childcare so there is no where for teachers' own children to go.

They'd be able to take their own children I assume although toddlers and babies would be a problem still.

If teachers are asked to do this I really hope we'll be able to do a week at a time and really develop something rather than the piecemeal provision that we had in the hubs.

What could work well is if staff were asked to volunteer to to one special week in line with their interests. They were paid and had a budget to hire a person related to that field too. Nobody did more than that week and everybody who volunteered would be given time to plan it in the next few weeks so everybody still had five week's holiday.

I think I'd do a music and drama week and put on a show at the end of the week.

Some people might do martial arts, Forest school, football, technology, science, art.

Children would be able to sign up for as many days/weeks as they wanted as long as there were spaces.

I’d do a week if I got paid for it. I’m not working for free. I’ve been working longer than my normal hours since all this kicked off, although I didn’t have to work through the half terms thankfully. (Secondary school.)

I doubt it will be happening in my school though. The building is in bits so there’s always major building work over the summer to patch it up.

holiday, lovely ideas but most of these would not work with SD in place... which is actually a big part of the problem for summer schools which are not academic.

Art would be fine but no contact sports, definitely not martial arts and music and drama would be big problems. Science, no practicals...

Working solidly since February, no holiday, no extra pay. Staff stepping up, home learning, website management, free school meal voucher fiasco. Guidance, more guidance, guidance that contradicts last week's guidance.
The end in sight, the precious date in July.
And now summer school looms. Teachers and school staff having no information. No extra funding for schools, ousted sharpening their pencils.
No time for our families, no time for grief.
For the love of God, give us a break.

@Blueemeraldagain

Government won’t pay for it and, sadly, it won’t actively help the students who need it most. The students who are the furthest behind won’t access it for lots of different reasons (number 1 being they won’t want to) and the students who are doing better will. The education gap will just get larger.

This. All the summer schools in the world won’t fundamentally change someone’s values. Those who need it the most won’t access it. Just like what happened with Sure Start centres, and why they ultimately closed. The “wrong” people (children of motivated parents who place education as a priority) will access it.

Thankfully our usual holiday club is operating at school over the summer. I wouldn't expect teachers to do a full on summer school. Having said that though, our school have done a full school days support, live or pre-recorded lessons, a weekly assembly, full school work and marking etc sent home (not applicable to us, I'm a key worker so kids have been in). So apart from the odd teacher needing to be furloughed for health reasons, our teachers have been working as hard as usual if not harder. I wouldn't expect or even want, then to do a summer school. They need a break.

Sure Start closed because of the government swinging axe of cuts and austerity really!

*holiday, lovely ideas but most of these would not work with SD in place... which is actually a big part of the problem for summer schools which are not academic.

Art would be fine but no contact sports, definitely not martial arts and music and drama would be big problems. Science, no practicals...*

They were just examples but I do think there's a lot you could do in each and still keep socially distanced..... time to get creative. I could definitely do a music and drama week socially distanced I have a few ideas already.

Singing is out, you know that, right? It is considered one of the most dangerous things.

I think getting creative can sometimes mean teachers either don't read guidelines or perhaps think they are easy to circumvent. I had to report the school across the road for playing football matches...

Btw OP who was it on the telly? Michael Wilshaw by any chance??

@Piggywaspushed

Sure Start closed because of the government swinging axe of cuts and austerity really!

I’m not saying austerity didn’t have a part, but a very left wing colleague who was involved with it at the time told me that the main reason was because the targeted, most at need groups simply weren’t accessing the services. Instead it was mainly the ‘motivated mums’ who were turning up to the sessions. Therefore the money being spent on the centres wasn’t being spent in the best way.

Are teachers doing more than usual? My kids aren't getting much more work set than regular homework. Microsoft Teams lessons started last week - one had none, the other had two. 40 keyworker/EHCP kids in at 700 pupil school. This is nearly three months after they were sent home. Phone call from the Form Tutor every couple of weeks. The Headteacher sends a very, very long email each week.

Livid at the prospect but highly doubt it's going to happen. Every teacher I know has worked harder since lockdown/school closures than if they would be at school. So much additional pastoral support is being offered and needed than ever before, on top of planning and delivering work set remotely.
I am exhausted and so are all my colleagues, many of whom have children at home doing their own remote learning and needing support too.

I would happily volunteer but as I am working full time hours either teaching in school or setting work, marking work, contacting parents and pupils etc from home and I have already worked through three weeks in my holidays unpaid, I would expect this time to be paid for it. However, I am currently pregnant with my first and so don’t have my own childcare to worry about. I can’t imagine many teachers with children would be as eager to volunteer.
My issue with it would be is that the pupils who really need it (the ones not engaging with their online work) would be the ones who did not attend the summer classes.

piggy Yes, it was Michael Wishaw. I really think these 'experts', who currently don't actually work in schools would stop telling everyone how things should be happening. They are helping drive the public outcry about 'lazy teachers'.

ladyslattern I can only speak for myself but yes I am absolutely doing more than usual, and more hours. Students routines have completey disappeared. They've emailing me well outside of working hours I've been replying.

I'll happily go in to support children over the summer holidays for exactly the same hours and same pay that Michael Wishes does.

Wishaw

I’d like schooling during term time first.

@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?

Surely Ofsted inspectors are perfectly placed to work in these summer school? After all, they're qualified teachers and haven't been working every day since March - and they're such experts on educating children that they can judge the standards of others; time to show everybody how it should be done by getting all children back to where they should be at this time of year.

Some will need to work in the offices, on reception, in first aid, catering, cleaning and the like too, but they've got the knowledge, shouldn't be a problem for them...

Surely Ofsted inspectors are perfectly placed to work in these summer school? After all, they're qualified teachers and haven't been working every day since March-and they're such experts on educating children that they can judge the standards of others; time to show everybody how it should be done by getting all children back to where they should be at this time of year.

This should be all over the news and social media; it’s the perfect solution.

I would also happily give up a day or two of my holiday to go in and observe-I’m sure they have lots of wonderful Outstanding tips for us all.

I wouldn't do it even if they paid us to do it. I've been working full time since schools have been 'shut' and I've worked through my holidays. I've not had a break since Feb half term and I need a break so I can switch off for a bit.

I do hope @irisnotadaff is also not an English teacher!

Singing is out, you know that, right? It is considered one of the most dangerous things.

I think getting creative can sometimes mean teachers either don't read guidelines or perhaps think they are easy to circumvent. I had to report the school across the road for playing football matches.

Yes any activities that involve groups deep breathing in enclosed spaces are higher risk. I've read the studies. They also show that groups of five or less aren't high risk. So singing takes place in small groups, very well socially distanced, out of doors or in a well ventilated area. There are many other music and drama activities you could to too.

But, as I said, this is just an example. What I find interesting and depressing on threads like these is that posters rush to pour cold water on other people's ideas without making any suggestions of their own. I realise that this whole situation is far from perfect and my ideas won't be either. But honestly @Piggywaspushed
Stop peering at your neighbour's and reporting them and start coming up with a few more positive suggestions of your own.