To ask if you are happy with the protection levels at school?

[MissMissICantDoThis]

I am a teacher so feel that I have some insight into what is going on in schools and I am feeling increasingly worried about the 'second wave'.

We have guidelines at our school and they mainly protect us adults. In reality, I couldn't do my job without breaking the guidelines and putting myself at risk. I accept this and felt that I accepted the risk in general. In my circle it is generally 'brave face and no complaining' attitude so I do not hear anyone talking about it.

I have mixed feelings for my own children. My son seems genuinely scared for the adults in the family and I am doing my best to support this.

I do not think that they will close schools again. The damage that the last lockdown did is evident. However, I am increasingly in favour of closing them again for a circuit breaker at least. The scientific evidence is so mixed that I do not know what to believe and wonder if the government are purposely being vague to avoid lockdown. Death rates are inevitably down compared to the first wave now that they only count deaths within 28 days yet they announced that it can take several weeks for someone to become critically ill.

My friend has a worried child too and she has said that if necessary, she will take her child out and face the fine. Is anyone else's child really worried? How do you feel about this?

I am genuinely prepared to accept that I am on half term and have spent more time watching the news than I normally would. Am I allowing myself to be scaremongered?

Of course the main thing to do is keep rooms ventilated with doors open and windows open to move air around and dispel covid.

That's in the latest updated dofe guidance.

I’m sure the DfE is providing extra funding to schools to improve ventilation in classrooms that have no windows or windows that don’t open.

What’s that, they’re not? They’ve put it in the guidelines but not provided the resources to achieve it? How unlike them.

@Mokusspokus

Of course the main thing to do is keep rooms ventilated with doors open and windows open to move air around and dispel covid.

That's in the latest updated dofe guidance.

Impossible if the windows in your classroom don’t open.

I’m sure the DfE is providing extra funding to schools to improve ventilation in classrooms that have no windows or windows that don’t open

Noble, sorry but this is just bonkers. What are you expecting? Knocking out walls? Honestly, you must have doors, and corridors opening to external doors. Our school is keeping all these open, as many of their windows can't be opened as they were installed recently, and are environmentally controlled by computer! Great for the environment, and reduction of heating bills, not so great for ventilation.

As a 55 year old primary teacher with underlying health issues, in a very large primary school, I am extremely worried, both for myself and for other vulnerable family members. We are in a tier 3 area and over 300 children and staff in our school have been off at various times since September. There is no social distancing going on and no PPE. The only concession to safety is staggered break times and hand sanitiser. After half term, I intend to wear a mask at all times. I don't understand why the guidance is masks only in corridors. It is in class when I have 30 people all facing me and coughing/sneezing in my direction that I feel most in need of protection.

Noble, sorry but this is just bonkers. What are you expecting? Knocking out walls?

Bonkers? Germany are providing money to schools to improve ventilation. Are they bonkers? www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-54599593

@Bookworm65 a regular mask isn’t protecting you, it protects others from you!

They're not safe enough. More masks need to be worn and a week or two of remote learning needs to be pencilled in before Xmas.

[quote ohnothisagain]@Bookworm65 a regular mask isn’t protecting you, it protects others from you![/quote]
There is increasing evidence that isn't the case, especially if you are wearing one of the surgicical type masks.

@Baaaahhhhh

I’m sure the DfE is providing extra funding to schools to improve ventilation in classrooms that have no windows or windows that don’t open

Noble, sorry but this is just bonkers. What are you expecting? Knocking out walls? Honestly, you must have doors, and corridors opening to external doors. Our school is keeping all these open, as many of their windows can't be opened as they were installed recently, and are environmentally controlled by computer! Great for the environment, and reduction of heating bills, not so great for ventilation.

Classroom doors open out onto corridors which are enclosed by heavy fire doors. at dd and dh's school you have to go through several fire doors before you get to an external door or window.

Red lock print off the new guidance and persue their opening.

@Sodamncold

Utterly indifferent if I’m honest.

My children are fit, healthy and happy. And delighted to be back at school and thriving.

That - is all I’m bothered about

And it is exactly this "I'm alright, Jack" attitude that is perpetuating this whole fine mess we find ourselves in, but I suspect you know that. I fail to believe that anyone could be so utterly ignorant to the fact that there are people who have been, are being, and will be badly affected by the virus through no fault of their own.

walksen Secondary school in tier 2

Ohnothisagain

fullfact.org/health/evidence-shows-masks-do-offer-protection-covid-19/

There is evidence that they do offer some protection to the wearer, although of course, they don't guarantee that the wearer will not catch Covid.

I don't feel safe at work (teacher) and I don't think schools are safe. Vaguely safer maybe but not safe.

I work in a preschool and I don’t feel at all safe. I have asthma & M.E. so really don’t want to catch it.

I think both schools my dcs go to have done as much as they can.

However I am remote learning with ds, after half term. He was previously shielded, and it just feels too risky, his bubble closed just before half term, and he didn't catch it (but hasdn't been a close contact).

Latest cases per 100,000 for secondary. The last column is an underestimate and when the figures are in will look worse

If it gets into a classroom then you have the potential for it to infect 34+ families and their workplaces. They are not testing every week because they are relying on children being asymptomatic. They want to keep outbreaks quiet as they don’t want to shut schools.

This is what will drive up community spread, local lockdown and deaths. Probably not amongst the children or staff (although possibly) but amongst the vulnerable groups and those who think they'll be okay because it's "a mild cold" right up until they find out the hard way.

1 asymptomatic case can have a huge knock on effect.

www.healthline.com/health-news/20-percent-of-people-with-covid-19-are-asymptomatic-but-can-spread-the-disease

What's the option then? Shut schools for months on end? Home learning doesn't work for a lot of people and none of us know how long this could go on for.

@Ilovegreentomatoes

What's the option then? Shut schools for months on end? Home learning doesn't work for a lot of people and none of us know how long this could go on for.

Why do people jump to this when we've said time and time again what we want to help keep schools OPEN. They will shut anyway if too many staff get ill. I already know of teachers who have died, or struggling with long Covid and the profession already has a recruitment and retention problem.

What we want: masks for all who can wear them, whenever possible, including in classrooms.
Funding to improve ventilation with extraction mechanisms or air purifiers.
Look into blended learning for those older students who can cope with it to reduce class sizes. Some will need to stay in school but some work better with support at home
Funding for extra staff and facilities and allow heads to provide innovative solutions that would work for their school and catchment.
Actually providing the promised laptops and enhanced cleaning funds would also help.

And regular testing, especially when there are positive cases

Masks on kids in clsssrooms?! Really?