To tell you all that secondary schools and colleges

[namechangedbecausejob]

Will be at home for the first week of Jan across England for home based learning.

How typical of this amoral and shambolic shower of shits government. wait until the end of term to throw this at us.

In my secondary school, the Head has not taken any time off since March. He looks shattered. He brought the final day forward from tomorrow to today so that staff get time off over Christmas if there is a positive case. How dare that imbecile Williamson announce something AFTER we have finished for the year. Could they not have done this at the start of the week so we can get a consistent message out to kids? Tomorrow has been designated as INSET but we can work from home. I guess the SLT will be in, and early next week planning for remote learning.

I hoped for a few days R & R before I had to start planning. My subject cannot be taught as it is normally and I have had to rewrite my schemes of work. Thanks idiot Gav, I now need lessons I can teach remotely, rather than face-to-face. It is MUCH more tricky to do this. Another holiday where I don't get a proper break looms.

Nothing ceases to amaze me now.
9 spare staff.
3 hours
Did they speak to school nursing teams to see how long it takes? We had 5 staff in to do 150 nasal flu vaccines in 3 hours.

But how will they get the mass testing system ready for 2 year groups plus key worker/vulnerable children to be back on first day? When are schools supposed to be trained/train staff/work out logistics?

I doubt they'll be able to but at least there'll be fewer kids in school. Local schools to me have been completely snowed under as half the students and loads of staff are at home and the other half are at school so trying to provide normal lessons plus home learning simultaneously.

One local school already has mass weekly testing though. Not sure exactly how they've managed it as I don't ever work there. I know most year groups have one day off a week because of staff shortages though.

I saw this earlier.

Disclaimer - I'm not a teacher.

My first thought with this being announced at end of term like all other guidance is that they seem - in some way - to be deliberately punishing schools. Surely they've had since September to rethink this when the evidence has shown transmission in secondary schools is high? Surely they've always had time to plan and inform schools of their actions in advance as they must know what the term dates are?

That's not to say what they are doing isn't sensible or even needed.

Just that 2 days ago they were threatening legal action for schools rife with cases for switching to online learning (accusing them of shutting early illegally). Then 2 days later demand schools do exactly that and implement mass testing - when they break up for holidays and no one is available to arrange it?

We have trial exams that week so have to be open.

Ours has given no end date just said staggered start to the new year online learning starts in January

I think it's a good thing for them to be on remote for the first week of term.

As usual though the government are chaotic and last minute with mixed messages and unrealistic expectations of teachers.

Why were they threatening court action to schools or councils who wanted to close this week and then today say that schools will be closed the first week of term? They should have let the schools or councils that felt they needed to close do that and have created ill will now by refusing them and then landing this on schools on the last day of term.

I am pleased they are rolling out ongoing weekly tests for teachers. I think the mass testing before the kids all go back is a fantastic idea but I don't think teachers should be asked to do this. I wouldn't be happy if I was a teacher, I have seen the NEU are writing with urgent questions and wonder what the teaching unions response will be (solidarity to you all working in schools and thank you for everything you are doing!). I know some people don't feel unions are doing enough currently, they also don't seem to have the power that they used to. I hope they are able to have some positive influence here.

I am really concerned by the reports I've seen that close contacts of a positive case will still be able to attend school if they have a test for 7 days. The tests they are using have advantages in that they are faster and less expensive than the PCR ones, but they also have more false negatives. Ok for asymptomatic testing in the general population where the speed and value for money make the benefits worth the risks. Not so much where you are handling a higher level of risk, such as for close contacts, or care home visits for example. I think the testing should be used to make things safer than they are currently, so a mass test of all kids before they go back, and weekly tests for teachers will do that... but testing of close contacts without isolation too will actually increase risk.

So in short, yes to remote, yes to mass testing but the planning is leaving a lot to be desired... Chaos as usual...

Well, to be fair to the government, the 9 people don't have to be staff, schools can use volunteers or parents too! Watch out for the rush!

@spanieleyes

Apparently the government believes it will only take the nine spare staff that all schools have sitting around with nothing else to do, just 3 hours to test 100 pupils. They'll soon get through the 1200 pupils our nearest secondary school has then!

As cover manager at a medium size secondary I am rolling my eyes so hard at this I can see last year. What, are they expecting all teachers to be working 5 lessons every day (as well as everything else that has to be squeezed in)? —like I do, btw—. Yep sure. Also, what utter balloon at the dfe decided that half an hour before the end of the school day, when many schools finished today was good timing?

I did think it was weird how my sons school sent out a big email today containing parent packs and online learning stuff, how we can contact the teacher via email if we need to and all that jazz. We had to click a link to confirm we received it so the teacher got notified. Makes sense now.

Schools were notified at the same time as everyone else, we don't get advanced warning of anything!

DS school found out when it was announced on the news and the HT sent an email to everyone saying they will notify parents of their plan before close of school tomorrow.

I have a sinking feeling that DS 1:1, and other support staff, will be drafted in for testing which means DS and children like him will once again be left unsupported.

I notice too that there is nothing about children who won't get tested. I mean they could try to test DS but he would panic and fight them and it wouldn't be safe for him or them.

Its an absolute fucking shambles as usual.

The Smiths had a song that the government's behaviour this week reminds me of- called Panic.

Is this the scheme they want randomers to volunteer for? Or are teachers expected to do the testing? I hear they have a lot of free time on their hands

I wonder how many parents will consent to their children being tested by non-medical professionals for a 50% chance of an accurate result.

Wasn't the biggest reason people wanted kids back in school to protect their mental health? I'm not entirely sure testing at school is compatible with that goal.

@DailyPotion

Jolly decent of you because schools have been told too late in the day to plan for this phased return/partially remote teaching, work out what it will look like for each student group (vulnerable kids anyone?) and send a proper communication to parents.

We've had an email from the school tonight, no doubt the head teacher has spent another one of his evenings working through it as the email came out about an hour ago. Poor chap deserves a night off, several nights off.

@spanieleyes

Schools were notified at the same time as everyone else, we don't get advanced warning of anything!

Are you signed up for the DfE emails?

Yes our local authority has announced this information today. Very disruptive for parents and work once again!

I'm not surprised and me and my DS will not be affected that much but I do feel for those that are.

We don't go back till the 11th anyway and the school already has a rapid testing machine. The benefits of a fee paying school.
My son however is in college and as it's a vocational course about fitness it is not possible to do online (they are in a gym). But it won't affect them greatly.
Rather late of them to be announcing it, I agree.