The ‘School Covid tester’ recruitment drive has begun...

[Whattimeisdinner]

What could possibly go wrong?
AIBU to think ‘a lot’?

www.google.co.uk/search?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari#fpstate=tlexp&htiq=school%20covid%20testing%20jobs%20uk

@frosted232

I don't understand what the problem is, teachers have been crying out for schools to be noticed and acknowledged as a place where Covid is spreading and now they are testing that's wrong. Serious question and I'm not trying to provoke anyone, what do teachers actually want?

I want close contacts and siblings/family members of positive cases to continue to be isolated for 10 days like they are now.

I would like these lateral flow tests to be used amongst the pupils and staff in the year groups of the positive cases who WEREN’T identified as close contacts and this data studied by someone suitably qualified, to provide useful information about transmission. This doesn’t have to happen by January 4th and should be allocated sufficient time, staff and funding to allow this to happen properly. If it’s a case of them being sent to local testing sites, or mobile vans being sent to schools as the government has mentioned in the past, all the better.

Staff to be tested twice weekly using the lateral flow tests. These can be administered at home and then the results emailed in-just like my friends who work in the NHS do.

What do you think about the government proposals as opposed to my suggestions, @frosted232 ?

[quote Fieldofyellowflowers]@AaronPurr

Must be the area. They are certainly not rare in the counties I've worked in[/quote]
South here-haven’t seen midday assistants in secondary schools since I was at school in the 90s.

[quote Fieldofyellowflowers]**@subeccoo* @Achristmaspudsskidu*

What area are you two in? Because lunchtimes are fully run by midday supervisors in both Northern counties that I have worked in.

The school that I am in now, the teachers don't want to know about anything that happens during the lunch break unless there is a fire or a kid might actually be dying.[/quote]
Suffolk.
I find it an integral part of my day tbh, this way I catch up with a lot of students I would need to speak to during lessons, keep an eye on vulnerable kids and generally oversee how they're all getting on. I'm an extremely present hoy and my year group are very well behaved. I don't doubt some of that is down to my presence at social times.
Thread derail, sorry!

@Whattimeisdinner

Schools will use their lunchtime staff on more hours etc - if it is being funded but there has been mixed messages on that

Secondary school lunchtime staff are the teachers themselves!

Not in any schools around here. We have midday assistants. SLT then have one duty a week being on call over radios.

South here-haven’t seen midday assistants in secondary schools since I was at school in the 90s

North here. Me neither!

@Whattimeisdinner

Born and raised in the North. Never come across a school without them.

Surely all this current discussion shows is that different schools run in different ways and what might work in one, won't work in another!

[quote Fieldofyellowflowers]**@subeccoo* @Achristmaspudsskidu*

What area are you two in? Because lunchtimes are fully run by midday supervisors in both Northern counties that I have worked in.

The school that I am in now, the teachers don't want to know about anything that happens during the lunch break unless there is a fire or a kid might actually be dying.[/quote]
Afraid that is about right with the teachers at my son's school. All up to midday assistants or SLT.

London by the way

@spanieleyes

Surely all this current discussion shows is that different schools run in different ways and what might work in one, won't work in another!

True but finding the difference fascinating. I want a map with middays and no midday assistants marked on it. Maybe the odd butler and footman marked down to show the private schools.

Anyway back to the point. Some middays are probably going to jump a bit of extra cash. However not all schools have that as an option so will need to hire people or teachers will be even more over worked.

A poster on another thread has already said her school refuses to test. Don't know if you can do this but sure some schools will try it.

Actually most secondary schools hire midday supervisors. Teachers are entitled to a lunch hour.

Not in any secondary school near me ... we have 1 midday supervisor, we have 1500 students. Lunch is 40 minutes, most staff are on duty for some of this or are running a club / detention / booster class ... I genuinely don't know one member of staff who takes a proper lunch.

@thesnailandthewhale

It just goes to show that different schools are ran very differently.

As someone else pointed out, some midday supervisors may get extra work thrown their way.

The school I work at has asked for volunteers to help supervise pupils while they are being tested but has said volunteers won’t be asked to do the actual tests. And has also made it clear that staff do not have capacity to do it either. I guess they are waiting for the government to make the next move.

Batshit

@user1493413286

I know there was a thread on it already but the idea that they don’t need to be DBS checked is quite worrying

They will be supervised like any of the other health related visitors who come into school - the people doing vaccinations, hearing and eye sight tests are supervised.

No schools in my area have mid-day assistants. It's done by staff (ditto break and bus duty) in return for a lunch allowance.
Schools don't have the money to hire extra people and when is this recruitment and planning meant to happen? It's the holidays.
What do teachers want? To be told what is planned by the DfE in a timely manner rather than it being 'leaked' to the press.

My DCs school is the same, no MDS staff and the TA and class teacher do 1/2 an hour each.

Same here Achristmaspudsskidu
Been a secondary teacher since 2003 in London and never seen or worked with lunchtime supervisors in any of the schools. SLT and Heads of Learning do the lunch queues and teachers run the lunch clubs or detentions etc.

the people doing vaccinations, hearing and eye sight tests are supervised

The nurses, do you mean?

@Achristmaspudsskidu I think your requests are very reasonable. I can't see why they wouldn't do this but it's not my decision to make unfortunately. It's nice to actually hear what teachers want rather than what they don't want. I think teachers are getting a bad rap from the media lately and maybe more people would support you if they understood what it was you actually wanted. The problem is the media have cast you as wanting schools to close but reading through the comments I can clearly see that's not the case for most.

@Achristmaspudsskidu

the people doing vaccinations, hearing and eye sight tests are supervised

The nurses, do you mean?

I'm not quite sure what your point is here. Nurses, audiologists, opticians etc.

I'm not quite sure what your point is here. Nurses, audiologists, opticians etc.

All those people will have DBS checks done already, as they work in a professional role with children - not the same.

@Whattimeisdinner

Schools will use their lunchtime staff on more hours etc - if it is being funded but there has been mixed messages on that

Secondary school lunchtime staff are the teachers themselves!

Not here they are not.

Well, no, of course the school gets to decide it. If the head says the people coming into his / her school to give Covid tests need to be DBS checked first then they will need to be DBS checked. Also, bear in mind that most roles where there is supervised contact with children don’t involve any physical contact which testing, presumably, will; at the very least, volunteers will repeatedly come close to many children.