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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Class teacher is currently COVID positive.

118 replies

Moelwynbach · 03/09/2021 20:51

My son is due to start his new class year next week. We have notification from school to say that his class teacher is COVID positive so he will be starting later, this is yet another pain in the arse that I can do nothing about. I have no alternative childcare other than wrap around school club and holiday club.
Under the new rules on an ongoing basis do schools have to replace teachers with supply teachers or is the onus still on parents to use their infinite leave.
Please be aware that I know that this cannot be helped but my workplace wont be over chuffed if I keep having to take time off work!

OP posts:

Awalkintime · 05/09/2021 15:13

@RubyFowler

Yes a head can take class from time to time and only in emergency situations i agree. Absolutely shouldn't become the norm. Similar to a matron in a hospital is a head of a service and a managerial role. Would only do hands on nursing in a dire situation, but it is stated in the contingency planning as a solution if for example a service would otherwise close due to lack of nursing staff available.

But this would maybe be for 1 single shift not a whole week and adding approx 100 hours onto their own job. I average 100 hours at the moment in a week due to covid. It is unreasonable to put so many hours onto someone else.

However, 1 staff member down on a ward would not close a ward as there are other staff members working on there and others who can be called upon, 1 teacher down in a school with limited staff would if they do not have the means to cover.

The LA will have to grant the closure by any means, it is not a decision taken lightly and they will have to prove all other avenues have been exhausted before they grant it. We had to for a school closure in June when we had 1 member of staff to teach, cook, clean and do admin in the whole school and even then they were reluctant to allow us to close.

Getawaywithit · 05/09/2021 15:29

This has been years in the making. It was inevitable, I think, with budget cuts being what they have been. Teachers have warned again and again that the situation was unsustainable. The pandemic has probably brought it forward but I can see a lot of this happening over the coming months. Sick teachers cannot teach online. Supply is in short supply even if a school can afford it. Children cannot be supervised safely, let alone educated when there are too many of them crammed into a space meant for half the number. And that's without thinking about what that does to help covid and the lack of ventilation.

You are reaping that you sowed, Conservative voters.

RubyFowler · 05/09/2021 18:04

@Awalkintime we're in agreement. Sorry if that wasn't obvious, my fault.

ilovesooty · 05/09/2021 18:20

@Getawaywithit - absolutely.

FrownedUpon · 05/09/2021 18:21

This will be happening a lot this year. Supply teachers are really hard to find at the moment.

amillionmenonmars · 06/09/2021 07:22

I'm also shocked by the comments from several posters who think that getting an adult - any adult - in front of the class is the solution! TAs are brilliant, but they work hard enough as it is - they are not paid to teach whole classes. Someone suggested the caretaker or the admin staff? Really? Is that how little you value your child's education? I am not having a go at either - they do a great job, often under very challenging circumstances, but they are not teachers. Would you be happy enough for your Dr's receptionist to have a go at diagnosing and prescribing for you on your next visit?

It isn't a matter of getting someone to stand in for an hour or so. Schools are struggling with long term cover. Are you honestly saying that any adult in the building will do? Some posters on MN really do see teachers as a glorified child care service.

Nosferatussidebit · 06/09/2021 10:54

amillionmenonmars if it's a choice between a school employed adult providing care for my child during school hours (NOT teaching) or me having to take even more unpaid time off work and also not teaching my kids, I will take the child care option. School holidays are different, there are whole businesses set up to provide childcare during those, which don't exist during term time.

bnotts · 06/09/2021 10:56

We have a Year 2 teacher off as positive. They have arranged cover just as they would with illness.

Parker231 · 06/09/2021 13:09

@bnotts

We have a Year 2 teacher off as positive. They have arranged cover just as they would with illness.

What happens next time a teacher is off ill - does the school have anything left in the budget for further cover (if they can find an available supply teacher)?

Italiandreams · 06/09/2021 13:20

@Nosferatussidebit would you be prepared to do a job that you are not being paid for? A lot more responsibility for no extra pay? That is what we are asking if TA’s when they cover. It’s not that they can’t , I know lots who are more than capable, but TA’s get paid very little and it really doesn’t seem a fair ask of them.

amillionmenonmars · 06/09/2021 16:10

Having someone in front of the class in an emergency for an hour or two - fine. What happens when it's a GCSE or A Level class and it is two weeks or may be more and there is no teacher cover - would that be ok? What if is happens in three or four of your child's subjects. Would that be ok?

Awalkintime · 06/09/2021 16:41

amillionmenonmars
Completely agree - anyone will do doesn't even matter if they have their own job to do and they work 3x the legal limit. Doesn't even matter to some if safeguarding is breached so long as they don't have to take time off work.

HalfwomanHalfcookie · 06/09/2021 18:56

Caretakers, admin staff etc have their own role in the running of the school. That's why they are there. Who would do their job while they watch a class?

Nosferatussidebit · 06/09/2021 22:35

[quote Italiandreams]@Nosferatussidebit would you be prepared to do a job that you are not being paid for? A lot more responsibility for no extra pay? That is what we are asking if TA’s when they cover. It’s not that they can’t , I know lots who are more than capable, but TA’s get paid very little and it really doesn’t seem a fair ask of them.[/quote]
I already do.

But that's not my point. I was responding to the person who said that I didn't value my child's education. I was saying that I wasn't expecting them to be educated by the adult, just provided with safe basic care. Despite what Mumsnet trots out, schools ARE childcare and there's isn't short notice child care available elsewhere during term time, because schools do perform a childcare role for millions of working parents.

Nosferatussidebit · 06/09/2021 22:39

@HalfwomanHalfcookie

Caretakers, admin staff etc have their own role in the running of the school. That's why they are there. Who would do their job while they watch a class?

It's like in my hospital, sometimes, jobs have to be prioritized and over the last 18months, people have had to do jobs they aren't qualified for whilst the job they should be doing goes undone. I'm not saying it's great or even good, or should be normalised. I'm saying it happens. Public institutions over this last 18months have had to plan for such eventualities. OPs schools plan is that children don't go in, fair enough. I'm happier my children's school have a different plan.

Awalkintime · 07/09/2021 05:03

Nosferatussidebit
Other roles are still important and they ALL contribute to the safe running of schools.

So school admin shouldn't do their job - they shouldn't deal with the register because knowing who is in or not is not important, nor sort dinners out - what does it matter if they kids get no lunch. They shouldn't deal with any banking - school bills like electricity don't need paying and it doesn't matter if a repair job needs ringing through - I'm sure the school can cope with jobs like gas repairs, broken door code systems etc for a few weeks without anyone ringing them through.

The school site supervisors should leave the bins full and overflowing, I see no problem there. The toilets don't need cleaning at all and the fire alarms don't need testing nor does the water supply - I'm sure childcare is more important than testing basic things in school to see if they work - I mean, when does anyone ever need safe water or a working fire alarm?

You're right, their jobs are not important at all! You clearly have no idea how everyone's job is important in a school and how each role needs doing daily to ensure children are safe in school.

motherrunner · 07/09/2021 06:26

My school closed to all students on two occasions last academic year. Not because of the multiple pupil cases, we just didn’t have enough staff to open safely. It can and does happen.

HalfwomanHalfcookie · 07/09/2021 07:13

Nosfer I'm not having a dig at the NHS when I say this, but you are implying that things have run along smoothly due to staff just getting on with it and mucking in doing jobs they aren't qualified for. You know this really isn't the case.

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