Teachers: What is your school doing?

[noblegiraffe]

The DfE have said DO NOT CLOSE YOUR SCHOOL. Ofqual have said KEEP PREPARING FOR EXAMS AS NORMAL

My school seem to have taken this as an instruction to just keep on trucking. They might have put some posters up in the toilets about handwashing tbf.

Other schools, from what I can tell on here, are gearing up to teach lessons remotely, cancelling trips, stopping assemblies, wiping door handles with disinfectant, making kids wash their hands before lunch.

I can’t see much chat about it on edutwitter, even after the Times article suggesting that A-levels might be postponed and GCSEs put back to September.

Of course they have. Not enough staff - cover teachers and sticking some kids in the hall. Closing the school if necessary for a short period. Kids sitting exams are different centres if their own is closed. Special consideration if they miss an exam. If the school burns down putting up temporary classrooms. When schools are closed for short periods (snow days/broken boiler) just letting them enjoy the break.

But not for prolonged closure of all schools in the country at the same time, in the run up to exam season. It’s unprecedented.

just a parent here but 2 kids, primary is doing nothing remotely visible to year 6 child or parents, seriously nothing. secondary have started saying they MUST use alcohol gel in canteen (fingerprint system to pay) but that is all as far as we can work out.

to be perfectly honest for primary kids if they were off i don't see any reason for any extra work online, tell them all to read, write some imaginative stories and practice their tables and to be honest they could cope perfectly well if they miss a few weeks and do that every day. I certainly wouldn't expect teachers to be sat trying to a) supervise their own kids and b) set more work or then try and mark it. really at that age it won't harm them. Secondary could be set some fairly open ended researchy type tasks for years 7-9 for most subjects and some will do them and some won't but again it really shouldn't need a massive input from remote teachers. obviously exam students are different and I would hope that they would get the majority of the focus (mine are younger so I am not saying this because mine would benefit). perhaps for them it would be hoped they would have covered most of the stuff they need to and might be in revision stage (perhaps not with the harder curriculum?) but if they are then some targetted stuff or online support would be good but it can only be as best as it can be in the circumstances.

Independent school, Nursery to 6th Form. Assemblies and staff meetings cancelled, all staff and visitors have to sign declarations stating they haven't been abroad, all inter-school sports matches cancelled, hand washing reminders every day, pots of anti-bac absolutely everywhere, remote learning set up so we can carry on as normal if/when we close.

staff meetings cancelled

Oh my little heart just leapt with joy at the prospect of that. I think it should be an immediate DfE directive.

Parent here too. My youngest (24yr old) attends college with other young SN adults and so far, nothing is happening. The tutors are really nervous and hoping that the powers that be decide to close, but nothing practical is being done. No gels in the toilets because they’ll get pinched. Students are still mixing with others in the canteen. I wish they would close the canteen and tell the parents to send packet lunches. At least that way, if they eat in the classrooms, it might contain any outbreak. I keep wavering on keeping her off, but her best friend is still attending and her dad is high up in medicine, so I’m watching what happens there. As soon as her friend stops going or there’s a hint of possible infection in her college, I’m keeping her off.

Secondary school teacher here - my school has done nothing bar stick up posters despite us having a girl self-isolating.

I said on another thread that on Friday the caretaker was complaining that he didn’t have enough soap, sanitiser or bleach to last the week and there was a 4-6 week delay on delivery.

Business as usual today - 5 classes, a lunchtime mentoring session and then parents evening. I try not to think about the sheer amount of people contact I have every day!

Last week I discovered that DDs secondary has the same number of daily cleaners as our primary - we have less than 300 pupils, the secondary has 1200 .

I’m still astounded, and no longer tease DD for refusing to touch door handles or use bannisters etc.

Could I ask how many cleaners there are ex?
There are four of us in a school of around 320 children here.

Anyone else not want to go to school today? It just feels so wrong!

have cleaning sprays, clothes antibacterial wipes and spray that I have bought myself so I can atleast wipe tables down and try and keep door handles/ computer keyboards clean. Technically this isn't allowed and we are not meant to have any of our own cleaning products in school.

I feel it's everyone for themselves now, so I shall be taking cleaning products, cloths etc in with me this morning.

We've taught children a nice short hand washing song, and put up some totally non-child friendly posters (I am going to make better ones at lunchtime) but we are not actually doing much to make sure children do wash their hands! Luckily I have access to a sink and so wash my hands frequently. I actually just think it's a matter of time before I get ill as a child locally is a confirmed case and they've been to school last week, mixing with siblings of children I work with.

Secondary.

-We’re part of the biggest trust in the country so have had regular emails form the CEO.
-Posters up reminding us to wash our hands
-audit of which kids have WiFi at home, who only has mobile data and who has neither

I am at a school of 1600 which is split site. I think there are about 15 cleaners, but only three adults.

jessy You obviously don't realise how reactive schools are!

Grenfell last year revealed that exam boards really don't have contingency plans for mass absence.

We have 6 cleaners for a school of 1200, needless to say my classroom get a cursory vacuum but tables are only cleaned every holiday. If they are too grimy I do it myself.

I do worry about becoming ill myself. I have 2 young children and a mother who is in a nursing home as she requires 24/7 care. I visited her yesterday as I always do but I worry how long I can safely do this.

Still time to waylay those worries and drop the kids off at breakfast club!

Primary here
Cleaned classroom every night all tables and desks wiped down with Milton. They’re doing handles and doors and sinks and everything they can get their hands on.
Water fountain has been turned off leading to random water bottles by said sink and lots of drinking water and subsequent toilet visits in lessons but I expect that will die down.
We have been given sanitiser for the classroom but it’s all gone now and there’s no more.
Been asked to do the lesson plans suggested by the DFE on spreading germs this week
And we have made an action plan about closure and how to remotely educate the kids - it will involve history and geography topic work apparently, an online library and online maths.

MNHQ : teachers should be allowed to discuss the professional consequences of their job and the current situation in peace. this is not a general thread....

All this remote learning is well and good if you have a subject that can be taught remotely. Not all can.

Similar thread here (and still in the staff room).
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/the_staffroom/3832992-Is-anyone-s-school-affected-by-the-Coronavirus

Ltr from school last week - additional cleaning incl handrails, door handles etx, constant hand wash reminders, anti vac gel (is always at dining hall anyway). Non essential meetings cancelled eg outside lectures, parents evening. Sports fuxtures under review. Plus they are setting up remote working options. Boarders being asked to stay in Uk for hols. DDs school all of the above plus they have been told tbry will be expected ti check in for normal school hours and be on-line for lessons.

Sorry piggy. I know this thread was meant for teachers, but was reacting to the comments about desks not being cleaned as it shocked me.

Oh, I don't mind you commenting ! but what we don't want it to turn into is a teacher bashing thread as some people treat the Coronavirus board like AIBU!

Shhh caulk !

Secondary here. Business as usual, with extra posters up about handwashing. The screens we usually put sports fixtures in have videos running about handwashing. Soap has been refilled in all toilets (a novelty as vandalism causes issues with soap dispensers). There is hand sanitiser by the lunch queue but that's been there since November when there was a horrible bug going around.

We got a letter from our cleaning contractor last week, in response to another school with a suspected case having asked them to "give things an extra clean" saying that they were neither qualified nor prepared to do medical deep cleans, so I'm not sure what "deep cleaning" means in practice.

Nothing at all. Secondary, it's like its not happening.