How is your primary school office being staffed if school open for keyworkers?

[DaphneDear]

I work in a school office. Usually there are 3 of us. One is self isolating for 12 weeks due to a pre-existing condition. I’m glad she is. It took a while for us to convince her! So now there are 2!

The past couple of days we’ve had about 10 children in. Teachers and TAs are on a rota 1 day each this week to cover. Dinner ladies are in to feed the children and cleaners are in - to clean, not surprisingly!

Our Head is adamant that the 2 of us in the office need to be in every day.

DH is wfh so my DCs are safe but left to their own devices. The 15 year old is fine but the 13 year old is struggling a bit.

Meanwhile I’m at school with no work to do. The phone rang 3 times today.

I just wish we could have a rota for the office.

Or is that unreasonable?

There is literally nothing to do!!!!!

I would like to know how other schools are managing this.

Thank you

Well it’s nearly year end so lots of financial work and next year’s budget. Sorting out FSM and keeping track of children who should be there and ringing those who arent. Checking on more vulnerable families. Welcome packs for the new starters. Cancelling this and that and rebooking. I’m sure there’s other things that I don’t know too.

The colleague who is home does all our finance. She is continuing to do that from home.

Our SENCO is working from home re the vulnerable children.

I’ve done a bit of FSM admin.

My role is usually registers, dinners, receptionist, first aide. Currently I am twiddling my thumbs!

Aide? AID!

I’m just wondering what other primary school admin people are up to.

We did the refunds for trips etc on Monday. There were very few.

We have three people in our office. One is self isolating. The others two are working one week on, one week off.

ILoveAnOwl thank you

Three people in our office. All in yesterday but going forward, one per day.

LoveFameTragedy thank you - sounds sensible

Usually 2 in. We're doing one person in, a few days each, 8 hour day. My DC school operating the office only for 2 hours per day.

I feel your pain. Our head won't countenance anyone working from home just yet. Large secondary school - today we had 40 kids in, and 70 members of staff!! Office of 6 people, all crammed in next to each other.

We have a rota. Like you there is normally 3 of us. One is self-isolating. The other person and myself are going in half the week each.

We all do have plenty of work like admissions, getting orders set up for next year, year end stuff and so on to do but can do that from home for the other half of the week.

The registers, first aid, phone-calls and lunches have dwindled to very little so there isn't much to be done there so it is a bit boring compared to normal.

I think that we will probably cut back to only needing to go for a couple of hours at the start of the day.

High school 1200 students
Approx 30 students in
8 staff in total
I'm on the rota for 1 day
1 slt
1 first aid
1 dsl
1 to man reception but can do own work if not your usual job role
4 teachers
In addition I believe 1 catering staff/ facilities manager or caretaker

I’m a school secretary too. My work was pretty null yesterday so my boss said to start Easter earlier. Other secretary is in as she has grown up kids. I’m home educating whilst dh is wfh. My colleague who’s a registrar is home as she has severe asthma. I’m glad she’s home as the boss wasn’t taking it seriously

Our school office is closed, only enough teachers in to manage the number of children expected.

There’s usually two of us in the office and we are doing one day a week each. The remaining days are being covered by other staff.
Yesterday was my day. It was spent responding to numerous emails about missing work packs and speaking to people at the door!

Thanks for your replies. An interesting mix. It’s so hard to socially distance in a small office and I’m just unsettled with the DCs being home without me. That was always the point of this job - earn peanuts but be around for DCs! Never mind.

At least if I was busy I would be distracted!

Our office staff are on the same rota as everyone else - it’s only fair!

Our office staff are all working from home. The phone has been diverted to the head's mobile. The tasks listed by Numbers can (and are) all be done at home.

If there are only ten children they don't need clerical support on site. Fair doesn't come into it, if your role is not critical or can be done at home you shouldn't be there.

I'd also question the 1 day per week rota. That means if a child is asymptomatic, they infect the entire staff during their contagious period. Working one week in five would make far more sense.

carlotta43 That is completely agiasnt all the rules. How can they all be essential?

I'd also question the 1 day per week rota. That means if a child is asymptomatic, they infect the entire staff during their contagious period. Working one week in five would make far more sense.

Thanks, this hadn’t even occurred to me! I’ve raised it with an SLT member

Our school office is closed until further notice. There is currently no work to do.