Nightingale schools

[Crimples]

In the same way they knocked up all those hospitals in next to no time, why can’t they do the same with schools?
Genuine question, apologies if it’s has already been discussed

It wouldn't solve everything, but it would be a start

Yep. A start. A minimum really - all kids need the tech now, they've needed the tech for 10 years. All children should be given one as they get into KS2 in my opinion. It should be a written off cost every year - no one inherits an old shitty one.

Other issues that need addressing - I've got pupils currently housed in converted lorry containers. Genuinely. That also needs to be sorted.

And it can’t involve retired teachers, working through summer, unqualified staff or those not DBA cleared.

I was informed the other day on here that there are lots of teachers returning from international schools. Probably not quite half a million of them...

Or is it easier to open up the schools to the years not in school during summer holidays.

Half in now using the space, next half during holidays.

Agree some impetus needs to be shown.

September all in I assume.

CallmeAngelina - it was merely a suggestion, for when the risk is lower and shielding guidance has therefore potentially changed, for how shielding children might not be so isolated while still being safer than at school. I wasn’t proposing to visit your house and remove your children to enforced socialising experiences.

Or is it easier to open up the schools to the years not in school during summer holidays.

Staffed by who?

@ohthegoats

And it can’t involve retired teachers, working through summer, unqualified staff or those not DBA cleared.

I was informed the other day on here that there are lots of teachers returning from international schools. Probably not quite half a million of them...

And when will they arrive? There are only 5 weeks left now in England until summer holidays. And English teachers are working already so where are the extra classrooms for these international teachers to teach pupils they don’t know?

Teachers? Who else.

You don’t solve the same issue with extra buildings now.

Marsha - at the risk of another round of 'teachers get too many holidays' etc, teachers have already worked for free for 3 weeks, now we're expected to do another 6?

Thetriangle

I'm not sure you understand quite how strict shielding has been - we have to socially distance from people living in our own homes and have only been allowed outside in the past week. How do you think it will be ok to mix not only children from other households but also the staff working in the leisure centres?

They didn’t have the staff for the Nightingale hospitals and there won’t be the teaching staff either.

Would parents be fine with that type of new buildings though? I would sooner homeschool personally, but I understand it's not an option for many parents. I think reception and year 1 should attend some form of pre school rather than primary as they do in other European countries. They are too young for formal education I think, and that would make more space for older ones. Primary aged kids could spend a lot more time outside, and secondaries could extend their timetables so that pupils are only in when they have a class and can go home afterwards. A lot could be done online, and again a lot of outdoor activities, PE, work experience... I know loads of former teachers and I am one myself. I would actually be happy to come back if the system was completely redesigned, as I simply don't think what we are currently doing had children best interests as it's core. Teachers generally train because they do genuinely want to make a difference but it's not happening now, and it's depressing. Let this be an opportunity to rethink our education system.

Bea not everyone will no. But there is usually a price and the government have dug deep for everyone bar children so far.

I’m a primary teacher and agree with bubbles of 30 (maybe 31, 32 in some classes).

We couldn’t do 1m distancing due to size of classrooms though (old Victorian building). In my classroom several children have to get up and move out of the way each time another wants to go to the toilet. Normally, we have three to a desk.

Portaloos would absolutely be needed too. We have two boys cubicles and three girls cubicles shared between 210 children.

I think most of our parents would be ok with this, so long as we were honest about what could/could not be managed.

@MarshaBradyo

Teachers? Who else.

You don’t solve the same issue with extra buildings now.

So, the teachers who have worked from February without a break should now work all through until when, without a break?

My son is phoning me every day, on his knees, with the amount of work he's doing.

Btw not work for free. But if you have extra buildings you need more staff anyway. And that is higher cost.

Or is it easier to open up the schools to the years not in school during summer holidays.

I will refuse to work the summer holidays, as would all of my colleagues. We're exhausted, more so than usual at this time of year. I need the break.

Hear what year does he teach?

How about parent coops, for younger ones anyway? Boris makes it legal for children to socialise in groups and parents to swap childcare/home education opportunities/basically run an unregistered, unpaid childminders. Allow up to 15 children to be in the group, though most people would probably want fewer. Might not be top quality education but if it means children get to socialise, parents get to work.... Obviously would be at parents own risk, but I let my children go on play dates at the friends houses usually, what’s so different?

Marsha, but if we can only have half the kids in at a time and you're saying half now and half in the summer then all teachers need to be in for all of that?

So I've had one week of holiday this year (feb half term), I won't get another one until Oct (assuming keyworker provision is gone by then). And then a week at Xmas.

So three weeks for the whole year?

@MarshaBradyo

Btw not work for free. But if you have extra buildings you need more staff anyway. And that is higher cost.

Marsha staff have worked from Feb with no break including some unpaid holidays (3 weeks). It doesn’t matter if you pay then over summer or not- they’re too tired. People are not machines

I’m a primary teacher and agree with bubbles of 30 (maybe 31, 32 in some classes).

Where did 30 come from? Just happened to be a usual class size, or is it based on what is safe from a scientific perspective?

I've got a class of 34. Are you just going to decide that 34 in a bubble is OK now, so long as school goes back full time. What about a bubble of 35, or 36?

malaguena

I would actually be happy to come back if the system was completely redesigned, as I simply don't think what we are currently doing had children best interests as it's core.

This would be a perfect time to redesign the system with input from teachers (yeah right), unions (LOL) and HTs (pfft).

But this, no doubt, would lead to cries of teacher being workshy and putting issues in the path of progress.

The sad truth is that if you came back you would be facing the exact same issues that were the reason you left, and in some cases its even worse.

@MarshaBradyo

Hear what year does he teach?

Year 7 - 13. Obviously years 11 and 13 have left but he's teaching all other year groups.

Sorry, posted too soon - 15 days rather than the statutory minimum of 28?

ohthegoats

I suspect that number is pulled straight from the class size that their child is in so that their child can go straight back to school.

I notice that there is no provision for the teacher to have a break, go to the toilet or even eat.