So apparently all the state schools could have had interactive lessons

[chopc]

As per GW today all were given access to a Microsoft Teams/ Google classrooms and could have had interactive teaching like the private schools. Not sure if he mentioned anything about the safeguarding concerns of zoom which miraculously have been overcome recently ...........just sayin

Did some teachers say they have been instructed by their SLT not to give interactive lessons or mark homework etc?

Sorry I know you must be bored of these threads but couldn't help myself

And just to add our tiny school have provided work non stop for our kids. Just because it wasn’t on an app doesn’t mean it wasn’t work.

They tried their best to do it in a way that didn’t digitally exclude.

They now, having spent much time on the work involves, have an app which they combine with other work in a bid to provide an education to all.

Our school still haven't got the laptops for vulnerable year 10s we applied for months ago.
Our school contacted over 1000 studnets to see if what their internet/screen access was like. There was a significant % who did not have wifi, just phone data. There was a significant % where parents needed the laptop to WFH, their was a significant % where 2+ children in the family meant they couldn't access live lessons.
It became pretty much unviable. It has been used for year 12 students and it has been used for some GCSE classes.

Private schools have aprox 15 in a class! Some of ours have 34!

@Elephantsandsweetcorn
Apologies, I'm clearly not a teacher and am genuinely supportive and grateful for what teachers can do at this time. Realistically, we are all in a bit of a lose-lose situation during this pandemic.

I thought my suggestion would help teachers only have to plan and teach a lesson once to include all students. I'd assumed the camera wouldn't show any of the students attending. They'd also have to be mute. I can see my suggestion has many flaws .

I participated in some online interactive training. In one my son had to be breast fed throughout and in the other my other one screamed loudly that he'd done a poo.

There would have been a lot of discrepancies for delivery as well as teachers being into school with vulnerable and kw.

Why have the government not supplied education through television? Almost everyone has access to this.

They did, they have and it's great.

I think they are saying this is preparation for Sept, it will be ‘schools and teachers have failed so now the government is stepping in to save the day’. They have clearly said ‘all children back at school in September’ they have clearly not said ‘all children back in school full time in September’

I've tried everything apart from filming myself - voice overs, quizzes - lots of approaches, still less than 10% engagement

Yes, I've found that once they've decided they're not doing the work, you won't get them back no matter what you do. I do more than any other teacher in my school - I'm the only one to do videos, I post everything as a screenshot as well as a document in case parents can't download things, I've set up my class with extra online learning sites with engaging games, but less than half even log in to our existing learning platform.

At Secondary level, especially above about Year 8, I think the students have to be responsible for their own learning, although again it has to depend on access to tech. At primary, it really needs parental facilitation, which isn't always possible. I think with only 4 weeks until the holidays, many families have lost motivation and who can blame them.

I would happily do a weekly live catch up with mine but we've only just got Teams set up at school. Let's not forget that parents would also have to get it set up on home tech and some can't/won't. Most of my parents don't even read their emails.

@Smellbellina the BBC story literally says all pupils in all year groups back full time in September.

I have no idea how we're going to do it.

Even with enough devices per person having five different zoom meetings going on at once would be totally unworkable. Even the best internet would struggle with that level of demand.

Angel2702
Even with enough devices per person having five different zoom meetings going on at once would be totally unworkable. Even the best internet would struggle with that level of demand.
Our internet needed renewing at the start of lockdown so we were able to upgrade. It made a bit of a difference but we still had connections dropping regularly.
DH bought and installed a new router system for the house (he worked out that the problem was an internal metal beam), and we haven’t had the problem since.
So for those with the know how (DH works in tech), the time/inclination and money (the new system cost £400!) its all manageable.
Many children have families who have none of the above.

Thank you @louisthetrumpetswan I appreciate it.

@YellowTelevision that's it in a nutshell. The sole issue isn't (for the most part - clearly there are hotspot schools and staff who aren't stepping up) the teaching. Another factor is the complete and utter apathy to self-learning and the utter lack of discipline it takes to focus the mind. Teachers aren't to blame there folks. Some of us are jumping through hoops to try and engage pupils - you'd be horrified at the stats software Teams has - zero activity which suggests that pupils haven't even downloaded the App!! Yet parents are content when their kids are quiet doing something else. What IS that something else? I have a school Instagram account for my form class and a cursory glance at the plethora of children who follow me (I don't follow them, nor do I think I should - I've made that clear to pupils and SLT) shows me that these kids in their hoards are actively online between midnight and 5am. We are being criticised by the parents of these kids btw. It's absolutely soul destroying.

@Ledkr maybe you have a point there, I don't know. Certainly the furlough scheme if offered to me, would take a huge pressure off my shoulders temporarily. I'd jump at it to be honest.

What have these two teachers provided your children?

@echt. Your SLT sound amazing.

I have huge respect for mine despite what I type. The food bank work they've done in the last few months has been staggering (I don't know how it hasn't made national press - deliveries to over 500 families every week). The teamwork and drive to help makes me proud of them.

I feel treacherous even complaining.

No idea why not at least for secondary. My council has a computer scheme for low income 11 year olds already, and free internet too. Primary schools can work with weekly packs plus literacy and numeracy ok though even years ago they had online maths homework from year 5 onwards (maintained state school). I think the schools initially hoped that it would just be for a few weeks so didn't bother to be honest. My friend has been working 4 hours a week (his shift babysitting the keyworker kids, not many because it's secondary) he sends all his students work weekly by email, he does this during those 4 hours and has the rest of the week off, he's rather happy!

I would have snapped the hand off someone offering me furlough.

@louisthetrumpetswan

Fines and prison - same as any other crime of neglect.

We need to stop expecting the government to do everything. People should be made responsible for themselves and their children. There is no such thing as 'free' broadband, just being paid for by taxpayers. I'll provide for my children, let those who also have children take their full burden as well.

Right you are pinksauce.

Great plan.

So who will be looking after the children whose parents you think should be put in the slammer?

Not the State, obviously, as that would be funded by tax and why should your taxes pay for other children?

Do tell what you suggest, as you've obviously thought this through.

My sons school was doing live lessons, they stopped fairly quickly as the internet is fairly poor here, they were also having classes with zero students watching. Their prerecorded lessons however have been popular and very good quality.

It’s inefficient that teachers are wasting time with food deliveries. People with less in demand skills should be doing that.

In my school, it is people available with a car who do the food deliveries. We only have a small staff. Since we're back in school now, sometimes the deliveries are done after school.

Is there no one in the Council available eg admin staff? Or what about the volunteer army that was talked about back at the start of lockdown? Why use teachers ? They should be teaching!

Furlough schemes don't apply (generally) to those paid by the public purse.

Is that related to my query? Not sure I see the link if so. Sorry.

ah no, sorry fascinated - it was in response to a previous poster saying teachers should be furloughed..