Schools guidance released

[Orangeblossom78]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-53253722

No dropping of subjects at GCSE then. Posting for info

@nellodee

And before anyone says the guidance says to avoid that kind of crush, the guidance is unworkable.

We are supposed to keep year groups separate. This would mean moving them around at staggered lesson start and finish times. But if the lessons are staggered, then this does not work for teachers teaching multiple year groups. You cannot start one lesson before you finish another. You cannot have gaps between lessons because we don't have enough teachers to cover the gaps. You cannot leave the children in the rooms unattended. You cannot keep year KS4 in groups because they are all doing different options. None of the guidance works, so yes, we will get the crowded corridors above. Not for 15 minutes at a time, but for 2-10 minutes, several times a day.

Surely you could do 55 minute lessons instead of an hour to allow for crossover of teachers? Support staff to monitor whilst changing over? Have lunchtime supervisors in to 'supervise' during cross overs? What happens when its chucking it down with rain over lunch - do kids stay in classrooms unattended then (at secondary)?

But the guidance is just that right? Guidance? This has gone on since March, planning for the next year should have begun then.

Indeed - so why didn't the Dfe put this out months ago, then? Could it be because they'd no idea what the situation as going to be?

I still work with schools - heads and their staff have been trying to plan for varying scenarios throughout. Trying to implement keeping 1000+ teenagers apart in the ways suggested is nonsense, however.

And of course private schools will be back in September - have you seen their class sizes? Most of them haven't been open to children in the way state schools have since lockdown, however.

If DD1 can't get a bus she can't get to school. It's all very well saying parents are responsible for getting their children to school but in lots of cases it's just not possible. We had to fight to get DD into her school due to awful bullying and we can't move house or my younger two can't get to school. I don't drive due to disability.
This whole thing is a nightmare. I'm so worried .

Palace - the guidance says no extra money. So that squashes any idea of using any other spaces, even if it was logistically possible.

The only way for corridors to not look like a mosh pit is if kids are part time. You can't stagger lesson starts at secondary as every teacher teaches every year (mostly, not always, there are exceptions).

Instead of "ooh when will I get my afternoon off for PPA if I have to do a full 6 hours teaching a day".

It is NOT an afternoon off, so less of the goody rubbish!

It is directed time, usually still occurring on school premises unless attending external training/,meetings, built into the school timetable to enable teachers to plan, prep and assess your child's work, work with other staff, contact parents, contact education specialist services, such as CAMHS, etc as I am pretty sure you already know.

A teacher's isn't just the stuff that happens within a classroom!

@user1471530109

With all due respect palace I am not a primary teacher so don't have an 'afternoon off' (how insulting to those that need that time to plan decent lessons for your child). I am also clinically vulnerable due to a chronic medical condition-nowhere have I said I'm fat!

All I want, and from what I can gather from most posts on here, is some PPE and a bit of creative thinking in terms of these stupid bubbles!

SLT (which I am not part of) are already and have been for many months, working on solutions. But the problem is, if we go massively against guidance then parent won't be happy! As is evident on here! I think Heads would have been more thankful for no 'guidance' and been told to think outside the box to keep the kids and staff safe.

Ive never said you are fat. I was referring to some other comments on here from teachers. I completely agree about the creativity (see my initial posts) thats what has to happen! By all means stick secondary teacher in PPE if they feel that concerned and that helps them. It wont help them if the kids dont wear it though. Im sure many teachers use the afternoons away to plan. but there are also those that dont (like my sister who does her weekly shop during that time and plans in the evening - thats her choice).

55 minute lessons with 5 minutes cross overs is 5 more minutes for the children to be stood waiting in the halls. If you have kids milling about for 5 minutes in addition, you will have to stagger the years further, or risk them coming into contact with each other again.

Oh right, so teachers aren't happy unless all the kids are wearing masks?
Not bashing, trying to get a clear picture of what teaching staff want

This has gone on since March, planning for the next year should have begun then.

As an LEA school we have no choice but to follow much of the LEA's instructions, which are based on the guidance.

Do you know how many times the guidance has changed since March?!

Every school I know have currently got about 3 or 4+ different plans for September, depending on what the Government eventually decide upon.

Support staff to monitor? Support staff? For every class? For ANY class? Like I say, people who think this guidance is sensible have not been in a school recently.

Just seen that Scotland have mandated masks in shops. Considering that shops tend to have much higher ceilings, less people per square metre and better air circulation why aren't secondary schools using them too?

Im sure many teachers use the afternoons away to plan. but there are also those that dont (like my sister who does her weekly shop during that time and plans in the evening - thats her choice).

Most teachers have their PPA in school. Stop it with your goady nonsense.

PPE for teachers is a bit of a distraction. If you don't have full, proper PPE it's not a protection. What teachers need, to protect them, is for children to wear masks. At the very least in the corridors and at break, but ideally at other times too (as being done in so many other countries without detriment to the children - many children would actually feel less anxiety if they felt some steps were being taken - a lot of children are very anxious also about passing this disease on to their loved ones - masks would HELP their anxiety). It would reduce the risk hugely. This is proven fact.

Masks, especially re-usable ones, are relatively cheap compared to the cost of shutting and re-opening, shutting and re-opening, the childcare problems that will create, and the impact on child mental health.

I know quite a few people who work for universities in this country and in every single one they have mandated masks in their buildings.

In many states in the US masks are compulsory in any public space. We're actually being outdone by America in terms of how selfless their population are and how willing to undergo minor inconvenience to help others.

Also, the average life lost of someone who dies from covid is roughly 10-13 years. It's not insignificant. This attitude that "I'm alright, my kids are alright, why should I bother" is so utterly despicable, it makes me so sad this is my country.

Actually, hashtag I personally would like that. I can see the objection. But for kids at secondary, many of who catch public transport so will need to wear it them anyway, I think this would solve a lot of issues.

You're told to wear it when you can SD. So the corridors are a great example.

But like I've mentioned, I'm clinically vulnerable (god I hate that phrase) so I do realise I may have a stronger opinion on this.

I want to be able to maintain my distance from students and not be pressed up against them. I want there to be room and time to move students around without them being crushed together like sardines in the corridors. I want visors for everyone, teachers and students alike. I want blended learning until we are over the winter flu period. I want built in slack so that when teachers go down over the flu period, we can actually cope and the whole thing doesn't implode like a rusty car crash.

The HT at DD's high school has said that there may have to be a staggering between lessons that means all of the kids go back outside a few classes at a time (out different exits) and then all back in one year group at a time. They can't see how moving them around the school can be done safely.

They may also have to change the school lunch menu to food that can be eaten by hands so that it can be delivered to common rooms as there's no way they can have enough staggered lunch breaks with one dining hall.

All I want, and from what I can gather from most posts on here, is some PPE
well buy some then

Palacegirl77

I don’t think you get the degree to which there are no spare staff and to which pupils need to move to access options, sets, specialised lessons etc. There are no support staff (well there are a few attached to individual pupils who need them and invariably they have an early pass anyway) or supervisors - we do it on rota other than a few lunch staff. In wet weather all children go to one of two halls where they are crammed in along with a few staff keeping order. Pupils are never left in classrooms alone.

Having looked at a Gantt charts all day we can only meet the current recommendations by having very part time tables. It would be easier if we had more space but we are 300 over capacity and again if we had more staff but we are beyond broke.

This has gone on since March, planning for the next year should have begun then.

Every school that I know of has had about 55 plans so far. The guidance gets changed so often it became pointless to make plans as they were getting scuppered as quickly as they could be made

Not to mention they were having to focus on the plans for the work they were doing at the time as well

The overwhelming noise that comes from teachers on here is that it cant happen or wont happen. No budging, no compromise. So if I have to lose my job as a result of my children having to be home schooled are you prepared to do the same? Ive been so supportive to my school but quite frankly the fact teachers are on full pay and always have been since the start even though the majority worked shifts maybe 1 week in 3 for so many weeks yet are so unwilling to put forward any solutions is so disappointing. They will end up losing public support.

@lyralala if we did that at our school, we would end up losing so much time between lessons that we may as well do a week on week off rota anyway.

@palacegirl, you haven't been so supportive of teachers at all. You've accused them of doing their shopping during their PPA.

Is Scotland still having full time in school education in August for everyone?
They have handled COVID so much better so wondered how they will achieve this. Are they giving school money or is education not a devolved matter?

If DD1 can't get a bus she can't get to school
why wouldn't she be able to get on a bus?

What really pisses me off is that Gav and Johnson know this can't work but will just blame the teachers and the unions.

And it seems, reading this thread, that there are people stupid enough to believe them.