School re-opening under threat

[jomartin281271]

Headline in the London Evening Standard today that this new surge could threaten re-opening of schools. I'm not surprised. The government know that it's not safe to open schools under their current guidance. Cramming children, teachers and admin staff into those tiny spaces could cause a catastrophe. I feel sorry for teachers. Most of them are really committed to the job and their lives are being put at risk. Scary times.
www.standard.co.uk/news/health/coronavirus-second-wave-schools-september-a4511516.html

Sunseekin I very much doubt it will be any type of volume. Seeing the mood on are you sending your dc back threads. But for individuals who are really concerned it’s a way to go.

are they able to refuse to give you a government mandated pay rise?

Yes. We didn’t get the last one.

A catheter would save me time during my teaching day!

The government isn't interested in funding education properly as it doesn't make them any money. All of their children are at private schools anyway. They don't see the future costs if they continue to let schools run into the ground though. Poor health and mental health incomes, unemployment, poverty, homelessness. Everything they do is firefighting today. No medium or long term plans at all,they only want to keep everyone spending to help out their banking buddies.

@Letseatgrandma

normal PPA cover teacher assigned to a bubble as a member of staff.

I agree with lots of what you said, but did smile at this. We haven’t had an actual teacher to teach PPA for over 10 years in my school. First, we had HLTAs doing it-now, it’s any old body who can be persuaded. Usually TAs who’ve only just started.

I mainly wrote this as I remember a PPA cover asking about how they fit into bubbles a few weeks ago

are they able to refuse to give you a government mandated pay rise?
Yes. We didn’t get the last one.
Shocking. I knew that FE colleges don’t have to abide by national pay scales but I thought schools were required to!

I'm a qualified teacher but work as a HLTA covering ppa, mainly for work life balance reasons. I'll be teaching in up to 15 different classes of 30 from September. Very large primary school. Similar risk to secondary I expect. I won't be reassigned a bubble as my role allows teachers to have their ppa time. It's a bit worrying coming into contact with so many children.

Pineapple, academies not only don't have to pay the pay rise, they don't have to use the national pay scales or pay at the point on the pay scale usual for teachers with a particular number of years' experience.

Academies are a complete travesty. They have the power to mistreat and underpay staff to a horrifying degree

are they able to refuse to give you a government mandated pay rise?

yes. Many school who are giving it are making staff redundant to fund it (TAs, lunch time supervisors etc)or massively increasing wrap around care costs if they run it themselves.

@Bluewavescrashing

Academies are a complete travesty. They have the power to mistreat and underpay staff to a horrifying degree

Indeed, some of the stories our staff could tell about the academies they have worked in are shocking, and they're not isolated incidents.

@Ickabog

Which is appalling at the best of times but now that Peter is almost bankrupt it's even worse.

Isn't it just. Even more depressing is that schools would still be blamed. Cries of they had a pay rise, they should have budgeted better, they didn't need XYZ and so on. It won't be the government who get the blame.

I get to look at our school budgets, it's nothing short of a miracle what they manage to do with what little they have but that's not recognised by many and even less appreciated.

@dotdashdashdash

are they able to refuse to give you a government mandated pay rise?

yes. Many school who are giving it are making staff redundant to fund it (TAs, lunch time supervisors etc)or massively increasing wrap around care costs if they run it themselves.

At my DCs school they have no separate lunchtime supervisors, the TAs do it as part of their standard job, they also do the before and after school club.

I'm still hoping and praying they do a u turn on fines and give vulnerable families like mine (and ideally everyone) a choice until at least October half term. I don't want to deregister my DC's, they love their schools. But it isn't safe and community transmission seems to be increasing already.
The headteacher at my DC's secondary has told me she has no desire to issue fines and will be in touch when the next set of guidance comes out and is very against me removing my DD but at the moment I feel as though I have no choice .
I'm honestly sick to my stomach with worry.

Beebityboo, I think they will have too.

They know many people aren’t complying with lockdown and that schools opening with no PPE or social distancing will increase transmission and so many will challenge fines or bring a case against school/DFE etc for catching the virus in circumstances that are currently allowed anywhere else.

1 in 5 teachers didn’t get the government-mandated payrise back in 2017, and that was only 1%!
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/the_staffroom/3115963-1-in-5-teachers-denied-cost-of-living-payrise-14-denied-pay-progression

A problem with stopping fines is that many vulnerable children haven't been attending school during the pandemic and would probably be safer at school. Risk of violence, physical, emotional, sexual abuse, witnessing drug abuse, being used in county lines etc, exacerbated by increased parental stress, mental health crises and poverty. I'm really worried about some children I used to teach.

I also understand parents' concerns about safety in school and share these concerns. I don't know what to suggest 😔

I am feeling confident and ready for good online provision if we shut. I’ve now bought myself all the necessary equipment and will spend summer practicing with it and getting good at using google classroom.

I’m teaching ks3 in a subject where they have one lesson pw and I would record those lessons, prepare differentiated resources and make them as good as possible. Then during their usual lesson time I’ll be available to chat to and ask for help etc via chat function or calls. I see that as way more valuable than clumsy live lessons with kids sat passively at the other end or too shy to ask questions.

Massively harder in my old department in science as even ks3 have 3 lessons pw. I’d be willing to make up for that disparity by going in on my day off to supervise the vulnerable kids and support their learning.

It’s all a lot easier when you’re prepared which obviously no one was last term.

Fines v unlikely to be legally enforceable though. Law based on reasonableness.

@MarshaBradyo

Is more technology even the answer? I’d like to see numbers on screen time in deprived areas, well all areas, but since people are saying some children don’t have enough tech

If it was properly planned for, and had been with time to prepare, then we possibly could have supported learners with access to the required tech. In my area there has been a charity reconditioning old laptops etc. And then passing them on to those in need. A big local/national organised push could help with this if planned for.

I’d also say we’re hoping this wouldn’t be a permanent change eg more screen/distance learning but an idea that might help in the next year. The idea of students doing some consolidation along with some flipped learning (hate that phrase!) in between face to face contact would be different from probably what was offered before. BUT it needs to have been planned for and currently isn’t an option.

@Devlesko, do you have children or children at the age where they need to be minded?
There’s a huge shortage of childminders in my area (even pre Covid!), crèches /nurseries are for pre schoolers. The fact is because kids are at school from 4/5 years old for 5-6 hours a day there is no childcare provisions for them as most people don’t need any, there’s after-school in most schools for people working longer hours.
Also do not get me started on the “get a nanny” , virtually none exist where I live and cost a full time salary. I’ve had teenagers babysit for us occasionally and while they are lovely , frequent cancelling , chopping and changing times , often late, don’t want to babysit regularly, vastly underestimate how hard it is looking after kids for a few hours , let alone all day and teaching them.....

@IceCreamAndCandyfloss

Beebityboo, I think they will have too.

They know many people aren’t complying with lockdown and that schools opening with no PPE or social distancing will increase transmission and so many will challenge fines or bring a case against school/DFE etc for catching the virus in circumstances that are currently allowed anywhere else.

I am not keen to go back, I see from social media that colleagues are ignoring social distancing which makes me furious.

Opening of e.g casinos now postponed for a fortnight, and masks to be worn in e.g. places of worship.

Wonder whether we will see the much, much more risky opening of schools postponed or masks mandated?

Boris currently talking about schools. Mentioned aim to get kids back and schools should be Covid secure. I’m guessing masks will be mandated given they’ve just announced extension to mask wearing in museums etc. Witty saying we’ve reached limit to what we can open.

LOL. I have mastered new slogan as a teacher

HANDS FACE SPACE

I see from social media that colleagues are ignoring social distancing which makes me furious.

Exactly. I have been effectively isolating for 2 weeks - last week at school was risky, so have locked down for 2 weeks to allow myself to form an 'extended household' with my very elderly parents in Wales. i think I then have a week or so before I then return to isolating / following rules for distancing etc extremely carefully 'in reverse' so that i carry no additional risk into school.

I am worried that my colleagues are not, and that the children i teach and their families are not, acting in ways that will reduce transmission in September.