School half day once a week for deep clean...

[Baconking]

..and non teaching time for staff.
Are any other schools doing this? Just wondered if it is the norm?
We're also being charged for childcare for the afternoon if unable to pick up after lunch

I’ve never heard people argue so much to not deliver full time hours. Imagining that lunch is now 10am to get around it.

Thankfully schools seem to run at standard times despite it.

If parents announced to the school that they were going to take their child out for half a day a week, the school would start attendance procedures and would probably end up ensuring that they are prosecuted. But it's absolutely fine when it's the other way round?

No not happening in my dc’s school but it is a small village school with a max of 100 students in the entire school so a bit easier to keep clean

Is there no statutory time to those sessions/day/week?

This is the plan at the school over the road. By cutting breaks they still have the same number of contact hours.

School starts 8.40 - 9.10 The years arriving at 10 minute intervals. Those arriving outside allotted time may be sent home if it's persistent.

Two lessons in the morning with a staggered 10 minute break between before staggered lunch breaks. Only half an hour for lunch.

Children meant to wipe down their tables before eating a packed lunch in the classroom. No hot dinners to start with.

Dinner ladies supervising while teachers have time to go to the loo and get a hot drink and their lunch.

Two lessons in the afternoon before staggered closure beginning at 2.30. School emptied by 3pm to allow for deep cleaning.

@MilktheMilk

No, you don’t need understanding and support, but with your attitude you can’t then complain and “teacher-bash”.

I work in the public sector, and if we had 10% time set aside that we refused to be accountable for in any way, I wouldn’t blame the public for taking a dim view of that. Thankfully, most teachers are a bit less defensive... if had your attitude, the PPA time you have would be at risk of being removed.

Our school has added 30 minutes to the school day Mon-Fri and then finishes at 1pm on Friday.

They are also offering childcare (YES, childcare!) in the afternoon if all parents/carers are working.

Expressly for PPA. Cleaning is continuos.

Tenhill PPA wouldn’t count as an unavoidable event
But COVID might....🤔😉

(Thinking Risk Assessment to ensure children and staff are as safe as possible)

Teachers don’t refuse to be accountable for their PPA time though, so no need for any dim views.

And it’s not some luxury that can just be removed, it’s necessary unless you want teachers to just make up their lessons as they go along.

What is this ‘deep cleaning’? I envisage this as cleaning behind the cupboards, cleaning light fittings, undersides of desks etc. I’d have thought a daily wipe clean of key surfaces would be sufficient. Or is the word ‘deep’ added to give reassurance to nervous parents?

I’d have thought a daily wipe clean of key surfaces would be sufficient.

At the end of the day I mean... I can see there may be a need to wipe desks etc during the day if different classes are using a room.

Teachers don’t refuse to be accountable for their PPA time though, so no need for any dim views.

I wasn’t referring to all teachers, and recognise the need for PPA. My point was that if all teachers had the attitude of @MilktheMilk and treated it as a ‘secret‘ time that only teachers can know anything about, that’s not going to help with anything and will risk PPA time being taken away!

Not happening with us, or any of the other schools I'm aware of.

Last pick up is 5.15 rather than 6, so maybe they're cleaning then?

It's not 'non teaching time' it is a legally agreed under Teachers terms and conditions for 'Preparation, Planning and Assessment (PPA).

@TenhillPlace

Tenhill PPA wouldn’t count as an unavoidable event But COVID might....🤔😉

(Thinking Risk Assessment to ensure children and staff are as safe as possible)

Since most schools choose to do it Friday afternoon, at the least effective time and pretty useless, then I doubt it.

More to do with planning than deep cleaning for safety. Who does this deep clean anyway and what does it entail?

It will increase the gap between state and private. It will mean more homework as the curriculum still has to be covered. It will hit parents of kids with Sen who can’t be left home alone and I imagine city centre McDonalds will be heaving with non socially distancing teens so I would think it would spread virus more as they will be mixing outside their bubbles on their half day. I think it’s appalling but blame lies with Govt for providing inadequate money. They must know some of these kids will be targeted for child sexual exploitation and county lines dealing when they are not safely in school. There used to be a Govt circular which said full time was 24 hours week for years 7-10 and 25 for year 11 but it was withdrawn when academies came in but its what people can reasonably expect full time school to mean. So you could do that in 4.5 days if you cut breaks down. The local private school has 32 hours per week teaching time plus about 5 hours week extra curricular when kids can for eg work on art/dt coursework in school or access extra help in some subjects. So the gap is already massive. Schools can apply for the catch up money but what would be the point if they won’t be open to provide normal sessions let alone extra.

Marsha not necessarily. PPA is a legal entitlement. If TA's are covering bubbles to make school safer and supply staff are not available, it is COVID related.

Tenhill your earlier posts talked about making up hours of lost teaching time.

It’s fine if this happens. But if not then the school isn’t meeting ft requirement.

Plus all this talk of spinning sessions so they are before lunch or whatever ignores the - teaching time should not be reduced.

Some of you are being really dim - read the previous comments in the thread before saying something about reduced teaching hours.

Full time teachers have a half day (afternoon) for PPA during the week. This is in every school. This has to be covered by another adult. Depending on your school's risk assessment, which will depend on the level of transmission in your area, it might be that the school can't risk having another adult cover this time in class. It will mean your child is being taught by an adult who is in every bubble in the school. Remember, there is no social distancing in schools, it's not possible.

By closing the school on Friday lunchtime, they can clean properly before Monday, and allow all teachers to have their PPA time. As support staff will also be paid to be there for this time, lessons will be better resourced. It's a good thing for the children, honestly.

Teaching time is also being reduced by about an hour a day a the moment by the hand washing requirements.

But you know - it's a pandemic situation. Despite this, your kids are in school, they are learning, you can go back to work/yoga/Costa. Stop bloody moaning about it.

Teaching time is also being reduced by about an hour a day a the moment by the hand washing requirements.

That’s ridiculous, and totally disproportionate... Hand washing has its place, but Covid is overwhelmingly spread through the air.

We risk creating thousands of children with OCD!

@Derbygerbil

We risk creating thousands of children with OCD!

30+ children washing their hands just once can easily take 20 minutes or more. It’s not one child washing their hands for an hour each. And not really a basis for a anxiety related illness like OCD.

[quote Derbygerbil]@MilktheMilk

No, you don’t need understanding and support, but with your attitude you can’t then complain and “teacher-bash”.

I work in the public sector, and if we had 10% time set aside that we refused to be accountable for in any way, I wouldn’t blame the public for taking a dim view of that. Thankfully, most teachers are a bit less defensive... if had your attitude, the PPA time you have would be at risk of being removed.[/quote]
*MilktheMilk is entirely correct. What you think about teachers' PPA time is entirely irrelevant. It is a legal requirement, so I'm afraid your ridiculous comment about it being "at risk of being removed" is nonsense.

And yes, hand-washing is taking up a huge amount of (curriculum) time in Primary classrooms. If your child develops OCD, then that is for you to deal with, but please don't suggest that pretty much the only mitigating protection suggested for teachers is removed.