Teachers of infected students not required to self-isolate.

[NebularNerd]

More than one positive case at a local school.

The teachers of these students are not being required to self-isolate.

As a teacher, you can be in a room with an infected individual for at least an hour, with no mask and closer than two metres, and you aren't considered to be at risk.

And yet, if you encounter the same individual anywhere else, the NHS app will suit hat you self-isolate

Teachers are being thrown under the bus so that schools can remain open.

[lazylinguist]

Also if the risk assessment says 2m and a teacher is required to teach in a room where that is impossible, should they not refuse and report the school to PHE or DoE if the headteacher insists?

I don't really get the comments on this thread as I never thought schools were the type of organisation that would disregard their risk assessment knowingly and by design..

It cleverly says 2m where possible, so that nobody is breaking the rules. Everybody in schools knows full well that staying 2m away isn't going to happen. Complaining about it isn't going to have any effect.

[lonelyplanet]

Email from our head to staff last week said that they were going to start turning the heating on. Because of the expense we have been asked to keep doors shut and consider keeping more windows shut. There was a suggestion of airing the classrooms at break times if necessary.

[HipTightOnions]

Our head is adamant that windows will be open and coats will be worn.

I think my fellow teachers are increasingly ignoring that edict, as I am often arriving at stuffy rooms with closed windows.

[Dahlietta]

As I understand it, in most primary schools, teachers are in a bubble with their class and/or year group and if the bubble has to isolate, so does the teacher. This works okay because the teacher and their class are out of school at the same time.
In secondary, we have been told that the staff are a separate bubble, so year groups of pupils are a bubble, but we are not in any of those. We are supposed to ensure that we do not go within 2m of a pupil for more than 15 minutes. Presumably if we were there for 14 minutes, we wouldn't catch it so it's fine.
This means that even if one year group has to isolate, we won't have to and can continue to teach our classes in different year groups who aren't isolating.

[RingPiece]

As I understand it, in most primary schools, teachers are in a bubble with their class and/or year group and if the bubble has to isolate, so does the teacher. This works okay because the teacher and their class are out of school at the same time.

Not any more. Primaries that were doing this now don't even inform close contacts. If one child tests positive, that child alone isolates whilst the rest of their class, teacher and TA remain in school.

[SansaSnark]

@Dahlietta

As I understand it, in most primary schools, teachers are in a bubble with their class and/or year group and if the bubble has to isolate, so does the teacher. This works okay because the teacher and their class are out of school at the same time.
In secondary, we have been told that the staff are a separate bubble, so year groups of pupils are a bubble, but we are not in any of those. We are supposed to ensure that we do not go within 2m of a pupil for more than 15 minutes. Presumably if we were there for 14 minutes, we wouldn't catch it so it's fine.
This means that even if one year group has to isolate, we won't have to and can continue to teach our classes in different year groups who aren't isolating.

I teach in rooms where it is impossible to distance 1m from the front row, let alone 2. Unless I teach from outside the room, I'm definitely breaking this.

Where possible, I'm trying to maintain social distancing, but in many classrooms it simply isn't possible.

[uglyface]

Teachers are meant to be 2m away. So are exempt.

Ways in which I have broken this rule:

In order to fit rows in my classroom the front row tables brush my knees as I teach, because there isn’t enough room to fit them all in with even a 1m gap from me.

I have administered approximately 532 plasters this year, checked several head bumps, replaited long hair that is getting in someone’s way and opened a gazillion yoghurt/juice pots. That’s without the constant crouching down at tables to help with work.

A child in my class comes in in floods of tears every morning because of a situation at home. She normally sobs on my lap for a good 15 minutes before school and during register. She is 7 and no one with a conscience would deny her that comfort.

So 2m in primary schools at least is a laughable concept, as I’m sure anyone who has ever spent any time in one will agree.

[PracticingPerson]

@RingPiece

As I understand it, in most primary schools, teachers are in a bubble with their class and/or year group and if the bubble has to isolate, so does the teacher. This works okay because the teacher and their class are out of school at the same time.

Not any more. Primaries that were doing this now don't even inform close contacts. If one child tests positive, that child alone isolates whilst the rest of their class, teacher and TA remain in school.

[Kitcat122]

My school doesn't inform us of the name of the child that tested positive. Also multiple staff work across multiple bubbles so without the child's name who knows who's been in close contact?

[PracticingPerson]

@Kitcat122

My school doesn't inform us of the name of the child that tested positive. Also multiple staff work across multiple bubbles so without the child's name who knows who's been in close contact?

They tell the people that need to know.

Personally I don't need to know, unless I do iyswim.

But I do need them to be cautious about sending people home.

[AutumnleavesturntoGold]

It's a pandemic. Having Windows and or doors open and heating on, isn't ideal.

But it's a one off exception. We have to do things to get us to get us through it.

[AutumnleavesturntoGold]

Hip tight,

I also think many fellow teachers are forgetting we are in a pandemic and are telling students to take warm clothes off, coats etc because to them that's more important than keeping windows open!

[mumsneedwine]

2m 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
I'm lucky if don't get jostled down the stairs or squashed in the corridor. And front row of desks bangs my knees. 20cm if I'm lucky.
2m 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[monkeytennis97]

There is no one in my school who is sticking to SD as much as I am but 2 metres away from the kids is impossible. I teach in about 10 different classrooms in only 3 of them am I physically able to be 2ms apart. I never leave the teacher's box but 2m is not possible in the tightly squeezed classrooms.

Today I taught a class where one child had X in the register-with a comment saying the child was isolating for two weeks. The child sits right in front of me (about 1.5m away at most). I taught the child 2 weeks ago last -I have no idea if child has COVID.....

[SpookyNoise]

We’ve got kids of with an X one day, back in school the next, then off again with an X. I think a lot of it is parents not understanding how it works.

[PrivateD00r]

@RingPiece

As I understand it, in most primary schools, teachers are in a bubble with their class and/or year group and if the bubble has to isolate, so does the teacher. This works okay because the teacher and their class are out of school at the same time.

Not any more. Primaries that were doing this now don't even inform close contacts. If one child tests positive, that child alone isolates whilst the rest of their class, teacher and TA remain in school.

Some primaries might be doing this but thankfully not all. My DC's primary currently have 3 full classes (including their teachers and TAs) off isolating due to positive cases. They have also on two occasions initiated 'precautionary closures' where there was a high suspicion a test would return as positive and so they have gone ahead and closed the class in the interim.

All staff are wearing PPE but still isolate anyway.

It is a shame that not all schools are so proactive, but I want to point out that some are thankfully.

[PrivateD00r]

@monkeytennis97

There is no one in my school who is sticking to SD as much as I am but 2 metres away from the kids is impossible. I teach in about 10 different classrooms in only 3 of them am I physically able to be 2ms apart. I never leave the teacher's box but 2m is not possible in the tightly squeezed classrooms.

Today I taught a class where one child had X in the register-with a comment saying the child was isolating for two weeks. The child sits right in front of me (about 1.5m away at most). I taught the child 2 weeks ago last -I have no idea if child has COVID.....

If the child is isolating for 2 weeks, it would suggest that they are a contact. If they were positive, they would isolate for 10 days. I do find it really odd though that you are not told!!!!!

[monkeytennis97]

@PrivateD00r odd maybe but it's the truth... no idea at all.

[Cookiecrisps]

My secondary age child has been taught in a classroom with a confirmed case this week. They only sent home the student on the arm table, the table in front of them and the table next to them to self isolate.

As the school is running on a bubble system and all the students in the year can mix freely at break and lunch indoors due to wet weather, I think they should send the whole class home to self isolate as a minimum including the teacher. This is because all these students and the teacher were sat on a room for an hour with the infected student breathing in the same air with no masks n a poorly ventilated room. We will have to see if there are any other cases in this class. The trouble is students in this age group can be asymptomatic so might never get tested.

[Chaotic45]

Many people have had to adjust working practices to keep 2m or more from colleagues, customers, pupils etc.. It's hard and annoying and makes things really difficult- but we've all adjusted and some it.

The 2m distance means we technically aren't a close contact of someone who later tests positive.

This is the same for everyone- office workers, bus drivers, cleaners, retail staff, engineers, factory workers- all are keeping 2m where they can so as not to be a 'close contact' so it's not only teachers, it's the same for many many people. We all hate it, many are scared but it's the only way to keep working....

[noblegiraffe]

Chaotic completely missing the point there.

Teachers are not complaining about being 2m from the kids.

The problem is being told that you have to be 2m from the kids then being put in situations where you definitely can't be 2m from the kids. The problem is being told that poorly ventilated crowded indoor spaces involving lots of talking are one of the most risky settings for covid and you should avoid them if at all possible and if that's not possible wear a mask, and then being in that exact scenario no one wearing a mask.
The problem is that despite it being impossible to keep 2m distance, in this high risk setting with no masks, teachers are then being told that they don't need isolate if a kid gets it because they're not at risk. The problem is teachers being told that it's their fault if they catch it at school for being less than 2m away from the kids in a high risk environment that they can't maintain distancing in where no one is wearing a mask.

[monkeytennis97]

@noblegiraffe

Chaotic completely missing the point there.

Teachers are not complaining about being 2m from the kids.

The problem is being told that you have to be 2m from the kids then being put in situations where you definitely can't be 2m from the kids. The problem is being told that poorly ventilated crowded indoor spaces involving lots of talking are one of the most risky settings for covid and you should avoid them if at all possible and if that's not possible wear a mask, and then being in that exact scenario no one wearing a mask.
The problem is that despite it being impossible to keep 2m distance, in this high risk setting with no masks, teachers are then being told that they don't need isolate if a kid gets it because they're not at risk. The problem is teachers being told that it's their fault if they catch it at school for being less than 2m away from the kids in a high risk environment that they can't maintain distancing in where no one is wearing a mask.

Exactly this.

[uglyface]

@Chaotic45 No teachers are complaining about having to stay 2m away from the children. They are pointing out that they cannot do this due to physical space, and are concerned that they are then taking the blame for spreading the virus.

[Imissmoominmama]

They don’t just suggest you isolate; I’m currently isolating after being in contact with someone who later tested positive (according to the app). I’ve had two phone calls already telling me it’s a legal requirement and I will be fined if I don’t.

[Nellodee]

If we were less than 2m away for 15 minutes, we would isolate. But we can be 2.5m away from a confirmed case for 2 hours and that's fiiiiiiiine.