ECV school staff to work from home. Difficult times for maintaining learning onsite.

[ForthPlace]

Not sure how schools are going to manage this, especially small schools. I can see an increase in home learning as the only option.

I am not a fan of schools being open but it is interesting that on here there was a issue with how many teachers would need to be off. Realistically there was 2.2 million on the original list including 90,000 children.
A huge portion of elderly people on the list I don’t see how a huge portion of teachers since they guidelines were lowered with known risks would be on the list ( there will be some ) but not like some of the percentages I’ve seen on Mumsnet.

Yes I wonder how many schools this will impact?

I am pleased to hear this, though I don't know how it will pan out in some schools. I know in one primary, there are four ecv teachers and that the assistant head and head teacher will step in to cover two of the classes but I don't know what will happen with the remaining two classes. I'm aware that for a small primary, this is a relatively high number of teachers who won't be going to work. The behaviour policy has been drastically ammended to cope with the lack of slt available to deal with disruption, this I do know, which will obviously have an impact on the children's learning and the stress levels of the staff in school.

I work across schools and know of a significant number, not just teachers. Schools with no admin staff for instance; a small school with two teachers, both ECV, another two class school with one teacher and one TA ECV.
School lunch staff, MSA's and cooks, a number of cleaners and caretakers. A couple of HT's that will need to work from home. They are safeguarding leads, so again huge issues if the deputy safeguarding lead is also ECV.
A young teaching HT who is struggling and now left with no admin team..she needs to be in at least three places at once tomorrow.

And so last minute...information just now to start tomorrow...some schools really left high and dry, unless their ECV staff agree to be in school until cover/remote learning can be sorted out.

This government are a shambles!

The list for ECV is a lot smaller than the CV. I don't think it will impact our large school at all. There were lots on the CV list though.

My friend has an ECV husband and she is worried.

I’m curious if these people are actually CEV or CV. An awful lot of people claimed to be shielding when they weren’t.

@Haenow I agree I find odd that less that what 5 percent of the population were on the shielding list yet according to the thread the other day 25 percent of school staff would have to be off ? Makes 0 sense.

Confuseeeeed25 - some schools are very small staff wise. I havent seen the new list, but for example i know a school with an 80 year old caretaker. He is a big % of their staff.
But i cant imagine 25% across the board for the new list

I think some people assume being older equals shielding, which it does not. Also, in the first wave, many employers (not referring just to education here) were definitely more willing to accept people not officially shielding as CEV. However, as it looks like this will linger on, I expect employers just won’t be able to furlough people or have them off work for long stretches.

My employer has checked with their insurer and if CEV people want to work in a school then they can but they need to do a risk assessment for each CEV person.

I am support staff and I want to work (I cannot bear the thought of being made to shield). My hours of work are changing slightly so I am not in classrooms with students or teachers and I am doing different duties. All our corridors are external and I have separate space I can work from alone.

However the decision is mine alone to come to work and not my employer who was initially hesitant. However for mental health wellbeing then they will not force people to stay home if they don’t want to.

Isnt a school environment the last place someone ECV should be in normal times never mind now? Schools have always and always will be germ pools this isn't someone new, presumably if you are at greater risk of covid the same goes for every other virus out there

I’m curious if these people are actually CEV or CV. An awful lot of people claimed to be shielding when they weren’t.

You had to provide a letter from GP/ consultant to confirm that you were ecv and had to shield last time. I know that out of the four ecv teachers in the primary I know, two are on medication ( I assume immune system suppressing type meds) after having had cancer, one is receiving treatment for cancer (she's v poorly; it has spread sadly) and the other has copd.

*something new

@3littlewords

Isnt a school environment the last place someone ECV should be in normal times never mind now? Schools have always and always will be germ pools this isn't someone new, presumably if you are at greater risk of covid the same goes for every other virus out there

Sometimes you choose your career before you decide to get a serious disease.

Our LA guidance is ECV is over 60...I assume that's national.

Staff with a family member who is ECV still need to be in school.

Isnt a school environment the last place someone ECV should be in normal times never mind now?

Most definitely agree! I've known very unwell teachers/ TAs who just push through. They still do their job well, but it's a struggle. The children never knew the extent of their illness, however.

Yes, some care and thought for school staff might be nice...rather than the undercurrent of 'disproportionate' to the population and 'swinging the lead'.

Yes quite possibly 3littlewords but as I have children that go to germ pools everyday, and as I try not to see myself as a victim of my circumstances I would much rather enjoy my life doing something I enjoy. My time on earth may be short but by god I am not going to sit at home and live in fear getting depressed.

I had a bad asthma attack at work on Monday and it was very scary. It was nothing to do with COVID and I could quite easily have one tonight and not make it.

I know a lot of people think I am mad but I don’t care. I do everything I can to minimise catching viruses all the time anyway so to me nothing has changed. Life goes on either with or without me.

No other 60 is CV not CEV.

Wow over not other sorry I was on night shift with daughter last night 🤣

The extremely clinically vulnerable list is very small I’m sure most people on here are referring to the clinically vulnerable. They are not required to shield or work from home.

I'm in a large secondary and to my knowledge we have 3 CEV teachers and perhaps another 3 CEV support staff. So 6 out of approx 80 staff. I think it will be luck of the draw though for most schools and as PP has said- depends on staff body size as to what % of staff at a school will be impacted.

It must be a massive worry for those who have someone who is ecv whom they live with.

2.2m CEV

With numbers working An estimated 627,000 (28%) clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) people previously worked before being advised to shield. The percentage employed (28%) is low compared with the general population, but CEV people includes children, those over state pension age and those unable to work for health reasons.

My concern is around the GP's letters. Our experience last time was that staff who did not get official shielding letters were able to use letters from their GP and according the guidance this will be the case this time.

Obviously people who really need to stay at home must stay at home but I don't know how robust that process will be. I am expecting some staff with CV conditions to get CEV letters from their GPs. In a perfect world, of course they should stay at home but I don't know how we keep school open without them.