Schools in England closing earlier to pupils (17th December)

[RaeburnPlace]

DfE announcement today...last minute. Thought families might appreciate knowing.

Teachers choose whether they work in their unpaid holidays. I assume you do loads of work for free in your job?

We are talking about head teachers here who are paid much more than I am. But yes, I am sometimes asked to do some work in my holidays and it's annoying but also life. If it's a couple of hours I can put up with it. If it's full days I would ask for something in return.

When all evidence . including an admission from the government themselves that heads are expected to do this beyond next Friday, tells you that teachers do contact tracing

Do you mean that teachers who are not on the SLT will be phoning around trying to trace contacts in the holidays?

You’re involved with track and trace in schools are you? You seem very sure of the amount of work involved tracing a child’s contact amongst 1000+ others.

Sadly schools have had to do this a lot this term. I was asking if it would be more than the head/deputy talking to PHE and then sending out an email to the year/class?

You used the word teachers.

It will be SLT. Who are indeed teachers.

But teachers ahve been told they could receive phone calls etc to help with identifying contacts including whether they were one.

Headteachers and SLT deserve holidays you know! You sound like Scrooge begrudging Bob Cratchit half a day off work.

Even Nick Gibb doesn't think headteachers should work on Christmas Eve,

It's definitely phone calls at my place. They have to prove they ahve attempted at least twice to make phone contact. The email is a back up.

Schools are literally doing Dido's work.

@notevenat20

Is the idea that the school is told on December 23 that a child has had a positive case and the head then phones the parents in the class/year?

All our communication to date about covid cases has been by email. Why make phone calls this time?

We had a call at 9pm during half term from deputy head, she was ringing all contacts after they had just had confirmation of a positive case in bubble from the last day of school. She said they couldn't risk an email in case parents didn't check and DC were out and about the next day. The SLT had a rota to cover the whole holiday. So in this case absolutely they were working above and beyond all through the holidays, and am sure they will do the same over Christmas. I have nothing but thanks for them, it must be exhausting.

We had a call at 9pm during half term from deputy head, she was ringing all contacts after they had just had confirmation of a positive case in bubble from the last day of school.

Wow. I never cease to be amazed by how different state schools are from each other.

@notevenat20

We had a call at 9pm during half term from deputy head, she was ringing all contacts after they had just had confirmation of a positive case in bubble from the last day of school.

Wow. I never cease to be amazed by how different state schools are from each other.

No. Its because it was half term. During term, an email will suffice because anyone that misses the email will be seen the next day and told to go and self isolate.

I'm half term and on Christmas day, phone calls would be required.

Anyway, I presume you're aware that many schools are not taking dfe up on this nonsense, because it is too late to cause that kind of disruption.

Just to look at the bigger picture for a moment...

Rather than invest in and resource the existing public health system, the govt decides to manage testing and track and trace by handing out lucrative contracts to its inexperienced private sector mates.

The govt decide that Baroness Dido Harding (wife of one of Johnson's close friends) will be heading up the pandemic response, rather than the already established and experienced PHE. This happened just before schools returned in September, meaning that they have continually advised schools to send home as few pupils as possible, often taking 48 hours to respond to a positive case, and have failed dismally at tracking and tracing contacts.

The government has, by its own admission, failed dismally to mandate enough mitigation measures to ensure that schools are as safe as possible. In fact, they have instructed schools not to use measures like mandatory mask wearing which we know lowers the risk of transmission of the virus.

In reality, it's been SLT and other school staff who have been doing the work on the ground. These public sector workers have had their pay cut in real terms over the last few years and, of course, have not been offered any financial remuneration for effectively running the public health response, including evenings and weekends.

And because SLT workers said that they do not want to work Xmas day, which they are not contracted to do, won't get paid for, and will already have worked for 6 days of their holiday, somehow they're the lazy ones that are causing all sort of childcare issues?

@notevenat20

Ok but then that is not a significant amount of work. Are schools shutting early for a different reason?

I disagree-I think it’s a considerable amount of work to do, on top of your actual job.

It's a significant amount of work to do on top of your actual job, especially when other people ie the govt's private sector chums are being paid for it, rather than you.

My sons school (London so tier 2) is open until 1pm with staggered leaving times by year group. they're having the inset day on 6/1 instead.

@notevenat20

You’re involved with track and trace in schools are you? You seem very sure of the amount of work involved tracing a child’s contact amongst 1000+ others.

Sadly schools have had to do this a lot this term. I was asking if it would be more than the head/deputy talking to PHE and then sending out an email to the year/class?

It is, as a little thought on your part would have revealed. Stop making unkind digs which are goady and unpleasant.

@notevenat20

Teachers choose whether they work in their unpaid holidays. I assume you do loads of work for free in your job?

We are talking about head teachers here who are paid much more than I am. But yes, I am sometimes asked to do some work in my holidays and it's annoying but also life. If it's a couple of hours I can put up with it. If it's full days I would ask for something in return.

You should join a union and get your holidays protected. Teachers are under no obligation to work unpaid.

Primary school HTs really aren't paid all that much.

And of course LA staff who are also picking up 'Dido's work', the layer behind schools. Numerous weekends worked, no holidays, not even the Easter bank holidays as we continue to support.

I don't know what it is about Fridays..positive test again in a school, reported at 4.20pm as the test result came through. I've just completed ( at 18.40) a staff meeting with school staff and PHE/LA health colleagues.
Staff are on with contact tracing now, using seating plans, year group/ room information, lunch time plans, staffing rotas and school diaries, to find out who is affected and who isn't.
I'm waiting for numbers of pupils and staff affected including the catering company staff.
Decisions to be made using risk assessments to establish closure, full, part and dependant on whether staff responsible for safeguarding are affected.
Phone calls to be made to all affected. Standard letters from PHE to be adapted to the school situation, different letters for if you are a contact or just at the school. These need to be emailed, uploaded to the school website and SM updated.
Ht needs to report back with numbers to PHE.

I need to report to LA SLT and contact LA staff who have been into the school to advise them on isolation.

Last weekend, it took Friday evening, hours on Saturday and some of Sunday, to confirm that all families had received the message. The rest of Sunday was spent supporting the school to action their remote learning plans.
This happening during the Christmas holidays would be awful.

Maybe@notevenat20 - there is more to do than you realise.

Good points Byers Rd.