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Original poster

Headteacher unions begin legal proceedings against DfE

791 replies

Makingnumber2 · 02/01/2021 11:30

www.naht.org.uk/news-and-opinion/news/leadership-news/update-regarding-start-of-term-sent-to-members-on-2-jan-2021/?fbclid=IwAR3WFugSo-KsSToWAvbteMs8HspeXZTMBd9VaiOlAVxOeL0FM1wDRzqbviA

NAHT and ASCL start legal proceedings against DfE

OP posts:
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Original poster
Makingnumber2 · 02/01/2021 13:28

@Achristmaspudsskidu excellent tip- thank you!

OP posts:
Panickingpavlova · 02/01/2021 13:29

Secret our gp has had lots of criticism locally about not seeing enough people.

Coffeeandcocopops · 02/01/2021 13:31

It really doesn’t make sense how the Govt is treating schools, teachers and kids. My local authority office closed mid March and has not opened since. Staff can pop in to photocopy, collect info, etc but we are actively not encouraged to go into the office. Yet kids and teachers are expected into their buildings.

SeldomFollowedIt · 02/01/2021 13:34

@noblegiraffe

Great thanks I’ve just started as a TA. I’m not in a union.

thisismycodename · 02/01/2021 13:34

I fully support teachers refusing to go in (not a teacher, but a parent of a YR aged child). It's disgusting, it IS an unsafe environment. We're Tier 4 but well outside of London. I really hope the government see sense.

My child will not be going into school if they open this week regardless of what the government say. I refuse to be the person who just carries on blindly and increases the risk. We've got three teachers/TAs who are over 50 in the class and they have families too.

No one wants this. It is better for my child to be in school. I would prefer for her to be in school. But these are unprecedented times, and actually for the first time outside of Mumsnet I have a great many friends and acquaintances who feel the same as me who either won't be sending their children or are having to because of work or other reasons and are very upset and anxious at the prospect.

herecomesthsun · 02/01/2021 13:35

@Bagamoyo1

Massively unreasonable of them. They just need to get on with educating children and stop trying to shut schools down. Ridiculous. If other key services made such a fuss we’d be in a terrible state.

It defies belief that so many people on mumsnet want schools to close, and sympathise with teachers who want to shut schools.

Just bonkers.

Happy New Year! Hope it is a good one for all of us.

Yes, I completely sympathise with the teachers as we need to prioritise health and well being at this time.

They are being principled and reasonable.

Piggywaspushed · 02/01/2021 13:36

ear 10 DD has "worksheets to access on the website" from Tuesday.

This is inline with current government instructions. In fact, Gavin's original speech to parliament said years 7-10 and 12 were getting additional holiday. It took unions and HTS to point out that that broke his own law. The guidance now says year 10 should have 'some remote' provision, which yours is getting.

itsgettingweird · 02/01/2021 13:36

@YouWantToDoWhatInAPyrexDish

I’m not a teacher and I fully support the action that is finally being taken on their behalf. And on the behalf of vulnerable parents/relatives.

Ideally I want my child in school - she thrives there - but it is currently not safe for anyone and that needs to be recognised. I feel sorry for the teachers who are being blamed for this.

Thankyou
butmumineedit · 02/01/2021 13:36

I work In a v small primary school of just 68 pupils and doing a rough head count in my head we have about 45 children who either are keyworkers children, have an Ehcp or are vulnerable children. Therefore if we have to open for them we might just as well have the other 20 odd children in as well.

So although in theory it sounds good, but if DFE say that we have to have the above children in , in practice for some schools it will be almost all their children.

sausageathlete · 02/01/2021 13:37

I just checked our area and we are tier three with cases above the national average (four days ago we were below it) and it's rising rapidly. We should be in tier 4 with the schools closed as it's higher here than the tier 4 areas which have a falling rate. Tier 3 is nonsensical.

Panickingpavlova · 02/01/2021 13:37

Whose doing presser?

starrynight19 · 02/01/2021 13:38

@Achristmaspudsskidu

The daft thing is, if the members of Us4Them hadn’t been so obsessive and militant about schools going back exactly as before last year with no safety measures in place, I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t be closing now!
Yes this exactly.
Hercwasonasnowball · 02/01/2021 13:38

The batshit-signal. Grin

sausageathlete · 02/01/2021 13:40

[quote SeldomFollowedIt]@noblegiraffe

Great thanks I’ve just started as a TA. I’m not in a union.[/quote]
@SeldomFollowedIt I'd recommend www.edapt.org.uk/ and you can join online.

Cherrysoup · 02/01/2021 13:40

Secondaries were already staying closed for 2 weeks. Are we only referring to primaries here? I mean, obvious he govt want to open primaries, it’s not like you can leave 5 year olds at home while the parents go off to work.

MrsFezziwig · 02/01/2021 13:41

Not a teacher or a parent but I support you - just fed up by the total lack of action by the government on schools over the last few months which has made the situation in the community, NHS and business much worse.

Worryingly, in a zoom conversation with friends this morning they started with “they have asked teachers to strike” - I tried to correct them but I hope the situation gets reported properly.

Piggywaspushed · 02/01/2021 13:41

I do not want to GP bash* but GPs in my area are not doing vaccines yet because their professional organisation told the government there was insufficient capacity.
When I went for my flu jab I was not permitted to step over a yellow line at the entrance so had to shout (whilst masked) at the receptionist from 12 feet away.

*I'm not but am pre empting.

noblegiraffe · 02/01/2021 13:41

Yes, please join a union asap, Seldomfollowed! If you can, ask what union other TAs are in at your school.

No one should work with kids in a school without union membership.

Bagamoyo1 · 02/01/2021 13:41

@Makingnumber2

well *@EmmanuelleMakro* I'm on holidays right now so teacher patience is still at the classroom door Wink

And I don't think I'm the only one sick to the back teeth of posters like @Bagamoyo1 jumping on these types of threads to tell all of us silly, lazy little teachers to stop being 'unreasonable' and 'ridiculous' and get back to work - as she herself sits in a lovely, safe and socially distanced GP office with full PPE, seeing a bare minimum of patients face to face.

You have no idea. Literally not a clue.
herecomesthsun · 02/01/2021 13:42

[quote EmmanuelleMakro]@Bagamoyo1
Someone with a different opinion to you isn’t necessarily a crackpot.
This.
You wouldn’t think it would need saying but there is no attempt by sone posters to engage in debate, but to aim to bully and intimidate.
Is is odd that sone of these are apparently teachers. As a teacher my role is to deescalate situation - some of theses simply ratchet it up...presumably to scare away any dissenting opinions. Unedifying.[/quote]
Oh right.

So the situation is that we are in a pandemic which is progressing to a height in the middle of flu and cold season. We don't have a clear perspective on numbers in the community via the ONS survey because it hasn't produced reports recently (lots of bank holidays) in the usual way.

Every indication is that numbers are at their highest so far.

Hospitals are overwhelmed (we keep being told).

We have a new more infectious variant which affects children more than the old one (we need more information on this).

There are reports that there are now wards full of children sick with covd in hospital (in a way that wasn't happening in the summer)

School leaders are being eminently reasonable to want to take stock of the situation, make things as safe as possible for children and teachers.

It is a great shame that this is personally very inconvenient for some parents, and I completely sympathise with that.

However, can you not see that health and safety need to be prioritised in the current situation?

Happy New Year, by the way, lets hope it is a better one for all of us.

megletthesecond · 02/01/2021 13:42

I support the schools saying enough is enough. School staff are sitting ducks.

They need time to take stock and plan for later this month.

Iremembertheelderlykoreanlady · 02/01/2021 13:43

Yes, read the links. This is about primary schools.

noblegiraffe · 02/01/2021 13:44

You have no idea. Literally not a clue.

Says the GP who doesn't know about transmission in schools.

Bagamoyo1 · 02/01/2021 13:45

@Makingnumber2

Thanks for letting me know *@Bagamoyo1* I think it was very rude of you to say teachers wanting to work in safe schools are 'unreasonable' and 'ridiculous'. Shall I report you for rudeness in expressing your opposing opinion to mine? No one really likes a tattle tale... Plus I didn't call you a crackpot etc. I called the members (well most of them from what I have seen on that shambles of a facebook page) of U4T that. As a GP are you being asked to do vaccinations and also see your usual number of patients/make your usual number of phonecalls to patients every day? If so, have a word with your practice manager I would. I've just asked my SIL who is also a GP whether she is being asked to do her normal case load AND vaccinations on top of it- she's said no.
Is your SIL a partner or a salaried Doctor? It makes a big difference.