If you are a teacher are you allowed to wear a face mask in class?

[Boscoforever]

I mean like a regular face mask, not FFP3 ones. I know they are not advised, but do you wear one anyway? Surely that would make teachers feel safer?
Sorry if this has already been covered.

Yes. It didn't stop me catching covid though.

No. Teachers are allowed to use shields but they are about as useful as a chocolate teapot.

Is it dependent on the school policy?
The regular masks don't stop you catching covid, they stop you spreading it, I think?
Surely they could allow teachers to wear masks/shields etc if it helps?

Government guidelines says no masks and this is the stance my HT has taken so sadly no.

DH is a teacher, he has worn a face covering since the beginning of the first lockdown.
He teaches at an SEN EBD school.
All staff wear face coverings, the school even has supplies of disposable ones.

I'm a secondary school teacher and I wear a mask whenever I'm not actively teaching the class from the front. This is encouraged by the SLT of my school, but that is an individual school choice. A lot of schools are not allowing this, as it depends on the opinions of the SLT.

I’m a TA, very close contact. Masks only allowed in communal areas..... which is bizarre because in primary there’s no one in communal areas. 🤦‍♀️

Why on Earth can't teachers wear masks if they want too? I don't understand why it would even be an issue. Young children are completely unbothered by them.

Only in corridors. No allowed in classrooms as per DFE guidance.

Primary- our LEA and therefore HT have expressly forbidden masks. You can apply for a risk assessment to wear a visor but you have to agree that it's then your responsibility to keep yourself safe.

No, our head has read the guidance which says the DfE don’t want them worn in the classroom as it impacts on teaching on learning and is saying no.

The guidance needs to be changed to say that masks should be encouraged.

Dc's primary school all teachers and support staff are wearing masks. Including during lessons. I think it's brilliant that they are allowed to. They kids are completely fine with it and often m comment on the colour or choice of mask for the teachers that day.

My school has said no to masks in the classroom. Teachers who have underlying conditions or doing 1:1 work can wear a shield. We have been told if we catch it, it's because we have not followed the health and safety guidance 🙄 It's definitely not because 31 of us are in a tiny room. Wearing a mask is pointless though unless all the children wear them too.

It seems like a reasonable decision to me to allow teachers to wear masks.
Staff on covid wards wear regular face masks, so if teachers are going to be around kids with symptomless covid why not just give them regular face masks? Would maybe help towards keeping schools open?
Reassure teachers?

I am now, yes.
Unfortunately I caught Covid prior to that.

The children (4-7y) really don't care when I wear a mask. It's made no difference to teaching and Lear just f.

The government advises against it and states they shouldn't be worn.

Those wearing them, myself included, are going against the advise. Some headteachers are happy to support their staff to go against the guidance when it comes to masks.

The shields are pointless without a mask.

No, only a shield when handing over to parents.

Officially no in classrooms.
Yes in corridors.

I was asked to wear a mask and a visor when teaching 4year olds. The whole early years team protested as it was too hard to communicate with the children. (Especially as my class was made up of EAL children)

Not officially but yes, of course. Nobody can stop me.

I don't understand the teachers that say it's not allowed. It's not recommended but no headteacher is able to literally stop you if you want to. They wouldn't have a leg to stand on if they tried!

We have to wear them around school. Not recommended in classroom but I wear one except for when I'm addressing the whole class.

I am and I do. I don't feel massively reassured by it though, because the children don't. I work in Alternative Provision. Very little social distancing and risky behaviour in and out of school. And fully open, obvs.

I can't as I work with someone who lip reads.

My Head would support it (although government advice is not to) but as I have a lung condition (that makes me more vulnerable!) I can't tolerate a mask whilst talking for more than 5 minutes. Wish I could.
It would help much more if all the teenagers wore masks in classrooms not just corridors (obviously other than those exempt, which is two in my entire school).

Teachers wearing masks is just window dressing. It does not make teachers or pupils significantly safer.

If the kids wore masks too, I'd feel slightly reassured. It happens in most other countries, including USA. I just don't know why we can't accept that kids can put on a mask.