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.

We can if we want, and it's advised it you are in close contact with a pupil going over work, although wherever possible keep a 2 metre distance.

We have to in corridors and any communal areas.

Our pupils can wear masks too if they want to.

I'm in NI and we have been told that the kids in secondary schools will be wearing masks all the time from now. They were just wearing them in the corridors etc before this.
According to my teenagers, the teachers have a perspex screen they stand behind when teaching, and they wear a mask if they want to. Wearing a mask all day is annoying, but if needs must...

Yes, in Scotland staff wear masks and obligatory for pupils above S2. Very high compliance levels in my school and kids school

No. Our whole trust takes the DFE stance that they are unnecessary even for cv staff. We are not allowed. Nor are the children. It's shit and it's a shitstorm waiting to happen. Because the DFE guidance and Boris' "schools are safe" stance stick to this, heads are entitled to insist on no masks.

No. Not allowed.

The staff at my son's special school wear them apart from staff in classrooms with children with very severe learning difficulties because they get pulled off. All those children have at least 1:1 and close contact work is done their 1:1. Children can wear them if they want to.

We have a 100% mask policy except when eating. My school closed for 3 weeks before Christmas due to Covid.

We are not allowed to use one in the classroom, but we have to wear them around the communal areas.
I’m in a tier 4 area and the secondary school I work at had less than 10% of students in the last week due to Covid outbreak.
My DD secondary school have to keep a mask on other than when eating.

Not in the classroom due to DFE guidance. Yes on corridors and on canteen duty etc (which involves supervising approx 150 students in a tightly confined area who don't wear mask to eat obviously, and need to be reminded repeatedly to put them on in the queue).

@Boscoforever

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?

Did you have an opinion on this back before the schools reopened in September? There were hundreds of threads and when teachers asked for this it was not exactly popular with parents. All parents were interest in was getting schools back. The DFE guidelines still say they are not recommended in classrooms in secondary schools or anywhere in primary.

If you wish to you can buy not aware anyone does.

We have masks just in case with clear inserts so pupils can see your mouth, lip read and see your facial expressions.

We have only had 1 case and perhaps if we had more cases more would decide to wear them?

We can't as we have a few children who lip read

No.

No masks anywhere in school (primary) and only allowed a visor at parents pick up time but in the classroom. Will be pushing for this to change given the massive increase in Covid cases in our local area.

No visor allowed either in the classroom

Not allowed face covering in classrooms in my school.

My school recently changed the policy on this, so for the last few weeks we were allowed to but not before that.

Yes, but I'm not in the U.K.! Mandatory here for staff & students.

My dd is deaf so staff teaching her wear a visor instead (which I suspect does bugger all to keep them safe - we have now sourced some 'window' masks).

Moot now as we are online until March .

DH wears a mask in the corridors and between classes. When teaching he wears a shield. He has the windows and door open and the kids know to come to his classes wearing their coats and don't complain about the cold. SLT have said they'll support him if any parents complain about the temperature in the classroom.

I'm in Ireland and all teachers are allowed to wear masks here!

Primary here.

In the classroom no. A visor can be worn instead if preferred.

In the corridors and communal areas, yes.

I believe the rational is that children need to see people's lips for learning and I actually agree with this sentiment although I do wonder what the guidance on transparent masks would be.

We are allowed to wear ours, however if you have ever tried to teach wearing one it's a nightmare! I usually stay in my corner with my desk and avoid as much as I can. However I teach secondary, primary would be very different..

Not a teacher but adult DC is.
Masks only in corridors. Academy chain, not allowed in classrooms as per DFE guidance.

I stand in my 2m box but if I need to hand something out that I've not been able to get out before, I put my mask on. I wear my mask and shield in the corridor. I have all the windows and doors open.