How many teachers will be handing in the section 44 letter tomorrow and not going in?

[SoscaredforJan]

My DSis is scared to go to work tomorrow in a private primary school in Tier 3 but lowish numbers. She is not ECV but has got chemo damaged lungs so it petrified of catching Covid.

She desperately wants to follow union advice and not go in tomorrow but she’s worried that most teachers will be in as normal, she will have a black Mark against her and will be quietly pushed out.

Are there many teachers on here planning not to go in tomorrow? What do you think will happen tomorrow?

@SoscaredforJan is your sis in law really not allowed to wear a mask? I work in a school and are offered full PPE if we want it. In fact about 30% of staff members are always wearing a mask so I would be extremely surprised if her work have told her she isn't allowed to

Bloody hell that TES article - I'm not surprised but still - and this isn't even the period with the highest rates, it must have been far worse in December.

The data shows that the prevalence rate was, on average, 1089.5 for primary staff and 1750.5 for secondary staff, compared to 404.3 for the LA as a whole. This average was taken for a period spanning from the week ending 19 October to the week ending 20 November.

www.tes.com/news/exclusive-teacher-covid-rates-333-above-average

Why is it only the TES that's doing proper investigative reporting on this, and how many lives would have been saved (both covid and the people who'll suffer now during lockdown or not get hospital attention when needed) if the repeated calls (including from many, many teachers on here) for safer schools had been heeded earlier?

It seems to be an urban myth often stated on here that teachers are not allowed to wear PPE . It’s actually up to Heads , the guidance is no masks but many schools have still allowed them and also used visors

@Peaseblossom22

It seems to be an urban myth often stated on here that teachers are not allowed to wear PPE . It’s actually up to Heads , the guidance is no masks but many schools have still allowed them and also used visors

Who then, because it is not mandated by the government, would have to deal with complaints from parents who don't agree with them. For masks to be beneficial they need to be worn by all. Far better if the government had mandated don't you agree.

My husband is still being forced to go into work for the next 3 weeks to supervise room after room of BTEC students as they are the only exams that haven’t been cancelled. With the latest infection risks known for teachers im really scared for him.

The problem is finding figures that don’t have a bias one way or the other.

The staff at ds's special school were all wearing masks this morning as were some of the pupils. Obviously many cannot wear them. I've not heard of any parents complaining. It's not ideal in terms of communicating but if it keeps everyone safer then needs must.

It seems to be an urban myth often stated on here that teachers are not allowed to wear PPE . It’s actually up to Heads , the guidance is no masks but many schools have still allowed them and also used visors

It’s not an urban myth. It takes some courage for a Head to make up his/her own risk assessment by deviating from the gov. guidance, so most just repeat it. Masks are allowed in corridors only at my school.

Visors are allowed but are completely pointless.

@Glitterbug76 who said that my family was more important than your not me you obviously have a rather large bee in your bonnet !!!
We can't wear ppe therefore we are at risk , everybody is important, you need to get off your bloody high horse !!!

the difference is a lot of us still have to go to work !! And face lots of the staff i work with have had covid and passed it on to there families, you are lucky you don’t have to. My children were not taught by any teachers in the last lockdown it was the teaching assistants a lot of the teachers were at home.

@Glitterbug76 I do have to go to work thats what im saying Im an early years practitioner!!!

@Glitterbug76
I do to as a ta in a SEN school. I'm at home today while slt sort out staffing, testing and pupil numbers. My kids will be at home. They are secondary y10 and y11 and my eldest has asd. My dh should be shielding but he's carrying on going to work this time because he's self employed and we can't drive on my wages.
I appreciate your difficulties but we are also not having the best time.

It has been difficult I think only having a few days break over Christmas makes it harder leaving children’s when you have had to work not at home for the last 9 months. My husband is a key worker so the school holidays didn’t give us chance together as a family, craved a few weeks break at Christmas but unfortunately we couldn’t do that so broke up Xmas eve at 7 back in Boxing Day

As a teacher, I’m very sympathetic to the concerns. Frontline workers like health and social care workers, bus drivers, taxi drivers, shop workers and teachers have died from Covid. It’s terribly sad and there are no easy solutions. Fortunately, teachers and school staff in the state sector at high risk due to age and / or a health condition have been allowed to shield on full pay unlike many workers in the private sector. Hopefully all front line workers can be vaccinated as a priority given their essential contribution to society.

Unfortunately, schools being closed is a nightmare for working parents, particularly single parents many of whom could lose their livelihoods and plunge into poverty. There are also many children who will either not get online teaching because their school doesn’t provide it or will be unable to access it with huge damage to their life chances. There are also the children whose mental and physical wellbeing will be adversely affected for a range of reasons, insufficient food, abuse etc. That is why schools staying open as long as possible was so important.

" teachers and school staff in the state sector at high risk due to age and / or a health condition have been allowed to shield on full pay unlike many workers in the private sector."

Um, have you got a source for that information, because I'm not sure that it's accurate.

Absolutely agree that schools need to be open again as soon as possible. This will involve considerable will and funding from the government. If they open at any point with the same lack of mitigations as there were from Sept - Dec, they'll be closed again very quickly I'm afraid.

@Glitterbug76

It has been difficult I think only having a few days break over Christmas makes it harder leaving children’s when you have had to work not at home for the last 9 months. My husband is a key worker so the school holidays didn’t give us chance together as a family, craved a few weeks break at Christmas but unfortunately we couldn’t do that so broke up Xmas eve at 7 back in Boxing Day

Yes, It's so relentless for so many frontline staff and has been for months.

Sorry that you didn't even get an Xmas break.

Roll on spring...

Mirinska

As a teacher

Hahahaha

Fortunately, teachers and school staff in the state sector at high risk due to age and / or a health condition have been allowed to shield on full pay unlike many workers in the private sector.

Did you mean to post such misinformed, lying bullshit?

christinarossetti19

Thank you for your kind words. I think as a social worker another huge concern is that safe gaurdings concerns go through the roof lots of my colleagues feel that they are barely making a dent from the first lock down now the schools closed for many again.

@christinarossetti19

I agree. The mitigation measures nationwide were so poor we have been left with no choice. It must be better when schools reopen again.

I can't imagine how hard trying to implement safeguarding procedures is at the moment Glitterbug76.

to you

Full PPE supplied and Lateral flow test for all who attend yet foster sons special school refuse to allow vulnerable children with HCP and a SW to attend school, refusing key workers children attending too. Children's needs put well below teachers' wants. Staff at his school have been in full PPE as have all children since September restart. Now even that and LF tests are not good enough for them.

How are teachers feeling about the current position? I've been surprised so many children have been allocated key worker places at ours having kept mine off with grandparents instead of taking up a place but school is running classes of around 20 per class which doesn't seem to reduce the risk to teachers by much?

I've been surprised so many children have been allocated key worker places at ours having kept mine off with grandparents instead of taking up a place

Many don't have this luxury

@WhoLettheCatOut It seems like it massively varies school to school. Some are still overflowing with students which is not going to help the spread if the school doesn’t somehow make class sizes smaller and make them social distance rather than be in year group bubbles.

A key worker place should not be refused by the school - for those saying they have been refused.

The problem is "key worker" covers a vast range of essential jobs, including trades, retail, manufacturing, transport, tree surgery, cleaning even working for a Sky or collecting rubbish is classed as essential work. Many schools are not asking if there is a second parent at home if one is a key worker.

A lot of schools are at at least 50% capacity and I think mass testing in schools should still be going ahead.