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Original poster

What are your predictions for this school year?

466 replies

Sheepsheepmoresheep · 25/08/2021 11:35

Be interesting to look back. I didn’t think they’d close the schools again this time last year, but I was wrong!

I don’t think they’ll close the schools again … but we’ll see!

OP posts:
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User5827372728 · 27/08/2021 07:35

Lots of our admin support staff are jumping ship. We are now advertising for about 14 roles to be filled by sept!

Rainuntilseptember15 · 27/08/2021 07:52

If they're not, why aren't they? Everyone who wants it and is old enough to be a teacher has had the opportunity now, except perhaps for a tiny minority with medical reasons not to have it.
@CampaignToo No, this isn't true either. Roll out in different areas/age means many have one, but not both vaccines. Not to do with them not wanting it. I work with much younger staff waiting for the second vaccine.

CampaignToo · 27/08/2021 07:55

@Rainuntilseptember15

If they're not, why aren't they? Everyone who wants it and is old enough to be a teacher has had the opportunity now, except perhaps for a tiny minority with medical reasons not to have it. *@CampaignToo* No, this isn't true either. Roll out in different areas/age means many have one, but not both vaccines. Not to do with them not wanting it. I work with much younger staff waiting for the second vaccine.
I didn't realise it was so regional. My 18 & 20yo DSs have been fully vaccinated since the end of July and 15yo & 14yo DNs had their first this week.
twinkletoesimnot · 27/08/2021 08:03

I'm late 30's and only had my second Jab on 6th August.

Howshouldibehave · 27/08/2021 08:10

didn't realise it was so regional. My 18 & 20yo DSs have been fully vaccinated since the end of July and 15yo & 14yo DNs had their first this week

I would say that was extremely unusual. My 19 year old only had the first jab at the end of July.

Are your 14 and 15 year olds vulnerable?

borntobequiet · 27/08/2021 08:14

Last year it took about two months for cases in schools to take off. That was from low levels of infection in August, and a less infectious variant (initially). This year…half that time? Expect many children, school staff and their families to become ill, with considerable disruption.
And yes, you can catch, spread and become ill with Covid even if double vaccinated. You might be unwell for a few days, a few weeks or a few months. You can’t know how ill or for how long until you get it.

mumsneedwine · 27/08/2021 08:26

@Watapalava a lot of teachers have changed jobs which is why there aren't enough to fill school vacancies. I hope you don't complain when your child is taught maths by a History teacher or history by a chemist. Because that's what is happening now. And it's going to get worse.
I'm off at end of this year. Only stayed to support my colleagues DD as her mum died of covid last spring. Mid 40s and healthy as can be.
Loads of support staff roles going too if anyone fancies a job in school at the moment.

Original poster
Sheepsheepmoresheep · 27/08/2021 08:31

Yes, it’s a bit strange that the above doesn’t tally with the odd climate in jobs at the moment though. Maybe that’s regional too.

OP posts:
CampaignToo · 27/08/2021 08:39

@Howshouldibehave

didn't realise it was so regional. My 18 & 20yo DSs have been fully vaccinated since the end of July and 15yo & 14yo DNs had their first this week

I would say that was extremely unusual. My 19 year old only had the first jab at the end of July.

Are your 14 and 15 year olds vulnerable?

No, but their Dad is so I suppose it's possible it was accelerated for that reason. DSs and DNs in completely different regions though.

Here and in lots of other places there have been drop in sessions for months, where anyone over the current age on the plan could get vaccinations easily.

mumsneedwine · 27/08/2021 08:41

@Sheepsheepmoresheep the reason teachers can quit teaching is because there are lots of nice wfh jobs available. Ones where you are not asked to risk your health on a daily basis.
Anyone fancy teaching - you'll be snapped up tomorrow.

CampaignToo · 27/08/2021 08:42

My experience locally is that there's I movement at all in teaching jobs this summer. Very few vacancies advertised and our staff if 120 lost no one this year, which is very unusual. Even the 70yo DT teacher who's been threatening to retire for a decade is coming back.

Original poster
Sheepsheepmoresheep · 27/08/2021 08:44

Except that isn’t what has been happening.

Round here, normally lucky to get five applicants for a teaching post. This year, it’s more like seventy. Never seen anything like it before.

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User5827372728 · 27/08/2021 08:48

@CampaignToo

Here they released it by GP surgery! So was a real postcode lottery! My 20 year old cousin got their first vaccine before me and lives 10 min away but at a different GP surgery!

noblegiraffe · 27/08/2021 08:49

I'm guessing you're not maths, sheep

Original poster
Sheepsheepmoresheep · 27/08/2021 08:51

Mumsneedwine wasn’t talking about maths though, AFAIK anyway.

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mumsneedwine · 27/08/2021 08:58

@Sheepsheepmoresheep we had no one for maths, physics, french or DT jobs last term. Not one applicant. Never happened before for so many posts.
I assume you're primary if getting 70 applicants. That's a lot of people (all trying to leave other schools or NQTs who haven't taken jobs at placement schools ?).
V glad some schools have had no leavers - that's v rare even in a normal year.

CampaignToo · 27/08/2021 08:59

I recruited 2.5 Maths teachers in the Spring term. Yes, it was a bit of a disaster when almost the whole dept decided to retire (at 67 with a seriously ill DH) or not return after ML at the same time, but it was the easiest recruitment in that dept in years. Really pleased with the quality we got better than what we lost All maths specialists and doing well so far.

mrshoho · 27/08/2021 09:06

Our sn school filled 3 teacher positions with trainees in final year of their degrees. They are all former TAs and v good but huge pressure and workload. Good value for the academy too.

mumsneedwine · 27/08/2021 09:08

@CampaignToo Chuck some our way. We are so short of staff not sure what's going to happen if anyone goes sick. And it's a 5 school MAT but still not enough to spare.
Fantastic place to work too - best SLT ever.

sherrystrull · 27/08/2021 09:10

My school has had no movement of teachers but support staff including dinner staff and cleaners have pretty much all left. We are struggling to recruit. This puts an increased pressure on the school as a whole.

noblegiraffe · 27/08/2021 09:14

2.5 maths teachers replaces almost the whole dept? That school must be tiny!

We tried to recruit and did not. The government failed to meet its target for recruiting trainee maths teachers this year again and from what I understand, although there was a burst of people applying to train to teach during lockdown 1, that has ended and they're back at normal levels. The idea that a pandemic would solve the teacher recruitment crisis hasn't come to pass.

Original poster
Sheepsheepmoresheep · 27/08/2021 09:16

You need to stop making assumptions, @mumsneedwine

Secondary.

OP posts:
twinkletoesimnot · 27/08/2021 09:20

No teachers have left, but all but 2 of our support staff have!

mumsneedwine · 27/08/2021 09:29

@Sheepsheepmoresheep 70 applicants for one job !!!! Wow, were they offering gold.
And 2.5 in maths dept is quite small - we have 25 maths teachers.
Ah well, I'm obviously wrong about teacher shortage and everything will be fine this year 🤪

BustopherPonsonbyJones · 27/08/2021 09:30

@Watapalava

God all teachers have harped on about all year is that they want the vaccine

Now they have it they want xxxxx

Just get on with it like everyone else

Everyone else isn’t getting on with it.

Everyone else seems to have much safer working environments - which I can now see very clearly as life has resumed. It’s been an absolute eye-opener to see the mitigation provided in other industries.

I am delighted to ‘get on with it’ now I am vaccinated BUT I will expect a booster six months after my last vaccine if I am to continue to work with large numbers of unvaccinated children in unventilated rooms. And yes, it should be prioritised above the younger pensioners who don’t need additional care. They can stay at home and isolate.