Do any teachers have any insight regarding school visitors?

[HumunaHey]

I work in various schools as a facilitator. As you can imagine, the work pattern has become very patchy. I've had work cancelled last minute or been asked to deliver a workshop virtually instead, which doesn't ever work that well. It's all been so unpredictable as you all well know.

I currently have several workshops booked in various schools for September onwards but I'm just not confident they will go ahead. It seems careless to have visitors during autumn term given the risk.

I know every school will operate slightly differently, but is anyone privvy to their school's planned protocol regarding visitors, just so I can get an idea?

As far as I can tell we’re abandoning any and all Covid protocols and just cracking on as if it never happened…

The ones we have booked are planned in to operate normally. Only exception is a theatre group who have adapted their show themselves to one live actor and the rest on a live video link. But we don't want them to that, they insisted and the nature of our contract with them doesn't allow us to cancel on them as they are still delivering the show (after a fashion).

In our council in Scotland you would be unlikely to be allowed. Essential visitors only but it does depend what you facilitate

Thanks for the responses. I'm based in England.

The workshops I deliver are seen as enrichment. I really believe in the value of the workshops but I would have thought they would be seen as non essential and my visits cut. It seems like such a simple precautionary measure to stop non essential visitors . I'm waiting for the cancellations to come rolling in by October once things go awry.

All back to normal at my secondary. We have booked visitors in already.

Yes, we have several visitors and several trips out, some residential, in the first few weeks. Mostly 'non essential' enrichment. They will only be cancelled if restrictions are reintroduced in schools.

No visitors for us any time soon

DS also visits schools (England - south east). His diary is full for the autumn.

@MrsHamlet

No visitors for us any time soon

@MrsHamlet Do you know if that's as a dorect precaution covid?

*direct precaution to covid

We haven’t booked any non-essential visitors for this year. We know all risk mitigations have been dropped so could book theatre groups etc, but I think the general thinking is that schools will probably be carnage with covid, so are continuing to be very careful.

Yes it is

In my county schools have already gone back. All restrictions have gone and it's back to business as usual with extra handwashing. We've already had visitors in school.

Right now, pretending that COVID is over, pretty much normal.

I think PHE have given schools thresholds at which different measures are reintroduced.

Given board masters etc, all bets are off for a few weeks time.

We started having visitors in towards the end of the last academic year. We’re planning on trying to get back to having speakers in weekly for our sixth form enrichment programme. Some providers are still only offering virtual but we are booking people in person if they are willing to come. In the summer term we had in quite a few speakers and a lot of universities and businesses were happy to come out to talk to our kids.

My guess is that visitors may well be allowed for first half term but some restrictions imposed by individual schools (if government doesn't) in the latter half of the term, depending on case numbers. I can't say I'm feeling very optimistic about covid transmission in schools!

I will be REALLY fucking annoyed if the in-class observations needed to completely sign off DD2's diagnosis, that she's been fucked about over for all of last year, get blocked by school. Informally we have the go-ahead from the staff, but since everything changes week by week, god knows what will actually happen.

@CoffeeWithCheese

I will be REALLY fucking annoyed if the in-class observations needed to completely sign off DD2's diagnosis, that she's been fucked about over for all of last year, get blocked by school. Informally we have the go-ahead from the staff, but since everything changes week by week, god knows what will actually happen.

It's probably a race against time. I think by Oct/Nov, alot of schools will want to reduce visitors. But who knows🤷‍♀️.

We’ve never stopped those sorts of visitors. If your school is anything like ours then you’ll be fine. We had a “no visitors” policy but EPs, Social Workers, outside counsellors etc were all exceptions to that. You really shouldn’t have a problem.

All back to normal in our schools.
With the windows open.

I'm a facilitator too. Loads of bookings this term. And I was super busy before summer/in summer holidays too. I don't think schools would risk booking and cancelling if they didn't think they'd go ahead.

The DCs' primary school had music teachers and sports coaches in from Easter. DS was seen in person by SALT in July. Swimming off site resumed in the summer too.

All back to normal in my school until we are told otherwise - and I can’t see that happening!