DD teacher isolating

[OhFFSnotyouagain]

There has been a positive case in DD's primary school class but the children (bar affected child obviously), are attending class as usual. However the class teachers (two as both part time), are isolating at home and teaching the children on their allocated days on an app that was used during lockdown. It's a shit app with short pre recorded videos etc and DD was bored stiff, needing a lot of guidance from me when using it. Anyway the class TA is single handedly looking after the class. She is clearly stressed and been very shouty according to DD and I can't really blame her.

Parents were informed via a newsletter about the positive case in the class on Friday, but nothing was said about the teachers isolating and we found out from our children. When queried today by a parent at pick up, the TA told us both teachers are isolating as they haven't been vaccinated and therefore teaching from home. I understand it's an individual's choice whether they receive the vaccine or not, but the parents are unhappy as the children didn't learn much this way during lockdown so I doubt they are benefitting now. We have had A LOT of online learning, with bubbles repeatedly bursting most of last year and the local area remained in constant lockdown due to alot of cases. DD is very behind already due to this.

Is it right for the teachers to isolate but the (similarly unvaccinated) children are sent in? Why is it that they have to remain in isolation, can't they return after a negative test? Is it not the HT's job to ensure the children have a proper teacher as their education has suffered enough, and not leave the poor TA to handle a full class?

Why would a supply teacher want to go to teach a class that has positive covid cases?

@CyclingIsNotOuting

I’d be angry at the fact the school was taking steps to protect the teachers but not the children! Ridiculous! Either it’s a safe environment or it’s not.

In case you hadn't realised it's not!

Thats the rules. Unvaccinated adults have to isolate for 10 days if classed as close contact if a positive. Children do not have to isolate for close contact.

They could be unvaccinated by choice, or not tet 2 weeks post 2nd jab yet, ir unable ti have vaccine due to medical reasons.
Their buisness through.

What do you want the school to do? There is a national shortage of supply teachers, and lots of schools are on their knee finacially

The TA should absolutely NOT be divulging this information to parents. Totally unprofessional.

The ta disclosing the info may of been discussed and ita obvious people will ask
Schools will likely do what other businesses do and not pay when off and that way people will have to make a choice
Seeing as so many teachers were screaming to be at the top of the list its strange 2 teachers in same class choose not to be vaccinated
If i was head I would be looking at moving them to a class where at least one teacher is , realistically they could leave the class with no teacher for half the year
Yes they may have valid reasons but they also need to realise that this then may have implications like it does for many if us
My workplace i temped at only paid for isolation / time off for those double jabbed , not care sector or anything just an office and I have heard similar

@Theimpossiblegirl we have no idea if the ta was authorised to say , the teachers in question may well if been happy for her to say
They may even just be waiting upon second jabs etc

@Theimpossiblegirl plus lets be honest we could all put 2 & 2 together

‘If i was head I would be looking at moving them to a class where at least one teacher is , realistically they could leave the class with no teacher for half the year’

Hmm. You’re not though

@FAQs

Should the TA have disclosed that information?

Absolutely not!! The teacher I work with is unvaccinated (due to medical reasons) and I wouldn't dream of disclosing this to any parent

TA shouldn't have said anything but she's under a lot of stress for her position. Teachers working through this are fed up with being blamed for problems raised by covid rules. It's better than it was last year for the children.

If they arent fully vaccinated because they are in their 20s the TA might have thought nothing of disclosing it, since it is common knowledge that people in their 20s are still waiting for second vaccines. OP hasn't answered about how old they are.

I thought you only need to isolate if contacted by test and trace?
Unless it’s a medical contraindication (or high is extremely rare) I think the best solution would be to pay them ssp and use the money to employ a supply teacher

Two teachers for a class of 30 that's luxury of a private school standard where we live

@justasking111
I think it’s meant to be referring to a job share.

If you're over 18 and not vaccinated then you have to isolate if you are a contact. As they are following guidance, why are you annoyed at them?

@CyclingIsNotOuting

I’d be angry at the fact the school was taking steps to protect the teachers but not the children! Ridiculous! Either it’s a safe environment or it’s not.

It's not the school 's rules, it's the government's rules.

I had Covid - my TA had to isolate because she wasn't fully vaccinated. In our authority, her age group had to wait a while for their first jab. She was four days away from getting her second! Such bad timing - but not the school's fault.

The teachers are both in their 30s. I obviously don't know if they have any underlying health issues but they seem fit and healthy. There is no shortage of vaccines here, as I mentioned I am in an area which was in lockdown most of last year so there was a huge drive to vaccine everyone. Even my 19 year old niece is fully vaccinated. Anyone over 18 was welcome to get it at the walk in vaccine centres.

There's a teacher at school whose husband is very vulnerable because of this last school year she was off every time there was a case in her class. There's three classes in that year parents were pleading with the head not to put their child into her class this year

Unfair of the TA to disclose this information. There are any number of reasons why these teachers may not be vaccinated.

If you want to storm in and talk to the head, then do it because of the fact there is no live teaching. This can be done easily through any number of platforms. But don't go in demanding these teachers be removed from your child's class just because they're not vaccinated, because that's nine of your business. It's for the head and governors to manage.

As I understood pregnant women are vaccinated at the certain stage, also people need to wait for their jab after having COVID so there are different reasons why people are not fully vaccinated yet.
I would email head and governors and ask them about their plan for winter time.

The TA is in the wrong for disclosing medical information of the teachers currently isolating. I would not be impressed with this if I was the teacher currently off

It’s absolutely appalling that the TA gave out this information and she should be disciplined. The vaccination status of the teachers is their business. Sod all to do with parents. And why, OP, do you feel you have a right to this information? The head will run their school as he/she feels fit. Complain to the head if you have concerns.

The TA should not be disclosing confidential medical information and should be disciplined.

The government have made the rule that unvaccinated close contacts still have to isolate (18+). Schools have not made this rule. Don't blame schools for government rules.

DD also told me one teacher explained in a (recorded) video the reason why she isn't coming in. And it's in line with what the TA said. I'm pretty sure the TA isn't daft enough to be giving out this information unless the teeachers involved are okay with it.

Nobody is blaming the school, but I am questioning why a TA is left to manage a full class single handedly and no supply has been brought in. I'm also wondering if this online teaching will be the norm everytime there is a positive case in the class. If it is, then no that isn't acceptable and I'm sure nobody on here would be happy with it for their child.

Nobody has been ‘happy’ about the situation for 18 months or so. It’s not your school’s fault, or the head’s or the teachers’.

@Getawaywithit DD came home and told me she is being taught online as the teachers are isolating. The TA confimed this and told me why. I couldn't give a shiny about their personal business but if my child is receiving a half arsed education then it is my business.