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?

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.

Yes, it’s a very strange thing for the TA to share the information. If I were discussing anything with the HT, it would be this fact, not complaining about a few lost days of teaching in primary school.

ECV rules have finished, I got my letter on Monday, now there aren't any set in stone rules, it is just your own judgement, but it said that working in a work setting was OK.

If the teachers are working from home, the school wouldn't be able to afford to pay a supply as well (even if they could find a supply). Our local schools have been told they may have to double up classes if too many teachers are off.

Many schools just can't afford supply teachers

They should improve their remote provision though

ECV rules have finished, I got my letter on Monday, now there aren't any set in stone rules, it is just your own judgement, but it said that working in a work setting was OK.

A letter that definitely wasn’t written by anyone who is vulnerable or who lives with someone vulnerable.

[quote OhFFSnotyouagain]@Orangejuicemarathoner no sorry I disagree. It's not teaching. During lockdown we had the same short pre recorded videos on the piss poor app and it's the same again. Atleast DD had me to help her, now it's one person trying to help 30. I can see why the TA is stressed. As I said, if there were live lessons and the children could communicate with the teachers and ask questions etc it's a different story. The children are already far behind as a result of this standard of online teaching from last year.

The TA is a LSA/EAL. Those with HLTA status it is stated on the school website. I believe she is very good TA and brilliant at her job but she isn't the teacher.[/quote]
you dont know she isn't a teacher

And you dont know what the normal teaching is, and whether it is any different to what you saw in lockdown.

Many parents complaining that learning was not good enough in lock down simply didn't realise that this is what learning looks like anyway

The ta should never have told you that! I suspect she will get into trouble.
The teachers health is of no concern of yours. However, leaving the class with no teacher or suitable TA is unacceptable.

I am in Scotland and kids in a school from poorer area. Both p1 teachers recently off for 10 days each with covid one after the other. Principal of the junior part of the school and head teacher covered each class together with regular teaching assistants supporting the class as normal. Each class has a maximum of 14 kids. Beginning to realise how unusual this is!

Instead of blaming individual teachers, direct your ire at the Government and it’s not going to improve soon. Looks like come November Sunak will be slashing education budgets again ... catch up plans anyone?

Link to the Times article: www.thetimes.co.uk/article/school-funding-under-threat-as-chancellor-rishi-sunak-reins-in-spending-cfnfk8zlf

Story from the Daily Mail not behind a paywall www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10036519/Education-faces-hardest-hit-Rishi-Sunaks-spending-review.html

Schools can’t afford to pay supply. We have 2 cover supervisors employed but we can’t afford daily supply - the rates would cripple us.

You don’t know why those teachers have not-could not be vaccinated. Until vaccines are mandatory for all they are not doing anything wrong.

My school can't afford supply teachers. All level 3 TAs can cover and very regularly do. Its normal practise in most schools. Isolation is law if you are not vaccinated. There has been many threads from teaching staff saying schools need some mitigation measures otherwise this winter is going to be an shit show but we are usually shot down. Also teacher could be pregnant who knows.

I'm double vaccinated but have been off the last 10 days as DD had Covid, so being vaccinated isn't a cure all, I'm a single parent and DD was sick and needed looking after. My classes were covered by supply but there's no guarantee what they've actually learnt, I'm at secondary so it's a little different as I'm not their only teacher. Either way the school shouldn't be telling parents the staffs medical history, as far as you should know they are just off.

The teachers have to self isolate. Its the law if they're unvaccinayed and a close contact of a positive case.

However the head/governors should be ensuring that proper provision is put in place i.e. live lessons, supply teacher, head teaches the class. Not the TA doing it single handedly.

Vaccination is personal choice.

Those under 18.5yo and who are unvaccinated currently still have to isolate as a close contact under the current rules.

I understand the situation educationally for your dd is poor and agree the school should be providing better.

But they aren't doing anything wrong and in fact are following the correct guidelines.

Think you mean ‘over’ @itsgettingwierd 😊

I wonder if you gave helpful feedback about the app at a useful time. Schools had to quickly put online learning systems together in January with no support or direction from DFE. There was no extra money provided. If the platform they had to use was ‘piss poor’, it was all they had (or, alternatively, what they had decided, in their professional judgment, to use).
The school will have a covid contingency strategy. It may be on their website.
They won’t be enjoying this or doing it to annoy you.

I’d imagine the school is doing the best it can in the circumstances. The TA shouldn’t be stating the vaccine status of other staff members though.
If you are worried your child is behind, then you can do extra at home especially at primary level. It’s not all on the school regarding education.

The TA had no right to disclose the teacher's private medical information.

[quote OhFFSnotyouagain]@Orangejuicemarathoner no sorry I disagree. It's not teaching. During lockdown we had the same short pre recorded videos on the piss poor app and it's the same again. Atleast DD had me to help her, now it's one person trying to help 30. I can see why the TA is stressed. As I said, if there were live lessons and the children could communicate with the teachers and ask questions etc it's a different story. The children are already far behind as a result of this standard of online teaching from last year.

The TA is a LSA/EAL. Those with HLTA status it is stated on the school website. I believe she is very good TA and brilliant at her job but she isn't the teacher.[/quote]
A good TA should be able to support a class of primary children who are watching online learning, because the lesson is already planned and being delivered by the teacher. It's not perfect, but nothing is about this pandemic and the fact schools have been wilfully underfunded for so long by this Tory Govt (and are about to get hammered by more cuts) that some schools, like the one where my DP teaches, have to share one TA across two year groups. I think your school has come up with the best workable solution in the circumstances and no, it's none of yours or anyone else's business why those teachers aren't vaccinated.

It sounds as if the online learning is inadequate and this is going to be the angle to take with the head. It does seem terribly unfair that one class has zero teachers and the other classes potentially have one full time.

If this continues to happen, I would ask the head at what to adjustments they intend to make so that this one class is not left behind in their learning. Education is supposed to be inclusive.

My thoughts, bearing in mind I’m not a teacher. There are no more bubbles currently. If the class teachers swap around, it would give the LSA much needed support and a break - I get this would create complex planning difficulties. Equally, the head could step in if this continues. The LSA is not a teacher. Perhaps the LSA could for example provide sport, art and craft activities with support from another LSA and the head / other teachers intervene for certain lessons.

It sounds as though nothing like this is happening but you’ll need clarification. If I were the LSA. I’d be livid. They are there to support. Not to tackle a class of 30 kids all week long.