No school

[chocolatesweets]

There are no supply teachers and my ds is off school.

Last time I checked, they were entitled to an education.

I work in a school and part of the problem with so many cases in schools is ignorant parents still sending their children into school when they have Covid symptoms or refusing to test their children at home

There were no supply teachers in our county before half term, they can't just magic them up. If the school are short staffed and some can't work due to ill health/other options, then they'll probably put work online, but this has to be planned by someone who has time.

And to make matters worse for schools :

www.theguardian.com/education/2021/nov/27/ofsted-inspections-headteachers-quit

I am sorry op, it is not fair on your child. It is exceptional circumstances right now, but it doesn't make it okay.

@chocolatesweets

I would 100% train if I had help with childcare and funding.

You would train to be a supply teacher? That's not how it works.

Education staff have been warning of this, yet so many parents were happy to turn a blind eye.
I've seen it on here, play out time and time again.

My children are year 11. They are in GCSE year. One had to spend 70 days, 7 weeks, isolating at home last winter when cases got so bad at his school that it was one isolation after another,, the other, 5 weeks, 50 days.
This has been going on for so long now becausr the Govt refuses to put mitigations in place, only some parents are just waking up to this now.
This cannot be a surprise!

I have written to my MP and I suggest others do the same. What else is there? It is not schools' fault.

You would train to be a supply teacher? That's not how it works.

You dont actually need training to be a supply teacher. An awful lot of supply is done by unqualified teachers. If PP wants to qualify, it's the same as any other teaching qualification and there are ways to get paid to do it.

Sorry, 7 and 5 lots of 10 day isolations is 70 and 50 days, not 7 and 5 weeks!

@middleager I remember your posts last year. I hope your DCs are having less of a disrupted year. I actually feel more sorry for my current exam groups who have had many isolations and now this awful time of not being sure whether they’ll have a teacher - at least last year we were all isolating at same time so could deliver live lessons to well children.

Thanks mother. We had a better year, though one son caught Covid in September once back at scho and passed it to me.

Both sons have had Covid now, but am now just concerned about new isolation rules and absences.

One has mocks over the next fortnight and I'm just hoping they go ahead without hassle. The other has just done his, thankfully, but it's going to be a long fortnight!

[quote chocolatesweets]@amillionmenonmars I'm so sorry to read of your friend. It's been really tough on staff, of course it has. The government need to make sure we have an adequate pot of supply staff and pay them correctly. [/quote]
The issue isn't pay or an adequate number of supply staff. It's because the Govt scrapped all measures that would have protected the spread of Covid in schools and now teachers, and pupils, are dropping like flies. In normal times there are enough supply staff to go round, when you've got half your staffroom off sick there isn't, because you're competing with other schools in the same position. It's also going to get worse now the Govt are saying you have to take 10 days off if identified as a close contact of someone who has tested positive with the new variant.

[quote bumblingbovine49]And to make matters worse for schools :

www.theguardian.com/education/2021/nov/27/ofsted-inspections-headteachers-quit[/quote]
Reading this made my blood boil! Imagine telling a headteacher mourning a member of staff who died from the virus and who is trying to manage her school through the crisis that they don't want to hear the word Covid. Ofsted isn't fit for purpose.

@middleager

Education staff have been warning of this, yet so many parents were happy to turn a blind eye. I've seen it on here, play out time and time again.

My children are year 11. They are in GCSE year. One had to spend 70 days, 7 weeks, isolating at home last winter when cases got so bad at his school that it was one isolation after another,, the other, 5 weeks, 50 days.
This has been going on for so long now becausr the Govt refuses to put mitigations in place, only some parents are just waking up to this now.
This cannot be a surprise!

I have written to my MP and I suggest others do the same. What else is there? It is not schools' fault.

Yes, this.

This government really likes to say 'schools will stay open' while doing absolutely nothing to enable that to happen. It's like saying 'gravity doesn't exist' while throwing an apple in the air and expecting it to just stay aloft.

Friends in another country have had their children's education far less disrupted. They have masks, ventilation, air filtration and - probably most importantly - have kept community levels lower by doing isolation of contacts, masks everywhere etc.

Ironic that those most angry by news like this would be the same people arguing against migrations in schools that could prevent closures. But we have to get back to normal, aka pretend covid isn't real.

chocolatesweets

Not the schools fault at all. And staff have rights of course they do“

Not sure it’s anyone’s “fault”. Emergencies arise 🤷‍♀️

I’m a secondary teacher and cover is extremely high due to absence. So the teachers who can go in, get extra cover and eventually can’t cover all absence. We try everything before desperate measures. I was just reading on another thread about parents lying about covid tests so they can send kids to school. Can’t believe it. This is the result

We received a letter to to prewarn us that our school have a lot of staff off sick at the moment due to covid and some for other reasons (not disclosed) and that there is a shortage of supply teacher's therefore, the school may need to close.

@musicviking1

We received a letter to to prewarn us that our school have a lot of staff off sick at the moment due to covid and some for other reasons (not disclosed) and that there is a shortage of supply teacher's therefore, the school may need to close.

We're seeing a lot of burnout. Absence is high because of Covid (actually because of staff's DC more than themselves) but those who are in are broken. It's been such a hard couple of years, not just in school but in everyone's private lives too.

I actually think the return to "normal" made things worse. Whilst working in school was still tough, people had got used to a slower pace of life outside work. Now all the social pressures are back, which is good in many ways, but also adds another layer of stress to life.

It’s not just Covid. Teachers have been leaving in droves for years, there are always shortages. The government needs to address salary and workload, then they’ll find they have plenty of teachers. I was an excellent teacher but I’m not going back unless I get a 40 hour work week.

All parents reading this - think before sending your children into school with coughs or flu symptoms. It’s surprising how many do - and absolutely they will also be the same sort of parents who will refuse to get their little darlings vaccinated and who will complain to the school if forced to close or restrict lessons due to staff absenteeism

@curlymom

I’m a secondary teacher and cover is extremely high due to absence. So the teachers who can go in, get extra cover and eventually can’t cover all absence. We try everything before desperate measures. I was just reading on another thread about parents lying about covid tests so they can send kids to school. Can’t believe it. This is the result

Parents lying! That’s pretty disgusting. I can only imagine that parents are desperate as they’re working??? Not that that is an excuse.

We need faster testing turnaround for schools so that spread can be reduced more quickly and people aren’t put off by testing in the first place.

I’ve written to my MP many times. Last one was two weeks ago and I’m yet to receive a response.

I'm a primary teacher in Northern Ireland. We have had covid mitigations all along. The kids are bubbled in class groups, no assemblies, no nativity, no mixed school events of any kind, no parents allowed on site at any time, staggered starting and end times to avoid mixing bubbles, parent consultations by phone, evidence of PCR result required if child develops covid symptoms, staff distancing in staffroom and lunch/breaks staggered, masks worn unless eating, windows open at all times (freezing), children playing in their bubble's marked out zone in the playground...we still have covid cases in the school though, some kids and some staff. It is still really hard to get supply teachers over here too. Oh and I think overall, despite these school mitigations (and general ones - we have never been allowed to stop wearing masks in shops and restaurants, for example) our covid cases are one of the highest in UK.

@Iggly but they are lying! The reasons for the lie might be valid but it’s still a lie 🤷‍♀️.

Teachers are leaving the profession in their droves - this will only get worse. I left this summer after nearly 20 years in the profession. I wouldn’t go back.

@AndMatt

You would train to be a supply teacher? That's not how it works.

You dont actually need training to be a supply teacher. An awful lot of supply is done by unqualified teachers. If PP wants to qualify, it's the same as any other teaching qualification and there are ways to get paid to do it.

All supply teachers in my LEA are qualified/ex teachers.

I know there are ways to train to be a teacher(although not on the timescale OP is after!)She seems to be suggesting she wants to be a supply teacher.

I am sure from many many MN threads parents don't want unqualified people in charge of their children.

All supply teachers in my LEA are qualified/ex teachers.

Most LAs don't manage supply anymore it's all through private agencies and many are unqualified

We have 6 UQTs in permanent teaching posts in our school. The parents don't know that (and some of them are very good)