No school

[chocolatesweets]

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

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

Even if I was a supply teacher, I don’t think I’d want to be working at the moment. Why on earth would you want to put yourself at risk of catching COVID?

Our high school is open by a wing and a prayer. My dc have spent so many lessons sat in the hall ‘revising’ being supervised by SLT. I’m so grateful they are still in so they can access some lessons, but honestly this is Ridiculous. Im not cross with school, they are doing all they can. I’m furious my dds gcse year is being ballsed up because of an incompetent government who are still burying their heads in the sand when it comes to education.

I'd love to hear what all these people bleating about mitigations in schools actually want.

I can't think of anything that would actually work. At least without huge disruption to education and children's lives, and even then I don't believe they will work.

Are they getting online work or lessons?

Our school has warned that if there are too many staff off with illness/Covid and no supply teachers available, they may switch back to some online learning.

They should be doing something to continue to provide an education. Just sending them home isn't ok. Face to face teaching might not be possible though if there's no staff to do it.

We are also struggling to source supply. You have to think why people want supply. Sometimes they don’t want the responsibility, sometimes they are semi retired and only want odd days, they teach a subject thats hard to get a job for and sometimes it’s because they aren’t any good! We have numerous supply we won’t take as they are awful.

I don’t think the government can create more supply. Maybe they should pay cover roles a decent wage and could attract more people into them, including actual teachers.

@ILookAtTheFloor

I'd love to hear what all these people bleating about mitigations in schools actually want.

I can't think of anything that would actually work. At least without huge disruption to education and children's lives, and even then I don't believe they will work.

What’s more disruptive than the OP’s DS being off school getting no education due to no teachers?

What would you do then, Noble?
What would you like to see happen to prevent that occurring?

Air purifiers or something?

The government is now telling schools to buy air purifiers (out of their own pockets of course), presumably in response to the alarming CO2 levels in classrooms discovered by the (few) CO2 monitors they sent out. It seems that air purifiers are badly needed for more than just covid reasons.

What would you prefer to air purifiers to solve the ventilation issue?

Imo this is the jvci as no vax for 12-15 over the summer no second jab..and at moment no jab for 5-11.
No masks so all kids coughing and lots not testing.

Yes, the JCVI's fannying around over the summer really hasn't helped. Teens will now be allowed a second jab - if they'd not pissed about they could be getting that now. A lot have barely just got their first.

I think you’ll see the problem getting worse. I’m hearing of a lot of teachers preparing to resign this year. Myself included.

Noble, so it's just air purifiers?

I've no idea how much they cost, would they be needed in every room?

Unbelievable

I’ve no idea how much they cost, would they be needed in every room?

No, only the ones being flagged up as poorly ventilated by CO2 monitors. Think they cost about £1000. Govt has just spent £24 million on increasing Ofsted inspections so they’ve got money…

Older kids should be able to access online learning, l know for some not ideal, but at least they have this option. Don't ever think an education can only be gained between four walls of a classroom. Home schooling will be the way forward, there's no need for teenagers to be in a classroom, my son has succesfully educated himself since age of 13, and just sat his exams as a private candidate at a college aged 16. He is now working part time and studying at home, covid had zero impact on his education.

As well as ventilators, other possible mitigations:

• part time face to face and part time online for Y9+ (the age group able to work from home)
• masks in secondary schools
• reintroducing isolation for people in the same household as a positive case
• prioritising school staff for future vaccinations

Longer term:

• reintroducing coursework for GCSE/A-Levels (to reduce impact of CAGs on staff and pupils)
• MUCH more focus on staff retention

@ILookAtTheFloor

I'd love to hear what all these people bleating about mitigations in schools actually want.

I can't think of anything that would actually work. At least without huge disruption to education and children's lives, and even then I don't believe they will work.

Well, just let matters take their course then. Schools will have to close and problem solved (you might infer from this that I take exception to your use of the word “bleating”).

Some stats. Read to the end. Don't think 'bleating' is a very sympathetic term:

schoolsweek.co.uk/covid-related-absence-jumps-60-in-a-fortnight/

These levels of absence might explain why things are called off.

There are no supply teachers because for years and years schools have been bragging that they never use them, that they use anyone still standing in the building to cover classes and agencies have treated registered supply staff like absolute shite - in terms of demands to do endless free trials or buy half a day get half a day free and other stupidity they've tried to pull.

Contracted staff treating supplies like shit didn't help either - the notable occasion where staff were complaining (to me) that if I wasn't there then they could have paid for a dishwasher was a particularly pleasant experience.

Most good supplies got out of the game a long long time ago - no wonder that now schools are getting desperate now the chips are down - and the tone of the supply agency emails to anyone who has ever been registered with them and may have a DBS and a pulse to come back is bloody amusing. I'd have no issues going into a school and taking my chances with covid and snotty kids at the moment - but I'm not jumping through all the hoops to get re-registered at a supply agency - fuck that lark for the way you get treated on supply (was never asking for much - knowing where the loo was and actually being acknowledged as a human being was about it... possibly a photocopier code after I'd been there for a month?!)

Given that pre-covid parents were being fined if their kids took a week off for a vacation, and parents were being told even one day of primary school missed could impact their GCSE results, then I think parents ARE now entitled to be disgruntled when the government isnt providing our kids with school every day.

We are 18months+ into covid. There is no excuse for schools being unable to provide schooling daily, whether in the classroom or online.

Teachers have been treated terribly during the pandemic. I wouldn’t blame them if they all left. I’m glad people are inconvenienced by their children having to stay at home due to lack of teachers. It might make them appreciate them and education a bit more in the future.

[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]
How could the government do that?

School staffing has been cut to the bone over the last several years. ten years ago, there were enough staff in the primary school that I worked in to enable cover to come from within the school. Today that's not the case. If someone is off, there isn't anyone to cover their class, or lunchtime duty. My school currently has 3 class teachers off with Covid, and 3 other members of staff also off with Covid or self-isolating. There are two classes in a bubble, which means they have to have separate playtimes and lunchtimes from everyone else. We have had days when we can't find a supply of any sort, teacher or support staff. It is is touch and go whether we have to send classes home on any given day. You can't have one adult covering 2 classes, and teachers need a lunchtime break that needs to be covered. What do you suggest we do ?You can't leave children by themselves in school.
As suggested by a previous poster, write to your MP and ask them to support increased funding for schools.

I decided in June I wasn’t returning to teaching after summer due to Covid. We had no extra cleaners, parents were sending their children in with symptoms and refusing to test, parents would not keep their distance from me at the classroom door and didn’t socially distance in the playground. During the first lockdown a lot of children were having sleepovers with friends and it was treated like an extra holiday. During the second lockdown the same thing happened. My phone hasn’t stopped ringing begging me to take on supply, no thanks! I’m not putting myself at risk. As a PP said teachers were treated awfully during the pandemic, I won’t forget that in a hurry nor will I forget the pure selfishness of parents sending their children into school with symptoms.

Yep, my sister is registered to do supply work in schools. Cover and invigilator. She has stopped working in schools and will only now do support/invigilator work in universities. The pay is better and she feels safer.

I left teaching over 5 years ago now after being in the job for 20 years. Nothing will make me go back now. And that makes me really sad.

@Popcornriver

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.

Exactly this!!! All those parents who wanted schools to go back because ‘what about the vulnerable children’ They didn’t give a shit about vulnerable children. I bet they haven’t thought about them once. Didn’t care about getting mitigations in schools. All they care about is getting their children out of their hair for an easy life. Well it’s tough now isn’t it. You’re going to have to cope with your children being off school and educate them yourselves if the teacher is too ill to provide work. Serves you right to be honest.