Do you think schools will return as normal in January?

[LucozadeGirl]

Just that really.

@MarshaBradyo

You know covid doesn't run to a calendar right? I imagine the 26th January is a date that will be reviewed as needed, not a promise.

Well I didn’t suggest the date I was responding to a date in a pp

Apologies if I misunderstood and you do give a shit about medically vulnerable kids Marsha. I would be extremely happy to discover you do care about and would see that you child/ren wearing a simple mask was a tiny gesture that could save lives.

I would genuinely be really happy to discover I'd just misunderstood your position. It may be helpful if you clarify exacty who you're taking about when you claim to care about vulnerable children. Obviously not the medically vulnerable and obviously you don't want your child/rent to accommodate for vulnerable kids in any way so please do specify which ones you care about and what you'd be willing to do to help them.

It's obviously helpful to know where opinonated parents stand on these issues when trying to make crisis plans to care for our students.

@MarshaBradyo

Well I didn’t suggest the date I was responding to a date in a pp

I was just pointing it out as it sounded like you were taking it as a guarantee.

Can hopefully avoid a "But he said only three weeks..." upset by people who read a date and think it's a promise.

Well I’m not someone that refuses to do various things if asked, and my dc are very good about it.

I think you can find plenty who do though - and post often about it. I’ll leave you to post at them (insults or otherwise) instead Swallowed.

On other threads if you want to find them.

Thanks @swallowedAfly I’m glad it made some sense! Sorry to hear you’ve had a tough time with your health, chronic conditions are hard to deal with in these times. Completely understand about not wanting to be signed off. The stress of not being there for your students is often worse than the stress of being there while ill!

Completely agree about the foot stampers unintentionally doing all they can to prolong the pandemic by refusing helpful mitigations (thinking more U4T having the government’s ear rather than anyone on this thread) and the weird rhetoric on mumsnet about which kids matter and which kids don’t.

Noble Good news about masks, at least. How did they get that past Zawahi??

@noblegiraffe

The Observer is reporting a return to masks in classrooms until 26th Jan.

Do you have a link please?

Front page tomorrow twitter.com/mikercameron/status/1477387074886148097?s=21

Gorseinon22

Someone suggested that all OFSTED inspections should be stopped for a while and the inspectors work in schools to provide cover where needed. Not sure some of them I'd want back in teaching, but worth considering.

Thanks to Wiltshire OFSTED is now staffed by the fewest amount of ex teachers ever.

@Fripp
I honestly thought all ofsted inspectors had to be ex teachers!

You'd think so, wouldn't you?

Its a common misconception. But you would think that it would be a requirement.

[quote Sherrystrull]@Fripp
I honestly thought all ofsted inspectors had to be ex teachers![/quote]
I was observed by a lay inspector 20 years ago - I was an NQT on supply who gamely threw myself at a school knowing they were about to be inspected (back when there was a 2 week ish notice period from Ofsted)

I was 22 and super confident - probably had more confidence then than now!

He tried to mansplain my lesson to me, told me I shouldn't have allowed a (Y3 who was clearly desperate) child to go to the toilet mid lesson and I lost my shit. I got the lead inspector to sit in on the feedback and he agreed that the lay person should not have been commenting on lesson content.

To be honest I think inspections should be lead by current teaching staff on secondment. The classroom is a different place to what it was 2 / 3 years ago so anyone who hasn't taught in that time has little idea of the reality.

Reported in other Sundays too.
Plus a few more ventilators and Ofsted inspection postponed.

Postponed for the first week of term?

Why don't they just postpone reopening for 2 weeks? Primary children again totally overlooked.

@DoubleShotEspresso

Why don't they just postpone reopening for 2 weeks? Primary children again totally overlooked.

How? I'm a teacher and even i know that childcare is a massive part of the education system!

@DoubleShotEspresso

Why don't they just postpone reopening for 2 weeks? Primary children again totally overlooked.

Because thousands of us have to be at work and can’t stay home with the kids for two weeks.

@JanglyBeads

Reported in other Sundays too. Plus a few more ventilators and Ofsted inspection postponed.

Link www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-59849323

I'm in Scotland and they have been wearing masks since returning in August anyway.

If the mask update is true, it seems a good time to share this - fold and tuck method to make surgical masks fit smaller faces. This works on me (small headed adult) and my 10 yr old. It’s also easier to breathe as there’s more air in front of your mouth, and fogs up glasses less.

Ours is going back as normal as it stands.
No staggered start times either 1500 kids. All 8.30am Tuesday.

@Sherrystrull it says first few weeks of term

@Explosivefarts that's exactly my point though, how will parents be able to work if children are repeatedly isolating/year groups closing... ?
If we know that children are carrying this variant home, to CEV households, vulnerable/elderly relatives and key workers surely we are just perpetuating the problems we all saw in the run up to Christmas?

Ofsted inspections were already delayed for first week of term for Secondary schools to allow them to sort out testing of pupils (LFT not exams!)