If workplaces are planning on a 25% absence rate then how on earth are we all expecting schools to carry on as normal ?

[Timetobuckup]

I have just been reading in the BBC website that the gov are telling businesses to plan for a quarter of their workforce to be absent .
There is no way schools / colleges will manage with that amount of staff out.

I work in a secondary school and had a pcr this morning , my teen ds is positive and I am keeping fingers and toes crossed I am negative but not holding out much hope.
We are doing mass testing on Tues and I am really interested to see how many have to go home.

Education secretary has said today children don't need to be in consistent groupings, non-teaching staff can be used and classes can be combined.
So I'd imagine if schools can't get supply teachers in, then they can look at other adults in the school to supervise a class. If that doesn't work then you can put handfuls of children into other classes that have absences. If all else fails put 2 classes into the hall with one adult.

As pupils do not need to be kept in consistent groups, you may wish combining classes’

No more bubbles. Classes will be merged. Hers immunity and being left to rip through now. It will be combined classes and online learning. The quality of learning will not be the same. Not sure what other option there is though?

@hunder

Education secretary has said today children don't need to be in consistent groupings, non-teaching staff can be used and classes can be combined. So I'd imagine if schools can't get supply teachers in, then they can look at other adults in the school to supervise a class. If that doesn't work then you can put handfuls of children into other classes that have absences. If all else fails put 2 classes into the hall with one adult.

that makes homeschooling with graduate parents look like a much better option though, not to mention safer

Wow non teaching staff!? In a hall. With several classes. I hope we got told about this and geg a choice (obviously not.)I'd rather my child home than some random babysitting several classes. I am so glad I am no longer teaching (would probably do supply but not for 90quid a day .)

Wow.

@BluebellsGreenbells it depends on your set up. Our local school for example, is 2 form entry and has 1 teacher plus 1 TA per form. If 1 teacher is off, and 25% of the kids are off, theoretically you could move staff around - 1 teacher overseeing with 1 x TA in each class. Secondary/colleges - One member of staff could do online lessons for several forms.

In other sectors-care homes for example, staff would be 25% down, but residents would need the same level, if not higher level, of care. In logistics, you could be 25% down on drivers but supermarkets still require same level of service.

@TerraNovaTwo

at some point soon omicron will run out of people to infect right?

^^

you mean after the CEV children and parents are ill and some of them dead? great

Exacy here comes the sun. 2 classes with un untrained random adult who doesn't know the class dynamics or issues is not great. What would my child be getting from that? Far rather homeschooling as the norm with childminding in school for those that need it with the staff available. Less kids in will make the childminding better quality than some pretence at education .

Who do they mean by non teaching staff?

And who will do their jobs when they babysit classes?

To be non-teaching staff means admin, caretakers, lunch time supervisors, etc. they can't surely be expecting those staff to supervise classes of children can they?!

@hunder

Education secretary has said today children don't need to be in consistent groupings, non-teaching staff can be used and classes can be combined. So I'd imagine if schools can't get supply teachers in, then they can look at other adults in the school to supervise a class. If that doesn't work then you can put handfuls of children into other classes that have absences. If all else fails put 2 classes into the hall with one adult.

And it's always said as if it's that easy!

What job should the person doing this usually be doing? If someone is doing this they can't be teaching.

At what point during the day do you go and move pupils?

Who's learning what at this time.

It's just so stupid that the tag line is "education will continue at all costs and schools will be kept open whatever".

But surely better planned blended learning where pupils are actually educated is far better than an Re teacher in a hall full of 60 pupils who should be learning maths geography and science?

that makes homeschooling with graduate parents look like a much better option though, not to mention safer

Not the real world for most unfortunately!

@hunder

Education secretary has said today children don't need to be in consistent groupings, non-teaching staff can be used and classes can be combined. So I'd imagine if schools can't get supply teachers in, then they can look at other adults in the school to supervise a class. If that doesn't work then you can put handfuls of children into other classes that have absences. If all else fails put 2 classes into the hall with one adult.

So its not education then but babysitting. That's great for GCSE and Alevel in a crowded hall too. Guess everyone will get it then.

TAs are not classed as non-teaching staff in schools.
Most TAs are definitely classified as teaching staff. Many have very specific roles. Lots of schooled not have spare TAs hanging around.

It won’t be for long though. We had a huge outbreak in our school in October. Half the staff were off but they got cover & were able to carry on.

All staff were back in 14 days time, most 10 days. And then cases remained at a very low level through the second half of the term. Obviously, we may get hit with an Omicron outbreak next!

It’ll be the same for all schools. Short term disruption for individual schools while it runs through & then it’ll all calm down and be OK. It won’t be constant staff shortages. They’ll all get it & then won’t get it again for a good while! Presumably teachers will be vaccinated & boosted so unlikely to get particularly poorly..

Pray that 25% of the kids are also off!
We (department) probably averaged close to 50% staff absence in the last half term. It was hell. Thankfully we got some dedicated supply, collapsed some classes, and there was a lot of TAs covering some pretty ropey cover work. The kids were screwed.

Yeah niche gcses. If the teacher is out that's not coverable by "admin" (who need to be in reception and answering phones etc anyway.)

Lots of subjects may only have 2 or 3 members or staff.

It's going to be chaos.

In logistics, you could be 25% down on drivers but supermarkets still require same level of service.

I'm wondering why all the empty shelves, then. Couldn't they just squash it all into the same lorry?

@hunder
Education secretary has said today children don't need to be in consistent groupings, non-teaching staff can be used and classes can be combined. So I'd imagine if schools can't get supply teachers in, then they can look at other adults in the school to supervise a class. If that doesn't work then you can put handfuls of children into other classes that have absences. If all else fails put 2 classes into the hall with one adult.
So basically a free babysitting service? Not education at all.

You can only catch omicron once, it will run out of hosts at this speed, already slowing in South Africa. Stop panicking. In my work there is only me , if I go sick nobody covers - upside is I have my own office, I won't be doing pcrs

Yep Lady. And I don't want thatm that will be more disruptive for my primary child. She doesn't do change/inconsistency. I wish there was an opt out.

@gogohm

You can only catch omicron once, it will run out of hosts at this speed, already slowing in South Africa. Stop panicking. In my work there is only me , if I go sick nobody covers - upside is I have my own office, I won't be doing pcrs

I don't think that is true. We don't know how many times we can catch it. You are making a huge assumption. I know plenty of kids that have had covid twice.

Presumably teachers will be vaccinated & boosted so unlikely to get particularly poorly..

Hopefully.

All but one of our staff are at least double jabbed. Many have now had boosters and others are due during January. I'm CV and have had 3 jabs, and due my booster in February.

Pre vaccines covid put me in hospital (and left me with a life long health condition which needs two tablets daily for life too) so I'm hoping the jabs do their job if I catch it again.

Most people that I know have been poorly. I will not be doing online teaching if I catch it and am off sick.

@gogohm I am not panicking at all , I am however worried about the shit show my next few weeks are going to be.

As in poorly, like a heavy cold or flu that would mean you being unable to teach. Not as in severe illness.