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Original poster

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

419 replies

Timetobuckup · 02/01/2022 20:42

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.

OP posts:
SonicBroom · 02/01/2022 22:56

many TAs are paid pretty much minimum wage. Do you think it is fair that they ‘teach’ a class?

@toomuchlaundry for a few days to cover given that isolation is down to five school days now? Under these circumstances, yes I bloody well do.

I mean, if you want to make sure their pay is pro rated for the hours they’re covering by all means go ahead but that really isn’t top of our list of problems here is it.

Flaxmeadow · 02/01/2022 22:56

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 .

Is this an article about a "worst case scenario" of isolation rates of "10% , 20% or 30%"?
You don't link anything in your OP but i can see some media quoting "bbc".
Do you have a link please

Flaxmeadow · 02/01/2022 22:57

Sorry that should 25 not 30

NinaDefoe · 02/01/2022 22:57

@OneOfTheGrundys

May I also just chuck in the fact that Ofsted inspections are continuing as normal. 😭 Plus. If a teacher is isolating but teaching from home someone still needs to be there to manage the class’ behaviour.
It is unbelievable that OFSTED are sending inspectors into schools next term.
Mistressiggi · 02/01/2022 22:58

I can't begin to imagine the behavioural issues that could result from having a hall full of teens mixed together. There are so many who are supposed to sit separately for various reasons, can't be in the same class as so-and-so - it would be lovely to think they would rise to the occasion and behave but I think that's optimistic.
Would a teacher or TA be held accountable for anything that happened to someone in this composite class?

toomuchlaundry · 02/01/2022 22:58

@SonicBroom and if they are usually a 1:1 what happens to that child?

PriamFarrl · 02/01/2022 22:59

@SonicBroom

many TAs are paid pretty much minimum wage. Do you think it is fair that they ‘teach’ a class?

@toomuchlaundry for a few days to cover given that isolation is down to five school days now? Under these circumstances, yes I bloody well do.

I mean, if you want to make sure their pay is pro rated for the hours they’re covering by all means go ahead but that really isn’t top of our list of problems here is it.

It might be 5 days isolation but the people I know who have had covid recently have been ill for weeks. Certainly not well enough to be in a classroom.
OneOfTheGrundys · 02/01/2022 23:00

I couldn’t believe my eyes either. Perhaps they’ll take a different view if/when things get tricky.
(Or second inspectors into supply work, as I’ve seen suggested elsewhere!)

Onionpatch · 02/01/2022 23:02

Its also odd that a teacher has a TA in class when they teach, but if the teacher is ill the TA is expected to step up and teach without the TA, or the training or the pay (in schools that have TAs still)

Bobbybobbins · 02/01/2022 23:03

It was tough going at the end of last term. Lots of classes without the TA support they'd normally have. Lots of classes taught by supply. Then staff off for more typical reasons as well as covid absence. More of the same to look forward to!

toomuchlaundry · 02/01/2022 23:03

Also @SonicBroom with school budgets being as tight as they are, TAs taking classes may become the norm, be careful what you wish for

NinaDefoe · 02/01/2022 23:05

It will be just fine!
They will have so many retired teachers queuing up at the door at 8am the first day back schools will be over-staffed if anything.

In the unlikely event that doesn’t happen maybe the Government should appeal for parents to come in and teach a few lessons of Year 9 maths. What could go wrong?

angstridden2 · 02/01/2022 23:06

I expect I’ll get shot down , but it would be good to see a few more teachers on here being constructive and offering suggestions on how schools could get through this hopefully short term crisis. Classes can’t be blended, non fully qualified staff can’t help out, online teaching won’t work because covid + teachers won’t continue working although most of the young people I know who have had covid have continued working from home. It’s so relentlessly negative. What exactly do they suggest? Send all children home again to the detriment of their education and keep primary school parents away from their own jobs...nurses, doctors etc.

I know it’s been hard, I know it can be a rubbish job; been there, got the t shirt but really what do people suggest happens?

NinaDefoe · 02/01/2022 23:07

@Onionpatch

Its also odd that a teacher has a TA in class when they teach, but if the teacher is ill the TA is expected to step up and teach without the TA, or the training or the pay (in schools that have TAs still)
It’s ridiculous isn’t it?
Bunnyfuller · 02/01/2022 23:08

Let’s be honest, this govt have never dwelt on the detail. Boris has said no lockdown, no closures. As usual when he gives his pithy sound bite of the day, there has not been a sniff of looking at practicalities. We will be on ‘Plan Wing it: not my problem’.

MN, teaching is the least of your worries. If you knew how depleted blue light services were running at currently…

The irony of the masks at secondary school - like the govt have decreed it. Secondary schools haven’t really moved from masks since the start of the pandemic. The same as PH including a lot more symptoms than Gov.UK include.

No one is driving the big red Brexit bus. No one.

hunder · 02/01/2022 23:09

In primaries

  • Children are largely in one class taught by one teacher and a TA (again I know there are exceptions)…*

This used to be the case in my borough, but schools have had massive financial pressures, meaning in my local hub of primaries only Reception classes have a dedicated TA. For most KS1 share one between 2 classes and KS2 share 1 between 4 classes. It looks like there are more but they are SEND TAs providing 1:1 support as required by EHCPs (the dfe did say this must continue). If any of our SEND TAs are off they need to be covered by a class TA. When a TA covers a class teacher we need to find someone to do their lunch duty.
In the 2 weeks before Xmas we only got by by SLT and teachers doing extra break duties and lunch duties. It's not sustainable for a long period.

And to those who think they are now immune because they had outbreaks in autumn, beware. We had a group of children test positive at the end of September. 3 of them tested positive again just before we broke up, as far as I know they didn't get told which strain, but we're in London in an area where Omicron was rapidly increasing.

Drunkpanda · 02/01/2022 23:10

keep primary school parents away from their own jobs...nurses, doctors etc.
Angstridden - when did this happen? Schools always open for keyworker parents!

SonicBroom · 02/01/2022 23:11

@twinkletoesimnot I’m sorry it has made you feel that way, it’s been hard for everyone but particularly people whose roles have been through constant stress and change. Healthcare and schools are undoubtedly two of those areas, but also any parent regardless of their job has also had to respond and adapt to constantly changing circumstances too. I think the inherent stres that brings between schools and parents over who needs to change, how much, when and why has been impossible to manage and the govt has done nothing to step in to help.

I also couldn’t agree more that too many kids are sent in dosed up with calpol, pretending they didnt vomit at 3am that morning! I do hope that changes.

Personally I have huge respect and appreciation for schools and from my side I definitely don’t recognise the contempt you’ve experienced as being an opinion that’s widely held. However, like ahh industry there are good and bad eggs, sometimes the bad eggs are guilty of giving all of you a bad name, and that’s not fair.

You’ve made me hope that through the next few weeks EVERYONE can try to build and acknowledge a bit more good will as it will actually be the one thing that gets us through. We will ALL have to dig deep and give a bit more than we want to get through, teachers, parents and students. If we can do that and we can appreciate that everyone else is only doing their best as well, then perhaps we’ll get through it.

twinkletoesimnot · 02/01/2022 23:11

@Drunkpanda
Always have so far but might not be able to if school closes due to not enough staff.

herecomesthsun · 02/01/2022 23:12

@angstridden2

I expect I’ll get shot down , but it would be good to see a few more teachers on here being constructive and offering suggestions on how schools could get through this hopefully short term crisis. Classes can’t be blended, non fully qualified staff can’t help out, online teaching won’t work because covid + teachers won’t continue working although most of the young people I know who have had covid have continued working from home. It’s so relentlessly negative. What exactly do they suggest? Send all children home again to the detriment of their education and keep primary school parents away from their own jobs...nurses, doctors etc.

I know it’s been hard, I know it can be a rubbish job; been there, got the t shirt but really what do people suggest happens?

I'm Not A Teacher,

But I think they should

  • scrap Ofsted inspections if they haven't already
  • send the inspectors into schools to help out
  • encourage secondary kids to study from home if they reasonably can (as safer for them and decreases class sizes)
  • blended learning years 8, 9, 10, 12
  • make sure there is teaching available even if it's online
  • consider recruiting graduate parents who are DBS checked if available
  • focus on exam years
  • get mocks done as planned
Onionpatch · 02/01/2022 23:12

Well since most schools seem to be finding solutions and operating I dont think its very fair to say teachers arent finding solutions - my sons secondary has been finding solutions all term to having lots off staff off.
But presumably there is a tipping point where something cant operate - perhaps a quater of staff off is that point?

twinkletoesimnot · 02/01/2022 23:12

@SonicBroom
That's nice. Thank you.

BungleandGeorge · 02/01/2022 23:13

The transmissibility and numbers of people infected with omicron surely mean that if students and staff don’t get it from school they’ll get it from somewhere else. It’s not ideal for anyone but not sure any measure will stop omicron. It’s not clear how exactly it will go as some people are less susceptible to covid. Some areas will have vastly more students and teachers vaccinated than others. Some schools will have conditions less favourable for spread. Some areas will have higher natural immunity. Some schools have more mask wearing.some schools have a much lower average age of teaching staff. So many different variables!

NinaDefoe · 02/01/2022 23:14

I know it’s been hard, I know it can be a rubbish job; been there, got the t shirt but really what do people suggest happens?

What do you suggest?

angstridden2 · 02/01/2022 23:16

Drunk panda....
You’re right of course...can’t believe I’ve forgotten already but I do remember only too clearly the stress caused in my family to parents attempting to home school Reception and Year 1 children whilst each fitting in a full day’s work around it. Not to mention the effects on very young learners education and attitude to learning. Really hope it isn’t necessary again. There is no perfect solution unfortunately. Be interested to know how other countries are dealing with this now.