Any school staff worried about returning to work pregnant

[Rosa986]

With schools reopening, is there anyone pregnant members worried about returning to school? I know I am!

This is a little wooly but basically implies where possible the vulnerable should work from home or at the very least be in a role that allows 2 metre distancing -so I guess admin in an office. Good luck.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-protective-measures-in-education-and-childcare-settings/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-protective-measures-in-education-and-childcare-settings

I have been told I will need to return :(

Thank you for the link. I will look into that

@Rosa986 - I would ask your union before committing to anything.
I just had a situation where I was told to return on rota to the 'hub' but I queried it (citing union guidelines, status of pregnany women as clinically vulnerable and legal requirement to risk assess especially as our hub includes young primary kids with whom I have no experience) - turns out it was a mistake. I guess union guidelines might change for provision for Y10, but they've been pretty clear so far that they disagree with the decision to open.
When have your school asked you to go in?

I feel reassured by the guidance that was released yesterday. It seems pretty clear that we have to be able to work from home supporting remote learning, or be given an alternative role in school where we can maintain distance. I'm mainly worried about how I will explain that to my colleagues as I'm only 4 +5 so ages away from going 'public'!

@MissHoney85 -- There is enough of a loophole in that guidance for an unscrupulous head to bring people back, I think.
Pretty sure my colleagues guessed the reason I'm not on the rota to be in school (I was 4+2 at the point of closure). None have been rude enough to ask, though ;-)

You can't just be told that you have to go in. My midwife has advised me to stay home until baby is here and then for 4 weeks after the birth.
I wouldn't be going back, simple as that x

@EithneBlue true, I suppose an unscrupulous head can find loopholes anywhere! Hopefully they are few and far between...

Also, I think the unions will be helpful. I've just switched from the NASUWT to the NEU as they seem much clearer in their guidance.

Oh that's really reassuring. All the reading I have undertaken about this suggests women are not clinically extremely vulnerable and so expected to go in. I did ask my midwife yesterday and she said the guidelines were unfortunately, if you are under 28 weeks, to go in.

This is the important part of the guidance.

If the "safest available" role is teaching, then "settings must carefully assess and discuss with them whether this involves an acceptable level of risk".

Well, it isn't an acceptable level of risk for me. But it may well be for my Head. So then what? No pay?

I think pregnant women, without other complications, are in the moderate vulnerability (also called clinically vulnerable) category. The clinically extremely vulnerable category is for those people asked to shield.

The due guidance does say that the moderate/clinically vulnerable should be protected, but we will see I guess. It may well come down to individual head teachers and governors.

My Head emailed me has said tbh I don't think you'll be in work at all, I just will not risk vulnerable people and have to think of your baby too.

I'm a teacher in one of the returning year groups and a lot of chn in my class have parents working on NHS covid wards so that may also impact Heads decision.

I work in a nursery, very worried about going back as the children will climb all over me and of course will cough and sneeze without a second thought. I’ve got my first scan today (petrified about it) so I’ll ask while I’m there

I work in a special school 9 kids and 5 adults per class. No way can will be 2 metres apart. We care for personal needs. How the hell you change a nappy/clean then after they been sick and be 2 metres apart.. And the toilets are tiny but you can't do I child, 1 adult per time, the kids need to go they go.

Hi All,

I’m also very anxious - at the minute I’m not going into the hub and HT doesn’t expect me to but I’m worried about what will happen when school actually opens. I’m hoping there will be some quite firm guidance from unions.

My feelings are that the virus hasn’t been around long enough for the data to tell us what the exact risks are - especially in earlier pregnancy - they haven’t had the timescale to see. So when I hear that we are not particularly vulnerable (especially earlier pregnancy) I don’t buy it at all - I just think that there isn’t the data to show otherwise 😕

Hiya! I am interested to know how school staff are getting on with this? Are you refusing to go in or will you return? I have been asked to inform my school or get a docs note. xxx

Do read gov link posted by PP - gov guidance is very clear schools should support pregnant teachers to be able to work from home, and if they must be in school, they must be socially distanced in the 'safest possible on site roles' (so presumably in an office - no idea how you'd manage that in a classroom). It's grossly unfair that headteachers are responding to this differently. Please contact your union if you are being put in an unacceptable position. Interestingly, despite the higher risk being for 28 weeks+ the guidance for schools does not differentiate and as far as I can see groups all pregnant women together.

I really want to go back (and would be happy to having taken into account the guidance) but I don't think I"ll be allowed to and whether the school will want to take the risk so preparing myself to stay at home...probably for the entirety of my pregnancy! It just seems like such an awful long time to be cut off from colleagues and students...I lead a core subject and I don't like the idea of not being able to do my job properly and get stuck in with my department but that's just me...

I am only 4 weeks. My HoD has asked our department of 4 people to all go in to school next Tuesday (When I will be 4+4) for a catch-up/preparing the department for September. I said I would go in because everyone else was and I didn't want to look like I wasn't "pulling my weight".

Is it unreasonable for me to be a bit worried about going in? This is my first pregnancy and I'm a little bit scared! The school has been deep cleaned now but there are more kids in now than at the start of lockdown and I'm worried about meeting up with colleagues all from different households. Even social distancing...

I've just found out I'm 5 weeks pregnant so watching this thread with interest. Tbh I'm hoping that taking into account safety measures I'll be able to still go to work, I have been in with key worker children since schools closed. I've tried contacting midwife and doctor to clarify before I speak to my head but no joy as yet. @user148 have you told your head teacher yet?

I work in the school half of I wont be able to do as its logistically impossible now and the other half I cant do from home. I have no idea what is going to happen to me, no one has contacted me in regard to going back just got a email to all staff saying we will all be in june 1st.

Just the thread I’ve been looking for. I’m wanting to go into school to do some one to one work with a child in the hub that’s really struggling. I’m nearly 18 weeks and my head isn’t too keen on having me in. My midwife however when I asked didn’t seem even remotely phased and was like “yeah I can go in”. We have just this week moved into our brand new school so only have 5 year groups across the primary and secondary phase, so plenty of space. I’ve been informed by my ops manager that come 28 weeks I’ve got no chance of being allowed in the building. I’m absolutely gutted about missing the new intake and all the children arriving to the new building. I completely understand it’s for mine and babies safety tho. I just wanted to see what everyone else was doing. I hope you ladies get the choice you want and all have super healthy babies! X

The newest guidance for schools, which was updated yesterday now specifically mentions pregnant women.

I will be working from home

Hello, can you give me the link for where you found this please? many thanks.

Just to update you that my union have contacted me to say pregnant women should work from home.