Pregnant teacher in covid tier 4

[Luckynumber5]

Hi all,
I’m just wondering what precautions are being put in place for pregnant teachers in schools in tier 4 (am in London) with the new more contagious covid variant? RCOG (and my doctor) says strict social distancing and doctor also advised wearing a mask. Currently 24 weeks pregnant but very worried about getting sick with covid after CDC research showed pregnant women 4x more likely to go to ICU, especially in 3rd trimester. Midwife also said pregnant women with covid need to be checked for blood clots. Local authority and Union will support working from home after 28 wks. School have said they will support this too. Wondering if there have been any changes for anyone with increased risk in school? Legally, the workplace must not pose any additional risk to staff than outside the workplace so I’m interested to see what schools are doing to meet this obligation.

P.S please no posting of replies saying ‘pregnant women at no higher risk’ as my doctor has clearly told me this is not the case.

I did raise my concerns about the training day and the possibility of joining by zoom (which isolating teachers have done for past staff meetings) but am yet to have a response. Hopefully the fact that I've raised it is enough and I'll hear over the weekend. To be fair to my headteacher she's very good at responding to concerns, just doesn't always think of preventing them before they arise!

Hi Glitterynails,

I think I am about to go through the same with my school as they have asked for a meeting since I asked for consideration to work from home. I was interested to know which areas of your risk assessment you were able to show you could not maintain social distancing?

My school have been difficult in the past so I am anticipating the same response in this situation

I teach Year 1 and have a class of 30. There is nowhere in the classroom for me to be more than 2m away from children aside from if I have my back touching the wall and whiteboard. I cannot get from my whiteboard to the staff toilet without walking through my class and being very close to several children as I do that. I cannot supervise the children washing their hands without being closer than 2m even with my back against a wall in the corridor and toilet areas. I cannot help the children with their work or hear readers etc from 2m away. Even if I keep my back to the wall at all times at the front of my classroom would that really be effective teaching for the children? No. I don’t always have a TA so what happens when a child needs my help (work, toileting, upset, peeling their banana for snack, can’t sharpen their own pencil, first aid?). The head wasn’t happy initially but I think she just panicked but the governors were 100% on board with my working from home and could see loads of benefits to this in a time of some children needing home learning because of isolation and so on. I can see that some heads and governors might be more concerned about the financial issues. Staff insurance wouldn’t pay out for this.

Hi all, thank you so much for this thread! It's been really useful listening to all of your experiences of being a pregnant teacher during Covid times!! I'm 13+5, teaching in a primary school (EYFS) in London (tier 4) also a senior leader. Planning on informing my head of my pregnancy on Monday so fingers crossed all goes well. Good luck to you all xx

What a lovely supportive message @Skyla01 How many weeks are you now? Good luck with your pregnancy!

@looloo247 I agree with others, I would definitely be looking for alternative ways to access that training- whether it’s Zoom, or being given the notes separately or something like that.

Hi @Dumpling21 Good luck with informing your Head about your pregnancy

Well I’ve decided to accept my Head’s offers (see my last post for the details). So I will be working from home now for 4 weeks- for 2 weeks I’ll be responsible for planning and resourcing work for my own class (Year 2) to be delivered by a TA. After those first 2 weeks my Maternity cover teacher will start (he was already recruited to start after Feb half term as we know him, he’s done work in our school before). For the four weeks I will also be responsible for setting and responding to online learning for any pupils self-isolating from across the school, and I will be working on admin tasks to do with my TLR and doing a handover to the person who will he covering that. I did ask whether I could come in when the children aren’t there, or when they’re there but in their classrooms, to help me with the TLR as there’s stuff I can’t do from home- stuff stored in school office due to GDPR, phone calls to parents etc but Head said no. That’s something that’s stressing me out tbh as I wanted a nice smooth handover, however my partner said what can you do, you’ve been told you can’t come in, just do what you can. She (the Head) has agreed I can arrange to come in one evening late after the staff have left and just the caretaker on site so that I can collect personal belongings from my classroom and cupboard.
The Maternity leave one... well yes, 35 weeks is earlier than I’d wanted and I know many of you have said that I should push back against it or seek further advice, however I’ve decided to accept it. I’ll be 35 weeks and my first baby came at 38 weeks so with any luck if this one is similar is won’t be too long to wait. Plus, I will be able to properly relax, focus on getting ready for the baby etc. AND my Head has agreed that if I agree to begin my leave 3 weeks early, I can still take 52 weeks leave from my original intended date of leave so I will have a little bit of extra at the end (unpaid of course), I’d been planning Feb half term 2021 to a Feb half term 2022, but this will mean go off on 1st Feb 2021 and return Feb half term 2022.
I think this is the best case scenario I could’ve hoped for.
Hope you’re all well, keep posting everyone here and anyone new- this is a great supportive thread for the specific area we’re discussing x

LittleRa as long as you are doing what is best for you. Remember you can change your mind over the next month and delay starting your maternity leave. Wishing you all the best, stay safe x

@LittleRa I’m glad there’s been some change for you and you’ll be much safer at home and able to work stress free hopefully. All of the best with your little one when it arrives xx

@Bestofyou1982 @Luckynumber5 Thank you

I’m so pleased I found this thread. I’m 21 weeks on Monday and secondary teacher in tier 4. I’m stressing about the 18th too, and need to talk to my HR dept but they are not great. My school is fully set up for remote teaching and any absent students join lessons on teams so I could in theory teach from home but it means a colleague doing cover in the classroom as legally there has to be a member of staff there. This is what has happened for teachers who have had to self isolate so far.
However, SLT have not been very supportive of COVID measures so far since sept, they have been blasé and I am amazed we got through the term as well as we did. It comes across as because they are not worried, no one else should be either. Not great.
My classroom has the ‘magic tape line’ that we all know repels COVID but that is basically it, still doing lunch duties in a crowded corridor etc. Not looking forward to the discussion as I’m sure I’ll be told that it’s fine and I don’t need to worry but I am

Hi everyone,

I'm SO glad that you've started this thread @Luckynumber5. I've been looking online to see if I was the only one feeling as though the 'guidance' is very loose and subjective for pregnant workers.

@Glitterynails thank you for all you've linked and referenced here. I am 23 weeks and about to write my email to my headteacher about how I feel about the 'strict' social distancing that is apparently taking place in my classroom. I teach older children than you but I still feel that they can't social distance very well.. and nor do the adults around me. My school haven't always been the most supportive - especially as there have been changes to the SLT. I just hope they don't give me some crappy response. I don't know if this is really cheeky, but do you have the email you put together for your school? It would help to get my thoughts on paper.

Hi, so pleased to find this thread.

I am only 9.5 weeks and teach in Year 1 (so primary) in a Tier 4 area where schools are returning on Monday.

Haven't told anyone at work-mainly due to being superstitious; I told work last time around 8 weeks and then had a mmc discovered at my 12 week scan so then had to tell the head which I would rather have not done.

Am in two minds as to whether to email him prior to returning to work Monday or whether to hold off as it seems nothing is likely to change pre 28wks other than my own hand washing etc which I can control. I certainly can't stay 2m away from a class of 5year olds.

It's been quite shocking reading what some of you have had to deal with; glad some of you seem to have resolved things and have an arrangement you are happy with.

Xx

Hi all. I’m 27 weeks and a secondary teacher in tier 4. On 21st Dec, just before the tier 4 announcement for my area, I spoke to the NEU and also a pregnancy advice helpline (pregnant then screwed) in order to gain clear advice about my rights and what I should do moving forward. Although I have a risk assessment, I have had mixed messages from HR at my school re not being allowed to wfh, and also I don’t feel things are safe (risk assessment is utterly useless) and then of course the news of the new strain was concerning me.
Similar to what’s already been shared on here the pregnancy helpline advised that at any stage of pregnancy you should only be in a workplace that is ‘covid secure’ which means strict social distancing (2 metres or 1 metre with screens/PPE), robust sanitisation and ventilation etc. This is quite clearly not the case at any school tbh. They said that duties/role should be altered to mitigate risk but to wfh if that’s not possible, and if wfh not possible then you should be suspended on full pay.
The website (pregnant then screwed) have a letter template you can use to send to your head which clearly outlines all this with reference to the relevant H&S legislation. NEU told me that since I’ll be 3rd trimester from 9th Jan I simply shouldn’t be in and they’d back me up.
This was when i was working in tier 2 so I decided to use the letter template and request a much reduced timetable only teaching smaller, older classes better at distancing etc. No duties, no f2f meetings etc. However since moving into tier 4 and finding my Head is still expecting all staff to come in even when we’re remote learning, I added to my initial email stating that I don’t feel comfortable coming into school whilst under tier 4 restrictions. As I said, I’m about to be 3rd trimester which is another factor. My head has not replied to either email... but luckily I’ve spoken with the assistant head who is fully supportive of me now wfh and will be speaking with the head tomorrow.

You can find the letter template here: pregnantthenscrewed.com/covid-19/write-to-your-employer-risks-for-pregnant-women/

Thank you for sharing @MrsDash, I think the more info and resources shared on here the better armed we are. I’m glad your assistant head is supporting you and really hope you’re supported to wfh.

@Clairey844 I’ve pm’d you lovely

So glad this thread has been so popular. I’ve found it difficult to know what other women are doing in similar situations so it’s nice to have a platform to share our experiences and advice xx

Just saw this tweet thread and thought of this thread

twitter.com/melanie4kids/status/1345478684019478529?s=21

@Luckynumber5 thanks, have just replied xx

Ok so things have changed a bit tonight.. does anyone know what the guidelines are for pregnant staff in schools now they are open to just key worker and vulnerable? Do we shield/not shield? Go in/stay home?
Times are crazy
@Glitterynails @LittleRa @MrsDash @Clairey844 @Dumpling21

Ooh can I join this thread? Secondary teacher in what was a tier 4. Only 5/6 weeks at the moment but am already clinically vulnerable (not extremely) and very nervous about being in school.

Hope everyone is ok!

@Luckynumber5 My Head has emailed all staff to come in for a briefing tomorrow but then sent a separate email to me to say I am not expected to go in for the briefing and that her instruction to me to work from home still stands. I am going to get on speakerphone from one of my colleagues phones to listen in. However, some are not happy about having a (socially distanced) briefing in person and are wondering why it can’t be done on Zoom.
I feel like the introduction of this lockdown has justified our concerns and our need to work from home, as it shows how bad/serious things have got.
First thought in my mind... do I still have to start my Maternity leave early at 35 weeks if the school is closed anyway!!

@Keyboard91 welcome to the thread and congratulations on your pregnancy! Your CV plus CV so there’s no wonder you are worried...hope your school are being supportive.

@LittleRa surely not.. can you not say to your head that you wish to support with remote learning for the remaining weeks?

@Luckynumber5 we haven't had rotas etc yet for going in for key worker kids but I know a colleague who was pregnant during the first lockdown didn't have to come in and just did all the virtual stuff from home so hoping/assuming that will be the case.

I don't normally work a Tuesday anyway so the email from our head about meeting tomorrow morning in school doesn't apply to me so he would have had no reason to amend things anyway. Will keep you all informed xx

We are all in this morning as planned and will only be in on a rota for kwv students from tomorrow onwards. The email said everyone would be on rota but I'm hoping that's referring to last time when it was voluntary. I'll find out today. I will ask not to be in if they do intend on using me. I suspect they won't though. Be interesting to see what other schools say. Urgh this is so stressful, I struggled to sleep last night despite being exhausted.

On TES today

www.tes.com/news/exclusive-teacher-covid-rates-333-above-average?fbclid=IwAR3tCU9TlqTf_etsOX8tx5OkjjzaOGnVpcpE3WxzTAiweIG0frY2BhqMCso

@Luckynumber5 my school don’t yet know. I only found out Xmas Eve.

In an ideal world I wouldn’t say anything yet. I started at this school in September so haven’t been there long, and I had 2 MCs before my LB so naturally I’m worried. I don’t know how often we will be on a keyworker rota as that’s not been released - not sure how I can supervise key workers whilst expected to teach a full live timetable either (my LB was born in March, 2 days before lockdown 1 so I have ZERO idea how all this works.)

#stressed

Hi everyone, hope your days are going ok.
Just an update: for those who’ve read my posts, I was asked to start maternity leave earlier than planned (35 weeks) as a bit of a compromise. However, now that the school is largely closed with most pupils learning online, my Head has contacted me to say I will revert back to my original maternity leave dates (Feb half term- 38 weeks) as I can set the online learning from home up until then!