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The staffroom

Whether you're a permanent teacher, supply teacher or student teacher, you'll find others in the same situation on our Staffroom forum.

Original poster

Is anyone’s school affected by the Coronavirus?

108 replies

fedup21 · 25/02/2020 22:27

Ours isn’t, so all is good there.

I have a totally crazy and irrational jealousy of teachers that are being sent home for 14 days to self isolate after half term ski trips though.

Ridiculous, I know as it’s a killer. I think that shows how unhappy I am at work and how much I need to get out of teaching.

OP posts:
FredaFrogspawn · 29/02/2020 11:31

Couldn’t students email you when they can’t do a maths problem?

noblegiraffe · 29/02/2020 11:34

Sometimes my sixth formers email me if they get stuck with something and I send them a hint or a worked solution, but it wouldn’t be practical on a large scale, nor would it be useful for a less able kid who needs a teacher actually talking through the issue with them.

likeafishneedsabike · 02/03/2020 15:57

Anyone affected by today’s closures? My best friend who teaches in London has been self isolated. This seems to be very real.

Piggywaspushed · 02/03/2020 17:00

There has just been an announcement. Gav says schools must stay open.

Original poster
fedup21 · 02/03/2020 17:17

There has just been an announcement. Gav says schools must stay open

Surprise surprise!!

OP posts:
Piggywaspushed · 02/03/2020 17:18

Because childcare

Original poster
fedup21 · 02/03/2020 17:20

Yep!

So, childcare is an acceptable reason for not closing schools here, when in parts of Asia they are limiting class sizes to 22 to prevent large gatherings of people!

OP posts:
Piggywaspushed · 02/03/2020 18:03

seems so...

noblegiraffe · 02/03/2020 22:06

Gav has said what? Did he say how he was going to overrule heads?

I was in assembly looking around at the 200 odd kids in the hall together this morning. And we have parents evenings coming up.

The DfE need to pull their finger out and issue proper guidance. What should be done about upcoming foreign trips? That other thread has shown that even where guidance was followed schools are under fire. What if there was no guidance and things went badly due to a head making their own decisions? It’s not fair on schools.

Piggywaspushed · 02/03/2020 22:19

He said. schools should not close unless specifically told to by PHE.
Chocolate teapot.

noblegiraffe · 02/03/2020 22:48

What about deep cleaning?

I’m sure this fills Heads with confidence. I see that the DfE coronavirus helpline is open from 8-6, Monday to Friday. Best hope no one gets it at the weekend like that poor primary staff member. Hmm

Piggywaspushed · 03/03/2020 06:52

Deep cleaning is not what we think it is though. It's just cleaning the taps for once.

Playdoughbum · 03/03/2020 06:57

Honestly, schools are filthy. Can’t keep cleaners. We don’t even get hoovered every day sometimes as there’s not time.
Loving the “schools must stay open” as many teachers are older women with underlying conditions. Fab. Oh well, it’ll get rid of some of those expensive UPS 3 types.

Piggywaspushed · 03/03/2020 07:00

Oh yes, and then the expensive UPS types , once recovered, can come back and do supply!

TreesSandSea · 03/03/2020 12:59

For physics, maths and computing teachers - recently come across IsaacPhysics which is free and really fantastic. Might be helpful in terms of setting work online. And it is self-marking!

mnahmnah · 03/03/2020 13:39

I’m wondering what will happen when our own children’s schools close, but ours is open. Will they pay us?

Aragog · 03/03/2020 13:51

Wouldn’t have the first idea where to start with that.

I spent much of yesterday at my school figuring out how we could do distance learning and working from home, including starting to write some basic 'how to' guides and starting to upload key documents onto web based storage sites.

I know that my ex colleague and her school staff in China have had a steep learning curve with it all and done a lot of self taught stuff at home, with the help of YouTube videos, etc.She says some staff have learnt loads and all produced just from their mobile phone, not even computer or tablet access.

The basic starting point would just be some generalised worksheets with written/video/voice over instructions emailed out or put on the school website. Then moving onto to trying some longer videos to upload. None of it would be 'live' teaching though and little would be personalised.

Pentium85 · 03/03/2020 13:53

School next door to husbands shut. He is praying for a few weeks off!

bigchris · 03/03/2020 14:20

What about those of us with kids doing gcses or A levels this year while you're all dreaming of closing schools Sad

Pentium85 · 03/03/2020 15:16

@bigchris

Calm down, it’s just a dream. I highly doubt your children will be left to study their exams with no extra help or consideration in their marking

Piggywaspushed · 03/03/2020 15:56

Some teachers also have children believe it or not chris !

noblegiraffe · 03/03/2020 16:47

A thread full of teachers worrying about how to set work for kids from home and it’s the one jokey post from not even a teacher that gets a parent in to respond Hmm

That’s why these threads need to stay in the staffroom.

Pentium85 · 03/03/2020 16:49

@noblegiraffe

Have absolutely no idea what the point of your post is.

noblegiraffe · 03/03/2020 16:55

A comment on the teacher basher. We could expect far more of it if these threads got shifted to the CV topic, which is why they should stay here.

Pentium85 · 03/03/2020 16:58

Ahh so sorry @noblegiraffe I totally got the wrong end of your post and thought you were teacher bashing, my fault, sorry!

Think I understand now.