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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.

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Original poster

Classes of 45 anyone?

131 replies

fedup21 · 29/02/2020 09:58

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/coronavirus-emergency-laws-health-safety-boris-johnson-uk-latest-a9366031.html%3famp

Emergency measures to increase class sizes to cope with the Coronavirus crisis.

What’s the betting that they’ll say it worked so well, it needs to continue!

OP posts:

Piggywaspushed · 29/02/2020 10:15

To be honest, if it comes to those sorts of crisis levels, I reckon lots of parents will keep kids at home.

PenOrPencil · 29/02/2020 10:16

I have taught a merged class before in an emergency. Not an experience I wish to repeat!

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 29/02/2020 10:21

Sometimes, we swap children about across the year group based on their needs in Maths. Not a regular thing but if there is a specific objective that half the year group need more on and the other half need extending, we’ll do that. I have ended up with 40 in my class before and it is doable but not enjoyable.

I’ve also had 45 Year 1s/5s whilst the Y1 classroom was needed for something else. That was traumatic.

Both of these times were for an hour/an afternoon. Not sure how I’d cope if I had to do it long term.

Kuponut · 29/02/2020 10:30

45 infant kids in a room is really going to help with the virus spread! If it gets to that extent I'll have DH WFH and keep mine off to be honest... if it gets to that levels no doubt university will have minimal attendance and I'll just stay at home and do my lectures on online catchup cos if we're that fucked I'm not getting crammed commuter trains every day and taking my chances.

I've had a class of 35 before - the line to go into school went on forever and the pile of marking did the same.

Original poster

fedup21 · 29/02/2020 10:45

I’m sure you’ll get older people saying, ‘well, I was in a class of 50 and it didn’t do me any harm’ but I’m sure they would be too keen on teachers maintaining discipline like they did then by lobbing board rubbers at people who talked or whacking them with a ruler if they didn’t get their work done!

OP posts:

Kuponut · 29/02/2020 10:51

Like I say - I'll keep mine off... one is "challenging" and you wouldn't want her in a class of 45 causing chaos with new personalities brought into the equation (her current class just tell her to shut up when she starts) and the other is one of those kids with SEN who is beautifully behaved and compliant and would just float around being lost in that level of numbers and nothing would be achieved... and to be fair I'd probably keep them off out of sheer sympathy for the teacher!

ActiveDutyOlga · 29/02/2020 11:06

Surely it's a much more sensible approach to just close.

I know that children seem to have been much less affected, but it's obviously hoping that it neatly strikes down one teacher and leaves a stage partner to take the two classes...

Plus if one teacher has it, if it is that contagious, we'd all have it?

noblegiraffe · 29/02/2020 11:13

You know how there’s always one head in a local area who never closes for snow even when half the kids and teachers aren’t in and they end up being supervised in the hall? And they pride themselves on remaining open but everyone thinks they’re a total wanker who should use some common sense?

I’m beginning to suspect that’s our government.

definitelynottwelvenow · 29/02/2020 11:14

There would be lots of dvd watching, lots of PE lessons and not a lot else. There wouldn't be 45 lots of marking to do because teachers would adopt emergency measures themselves. EG 20 children each day do work that needs marking. The rest do something practical/low focus/ requires peer marking plus of course children would be sent home as soon as they sniffed or looked a bit pale, so that would help too.

Lazydaisydaydream · 29/02/2020 11:16

@Noblegiraffe you've just described my old boss to a T

Original poster

fedup21 · 29/02/2020 11:30

It would simply become a crowd control exercise-I can’t imagine much learning would take place.

I can just picture it being complete bedlam yet you’ll still have to contend with...assessment data drops, observations, book scrutinies, PMRs, productions, SATs and Ofsted!

Some parents would probably still kick off about their child’s book bag/jumper/water bottle/spellings going missing in amongst it all!

OP posts:

noblegiraffe · 29/02/2020 11:36

Ofsted wouldn’t happen because Ofsted would be allowed to ‘work from home’ on stuff that isn’t inspecting germ factories.

HipTightOnions · 29/02/2020 19:29

Would this even be practical? We have no classrooms that would fit more than 32 pupils...unless we took all the desks out and made 50 hulking teenagers sit on the floor with books on their knees, I suppose.

islandislandisland · 29/02/2020 19:48

I don't understand how this is a solution- as the majority (or all?) confirmed cases have toddled about as normal for a week or so before falling ill, surely the pupils of any teacher who has the virus or has been asked to self isolate due to exposure should also be self isolating? Hence the whole class of the off-work teacher would also be off..

phlebasconsidered · 29/02/2020 22:20

Noblegiraffe has it to a tee.
I have 35 kids in my class with no TA. It's shit. Ten more and it would honestly resemble Mad Max / Lord of the Flies.

TwoZeroTwoZero · 29/02/2020 22:36

There were 42 children in my yr4/5 class when I first started teaching. Managing them wasn't too difficult (their parents were another story) but the marking was horrendous. I was an NQT and I was marking books from 5 p.m. until after midnight some days. I lasted a term before it got too much and I left (I was there on a long-term supply teaching placement).

pfrench · 29/02/2020 23:51

I had 37 once, from Sept - Xmas. Mostly the workload just isn't fair.

Alkaloise · 01/03/2020 10:08

Classes of 36 were normal in my last school. Fine in a top set, a nightmare in a bottom set. The workload was horrendous.

tadjennyp · 01/03/2020 10:14

I can only fit 35 max in my room. If it comes to this, there may be a few French and German films being shown. I certainly wouldn't be attempting a running dictation! 😆

Original poster

fedup21 · 01/03/2020 10:14

Classes of 36 were normal in my last school. Fine in a top set, a nightmare in a bottom set. The workload was horrendous.

Although the marking from massive top set classes can be huge.

OP posts:

noblegiraffe · 01/03/2020 11:13

With all this stuff in the news about teachers doubling up classes and schools being closed I’ve got this really weird feeling about planning.

Like when you’re planning the night before for a day that you think will be a snow day and you think it’s pointless but you have to do it anyway.

Like why am I thinking about revision sessions for my Y11s when I’m going to be supervising some jumbo class in the hall?

Piggywaspushed · 01/03/2020 11:15

I think it does highlight how in the frontline teachers are really. We aren't medical staff but it seems it is OK to put us at greater risk and to hold us responsible as per other bonkers thread

Original poster

fedup21 · 01/03/2020 11:19

With all this stuff in the news about teachers doubling up classes and schools being closed I’ve got this really weird feeling about planning.

Yes, I agree-this has all got a bit of a strange feeling about it.

OP posts:

Playdoughbum · 01/03/2020 11:27

I keep wondering if all the sats prep is going to be worth it!

Original poster

fedup21 · 01/03/2020 11:40

I would imagine external exams will have to happen (or is that naive?!) but beyond that...!

When schools (primary mainly) close and parents can’t work-that’s when things will start to collapse.

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