NASUWT advice re school closures etc

[noblegiraffe]

Some much welcome and comprehensive advice from the NASUWT www.nasuwt.org.uk/uploads/assets/uploaded/09f46f4e-4971-4be4-aa87fbc8792942eb.pdf

Including advice for vulnerable staff members who may need to stay off work, pay around self-isolation and so on.

Importantly - if the schools close, teachers should not be required to go in, especially not to ‘help with deep cleaning’ (as suggested on another thread ), potential issues around safeguarding and recording of online sessions etc.

And “There should be no attempt made to split or double up classes or increase class sizes to accommodate teacher absence. If this is proposed in your school then contact should immediately be made with the NASUWT for advice.”

My school stopped handshaking at parents evening, that was it.

Dont have a thermometer noble but might try to get one.

This is TES:

www.tes.com/news/coronavirus-schools-close-all-children-key-workers

@piggywaspushed is that likely do we think?

I think we’re heading for partial closures due to lack of staff. This would certainly be preferable to jumbo classes of all-comers and make more sense.

Imagine having to explain to your DC that their friends get to stay at home, but they have to go to school because you are a teacher.

I think that in the interest of pulling together as a nation, there is an argument for schools staying partially open to support parents in other sectors.

I'm afraid the "we are not childcare" argument does sound quite selfish in the face of the large scale disruption on the cards for all sections of society.

I do think there would need to be an understanding that it would have to operate more like a holiday club than the usual taught lessons, because I expect there will be a greater focus on promoting online resources so we can't plan, teach, mark for kids who attend as well as effectively carry out remote learning.

Yes, I think we’re all going to have to do our bit. We are expecting other people to do their bit when the time comes.

I would be happy to do this.

It needs to be implemented fairly though across all staff. You can’t have some teachers in every day providing childcare and others at home.

Staff could bring their own children in.

Yes I agree. I would normally argue about the childcare line, but I think we could continue if it was accepted that teaching and learning would be curtailed slightly. I also think that Ofsted, and other aspects such as clubs, parents' meetings, staff meetings, data collecting etc need to be stopped until the crisis is over.

DD ( Head of Dept) has just had an email from her School (large Academy chain) saying that it is very likely all schools will close on Friday.
Just wondering if anyone else has had similar?

think we could continue if it was accepted that teaching and learning would be curtailed slightly. I also think that Ofsted, and other aspects such as clubs, parents' meetings, staff meetings, data collecting etc need to be stopped until the crisis is over.

Yup-observations and PMR as well.

I also want parents to not yell at me about misplaced water bottles and cardigans!

@GenderApostate19

Can I ask which county?

Not sure I could bring in my own child around some of the sen children I teach. But I'm not sure how many it would be.

@GenderApostate19 I have heard similar

Wouldn't teachers be included in the essential staff?

And how does that match up against those of us with underlying conditions ?

She teaches in North Staffordshire, so Staffs LEA

Presumably there would be an expectation of lower staffing levels hence the reduction in usual curriculum provision, and that our own children would still be entitled to go to their usual childcare arrangements which would also be operating in a similar manner.

There may have to be tipping points where a school has to close temporarily because too many staff are ill, or there is a concentration of cases in that area, but on a nationwide level if schools can support frontline services and supply chains to keep functioning then that could be helpful.

All just musings, of course.

If they are to remain open with skeleton staff how will that skeleton staff be decided on. Will we take it in turns? Will we only be paid when we are in? What about our kids will our schools offers to bring them with us be valid or will we have to send them to their own schools. As selfish as it sounds I don't really want to send mine to school with just the children of NHS workers who are more likely to be carrying the virus. But if they were with me at school I could ensure handwashing and distancing as well as doing my bit for everybody else.So many questions.

I’m shitting myself. Why why are teachers being put in this position?

Boristhebutcher trending in Twitter. Absolutely. Why should l risk my children being orphaned by being forced to look after other people’s?

You don’t want to look after a doctor’s well kid to enable them to go into work, but you sure as hell want the doctor to look after your sick kid.

Would you be happier with your kid getting ill and no doctor to treat them because they’re at home looking after their healthy kid?

As I suspect I've currently got it, if I could be tested for immunity once I'm better, I would be happy to be skeleton staff.

The DfE Coronavirus Helpline are still just repeating today that all schools should remain open on PHE advice. Our school has remained open despite having direct links to a confirmed case this last week.

don’t think that we can be complaining about being at personal risk and demanding that schools are closed for our benefit when GP receptionists and hospital workers are still expected to turn up to work. We are also frontline workers.
The main difference there is that HCPs have access to hygiene protocols. We teachers don't. The only cleaning that has gone on in my classroom is what I've been able to do myself with a pack of anti-bac wipes and some Dettox. We're like cannon fodder in the face of all the germs these kids cough all over us.

There isn't even any bloody soap. And we're now getting complaints from parents because their kids are getting red hands from the soap we're having to provide ourselves out of our precious reserves at home for our own families.