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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.

Flip

Original poster

Schools won't have the staff to stay open.

22 replies

Poetryinaction · 16/03/2020 20:48

Ok this isn't going to work! I am a teacher.
My daughter was sent home with a fever today but it went immediately. Nursery told us if it went she can come in tomorrow but will have her temp taken at the door and refused entry if over the threshold.
Now all pregnant teachers must self isolate. And anyone who has anyone in their house with a cough or fever?
My HOD just emailed to say she won't be in.
Really I shouldn't either. I know of a few other staff members. So there won't be enough of us to remain open. Schools can't stay open under these guidelines. It's a contradiction.

OP posts:

AllPointsNorth · 16/03/2020 20:50

Supply work in my area has rocketed this week.

Original poster

Poetryinaction · 16/03/2020 20:52

A question. If we are off due to a family member having symptoms, do we get paid? Is it classed as sick or dependents?

OP posts:

Greenandcabbagelooking · 16/03/2020 20:53

We have been told that we will combine classes, admin staff will be counted for ratios, and enough kids will be off, we’ll be fine.

We did have a meeting about our home learning plan though.

CurlyhairedAssassin · 16/03/2020 20:56

I’ve had to stay off today as DS has a fever and cough, not eating etc. So I guess that’s me Off for next 2 weeks. I’m not a teacher but run the learning resource centre which gets very busy with various classes and With individuals at break and lunchtimes. Apparently it was closed all day, so I assume will remain that way. Can’t see anyone being available to cover me as we already had a few staff off.

wonderstuff · 16/03/2020 20:56

A school local to me is doing rolling closure for one year group, so no year 7 tomorrow, year 8 off Wednesday.. because they don't have enough teachers. My school seem okay for now. Reckon we'll close early for Easter. Who knows about next term. Might advise against schools but not actually close them?

CurlyhairedAssassin · 16/03/2020 20:59

I think secondary schools will be able to close quite easily as nearly all kids will be old enough to stay at home without their parents being therr

Divebar · 16/03/2020 21:03

Just because one school is having to close doesn’t mean they all will. The aim will be to try and stagger it as much as possible so that not all parents are off work at the same time.

megletthesecond · 16/03/2020 21:04

A secondary in our town has just announced it is only open to year 11's due to lack of teachers.
(Parent here so I don't know all behind the scenes details).

CurlyhairedAssassin · 16/03/2020 21:06

Yes I wonder if most will only stay open to year 11s and 13s. That makes sense.

vingt · 16/03/2020 21:06

My youngest is at a tiny school, they only have 3 classes. I can't see how it will stay open if staff are having to self isolate.

Kuponut · 16/03/2020 21:18

Supply work in my area has rocketed this week.

I'm kind of waiting the smarmy call from my old agencies trying to find anyone with a DBS and a pulse to reactivate on their books and throw in front of a booking!

I personally can't see schools staying open as functioning schools longer than this week - think they'll be a babysitting service for essential workers after that (my kids will be at home in that case to reduce numbers and because I'm at home now uni's cancelled)

Frlrlrubert · 16/03/2020 21:37

One of my colleagues got 'the call' from her DDs nursery at lunch, so I guess that's her off for 2 weeks.

All staff over/pregnant/health issues will be off from next week at the earliest.

I think it's possible primaries (and maybe secondaries for KS3?) will stay open as a babysitting service for children of essential workers, staffed by the few remaining healthy staff with no young children of their own. Who knows, but there's no way we'll be a functioning school in a weeks time.

Most year 11s and 13s have finish the 'content'. It's possible they'll push through if not but I think it'll be early study leave soon.

Frlrlrubert · 16/03/2020 21:38

*over 70

OytheBumbler · 16/03/2020 21:51

I work in a school and it still doesn't feel real. We only had one member of staff off (due to non-cv reasons) and most children were in.

It all feels so uncertain. How can the majority of us/children all suddenly fall ill? I keep reading how it'll happen soon.

WhyNotMe40 · 16/03/2020 21:58

The school my kids go to had about 50% attendance today I'm told - which I can believe as coming out from school last week they nearly all had coughs. But it's that time of year!
Now I'm off from my school as I caught he cough (and a tight/heavy chest, headache, but no temperature), so as a household we are all self isolating.
All the classes I taught last week had at least 5 coughers in. But how much is seasonal I don't know!

OytheBumbler · 16/03/2020 22:06

See that's the thing.

We're all hyper-aware of coughs atm but there were no coughs in my primary classroom today. The children were quieter at first, I think they must be scared by all that's going on but by the afternoon it was just a normal day.

Are most of us going to start falling ill?

duckme · 16/03/2020 22:06

@Greenandcabbagelooking
I work in school admin, the kids can smell the fear and inexperience when admin have to babysit a class for 30 seconds while the teacher pops out. They would eat us alive after any longer.

NeurotrashWarrior · 16/03/2020 22:15

If we have underlying health conditions We have been told to tell our head what we are going to do ASAP. It's seems to be from next Monday though.

DrummerGal · 16/03/2020 22:19

I work in a large a college. Up until Friday we had one member of staff and a handful of students self isolating. Today the college was noticeably quiet. 10 members of staff that I know of were sent home with new, persistent coughs. There were approximately a third of our student population in.

We were told this afternoon that the college will close on Thursday for at least 4 weeks...

OhWhatFuckeryIsThisNow · 16/03/2020 22:19

Cover manager here. Today 3 off with cv related things. Two Other long term, 4 supply and me. Tomorrow, already two more. And if we have serious condition we have to report to head. So that’s at least another 4 (me included) I’m nabbing any supply with a pulse atm.

DoubleAction · 16/03/2020 22:22

Our staff absence has been lower in the last two weeks than it ever is!! I can't explain it but it's like people dont want to miss anything.

anyoneforbingo · 16/03/2020 22:24

My DH is head of year at a large comp. he's extremely stressed, several teachers off isolating and kids are hyped - apparently worse than they are on last day of term! He's current stressing because he knows he's got to arrange cover lessons for 3 different teachers tomorrow on top of teach his own lessons. It's not just about having an adult in a classroom... they need lessons to be taught. He's mainly stressed because it's bad now but is only going to get a lot worse with no end in sight.

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