Let's boycott all school threads outside of Education

[Everyexitisanentrance]

Honestly guys we are getting a kicking on other threads. We repeatedly have to explain our contracts, holidays, why we are not doing more online, why we should be doing less on ...... it is never ending. So far we have been off for the Easter break plus a max of two weeks. There is a lot of the population that do not need childcare. We are open for key worker children but that gets ignored. All the social distancing issues are ignored. All the ppe requirements are ignored. Now it could be that the trolls just see us as an easy target, hence all the forlough calls. So as a union member, I am requesting that teachers do not have to explain themselves on other threads as we are just fueling the fire. (I have been guilty of this).

So I am calling for a union boycott!

Excuse me? We are not allowed time off during terms understandably but the flip side is they can’t suddenly expect us to work outside of term time. Directed time still applies and teachers have still been available in that time. Besides quantity isn’t everything and off the top of my head I can think of whole topics that could be missed in ks3 and virtually the whole of year 11 is set aside for consolidation and revision so if ks4 lost a few months it could just roll over into year 11. Obviously not applicable to all subjects but in science at my school no problem

And now I’ve forgotten who was talking to me about maths but same here. Ds loved maths at primary and did well on sats. Our school has been short staffed in maths for several years so have focused on exam group years and the lower years have been taught by whoever they could get. It’s a shame and always seems a bit short sighted to me as they’ll be your exam groups in a few years time.

Possibly a headteacher who never has to teach neuro !

Crikey, I have been so busy today I have missed the threads demanding we go back, thank goodness. Now Amanda Spielmann is back on our case. 😩

It was me honeybadger, about maths. I agree. I think secondaries would be better off timetabling maths every day in 7-9 and getting the gcse done early. In year 6 they're so used to intensive maths they're in the swing of it. Slacking off in ks3 leaves them to go backwards.

My local secondary has just added a primary element. In a few years I will angle for ks2 lead because I think there's a big chance to do maths a whole lot better between year 5 -9.

And i'm refusing to listen to that Amanda woman. Just like every SLT ever who's been out of the classroom for years.

the whole of year 11 is set aside for consolidation and revision so if ks4 lost a few months it could just roll over into year 11. Obviously not applicable to all subjects but in science at my school no problem

We are just starting paper 2 in y11. Actually we would have had an early start as we were onto p7 before lockdown.

I wasn't finished by any stretch but I agree in many subjects there is thumb twiddling in year 11.

Damien Hinds was up first.

"The magic of school". Evan Davis commented about SD and Hinds fully agreed. "SD We are going to have to find a way to make it work."

Re exams, "it's not about lowering standards, maybe some give in the dates for the exams in 2021, but problems with that too. But those kids really need extra support" (paraphrased)

Evan: Are we going to get some radical thinking about redesigning education and the best way of delivering it? I bloody hope not as I'm not rewriting the bloody curriculum again. Though mine is radical

Hinds: difficult time know now what they might be but you're right and it stimulates discussion about some of those things like a more aligned curriculum across the country??? There's a recognised concept called summer learning loss where children can take a step backwards affecting different groups especially disadvantaged children so it's legitimate to talk about that.

• he says holidays are important and you're always going to have substantial holidays, an important part of growing up it's not all about what children do in school. It may be that over the next period you shave a little bit off the holidays to try to make up for the lost time, but I think you're always going to have substantial holidays and that's a good thing. Education technology has been developing ..." that basically the technology might radically change to support learning at home rather than replace it.

Actually a nice bit where he praises teachers a lot. This is off the scale.

Sounds like a possibility of everyone who can moving to an jointly organised online curriculum possibly? So that things are as smooth as possible?

But if Hinds says those things, that's a worry...

I actually thought summer learning loss had been debunked on the grounds that our kids have shorter holidays than the average.

Looks like slimming down the exams would be seen as lowering standards. July exams it is then. Good Luck getting markers...

Then it was the chief executive of the Harris federation in London, Sir Dan Moynihan.

What preparation in schools for SD. Split days, half in in the am and half in the pm. Sourcing sinks to wash outside before entering, and ppe, gloves etc. Staggered start and end times.as well as teaching and contacting people on phone at the mo.

"Dfe have been v proactive" (fsm etc) and "expecting guidance on a restart to come soon." But as there's no date they've decided to start planning themselves. He says they have teams of subject specialists coordinating online content.

Do you contemplate taking time off the summer hols to make up for it?

We've been working through hols and so we will need hols but have an open mind and will see what the guidance is.

Evan: What do you think about repeating years?
(Paraphrased) Superficially attractive but next lot down can't start. There will be a crisis for universities as all foreign students have gone home and unis will need British students.

(Universities are going to be it badly actually, this and brexit.)

(Me) I'm getting suspicious about some bbc interviews as I wouldn't be surprised if they're using them to prepare us for possible next steps. 🥫 🎩

I actually thought summer learning loss had been debunked on the grounds that our kids have shorter holidays than the average.

I see it in our Sen school but a lot of their learning relies on context and they find transition between year groups harder than mainstream children .

But yes, I think it's 10 weeks or more in the us? No half terms tho.

and someone like the lauded Sir Dan will be first to hear....

There's going to be a loss of many subjects in primary, and I'm sure at secondary? Half days will only allow some subjects.

I hope kids still get to do art tho. It's so therapeutic for them.

Sorry lots paraphrased there but yep, when Sir Dan says they're sorting half days out etc, I smell a rat.

I think the hols will be used for key workers as before, so teachers can have at least some time off. I'm sure someone in an slt fb group I'm in said that had already been said it was needed till the end of August. I suppose my personal query is what about the flu jab group of teachers?

Half days are going to be difficult for parents needing to work but also risk viral spread more as a full class will have been in the room over the course of the day. Two days a week would work better, more for key workers who need it.

Anyway, sorry I've turned it into one of those threads!!!!

I have things to say about flu jab people but not got time now. Will post later/tomorrow.

I really, really don't want to be teaching just maths and English next year. My poor year 5 / 6 cohort will NEED foundation subjects, time to learn how to be in class agsin, counselling, playtime, socialising. I want so much for us to be able to meet the needs of the children and it not to all be about data but I know it won't happen. I've already had emsils and a virtual meeting about data for children that are not even in school.

This makes me unutterably sad.

(Goes off to whittle sticks by bonfire with kids camping in garden. With hipflask of toffee vodka)

I need to top up on toffee vodka !

My local distillery makes it ( and delivers!) but failing that just get cheap vodka and bung toffee in it. Leave it in a cupboard for a month. Oh. Wait.......

Re flu jab : DH is in this group at the high end of risk but not shielded. His gung ho consultant thought a few weeks ago that DH would be expected back in work when lockdown finishes. On those grounds 70 year olds would also largely be returned to the wild, surely?

That's a bit worrying piggy. I'm flu-jab labelled but don't meet the letter criteria for my asthma because my blue steroid dose and extra steroid doses usually peak in June / July with the grass seed. So if they'd taken May - May as evidence, I would. But April - April maybe not. Last year I avoided hospital by some miracle but the previous 3 years I was in on a nebuliser. My GP said she'd write me a letter but I guess if it's not official i'll be back in. My trust is making passive /aggressive comments in emails anyway about staff on the frontline.

My DH has heart condition, which has recently been found to be the second most common underlying condition and new suggestions are that Covid attacks the heart. Not terribly reassuring. But his consultant says like Trump that it's a bit like flu.