Shielding and Teaching

[ElizabethMainwaring]

Hello All. Are you in the shielding group? Or your partner or children?
My husband is shielding and I'm a teacher. I'm very concerned about what is going to happen.
Apologies, this is yet another thread about the unknown that no-one actually knows the answer to...any supposition and guess work welcome! Thank you.

I don't think there's anything you can do differently to what you are doing now if your DH is shielding.

How the future education of children who need to shield is going to happen is anyones guess. There will have to be remote/online lessons of some sort as they won't be going back to a school building anytime soon.

I was just about to start a similar thread. I have asthma but I haven't had a shielding letter but have had steroids in the last year or 2 multiple times. I am not currently on the rota along with other staff with asthma etc. If schools reopen am I expected to go back?

I surprised yesterday on the briefing when a member of the public asked Matt Hancock about whether parents who kept their children home from school when they reopen would be fined for absence and he didn't say no. He said schools wouldn't reopen until it was safe with the implication that parents would be expected to send children in. I think the extended implication is that even if your partner is shielding, the government would be saying that it is safe and you would be expected to go to work. I'm a deputy head and have already had a conversation with the head about how on earth we could reopen if staff members who are supposed to be shielding stay at home. I don't think we would allow it unless someone in the family received a letter from the government

Thank you for reviving this thread!

I have a horrible feeling if we are just ‘vulnerable’ and not ‘extremely vulnerable’ we will be expected to go back. I am in a similar boat, asthma with high dose preventer and pretty much on antibiotics September-March ever year with chest infections. Only had steroids once this winter though and rest of time muddled through with upping inhaler. I actually did get a letter to shield in the first wave but suspect with the new criteria for asthma I wouldn’t now. I spoke to my Head yesterday and she is expecting me back once my shielding letter ends in June. I am in Nursery (but have taught higher years) and social distancing would be impossible there. My head isn’t considering moving my year group and I am expected to do house visits for all 30 of my new starters. I have just joined a union...

I am vulnerable but not shielding, if the schools go back I wouldn't consider myself vulnerable enough to deny my children their education, so I have let my head know I will be in and teaching in that instance.

I'm not sure re: those who are actually shielding due to receiving a letter. You'd think that may mean you have to stay at home.

@RamsayBoltonsConscience
Sorry, I didn't understand the last part of your post.
Do you mean that if someone had received the shielding letter, they would not be expected to work?
I can't see parents being fined for non attendance. It would be a disgrace. Children don't belong to the state.

Shielding people do definitely have to stay at home for the prescribed twelve weeks. We will have to see if a further letter is issued.

I've been thinking the same thing. I'm 34 weeks pregnant so haven't been able to go into work since mid-March. I miss is so much (wfh with a toddler is bloody hard!) and had planned to stay teaching right up to my due date as it coincided with the last gcse exam for my subject.

Personally I think they may keep schools as they are until September. I read that Germany is rethinking their policy after another European country opened up their schools fully and infection rates went up.

If they do a phased opening, they might not need all staff to return into buildings so maybe they will ask non shielding and non vulnerable staff to come in last. It is all speculation though which is infuriating. Hopefully we will be told actual plans this week so we can prepare. I just hope we're given more notice this time!

It's one thing for shielding people to stay at home, but what about their families?
Isn't this the OP's position?
Would a teacher with an ill spouse still be able to draw their salary if they weren't at work for this reason?

Yes, my head was saying that unless someone had received a letter telling them to shield for 12 weeks we would expect vulnerable people to return to work when schools reopen. I personally think we will be back for 1st June in a phased way. I'm not sure where people would stand in terms of pay if they chose not to return...

Yes, @callmeangelina, that was my question.
I would not expect to be paid if I didn't go to work. I'm hoping that some level of homeworking will continue, with the prospect of shielding/vulnerable pupils being homeschooled.
However, if I don't think that it is safe to return to work, I am fully prepared to give up my job.
If my husband got I'll the prospect would be horrendous. The anxiety and stress it would cause would be horrific too.
I already have GAD and I would probably have a nervous breakdown.
I know that this sounds dramatic, but it's the truth.

@RamsayBoltonsConscience just a note that the way shielding letters were compiled was not well coordinated. There were various Medical definitions decided (Which is another story) and then patients were identified initially based on how they have been coded into various databases. So many patients of same group not captured, similarly many rare diseases may not have been captured. GPs and hospitals were asked to do a second check, but again relies on database searches (not set up for these purposes) identifying patients. So you may have staff who should be shielding that don’t have official letter. It would be very important at this difficult time to have a pragmatic approach to staffing and to allow a letter from a hospital consultant or GP too and not rely just on shielding letters Because they were rushed out and not perfect.

It'll be up to you if you prefer to give up your job. There are lots of key workers already going out to work who live with someone shielding.

I would imagine if you are shielding and have a letter-you would stay at home until the end of the 12 weeks. If you live with someone shielding, you’ll be expected back at work and if you are vulnerable rather than shielding, you’ll be expected back to work.

Glancing at the headlines this morning, the media is now strongly suggesting the 2m rule will be scrapped so that schools and commuters/workplaces can go back as normal.

They’ll have a job on their hands moving from the ‘Stay home, save lives’ campaign to ‘business as normal everyone-there’s nothing to see here!’.

Yes, I'm fully aware of that.
I know that it might sound pathetic.

Sorry, that was to 2outof3mightbebad.

The Republic of Ireland's published plan (yesterday) does not see schools returning until early September, and that's only if the earlier stages of lockdown-exit do not result in a rise in infection rates.

We're going to have to wait for what Boris unveils next week, when he says he'll tell us the UK plan....

I'm not sure how the Unions will take the scrapping of the two metre rule. Well, I do. They will be up in arms.
I've also read that the two metre rule is bogus anyway, it should be much farther apart.

It's not pathetic AT ALL. I'm just saying I don't think it makes a difference that you're a teacher.

I am very anxious. Although my asthma is well controlled I've relied on my blue puffer a lot recently - i was due an asthma review before this all kicked off. My peak flow isn't good. Plus my mum with dementia lives with us and ds also has asthma and dh has medicated but not very well controlled hypertension.

I don't have a letter and i am.pretty much certain i will be expected back with year 6 in June. My head is not very sympathetic and the deputy is a total martyr and expects everyone to be the same.

Thank you. No, neither do I.
But the level of social mixing is huge. 1,500 kids, 200 adults. Lots and lots and lots of touching equipment, furniture, doors etc.

And I do wish people who are not teachers and have NO understanding of how schools work would butt the hell out of the staffroom. You're just spoiling for a barney.

Sorry again, that was to @2outof3Mightbebad. I'm not very good at this!

I didn't get a shielded letter but am highly vulnerable. Work made me call my doctor to see what he said. He signed me off for the duration. He said with the medical conditions I have unless they can guarantee social distancing measures j shouldn't be in work.