The Third Republic - solidarity comrades!

[StaffAssociationRepresentative]

You are most welcome to this school staff support thread to get us through stressful times. Baiters and bashers can jog on somewhere else.

If you are not staff and just have a general education query please start your own thread.

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Timetabling is indeed a black art. As a part timer I tend to fall foul of it with weird whatever gaps are left. I’m not supposed to teach ks4 as a non specialist but every year it’s a third of my teaching despite begging and even tears.

She's pointed out that in Denmark R has started to go up after schools returned

What is our R number in England?

Slightly out of order:

She has emphasised that Scotland may look different to England. I believe Gove said on Sunday (?) areas would be traffic lighted, and I understand from someone in France they're traffic lighted. So in a red area schools aren't opening.

Good point about there being no dettol wipes even if we did want to use them. Don’t think hand sanitiser is properly back in stock either. At least we could get the tech department to make us some visors I suppose.

I don’t teach Y10 this year. It has been a source of joy to me as I taught them last year and they’re a very difficult year group. I am not looking forward to being roped in to teach some random Y10s who have probably spent lockdown going feral. And they definitely won’t have pens with them.

Timetabling is a very, very dark art. Luckily we have an amazing wizard at our school who will not rest until the very best possible timetable is put together. He, and his 2 assistants, spend all week of may half term (and I mean ALL week, all 9 days of that "holiday" working 7am - 9pm, sometimes later) in the maths office with computers, bits of paper and lots of angst. Part timers are always given priority with their unpaid hours being at least one full day off and all other unpaid hours at the beginning of end of a day. And he also keeps track of which classes have mostly afternoon lessons this year so next year they get priority for morning lessons. It's a thing of wonder to behold!!!

Part timers are always given priority with their unpaid hours being at least one full day off and all other unpaid hours at the beginning of end of a day.

Just listened to Nicola Sturgeon as well. Basically, we are behind England in lowering the R number (she said we are between 0.7 and 1 but not enough data to say for sure which way it lies).

This is the plan for when we do open (which I can't see being before August if not later!).

Modelling a new approach to schooling for the foreseeable future. To enable ongoing physical distancing, most pupils are likely to have a blend of in-school and in-home learning. This would include attending school part-time in blocks of a few days or even a week at a time, to enable deep cleaning of schools between groups. Learning at home will be supported by consistent, high quality online materials which will be developed to support the curriculum.

First mention I've seen of centralised curriculum materials being developed.

R is different in different areas.

This is what I found from a google somewhere:

At the April 30 press conference, the UK’s chief scientific officer Patrick Vallence said that the UK’s R0 was between 0.6 and 0.9 while the figure in London was between 0.5 and 0.7. It’s worth noting that the precise R will vary from location to location, but these numbers suggest that the enforced lockdown is having the desired effect of forcing the transmission of the virus down.

She has emphasised that Scotland may look different to England

So things might look very different in Scotland with schools staying closed for much longer....because they have fewer cases there??

Gosh. The longer I’m away the more ridiculous and unreasonable my working conditions seem. It’s made worse by a real bully of a hod which feeds into massive staff turnover and absence. I don’t think I can do it anymore but I’m a single mum with bills to pay so I have to.

I am willing to get on my knees and beg to be transferred to another department but really why do they even resist me moving to my specialty subject which is being taught partly by non specialists? Presumably because science specialists are hard to find let alone ones who don’t quit my department within two terms and somehow I’m getting good results.

Sorry. Teaching is one of those jobs where line managers can either make or break your mental health imo

I think it's just all different in different areas of the whole U.K.

I'm somewhat north of london.Apparently we've now got more hospital cases than London and are yet to peak.Does that make us red?

If Wales stay closed, there may well be mayhem on.the borders too.

First mention I've seen of centralised curriculum materials being developed.

Interesting. I hope it's not Oak stuff - our kids are engaging with that less than anything else. I don't mind it, and actively like some of it, but I think if they are going to do what they consider to be a 'normal' lesson, then it would be better for them if they can see their own teacher's face, rather than a stranger.

Our lot seem to like White Rose - which is now synchonised with Bitesize lessons. All going over of prior learning. I like it.

Regarding the transitions between lessons for students in school, if there was a 20 minute break between each lesson (they'd have to go outside) so the room could be cleaned and set up would that work? But it would mean one less lesson a day at least. Plus adult supervision outside would need to be accounted for and rosta-ed into everything. More staff=higher budget. Mind boggling.

We used to have exactly that uMsAwesomeDragon up until 8 years ago when that SLT member was pushed out in a convenient ‘restructure’. The ‘replacement’ just presses a button on SIMs and says ‘there you go!’
Since then, horrible part time timetables, staff over timetabled and some staff massively under timetabled, too many split Key Stage three classes for all option subjects, and no thought to workload (no PPA for days then all at once on a Friday etc.)
Ho hum!

Scotland is not prepared to compromise the safer of your children

Safety

2 key worker parent rule here.

Same here, that shouldn't be the deal though, officially. Partner sort of is KW - works for LA - but is based at home most of the time in normal circs. He'd have to reduce his working hours or take unpaid leave if we can't get childcare. I wrote and basically begged the head. She wrote back yesterday and said I could have a space for my child if I go back after half term into school. If I'm at home, then no. She said she'll trust me on which one I'm doing! I like her, it wasn't snarky.

Checking in with tea for all
The more this gets talked about the more issues it throws up. I wish they'd just do the bloody announcement now!

Birbalsingh on BBC News now.

Why is it always her? Are there not any other heads willing to do it? She's such a self publicist, I'm fed up of hearing from her.

True. I zoned out to be fair. They then had a man on . Not sure how he was . This afternoon they are having that nice Educating Yorkshire chap on. They basically only get people they know off the telly.

Birbalsingh on BBC News now.

What did she say?

I've been on telly.They could have me.😀

I'm no scientist but I have always been confused. SAGE documentation released today definitely stated on 23 March that the FIRST thing scientifically to do to reduce spread was to close schools, colleges and universities. Why do they now repeatedly state that those same places make no real difference in the reverse?

It's not that they were 'wrong' as Whitty and Vallance have repeated this in meetings/ Is it just that they accept it pushes the RO a little bit, which at the time was crucial and now , if it pops up again a bit, that's OK because we have got it down quite far...

I think I deserve a place on SAGE for this magnificent understanding.