The Fourth Republic Rises - 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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-ABBA - anti bashers and baiting association
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-SWOT - school workers opposing teacherbashers
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Other requirements for staff room entry include the ability to find the staff room, the ability to find a clean mug in the staff room, knowledge of the photocopier codes and the ability to sniff out where the toffee vodka is hidden.

If that's the case, surely Y11 deserve to return more? Their rites of passage are much more significant than in Y6.

Whatever parents might think, that's not why Y6 are being sent back and if that's their expectation, they are going to be massively disappointed.

In most schools it will be sat at desks in small groups, I'd expect- they may not even see all of their friends.

It seems year 6 is getting as big as year 11 with "rites of passage" that are normally for when you leave education- not move onto a different school.

They will get another chance at shirt signing and proms and school trips - at high school.

They will see their friends again even if they go to different schools, dd1 has never been at same school as her best friend.

Some parents are behaving as if year 6 is some big traumatic event that if not handled correctly will permanently damage their child.

My year 11 struggles massively with transition, she will go off to 6th form without the extra support she would normally have had but it's not the end of the world and it will be managed in September or whenever she goes back.

The parents clearly don't realise that secondary school teachers have managed new year 7s before.

It is the parents who feel they are missing out and in turn are creating more anxiety within their children by saying ‘it’s so unfair you are missing out ‘ blah blah blah instead of trying a post outlook

Completely this. I feel bad for my son (not y6 though) but I'm hiding it to show him how to make the best of bad times/ global crisis.

Incidentally, His school did some shirt signing on the last day before closure just in case.

We had a few parents who tried to send their kids in on the last day before Lockdown, having kept them off with "suspected symptoms" the whole of that week. They wanted them to have the "fun" last day and saying goodbye to their mates.
The HT gave them short shrift and said "no way."

CallmeAngelina we had the same - kids who had been 'self isolating with symptoms' for a week and a half suddenly rocking up healthy as anything and wanting to attend the hastily put together leavers assembly. They were swiftly sent packing!

So, if primary schools will be open to those 3 year groups on June 1st IF the death rate is much improved etc when will that decision be made?

A week before?
A day before?

Well if the government is consistent it will be the Friday or Monday evening before the Monday morning

Sunday. Sunday evening

Year 6 is getting awful with rites of passage. And as theirs get bigger, the pressure goes down to preschool and rising reception classes. Graduations for little ones, parties, certificates etc. I do admit to struggling with this because it's rare that a child gets held back so the significance of graduation here isn't the same as in the states and other places where they do hold back if a child doesn't reach the required standard to pass.

@NeurotrashWarrior - that is what my secondary school did. During the last couple of days the Year 11 timetable was thrown out so that they managed to do a load of 'goodbye' stuff including a school trip for the whole year group on Friday.

If students had been off for the week before there was no trip. Head sent out a very clear message to parents saying if students had been off Monday - Wednesday then they could not be in on Thursday and Friday as arrangements had been made and trip capacity reached.

The Staff view of our head is that he has gone from being a complete tosser who could be pushed around by parents to having an almost god like quality. Parents have been amazed/shocked/cowered by him as well. To be fair there was a nasty incident with a couple of parents at the start of the academic year which started the transformation but CV has completed it.

#solidarity

I’m sure someone already predicted that the three weeks to prepare would include half term and lo and behold. I’m sure the huns and press think that’s fine as obviously teachers haven’t been working since March 🙄 . I really feel for SLT trying to make any kind of plans in the face of so much uncertainty (well, I feel for all of us. Chocolates for the staff room).

So the poor SLT get to spend half term planning this shit show and we get to spend it on childcare rotas! Will all time off will be cancelled?!

How is staffing looking in everyone’s primary schools? Will your teachers/TAs mostly be back and fully functioning on June 1st?

I'm just gutted I'm not teaching a level language any more. The projects they could do on Boris, Trump, the press, scientific language compared to the past, sm, social interactions. I'm almost salivating.

How is staffing looking in everyone’s primary schools? Will your teachers/TAs mostly be back and fully functioning on June 1st?

We are planning on the basis that all staff will be in the building full time from June 1st.

We're meant to be having an Inset day on the 1st! Wonder how that would go down!

My Y12 DCs head seems to think Y12 and Y10 will be back to school on June 8th as they aren't in the first tranche!

Meanwhile I'm on KW rota at my school today. I've learnt today that my regular classroom which has 8 students and six staff will only be big enough for 3 people total!

Had a moment of pause this morning for my lovely Year 6 class who should have been starting their SAT's this week. We all worked so bloody hard.

My Year 11s would have sat Paper 1 for my subject this morning. It has felt quite surreal. I miss them and hope they are okay.

What’s the betting that Boris’s 7pm update tells us that social distancing isn’t necessary in schools...

Ds1 should have had RS today!

Had a letter from my DD’s school and my own Head today, both highlighting the fact that as we have only just heard this information, time and planning and more information is needed but if anyone has any questions etc......., as well as making it clear that 1st June isn’t a guaranteed date if Boris’ criteria map thingy isn’t met, as I think a few think this date is now set in stone. My own Head is already asking questions of us staff to help the planning, such as who has to rely on public transport to get to work and how long might it take without.

I too feel very sorry for SLT having to figure this all out.

Our head has emailed to say we will be waiting for more information from the government before we can announce when year 10 and 12 can expect to come back. The LA (we're not an academy) will be taking the lead in how any reopening will work, and he hopes we can all be patient as they work out the details.
That message was sent to staff, parents and pupils in those year groups.
I think that was relatively sensible, he's doing well in this crisis tbh, which is rather a pleasant surprise.

Head, I think, of Ofsted on the radio just saying that teachers might well be expected to be in over the summer for catch up classes and will be paid for doing so.

(No idea what teachers who need childcare are expected to do. But childcare is for other people)

@Cyberworrier Yeah, clearly the implication is that school staff will work through half term getting things ready if needed. I think this is something unions should definitely challenge the government on, and certainly heads etc shouldn't be requiring people to work in the half term.

@MsAwesomeDragon My head has sent out something similar, saying basically we'll let you know as soon as we know something concrete.

Can't wait for July when the schools are fully closed, what will the complaints be then?

That we aren't providing full time childcare FOC/that we aren't doing catch up classes for years 10&12/that we are doing catch up classes for years 10&12/that we haven't taught little Johnny and Jemima to walk on water.

Head, I think, of Ofsted on the radio just saying that teachers might well be expected to be in over the summer for catch up classes and will be paid for doing so.

How dare he ‘expect’ anything?!

I half expect Ofsted to announce they’ll be back in June now as well .

The next resignation date is coming up-I am so tempted.