School letter about return

[Piixxiiee]

Just received an email from my childrens school. Basically says they have to open but very phased starting with nursery only then r then y2,then y6. No other years. Not full days, staggered starts/finishes.
No teaching, no marking, no feedback. Children will be given same work as sent home. Also adds social distancing isn't possible so we cannot guarantee safety of your child on the premises!
Very well written letter. I'm pleased.

If something sounds too good to be true...

I’m not going to explain the logistics in too much depth as it is obvious that this is something no one in the U.K. could possibly countenance doing but it worked for us!

😆 yeah we’re far too thick to understand lower standards of education combined with higher standards of behaviour and engagement and less at risk young people creates very different practices

So interestingly it turns out three of one of my children's teachers were all out on a narrow boat yesterday. Three teachers- science, humanities and maths.

They were out for at least 4 hours beginning at 10am. Two of them live together.

None of the teachers have provided any feedback to the work set in the last seven weeks. They have set work using the academy resources- so worksheets and work to do, no answers or guidance given and no feedback or answers to emails asking for help.

I actually emailed the maths teacher myself last week to ask for feedback and he said he was too busy and it was not going to be giving any feedback.

I am really upset and feel defeated by the whole thing- these teachers are responsible for teaching a cohort of secondary kids who will not be returning to school this academic year.

A parent has already queried this with the school who so far have only said that all 3 teachers should have been working yesterday- none are part time or taking extra hours back.

@peoplepleaser1 They are under no obligation to keep school hours ...

If you need more support contact the school again. Other than that you need to wise up.

They’ll have fulfilled what the school says they have to do. If course some will go above and beyond but if the school has said they don’t have to provide feedback it’s the management that your complaint needs to go to.

Our school (I teach there and ds is a student so I see both sides) is certainly doing way more than you are describing. I’ve personally chosen to unsubscribe to many of ds’s subjects to focus on core ones as that’s the right choice for us. Otherwise he’d still be getting detailed work with the expectation of submission from 10 subjects several of which he’s dropped from July.

Still worth pointing out though that schools were essentially told they weren’t obliged to provide anything yet the vast majority have and have done so thoroughly

@sauvignonblancplz I'm not sure how me and the other parents would be expected to 'wise up' and to know that teachers are not expected to keep school hours- it's a reasonable assumption based on the fact that our DC are being expected to keep school hours and submit work by 2.50pm, and have been told that emails will be answered by teachers working ten school day (not that this is actually happening).

It does seem that for some reason not much is being expected of teachers, and in many cases not much is being given. There seems to be a certain amount of glee about there being no requirement to do a decent job. It must be soul destroying to have a job that you don't care enough about to give it your all. I feel really lucky to have a job that I love and that I can give my best shot. Opinion of the profession is certainly at an all time low amongst the people that I know which is such a shame for the brilliant teachers out there who do care.

School have now responded to say feedback should be provided in all subjects and they will address on Monday. I agree with the poster who said this is a management issue.

You absolutely should wise up. You are more than capable of understanding that teachers are working from home , ergo have children & other responsibilities, so it would be ludicrous to expect them to keep school hours all the time.

You are under no obligation to be dictated to by a school when you may have other things going on either, that sounds really stupid of your school. At that stage I’d have told the school that it wouldn’t be happening. How strange to follow so blindly without actually visualising what that looked like and even more foolish of you to get annoyed about it when you seem so verbose at what your expectations are.

I’m sure some teachers love their job and some don’t . You sound like you’re very lucky however clearly incapable of free thought or being rational when you’re stalking three individuals and their activities .

I struggle to see how anyone is at risk So the children whose zoom lesson was hacked and who then witnessed acts of child sex abuse have nothing to worry about then? Some things once seen can't be forgotten.

@sauvignonblancplz fair enough. I'm not sure why you're so very angry but I don't want to make you even more cross.

I wasn't stalking anyone, I didn't even see the teachers it was a friend of mine with pupils in the same class.

I am capable of thinking for myself, but I'm just an ordinary parent and compared to many, no doubt you included, I'm not particularly intelligent. I did expect teachers to be available to the best of their ability to help pupils, spending the day on a narrow boat didn't seem to be a good way to do this. I'm not alone in thinking this- sadly a lot of parents have become involved and are very surprised.

I've not questioned what school has asked of us and of pupils. I figured they had enough going on without me questioning their request for pupils to be learning during school hours- and it makes sense as one of the reasons was that teachers would be available if help was needed.

I've touched base with a tutor today who is able to offer some support in science and maths so we will probably take this route rather than continue battling without support. They teach at DS' school and have offered a great rate for 5 lessons as week- all during School hours.

@peoplepleaser1

I did expect teachers to be available to the best of their ability to help pupils, spending the day on a narrow boat didn't seem to be a good way to do this. I'm not alone in thinking this- sadly a lot of parents have become involved and are very surprised.

I think you should have managed your expectations. Whether many parents feel that way or not doesn’t come into it.
It’s your child(REN) it’s yours alone to make decisions on. It’s not unreasonable if you need extra support or are seeking clarity to expect someone to come back to you , within reason.

It is unreasonable to not actually understand the nature of a teacher’s job and make scathing general remarks on the subject.
Schools are still operating etc & your child is already winning as they have a supportive mum who is proactive in their education.
Please don’t disregard the amount of time and effort that is being utilised by teachers in order to engage with those children whose parents haven’t encouraged them into remote learning yet. There are a lot of children at risk and quite rightly many teachers are focusing their efforts there.

@sauvignonblancplz you make a very valid point. But if they aren't available then they also can't support these young people can they?

I have to work myself so can't support DC as much as I'd like to. I'm incredibly lucky to have funds to pay for private tuition, although the fact that it's being provided by a teacher at their school seems ironic.

@peoplepleaser1 They are available, just because they aren’t available when you expect them to be doesn’t make them any less available.

They may have worked the bank holiday on a rota for key workers , they may have all completed a zoom meeting at a different time. You’re basing your assumptions on availability on your own ideals.
It may be ironic but also fair enough, some people have taken up extra jobs in Tesco's, lots of teachers tutor- why would it be so strange to continue doing so?

Like I say , it sounds like you’re being really proactive so your kid is lucky.

When a school says that children at school will be doing the same as what is sent home for children who are not returning, I wouldn’t assume that means no teaching or feedback.

I will be in school teaching a bubble of R, 1 or 6 children. I will teach the same lesson as their teacher has set for all of the class, whether coming in or remaining at home, but the difference is that I will live teach it, rather than just show them the video that their teacher has uploaded. We might not be able to touch all of the books for marking, but I will organise it so that the children get instant feedback. This is how all of our bubbles will be working.

During the evenings and weekends we will continue planning, resourcing and recording videos to upload to Seesaw for our year groups who are not in/children from R/1/6 who are remaining at home. Hopefully the two pregnant teachers will take over providing feedback to work posted on Seesaw from children at home.

I'm really disheartened by the people who say they've not had any feedback from work submitted - this is what's giving teachers the bad name I agree it's a management issue though as all of our school are directed to do the same.