The Sixth Republic - Will we or won’t we? That is the question! #solidarity

[StaffAssociationRepresentative]

You are most welcome to this school staff support thread to get us through stressful times. It is meant for school staff. 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.

You can play here only if you are a member of one the following groups-

-ABBA - anti bashers and baiting association
-SWAB - school workers against bashers
-SWOT - school workers opposing teacherbashers
-STARS - schoolworkers together against ranting + slurs

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.

In the other staffroom, there is rhubarb & ginger gin, along with tea and coffee.

I'm really sorry, I should know exactly where it is, but can't now find it, could anyone give me the link for the latest most up to date guidance on primary schools?

I have learned how our school is going to be returning. As of the first week in June, year 12 will be back of sorts. Lessons will be held only in the large hall, where they can be adequately spaced and have the screen for teaching content. Lessons will be spaced out so there is ample cleaning time in between each class - not sure who is supposed to be doing the cleaning yet... It does mean they can have the whole class in at a time though as they are smallish classes being A levels and they have plenty of room in the hall to ensure social distancing.

minisoksmakehardwork

Interesting to read your school plan thank you! My union rep NASUWT is meeting with our Head to find out about their planning and funnily enough, cleaning is the first item on the agenda!

I've just had a pupil send me his History work (I teach Maths), and when I told him he'd sent it to the wrong teacher he replied "I'm sending it to everyone because i'm really proud of how much I've written"
Bless him :)

I have a boy who routinely sends me PE, science maths, DT. I asked him why and he said he couldn't see the docs on his phone so was just guessing!

I am sure our nautical friend thinks - entirely reasonably - that I should mark it all.

@Piggywaspushed

The stuff on secondary class sizes I took from this: www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-protective-measures-in-education-and-childcare-settings/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-protective-measures-in-education-and-childcare-settings#class-or-group-sizes

The relevant section is this: For secondary schools and colleges, the same principle of halving classes will normally apply. It is also sensible to rearrange classrooms and workshops with sitting positions 2 metres apart. Where very small classes might result from halving, it would be acceptable to have more than half in a class, provided the space has been rearranged. Again, support staff may be drawn on in the event there are teacher shortages, working under the direction of other teachers in the setting.

Maybe I am misreading, but I think the document implies that groups of >15 are acceptable in secondary schools.

I would read that the other way, I think it says that if you start with a small class say 8, then it wouldn't be worth halving as long as you have enough space to social distance the 8 students.

That does sound like half a class at a time, so yes, I've got a class that would be 16 in each half (I don't have many big classes this year for dinner reason 🤷) I won't expect them all in though, because so many of them won't be able to get there without using buses that we don't know will be running or not.

Our head is still deciding what it will look like for our school, but he's definitely said it won't be June 1st, but may be the following week to make it worth doing.

Thanks sansa.

namechangedyetagain

Found you! And 17 pages in. Bringing my own coffee as on fourth cup already. Trying to do my PGCE placement letter. Find these things so hard. How do I put I believe the child their well being and development should be most important without sounding wanky or contradicting the govt.

I’m very out of touch on current buzzwords but I think we used to call that “developing the whole child” or some such. It spoke of recognition that teaching wasn’t just the three r’s but developing whole and happy young people (little did we know we were volunteering to take on social services work and everything required for inclusion in schools bless us). Could say something about centring the well being of the whole child in educational practices? No way not to sound wanky ime and I think you’re still meant to be idealistic at student stage

I wish there was a way to block specific users

name I'll try to think for you; pudding brain today.

Holistic?

Emotional resilience or just resilience.

Emotional regulation is a good one for children with Sen and behaviour difficulties.

I've just been out to my local garden centre. Flipping heck, it was worse than going through security at an airport!
They're clearly following the guidance to the letter.
But for us teachers going back to school? Fuck it, stop whingeing and get on with it. Social distancing is not necessary.

An wash your hands.

and...

name, I wouldn't take out wellbeing. It makes you sound very on the ball! You need an adjective in front of development : possibly emotional can go there (and maybe stick and 'as well as academic progress' in there somewhere to avoid head in the clouds wankiness.)

I have long hankered after leaving teaching to do editing ... anyone know how???

@ineedaholidaynow I think it's possibly deliberately ambiguous, but maybe I'm too cynical. I agree that there's no point in splitting classes that are smaller than 15 in half, but surely that's obvious and doesn't need stating? I feel it could also be used to argue that a class of 16-17 doesn't need splitting?

@MsAwesomeDragon We have got the same issue re school transport, so who knows how many children will actually make it back.

We've been unofficially told that the earliest date for getting non-keyworker students back in is 8th June- and that's only if the trustees etc agree to the current plan.

I have two classes of 16.

But I still don't know whether they will be put in bubbles and how that will work.

Don’t know piggy, there’s no money in educational resources though so don’t try and edit those.

But for us teachers going back to school? Fuck it, stop whingeing and get on with it. Social distancing is not necessary.

DH went to B and Q at the weekend and a couple with a small child (being held by parent and not going anywhere) was told they couldn’t wait in the large square and had to take their child back to their car.
It’s like a parallel universe and yet those staff are being held up as wonderful compared to teachers

Oh goodness no honey ! Proper books!!

So frustrating that they never come back and address reasoned responses.

How about we agree to go back and teach with no social distancing or PPE the day that Parliament agrees to re-sit under the same conditions?

@ChloeDecker I know single parents who are struggling to get shopping as a lot of supermarkets won't allow kids in with a parent (even if in a pushchair or well behaved) as it's "too risky"- yet infants teachers, nursery staff etc are just supposed to stuff it up.

I actually made a complaint against a member of staff at a local supermarket recently as he had a young woman in tears over not allowing her child into the shop.