The Seventh Republic - the debate rages on but for some it is half term!

[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.

If you are fed up with cakes and biscuits there is now a cheeseboard on offer

Naturally!

Although I think Robert Halfon wants you back to run summer school... not paid, obviously.

Robert can do one!

Sorry to hear things are not always easy with your ds thehoney I feel your pain. I had a ding dong with my ds (yr7) this evening because I had tidied the shoe cupboard and he couldn't find his shoes instantly!
Had to buy a laptop today as my new school can't provide one.
Are you relieved Corona ? Do you have any plans?
Good luck, Phlebas .

I'd love to resign, but it's a solid job approaching a recession isn't it. Partners job earns him more than mine does, but we could live on my current salary if he lost his. I'm on UPS3 with a TLR, so a rocking horse shit type job!! I think teaching is going to be hard hard hard over the next year. Kids are going to be in and out al, over the place, we'll definitely be short staffed all winter won't we. Aaaagh.

I never check my work email in the holidays. I'm lucky to get a half term this year so I've not opened my work laptop since last Friday. I'm going to work tomorrow though. Partner taking child to meet his parents in some woods somewhere, so I get the day off.

tadjennyp yes I am I have been teaching since 2001 3-19 I have loved every minute with the children but over the past year I have been more bothered about the politics, both large scale and small and non of which are in the best interests of the children. I have got to the point where the good bit isn’t enough anymore .
My youngest is starting reception so I am going to a masters part time and be a mum who can go to school stuff! I am beyond excited at that!

Sounds fabulous Corona . What are you studying?

That sounds ace. I've only been teaching since 2008 - second career - no idea what else I could do. Dont want to go back to previous career. Wondering about secondary teaching for a change.

Clinically vulnerable and clinically extremely vulnerable teachers and staff, have you seen this letter?

committees.parliament.uk/publications/1270/documents/11014/default/

Published today - I hope it might be helpful to you in your ‘negotiations’ with SLT.

Hello, I'm a TA and I've been following these threads, and decided to post inspired by the complaints about being in a TA led group. I've been given a reception group with another TA, but I know she's not going back (vulnerable health, and the school knows too). I don't work on that site, so I've never even seen the children. Not looking forward to the parental complaints, nor to supposedly keeping my group at their tables all session.

But what I am genuinely scared of is passing the virus to my son, a young adult with learning disabilities and assorted conditions that put him in the 'vulnerable' group.

The school didn't put me on the rota for keyworker children, but they didn't need many people for that. Now we are told that unless we are vulnerable ourselves, or we live with someone who is shielding, we are in.

Sounds very unfair drive. To expect you to take all that on. You are meant to have support from a teacher as I recall-have they named who that will be? Do you have experience with reception kids?

Have to say it seems strange they’d put a complete stranger with reception kids-I do think parents will complain but hopefully the fact they’re not allowed on site will shield you from complaints and the head will deal with them?

Mistress yes ds is 13. It’s the trying to get him to work that’s the struggle and the main part of that is trying to battle against him being so nocturnal. I wake up early and want to relax in the evenings not have to fight him to work. He is incredibly loving and protective of me and fun to be with much of the time but there is also a grungy sullen bloke in there too now.

That should say grunty. Definitely not grungy it’s bloody Nike and champion and Adidas all the way. Grungy would be cheaper

Driven I have sympathy for you. My bloody amazing TA is facing the same thing with her DD (late teen) she has been told “well DD will just have to stay in her room then!” TA is understandably upset.

Worst case scenario, would they not consider at least swapping you with a yr 6 group who have got a chance of being able keep their distance?

tadjennyp psychology

@DriveInSaturday I hope they give you at least another adult if they are unwilling to move bubbles. I cant believe schools are being so heartless to say children need to just stay in their rooms if they're vulnerable! My friend was told she shouldn't worry about her teen as they can go to school which is true but I understand her reluctance to do so.

I'm a TA and in our school were having 2 Tas or 1 teacher per bubble (yr r has 2 adults regardless).

I hope it goes well phleb, I've been thinking of you. Thanks for the letter link big.
Drive, I'd ask for you to be moved, it seems an odd placement anyway!

Are you in a union drive?

They may have something to say about this.

Halfon annoys me because of his summer school idea but, I must say he has been like a dog with a bone about protecting vulnerable staff, so bless him for that. He has CP himself so I think he understands. he was visibly upset by Rees Mogg trying to stuff parliament full of MPs.

He ahs also said he doesn't think 15 is a 'small number'.

Really , 15 id far too large but , with so many year groups open, 15 became the more practical number.

The NHS 'well we have to do it' staff on other threads have also admitted elsewhere that their workloads have reduced , unless on covid wards : teachers' workloads are definitely going to increase (I am sure Teacher Tapp will keep an eye on this).... more for us to be beaten down on if we whinge!

I think the other thing teachers and TAs should check with their school is what 'enhanced cleaning measures' are in place...

Schools in South Korea have closed... again.

I really worry what's going to happen to yr10and 12 if we jump in and out of lockdown. Will we just decide now to teacher assess, so that we know to keep records of everything? At least yr11 and 13 were roughly at the same place (although I'm gutted at how we're having to give grades and waiting for a massive backlash).

Thanks, everyone. I do have early years experience, but I'm not there currently. The TA who won't be there knows the children well, so it would have worked. I think I'll email today just to remind them that she won't be there and I need someone else with me.

Bit annoyed than my LA have come up with this :

A number of colleagues have asked about how they should risk assess vulnerable staff. Our advice is that risk assessments are not explicitly required as an individual document for each clinically vulnerable staff member.

As a school, you are required to risk assess your activities and within this consider anyone who is in the clinically vulnerable group and whether any particular precautions are needed (so, consult with them). For example, a risk assessment for an activity might acknowledge that staff involved may not be able to maintain social distance at all times and note that anyone who is clinically vulnerable will be excluded from such circumstances or at least reduced as far as possible (eg a 5 year old child that has fallen over and needs assistance is assisted by a non-clinically vulnerable staff member in preference to a clinically vulnerable one)

Because that contradicts the guidance that says vulnerable people should WFH where possible or be given the 'safest role' in the school. Feels like they haven't read it! How come, under normal circumstances, a pregnant teacher gets a RA but not now, it seems?

Have wrestled ds through putting numbers into and out of standard form and repeated a million times to remember it’s the number of places the decimal point moves not the number of bloody zeros. It’s so frustrating how intellectually lazy he is.

I’m guessing a lot of year 8 and 9 boys at our school will have done nothing and claimed “they’ve never learned this” about anything that is even vaguely unfamiliar and requires some thought and effort. We seem to have a lazy boy culture and poor behaviour that is tolerated at our school. Thinking it was a mistake to send him there.

Sorry for the vent.

That’s a nonsense piggy when there is no other member of staff. That scenario should equal therefore it is not safe to have a vulnerable staff member as the sole adult in a bubble

@Piggywaspushed can you show them the letter I posted last night at 23:16?