The Eight Republic - half term over - primaries under pressure- 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.

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

Anyone else know people that have "just quit" over this. In the limited staff I know well enough to have internet chats with, I already know 2 that have. We're going to need more teachers, even more than usual!

I know a couple who have brought retirement forward a few years. Amazing teachers both of them. Such a shame. Aside from the whole going back in in large numbers issue, there is such a disconnect from many on those threads about the years of cuts, and how it has hindered schools during this, and will do as we return fully. How anyone concerned about education can support the Government after this is beyond me.

I've mostly left Mumsnet over this too, because it's just awful. I've checked in this morning, like prodding a mouth ulcer. I've actually blocked the website.

Has anyone seen the dentists on the news today? Think they are being screwed over just like school staff with regards to poor guidance, misleading announcements made to the general public before the dentists and limited time to prepare (one dentist said they only had 1 working day to prepare.)

@Kidneybingo posted about dentists just after your prodding a mouth ulcer comment. Good timing 😂

Speaking of the R value doesn't that get announced on Thursdays?

Yes, I know lots of dentists, definitely dropped in it.

kidneybingo that’s exactly what it’s like ‘prodding a mouth ulcer’

I quite like a fight on the internet though. Have posted on politics forums for years. The important bit is to try not to take it offline in terms of your emotions. I post 'angry' then just walk away. But that's 20 years of practice.

My partner is having surgery in 2 weeks and 4 days time. He's got to do things like have a test just before etc, but me and child can carry on as normal. I told my head this, because I need to take compassionate leave to get him to and from hospital, plus a day or two afterwards to make sure he's OK after a GA. The reply I got was "Stay at home until then, I don't want to see you in school at all. It would be awful if he caught it via you and didn't get to have the surgery".

So, there you go. Aaaaaaaaaagh. Will be going mental at home instead. Must try to see it as an opportunity to do the school run etc, and not just see it as being sidelined. Which is my default position.

My dentist is opening next week for all the urgent appointments that have been queuing up. It's a private dentist though.

I hadn't even considered the fact that we will now get all the kids from private schools which have folded or parents can no longer afford plonked on us as well until I saw a moany post from a mum on here. Great. Now they can spend time moaning at me about how in the previous school their child had such and such, why can't I do that.... Etc etc.

I agree about dentists. Our orthodontist rang to apologise that he didn't have a clue about D's brace fitting. Their guidance is as shit as ours. But at least they get to wear masks, he pointed out.

Did anyone fill in the NAS survey? Interesting that it didn't ask about whether you live with someone vulnerable.

I quite like a fight on the internet though

Really p* ?! I hadn't noticed....

I think most parents also don't get that nearly all these whistles and bells live learning things cost money. Teams is expensive, Clickview is expensive, Massolit is great but expensive when not on a permanent free trial. I presume Google Classroom costs.

Google classroom is free, that's why we have to use it!

I thought so. It's a s good as Teams though imo?

Here are the ONS states released today : largely good news but relaxing lockdown will alter this!

What is most interesting is the age profile of positive tests : the ONS says there is no difference in age groups for positive tests. Useful next time someone tells us that kids don't even get it:

www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/coronaviruscovid19infectionsurveypilot/5june2020

And, remember, all of this was when kids were pretty much locked away!

What I really don't understand is this - take the mention of dentists on here. I read that, and I immediately think "gosh, poor dentists, I know how they feel, this must be worrying and shit for them."

I DON'T think "hah, well, we've had it shit and now they are too, sucks to be them, they should try a bit harder, they've had all this time off sunbathing after all." So why oh why is that the approach everyone seems to take towards teachers every time? Are we the only group capable of thinking we have a hard time but can also acknowledge other people do too? (Actually, doctors seem able to do this for some reason.)

Anyone else know people that have "just quit" over this

Yep. Two people I know are walking at the end of the school year - but they are both people with underlying health conditions (one has heart issues and the other is a diabetic) and, crucially, can afford not to work for a while. I have considered it myself - I have a type 1 diabetic at home and could afford to take a year out but it would use up all my savings so I am hanging on but am prepared to walk if I don't like how it's going come September.

I really think it would help if they could get us all tested for antibodies in terms of risk assessments in schools and could prevent some staff resigning and would mean some who are reluctant to work are no longer reluctant to work. I think my eldest two children had it but myself and the youngest (the diabetic) don't seem to have had it. It would be useful for us all to know moving forwards as a family and for having a little more confidence going back to work. I really don't want to have to pay for private tests but I might before making a decision about resigning.

Also, i just had a Teams meeting where the possibility of remote learning continuing after September was mentioned (parents bemoaning teachers' lack of can-do might be relieved to hear we were quite positively talking about how we could offer a mixed-delivery approach to our courses) - anyway my HoD said the principal thinks we'll all be back as normal by September. She didn't look best pleased when I said I think he's living in a dream world and seems to think the guidelines are just in place to piss him off! Well, someone had to say it, we can't all live in lollipop land where suddenly in September everything's fine!

@gravityfalls lots of posters on here seem to enjoy having a dig at teachers and have a real chip in their shoulders. It probably boils down to people being protective of their kids but also thinking they know what happens in schools because they went to school as a child and from what they see in the playground as a parent. I honestly don’t think many people have a clue about what it’s like to work in a school unless they work there themselves or live with someone who does.

@pfrench - great thread title, I was getting bristley before opening it then saw it was you and read it! It’s shocking how the initial posters who are all about ‘the vulnerable falling even further behind’ were so dismissive, if only MNHQ would take note - we’re not making up teacher bashing.

Yup, we had someone resign at half term with immediate effect. And a long term supply teacher going at the end of this term and cut her hours right back as soon as live learning came in!

If we were not reliant on my wage I would resign quite happily. I am doing my utmost to save up a few months worth of mortgage and if things are still this shit on the run up to Xmas I shall resign by the next exit date.

School is now talking about "trialing live learning". As it's just a trial, it seems to be open to volunteers only for now, but I'm feeling really quite nervous about this- I live in a studio flat and don't really have anywhere I'd feel comfortable recording, for starters.

Also, I know that a lot of kids are struggling with accessing the work as it is- our catchment is quite mixed, from the very affluent to the really quite deprived, and I'm worried that it'll exclude some of the students I teach as well.

I don't really feel comfortable speaking up, though, so we'll have to see what happens.

I'm in FE and we are looking at a 50/50 split for all of next year between on site and at home. But all students to be provided with equipment to be able to access work from home.