The Tenth Republic - what is the new normal?

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

If you come with a stick to beat us with then please do so elsewhere and not in the staffroom.

@CarrieBlue yes I keep getting halfway through the rings and double checking I've put the 141 on

I'm only their 1 to 1 for this week, then another person next week, then me again then a different person. I'm (usually) class based with intervention groups 50/50 so well out of my comfort zone.
I don't even manage very well with my own children stuck to me 6 hours a day!

So first day back!

Hand gel, wipes, tissues in every class room being used, and each building has a one way system. Not all of the Year 10s turned up but it was okay. I was only in for the morning sessions and had my temperature taken on the way in.

It was fine. The Year 10 pickles were finding it restrictive by lunch but that is the new world order. A couple who did not follow the on-way system got balled out by the Head.

On an AQA Looking Ahead to 2021 seminar today the speaker said that they were considering reducing the content that is assessed. No mention of moving exam dates.

Then Big Gav says exam dates will change

#pissupbrewery #whoisspeakingtowho

I would like to think the exam boards will talk sense into the DfE. Sticking point might be Ofqual. It does seem that they are desperate o 'maintain standards'.

Thing is, quite often the last exams tend to be around 20th June. Kids have been off more thab 4 weeks, so they couldbt more e them that far.

My subject has been the last GCSE at my school and is even later than that : I think it should have been tomorrow!

German and Further Maths are usually always in the last week, too.

And private schools usually break up around the 3rd/4th .

Yup, mine is always the same day as FM GCSE.

Gavin is set for the chop next reshuffle so I'd be surprised if he eve gives a shit.

We don't know the process behind decisions that have been made do we? Was this him, or civil servants? It's hard to work out how it could have been done more badly really. I worked in central government civil service for a few years straight out of uni (not DfE), even back in the 90s it was quite well organised - I felt they all knew what they were talking about.

Is anyone else getting a sinking feeling that next year is going to be awful?

I think at secondary it is going to be full of SLT imposed revision sessions, no exam leave, potentially more kids in the school til later in the academic year, constant assessments to measure progress, and probable disruption due to illness etc.

Especially if there is a second wave and a further lockdown that is as poorly organised as this one has been, Piggy.

The DfE are funding Oak Academy for next year too. What would be good is if there was a clear directive that kids at home should use it otherwise we’re going to be doing two jobs at once.

Is anyone else getting a sinking feeling that next year is going to be awful?

Yes absolutely. From a primary perspective too. That's my entire stress stuff at the minute - even if we are back 'full time, all the kids', it's going to be awful - the reality of having a class of (sorry) naughty kids who haven't been in school for 6 months, ability ranging from those who don't know SATPIN phonics through to children working at upper year 4 levels, trying to gap fill all over the place but not being able to run intervention groups, or to stream for reading/phonics/spelling, or mix year group stuff in any way, is just making me want to curl up in a ball on the floor.

Hence why we've had the conversation about me jacking it in at half term if it's too bad. Me and partner have agreed that I can deal with 6 months of it, because I'll know there is an end in sight.

Thing is, I won't be the only one right?

The DfE are funding Oak Academy for next year too. What would be good is if there was a clear directive that kids at home should use it otherwise we’re going to be doing two jobs at once.

Yes - and they should publish a curriculum on that NOW, almost so we can plan around it a bit if possible. Not that I'd change my planning to suit it or anything, but maybe consider moving some things so that they don't cover the same thing twice. Would be good if they stuck to White Rose/BBC maths long term planning for example, so everyone is doing the same.

They should also properly arrange to fund long term laptop loans or printer loans for children who are sheilding or whatever.

If Oak is being funded for next year, doesn't that rather raise questions about the government "ambition" for all children to be back full time in September??

They'll say it's so that if there are isolated outbreaks and schools close (which I guess they are expecting), the children can keep going with something.

Again, would be nice to see what this is in advance so we can plan accordingly. Even if it's just knowing what a unit is so we can say 'if schools close, do this unit of history, this of science' etc, then send them home with an exercise book.

I'm dithering about next year's ordering of stuff - I'm wondering whether I just go for it on work books for every child for maths for example - then they can take them in and out of school if needs be.

I think they’re planning on getting the full curriculum plan online by the start of July and the bulk of the content up before September ohthegoats.

Good, that's helpful.

Handy if a lot of us end up in hospital.

Nc again. (Been here from the first thread!)

Glad your day went well staff

I feel there's two versions of September. We've all planned mentally for normalcy. New class lists, getting plans ready etc. It won't normal

I'm ppa primary SEN so see different groups of children, I suppose as you do in secondary. If I wasn't clinically vulnerable I would feel safer. I suppose I need some more reassurance around my type of asthma and the medication I'm on, that it could be helpful. At the same time, the fatigue side of things sounds horrible.

I can't work out, if we are going to be class bubbles, if that mode of ppa can happen on their risk assessment. Weirdly I would like to be going back but I have no idea how that would look. As it's sen I see the support staff groups too in those bubbles/ classes bubble but just the children, so if children are less likely to spread it I'm not protected there. At the same time it's not a class of 30. But also they're Sen so zero SD and always snot and accidental spit, bless them.

All this work that has gone into primary curriculums over the last few years though... cry!

All this work that has gone into primary curriculums over the last few years though... cry

Totally. I'm still doing them. Feels ridiculous.

School I used to work at has had a bubble close today after a child and the teacher tested positive.

I've got some significant SEND in my class - on waiting lists for specialist provision, but it's just not available. Lickers, dribblers, spitters and so on.