The Eleventh Republic - countdown to summer holidays

[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

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

@MrsHerculePoirot I use a lot of assignments and fewer quizzes in lessons. What is it that you are trying to do?

Also maths and English resits in Jan as well as November because the numbers in November might be unmanageable otherwise.

Taking resits will be a high-risk strategy for some students. They will have missed out on the ramp up that we teachers normally give such as time questions in class and targeted revision sessions against tricky parts of the spec.

Where will students take the tests? At the schools where they were in Summer Year 11/13? Some schools might not want to take the risk of their exam profile being damaged by students who dont revise enough etc.

But guess tutoring is going to get really busy after Results Day - kerching! (and yes I do declare)

@noblegiraffe - those year 11 not doing any maths at sixth form may well struggle. They will not have been in a maths class for a while

So today I have learned that the November exams will not take into account any NEA work. So literally none of my kids should be taking that route.

So their only hope is that ofqual don’t butcher my results. Which they will. Because they don’t match last years.

For very good fucking reasons obviously but nobody cares.

Poor kids.

It's going to massively impact on how y12 settle in to sixth form too. At a time when they normally struggle because the content is much harder in y12 than 11 and they need to actually engage with the work rather than just sitting in lesson nodding politely, they're going to be juggling this with revision for resits which they'll prioritise because, y'know, EXAMS.

Saw a fantastic analogy about exams. It's like saying all athletes should get the medals for this years Olympics based on what a country did 4 years ago. Unfair and wrong.

How are they going to get enough invigilators in the Autumn?

Most of ours are retired teachers, many who retired earlyish (60+) due to poor health (heart attacks etc).

I can't imagine many of them wanting to return during a pandemic.

juggling this with revision for resits which they'll prioritise because, y'know, EXAMS.

From experience of having taught maths resit, they prioritise
A) settling into sixth form and making new friends (fair enough)
B) their new subjects
.
.
.
.
.
.
Z) oh crap is it November already?

[quote StrawberryJam200]@Saucery the leaked guidance talks about compulsory testing. So presumably a child gets excluded from school if the parents won't test them?? Don't know how that will play out legally or from other points of view...[/quote]
I really hope so. Clear, unequivocal guidance that all schools and parents must abide by

Also maths and English resits in Jan

If you listen to Whitty, and recognise we are Xmas obsessed in this country, Jan is likely to be a lockdown. If Nov wasn't.

If September isn’t

My head said today 'Has there been any guidance that I've missed?' Hahaha! Then she said 'don't send me links to anything that isn't written down on headed paper, these bastards just make shit up on the fly'. In our staff meeting.

I fucking hate Xmas as that is exactly when I catch my worse illnesses from school. Every fucking year. I've lost track of how many Xmases I've been ill.

Ah well, no nativity plays this year. That's something. All the singing and packed into a tiny room.

No class assemblies.

There are a few positives

Awww, I’ll miss Nativity Plays. There’s always a Very Naughty Sheep pissing about onstage adeptly avoiding any staff attempt to communicate dial it down, Mary is emoting!

Maths and Eng resits in Nov and Jan??! FFS

Anyone else being sent for antibody testing?

Our local authority are sending staff who have worked in hub schools for it, mostly for the data on the prevalence of people who have had it, especially if they had it without symtoms. My HT had to nominate 10% of staff for it and they have nominated me as they are convinced I had CV in Dec/Jan last year when I was ill with a chest infection that I couldn't shake and that took several courses of steroids to clear.

I really want antibody testing : I would feel so much clearer in my own mind about the risks I pose to others.

A dr's 7yo said to me after the xmas show, 'i was sick earlier before coming here.' After sitting in the crowd with hundreds of parents.

Imo Nov resits is a bit soon. It's what 8w. When they may have done no revision or even work since march.
Do they keep the estimated award as a minimum?
I agree about the gov adjustment seems crazy to put it to the marks of previous years.
When i did alevel language as an evening class our group got As and A*s etc which i suspect was rather higher than the day students and other years, but like 3 were language teachers so had done language at uni.
Also it would take you a few days to mentally get over not getting results so you still wouldnt be ready to study immediately.

Me, too, having had really bad "flu" in January (literally the most ill I've been in my life - the only time I've been off work since starting a weekend job at 14!) and then milder CV symptoms in March.

My Sister was convinced she'd had it, too, but had the antibody test (nurse) and was negative.

They can keep either grade.

Did anyone notice in the draft btw the little comment about full uniform? It really is a back to basics opportunistic power grab. Everyone facing teacher, teacher stays at the front, all children in synthetic blazers and ties.

If we get the zero tolerance discipline require I'll eat my contraband facemaskhat.

Strike out fail...