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

Surely getting to work is essential travel? It was allowed when everyone was in lockdown?

MrsHerculePoirot, There is no WAY I would be running clubs in the short-medium term. We might be compelled to teach,and therefore must, but clubs?!They can fuck right off with that. I would be limiting all contact with students to the absolute requirement. Anything above and beyond (and voluntary/unpaid), forget it.

It’s not safe for someone to come from an area of lockdown into a school in a safer area. It would make a joke of local lockdown really. Especially when relying on bubbles rather than any real distancing or physical protections.

At my primary, they eat in classrooms, yes (as many lunchtime staff not coming to work), but we start 15 mins before the normal lunch hour. If they haven't finished by the time lunch "should" start, they take a break and go out to play and finish it when they come back in in the afternoon.

When are opticians reopening , does anyone know? Both protective pads have now come off my horrendous glasses!

yes Honey that does make sense. Is there something written down in the guidance? (Asking as I'm in a region rumoured to be on the brink of lockdown and teach in a lower risk region)

Haven’t seen anything written so I’m taking this as law based on a test case

Opticians are open. I went and got my first pair of glasses during lockdown. They gave me a mask and sanitizer on arrival

Piggywaspushed

You can by replacement pads from Amazon.

They are normally just a push fit.

@Piggywaspushed

When are opticians reopening , does anyone know? Both protective pads have now come off my horrendous glasses!

Near me they are open and have been the whole time for keyeorkers.

Anyone seen the hairdressing thread? People dont want change especially if they have to pay for it... it's crazy! No wonder people are behaving the way they are with teachers. Cant be inc9nvienced even in a pandemic!

what about the other way honey, if you lived in /Leicester but taught somewhere else, would you be allowed to travel to work?

Re-read more closely and for all the things it was 'lilely' so who know what will actually happen as it differs from gov info.

Re the local lockdowns teachers will have kids in different school so even if they could travel out of lockdown to teach their own kids might be off as school closed (though maybe it said closed except key workers) but i agree would seem very silly to travel outside a lockdown area to teach with no SD.

Wonder if flu spray will be really early to avoid it being cancelled due to lockdowns...

Oh, how odd. None of the opticians near me are open!

I've made a separate post, but in case it sinks like a stone, here's a c&p:

I've mentioned this before but my DCs' school won't assure me that they'll be taught in September. We're having to do without childcare for now, so they can access their check in day. The childcare arrangements in school are for online learning supervised by a TA with no opportunity for interaction with their friends or teacher.

I have a Senedd petition on the go but I don't want to post it as it includes my name. If you'd sign it for me, please would you DM? I'm asking for schools in Wales to plan for all children to be included in class in September. Key workers who aren't school staff can't even have a childcare place in school as it stands - it's at the leisure centre with NVQ qualified childcare worker.

I'm a teacher by the way, not teacher bashing. I just don't want my children to lose out while I do my job.

I had a boots opticians email to say they are opening from Monday I think.

@Beawillalwaysbetopdog

what about the other way honey, if you lived in /Leicester but taught somewhere else, would you be allowed to travel to work?

That’s the situation my colleagues I was talking of are in. They live in Leicester and our school is outside of Leicester.

I used vision express who were operating for anyone who’d had a vision change. I booked online then they called and asked me some questions and explained I’d have to wear a mask etc.

I too had the boots email today I’ve now seen so obviously it wasn’t all opticians who were open.

I got varifocals so I can read my register and see whose talking at the back of the class without constantly moving my pound shop reading glasses up and down

My dd has had trouble with headaches and blurred vision during lockdown, I went to SpecSavers a couple of weeks ago. She was seen within a couple of days and had a new pair of glass the week after. I think they said they are doing essential, but not routine eye care. Might be worth a phone call?

@CallmeAngelina

MrsHerculePoirot, There is no WAY I would be running clubs in the short-medium term. We might be compelled to teach,and therefore must, but clubs?!They can fuck right off with that. I would be limiting all contact with students to the absolute requirement. Anything above and beyond (and voluntary/unpaid), forget it.

Exactly. I’ve said no for concerns over being able to do so safely. School claiming LA telling them to plan for normal opening and then to adapt based on guidance due in august. Why the fuck have the DFE just released some now then if it’s to be ignored until August?

I’ve been bombarded with emails from Specsavers.... first saying emergency appointments now trying to get me to take the kids for their routine appts.

What is this about more guidance in August?

Oh FFS.

I haven't done a club in 6 years. Fuck that. Would you rather I do a shit job of teaching 6 kids to play a ukelele, or use that time to plan and resource effective lessons for 30 children?

What I'm interested in, is how much we are going to have to do to prepare children to be doing some stuff online. I mean, if I was in any way able right now, I'd be buying my child a laptop. I bought my child one for £160 - it's fine, does the job. I'm using it right now in fact.

I know that if you've got 5 kids, if you live in a hostel, if you live in a converted shipping container, if you've just lost your job. there is no way... but should schools be getting hold of companies to see if there are any laptops that can be donated to kids?

@StrawberryJam200

What is this about more guidance in August?

I’ve been told the guidance will be released on 11th August - two days before A-level results day by our school? 🤷‍♀️

Unless they mean LA guidance? Seems a bit weird.... had just assumed they knew what they were talking about but I can’t see anything about 11th....

@ohthegoats my club is basically board games which I love. Lots of kids at our school have never played a game like that ever and sometimes I’ve had to explain about going clockwise for turns etc... after a few weeks they know their favourites games and play amongst themselves and I can get work done if needed. I’ve basically got my favourite games from my childhood plus some others 🤣🤣🤣

Results day is going to be carnage. Students will just have to resit if they want. But there will be no coursework or EPQ resubmissions,

It will be chaos organising the tests. Timed entrance, toilet trips, cleaning between exams, moderators etc ... The summer exam season lasts six weeks and only works because there are no Year 13 or Year 11 on site .... Now we will have former students coming back to take exams as well as a full school. Absolute madness. We may as well have a giant sheep dip that we can through as we enter and leave the school gates.