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

If they were honest to parents about the chances or lockdown/school closures, some miight save up to buy some of this stuff.

I cant see how exams will work when afeas might go into local lockdowns or teachers off sick for weeks/students sick.

Results day is going to be awful. Kids not getting what they think they deserve other kids not getting what they actually deserve. No hope of resits because in the case of my A level they will only be allowed to resit their weakest 40% and their strong 60% will count for nothing.

What a day to be a HoD it will be. If I was a coward I’d be developing a cough the day before.

Board games is a good club. Our chess club is very well attended, has a waiting list. Two retired chaos run it, you must be able to play, they dont teach - loads of Indian kids are great at chess, it's very competitive. I do a lunchtime effort where I often have kids in with me doing stuff that prevents them pushing other kids down the stairs. Lots of them just want something sensory. I get on with work and eating my lunch.

We may as well have a giant sheep dip that we can through as we enter and leave the school gates

That’s possibly the most sensible suggestion I’ve seen in months....!

Has this one been linked already? Ideas.

twitter.com/JonColes01/status/1279121019006001153?s=19

Some interesting ideas in there. Interestingly someone has commented on that twitter thread about further guidance on 11th August too!

Yes, agree some examples of good practice there, which we are already following. Particularly like the intervention set up, although we mainly do small group work.

DS’s school letter also mentioned ‘further guidance’ over the summer although didn’t give a date. Mentioned the County Council though. Plans to devolve decision making to them in some form? Using the Public Health team maybe?

Piggy do you have a SpecSavers? They've been open throughout - they don't look very open, but if you ring them someone comes to the door or you can book an appointment. Frames are taking ages to come though because they're not allowed to sell you any frames from the shop floor.

Yes, we have Specsavers and Boots, so will look into both of those!

Sian Griffiths is at it in the Sunday Times again claiming that state schools will put kids through 5 GCSEs while private schools crack on with 10.

Already had to backtrack and amend the article. She really is a shit journalist.

Did you see Dan Moynihan's comments about kids not needing 'art, or a bit of French or DT' if they don't get their maths and English? Apologies if anyone works for the Harris Federation. 😡

Has anyone filled in the questionnaire about the GCSE ' change' ?

I am trying to but link will not work in my phone.

Ds is allowed to drop languages at the end of year 8 and I discovered they don’t bother with RS after year 8 either. Some schools already playing pretty free and loose with curriculum.

Do you think if I put a thread in staffroom asking for specific help with a curricular area (dyslexic 12 year old cannot do division at all and I want to go back to basics and try to teach him it over the summer but don't know best way) I would get ideas, or my arse handed to me for expecting stressed teachers to do more work?
Trying to think what I could offer in return!

I'm finding it really weird to have zero work emails and union communications, after the daily ones in the last week of term. Our next "big" announcement date is right at the end of July - 10 days before we go back.

I think it’s different posting asking for help from people who are free to volunteer or not than it is emailing his maths teacher and asking for extra personalised support for your DC.

@Mistressiggi agree with what noble said!

Does he know his times table facts including the divisions?

What amendment did she make noble?

twitter.com/harrisfed/status/1279717921388969984?s=21

Harris said a reduced subject timetable for a small minority of its pupils.

Same journalist who made up a quote from Vic Goddard last week.

NYTimes article about loads of scientists calling for recognition of the fact that tiny airborne particles spread COVID.....

go.mumsnet.com/?xs=1&id=470X1554755&url=www.nytimes.com/2020/07/04/health/239-experts-with-1-big-claim-the-coronavirus-is-airborne.html

Ah, OK. Twitter don't seem too impressed with Sir Dan either.

Her stitching up of Vic Goddard was reprehensible.

Its a shame. She is female, state educated and went to Oxford. She should do better .

[quote MrsHerculePoirot]@Mistressiggi agree with what noble said!

Does he know his times table facts including the divisions?[/quote]
Thanks guys. You're right Noble I haven't asked his teacher for any extra help he has produced really detailed lessons and gives feedback - I think that's enough!
He doesn't know his times tables by heart. Can do 2s, 10s and 5s and I taught him that finger method for 9s. We even had a tutor trying to go over times tables for a few months. I don't think the numbers stick in his head at all. So much maths is easier if you can manipulate numbers quickly in your head and know tables (IMO). But sometimes he will estimate an answer (especially for money questions) and be right, and his algebra is okish. How can someone remember a million football facts and not tables?