The Twelfth Republic - push and glide to the summer break

[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

I have no idea how our school is going to look in sept. Frankly I’m glad it’s not my job to work out.

I’ve tried to think about it from every angle I can and just hit more and more brick walls.

Creativity is literally my job, perhaps I’m shit at it after all.

I have procured a staff panto script today though- designed to be filmed on Zoom so having some fun with that is my autumn term contingency 😂

I love this applekate

My school guidance came out yesterday. The plan is basically to have the first week with only 2 yeargroup in each day, then from the second week we're business as usual. Staff are supposed to s social distance from the pupils and from each other, and can move between bubbles (what bubbles?). No staggered start/finish times because transport. Vulnerable staff are being given perspex screens around our desks.

Is anyone's secondary school even making a passing attempt at social distancing the students? The guidelines don't say don't bother but my school certainly isn't doing anything!

Our guidance hasn’t been released yet but on Facebook to face days there were - separated tables, tape, groups assigned to certain toilets. But we had 3 groups of 8 in. I think I’m Sept we’ll be like you. The school I teach in was designed for a 4 form entry of 20 pupils a class, but now we are 6 form entry of 35 pupils. Pupils travel widely - some pupils travel by train and more than one bus. Their parents (& they)are concerned about travelling and organisation in school. The one thing that is easing my anxiety at mo is that as it’s a Girl’s school they may not socially distance outside but they will take this seriously and obey rules implemented.

*face to face.

I really need to preview my messages!

Just been reading an article about the US where an epidemiologist is calling for bars and restaurants to stay closed so schools can safely open in the autumn. She says this is possible 'with the mandating of masks'.

Are we going to be the only country with no mask wearing in schools? Who else doesn't? Australia? Sweden... anywhere else? don't say Denmark , they don't count

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.ft.com/content/c0d439c8-18ac-499b-8115-da2bc0f18567

Of course. The cost of PPE is under mounting scrutiny, and there are some fears we’ll have another PPE shortage if there is a second wave. Absolutely no other reason why school staff shouldn’t ears masks.

Morning all
I am increasingly worried about Sept. My 1:1 isn't going to keep 2m from me and I predict a constant dance of her trying to get on my lap, lick me etc. as she usually does. She's going to be in y3 in Sept so how am I meant to get anything meaningful out of her from 2m away? Do I have to sit 2m away from her during lessons, if so she isn't going to be doing any work at all and she'll disrupt every lesson. With DH on shielding list and DD going into y9 in a mahoosive school, I am in a total shit storm, aren't I? Would there be any mileage at all in asking SLT to let me wear a visor even though 1:1 would have kittens and her father would probably go to the papers......

@TheHoneyBadger

Interesting day in school. I feel really sorry for the vulnerable kids stuck in school all this time.

Picked up on a bit of a resentment vibe from tas. Bit of muttering about how teachers have only had to do half days and they’ve done a whole day each week. Obviously teachers have also been delivering remote learning and marking etc and the tas have just had one day a week in school so not sure why the resentment.

I was only in with the kids for 3 hours but it’s so dull. They were just getting on with their own thing on computers.

Sanitiser everywhere but closed doors everywhere so constantly touching handles

I'm a TA aand dont get the resentment either when its 1 day to half a day. I do resent being made to come in full time when I dont work it and not being paid for the extra hours as I didnt work lockdown (all staff were on a rota so not my fault). If I'm not needed with the children I shouldn't be in.. just like teachers arent as it increases risk. instead I have to post reports, tidy cupboards and other random jobs the head finds. I'd happily do CPD at home.

We all know it's about cost...

But not really sure why my school is saying we can't wear our own!

I did note TAs and cover staff weren't even mentioned in the outline we were sent yesterday by my HT.

plastic you must be feeling so anxious.

Concerned for my shielding colleague coming back in September. It feels as if things are just going to be pretty much normal, bubbles or no bubbles.

I had to wear a mask at the hospital yesterday for 3 hours. It was a medical mask given to me by them. All staff were wearing the same ones. There is no way I can wear one of those all day and teach. Trying to get myself heard by staff through perspex screens etc, was so hard.

Visors might be better. We've got them in school, I'm going to go and try one.

@plasticboxesrock

Morning all I am increasingly worried about Sept. My 1:1 isn't going to keep 2m from me and I predict a constant dance of her trying to get on my lap, lick me etc. as she usually does. She's going to be in y3 in Sept so how am I meant to get anything meaningful out of her from 2m away? Do I have to sit 2m away from her during lessons, if so she isn't going to be doing any work at all and she'll disrupt every lesson. With DH on shielding list and DD going into y9 in a mahoosive school, I am in a total shit storm, aren't I? Would there be any mileage at all in asking SLT to let me wear a visor even though 1:1 would have kittens and her father would probably go to the papers......

You could look at the guidance for special schools but afaik there are no requirements for PPE in any schools. unless undertaking First Aid or personal care. Is it the noise and distraction of the classroom that increases the unengaged behaviour? Would it be possible for her to spend a certain amount of ‘work’ time away from that environment, where she might settle as it’s quieter and you won’t have to sit as close? Failing any adjustments all you can do is liberally use cleaning products and hand sanitiser (sorry, Piggy, I know this is not something you can tolerate!) and reinforce distance constantly. Her ‘new normal’ is going to have to be “we don’t touch Mrs X” for your safety. Goes without saying that any personal care whatsoever (including wiping nose etc) will need PPE and a separate lidded bin for disposal.

I think staff working as 1:1 are in such a difficult position here. Obviously the child needs the close physical support and care, but the adults’ work place will be nothing like being Covid secure. It’s probably why our three CEV 1:1s who have been shielding since March have all resigned.

All that experience and aptitude gone, Letseatgrandma. Further evidence that specialised TA support just isn’t valued.

Plastic, it's extremely difficult and I understand your concerns. You should raise them. It's not easy seeing how others are able to socially distance for their job when you can't. This should be on a risk assessment and perhaps an individual plan / strategy could be evolved for the child, perhaps with a social story and alternative options, as it sounds like she's sensory seeking?

Children with such behaviours do need to be taught what is an is not appropriate as, as they get older, it becomes less appropriate and they don't always pick up on social cues. "Hugs only for mummy and daddy" etc.

In an sen school where we have many children like that, social distancing can't happen / happen easily. We also may need to physically hold or intervene with a child at any point. It's also an entirely different environment anyway, more holistic, and children are more likely to be given hugs and have physical interaction with staff. The mitigation is that class sizes are much smaller, though I believe in most sen schools they're bubbling with other classes into larger bubbles for various reasons.

Ages ago we were advised to bring face soap and a face towel incase of spitting. Ppe is worn for personal care.

My anxiety is spiralling, personally, as I'm CV and I'm having to repeatedly revisit the fact that infection rates are low etc. Also that September is still a long way off and guidance will be updated and reviewed A Lot before then. Doesn't always help but it the only way I can get through the day at the mo. And a beta blocker.

Eitak22 could totally understand resentment in those circumstances but literally despite being paid for full time they’ve only been asked to do one day a week in school with vulnerable and kw kids.

Teachers were volunteers as they were also teaching from home so they just asked who would be happy to come in and just did half days. Now at our school they’re doing one day a week teaching year 10s and/or 12s plus still delivering online learning and some also still volunteering for the child care.

I was paired with a full time cover supervisor and he’s only been in one day a week and nothing to do on the other days.

Don’t think anyone has anything to be resentful about and we should all thank the fairies that our old head walked out when he did as our new one has been really reasonable and great at communicating with staff and parents alike.

Regard who was/is in school, my head put it like this:

It's not fair, but it is equal. We are acting in accordance with government guidelines. If your year group is back in, as directed by the guidance, then you are expected in school. We can ask you to do that full time, as that is what the guidance says. TA or teacher. If your year group is not back in school, then we expect you to be working from home to prepare online learning. If you are coming in to school, then in accordance with guidance and our risk assessment, you are not to be with children other than if you are on the rota to be with KW children.

Also in play within that was our LA guidance around vulnerable staff, shielding staff, BAME staff and pregnant staff.

Nearly all of our TAs are BAME, as are a chunk of our teaching staff.

Trying to avoid reading the guidelines AGAIN!

So, secondary colleagues with enormous bubbles....

This a question from DH's consultant (who is married to a teacher so may be 'asking for a friend'): what happens if there is one positive case.... who gets sent home? How do they decide whether teachers do? Who decides? I think this is a question ALL teachers should know, it should be the same from school to school and be robust.

My understanding is one pop doesn't burst the bubble?

@TheHoneyBadger. Totally agree the resentment is ridiculous in that case, its half a day more. Have they been given anything to do at home? if not then really no excuse.

@plasticboxesrock you should definitely be allowed PPE in that case. Theres no way you can be a 1:1 at a distance, we have same issue with a child at our school who is in all week and requires 1:1.

The bubble only closes when 2 members test positive. So when they've had plenty of chance to spread it round