The fourteenth republic - watching Scotland and ever changing DfE guidelines

[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

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

Lol at routine testing alongside a robust track and trace system. We’ve had over 6 months to sort a testing system and a track and trace system to support it. Neither of those things is functioning properly and there’s 2 weeks before schoools start to go back in England.

I don’t think there’s much hope of it being sorted before most of the English schools go back in 3-4 weeks. Let alone adding additional testing.

[Piggywaspushed]

Just entertained myself by falling down a caterpillar identifying hole. I nearly trod on a large elephant hawk moth caterpillar. Should you care.

[MrsHamlet]

I had to swerve to avoid running over a large hairy caterpillar on my bike yesterday. It was crossing the road without looking.

[Piggywaspushed]

I had no shoes on...

[MrsHamlet]

Urgh

[NeurotrashWarrior]

Piggy, I'm fed up too.

Analysis early on included comments on ppe for hospitals and what equipment they needed to cope, criticism of testing or lack of etc.

I'm furious about the test track and trace. That's been repeatedly said to be of importance for when schools open, not just for schools but for the wider community.

We need lower rates in some areas to be able to remain open.

Stats do matter to make informed decisions.

Fuming with it all as I hear more crap about failing track and tracing and erroneous use of weak science around schools.

[Piggywaspushed]

Yeah, it's just three of them really but they insist schools can't be discussed because the data is flawed. But that's the discussion!!

Trying to force me off a thread I have been in since before The Republic simply won't wash.

[RigaBalsam]

On Sky they are quoting that one French boy, the NSW study and Denmark and Norway data. Ugh!

They did mention Israel as the one bit of evidence to the contrary.

[Piggywaspushed]

There was actually an outbreak in NZ school before lockdown , there is now Mecklenburg, and watch this space for the US.

[DollyMixtureLulus]

My day wasn't too bad. No members of staff wearing masks. School now one-way system and playground marked out for pick up. Those are the biggest changes I think.

[AugustBreeze]

They're changing track and trace, it's being quietly moved to be under local authorities, so that's good news (in the news this evening).

[Saucery]

I saw adverts for my local authority for administrating tests and also inputting the results. I was tempted, at least I’d get ‘appropriate PPE’ apparently, unlike in school.

[NeurotrashWarrior]

No, don't go piggy, your comments are great and needed.

I did note a lot of different posters all saying the same thing as us re school data though.

Also, I remember the first thread; many admitted they found looking at the data helpful for getting their heads around wtf was happening.

We have risk assessment drummed into us from day one; it's natural for us as professional teachers to want to gain all the info. We do it all the time.

[NeurotrashWarrior]

Yes I'm glad about that August!

I was impressed with my council's communication early on. Somehow Sainsbury's found out from them I was classed as CV, god knows how!

[NeurotrashWarrior]

Also, neighbouring councils work can together; sharing info etc. Ours have been.

[Lidlfix]

So I have a packet of wipes, will be getting a lidded bin, a horseshoe formation and an automatic hand sanitizer dispenser at my door. This will seemingly protect me .

A rolling timetable to give more doubles and reduce the movement pupils with staggered breaks and lunches. None of us can work it out so I pity the pupils.

They were doing blazer fitting in the car park but 960 can all be in the building next week.

[Piggywaspushed]

Oh , I was told my horseshoe had to go . Bloody Gavin.

[Mistressiggi]

Lidfix I am well jel. An automatic hand sanitiser you say? A lidded bin? None of that namby pampy stuff here.
How is a horseshoe ok though, surely needing to face the front (so you get the full impact). Unless they think the horseshoe brings good luck?

[Danglingmod]

Yes, me too.

Lines only.

I have a bottle of sanitiser. And no assemblies. I think that's it.

[noblegiraffe]

it’s being quietly moved to be under local authorities

That’s pretty funny, the Tory government suddenly valuing local authorities when it looks like they can palm off and subsequently blame a shitshow on them? I hope the LAs are being given funding, I know they’re not for other stuff that’s being palmed off onto them.

Nick Gibb also palmed off the responsibility for mask wearing decisions onto heads. Because that should be in the hands of an education specialist instead of the health authority

[Lidlfix]

We can have rows or a horseshoe if the kids facing each other are 2m apart. There is a bawhair (a precise Scottish measurement for a tiny distance) over 2m from the closest pupil desk to mine. No decision re books or jotters (I won't be taking them in anyway) or if we can put books on bookcases yet.

Lidded bins are on order so maybe I am being overly optimistic. Pupils should arrive, file in in a one way system whilst I oversee this from 2m away. They wipe down the desk and chair and place wipe in my (aspirational) lidded bin. U4T will implode .

[MrsHamlet]

@Lidlfix I might adopt "a bawhair" - but I fear it's indecent!!
My mum accidentally got sent 220 pairs of incontinence knickers at the start of lockdown, which at least solves the issue of us not being able to use the loo between 8.30 and 12.45 if we're teaching all morning!

[Mistressiggi]

We've pushed the pupil desks closer together to make room for our 2m away area at the front. I feel really bad making teenagers sit closer together. This is the guidance though, I have to be 2m away and if I am then they have to be closer, unless I build a mezzanine level.

[RigaBalsam]

Front page of the times says older pupils spread virus like adults.