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

[Mistressiggi]

It is interesting that you all seem to have a far better idea of the rules for returning (who can come in, systems in school etc) than I do and I have literally days before I return. Nothing is arranged, nothing is planned, nothing shared with us anyway.

[HedyPrism]

Place marking. Exactly one month until start date. Still no lessons prepped for first couple of weeks. Am prevaricating as I have no clue what it will look like.

[Piggywaspushed]

My school is the same mistress.

[3ormore3]

Thank you for the replies. I work in one of those teams and our manager thinks it’s all going to be business as usual. BAU normally involves regular meetings of 3+ adults, usually in tiny rooms! So I’m not entirely sure how that is going to look...

[Danglingmod]

We've had risk assessments, MAT wide and school specific and our Operating Procedures, copies of all correspondence home to parents and very much open forum with SLT all the way through.

No issues with my school/MAT.

Issues are with govt and the fact that everything is likely to change anyway.

[StaffAssociationRepresentative]

Well I am off to paper chase to see if I can get a discount !

Happy anniversary to those celebrating!

[ThrawnCow]

Is it official that there will be further (further) guidance on 11th? I've only seen it mentioned on here.

[Danglingmod]

I've spent far too much at Paperchase (online) since lockdown. 25% discount is far too tempting.

[mumsneedwine]

Was thinking about this yesterday. Seems a good model to follow. And none of these kids seem to have MH issues.

www.australian-children.com/school-of-the-air

[MrsHerculePoirot]

@Danglingmod

I've spent far too much at Paperchase (online) since lockdown. 25% discount is far too tempting.

Whaaaaat! Not only have I discovered there is a discount but now it’s 25% 😵😵😵 that could have been paying for my union fees for years 🤣🤣🤣 well worth 14 threads just for this ground breaking world beating news.

[Piggywaspushed]

I googled thrawn and can find no evidence of this 11th date either. Someone started it somewhere and now it is always repeated as Biblical truth!

Love your username btw.

[StaffAssociationRepresentative]

Oh my word we have finally cracked it. We can identify real teachers by asking them about stationery! A non-school person will be ‘what are you going on about’ and anyone from a school environment will be able to comment.

[Saucery]

I’ve just checked the last email from DS’s school and it specifically mentions ‘Govt guidance issued on 11th Aug’ and an update from them based on that W/b 17th Aug.
So they must have had something official giving that date.

[Keepdistance]

Theyre using satellites to provide the internet.
Crazy when people here cant get high speed in places

[Saucery]

To clarify, it mentions ‘review of current guidance’ rather than completely new guidance.

I have quite the Post It Note habit

[Piggywaspushed]

Hmmm.... I am not that fussed about stationery.

I think real teachers can be identified by their in depth knowledge of acronyms. One claiming to be a current teacher referred to SMT yesterday. and their understanding of the proximity, cleanliness and abundance of staff toilets.

[RigaBalsam]

Checking in. Thanks staff.

[minisoksmakehardwork]

Our co-head has also referred to a'further government update planned for the 11th August' in their last email to us so unless they've also been listening to rumours, it sounds like there is something in it.

[JulyBreeze]

Our Head has referred to the 11 Aug update or similar. I spent ages trying to find an official mention of it and couldn't, but have definitely seen it mentioned by the media since then... although just looked and can't find anything now! It's a secret update!

[StaffAssociationRepresentative]

I have to plan my loo trips in advance. There is a scarcity of staff ladies toilets at my school. It would be quicker to get to Mordor from some of the buildings - I have been tempted to use the Gents staff loo.

[TheHoneyBadger]

We had one male toilet and one female toilet in the science block for about 14?teachers, two prep room ladies and a year group office.

I think the department I’m in next doesn’t have any toilets and they’re 3 flights of stairs away. Mind you I’m not going to be staying in one area and I don’t actually even know what my timetable will be given I’ve been told mine is actually just a space saver on the system as they’re not sure what I’ll be doing.

I’m trying to just let this roll over me and accept I know nothing and therefore can’t plan anything. God knows what my role will look like! I have no control so 🤷‍♀️

[Hercwasonaroll]

11th August has been on our SLT radar for a long time. They've apparently stopped planning until then, openly admitted this in the last week of term.

[noblegiraffe]

From what I’m guessing, the government are planting stories to see which is the least objectionable, and nudging towards a realisation, like they did when the Times did that ridiculous story about schools going back in May. Up till then we’d thought September, by the time June came around people were more amenable.

A few weeks ago Teacher Tapp asked whether you thought your school would open fully in September and most thought yes.

Now cases are rising and September approaches.

We’ve had Whitty saying we’ve reached the limit of what can open.

The seed has been planted that there’s an issue with schools that wasn’t there before.

They’re laying out the options

1. Schools open, everything else shuts
   
   
2. Schools open, lockdown the vulnerable again
   
   
3. Schools partly open. Maybe primary full time, secondary blended
   
   
4. masks in schools
   
   The government is already gearing up to blame it on the unions. The pay rise renewed public derision when branded a reward. Stories in the friendly press are banging on about how unions are blocking the re-opening again (while teachers complain that the unions aren’t doing anything).
   
   As far as I can see, unions have asked for 4) but it’s suggested that they’re pushing for 3) which makes me think it’s 3) that the government is seriously considering.

[starrynight19]

Mistressiggi I am certainly not taking my head away

[TheHoneyBadger]

I think my limbo is that there are staff they are not sure will return who are pregnant and due to go on maternity part way through the autumn term but who may, understandably decide to go sooner.

I can imagine doing all sorts of random cover and small group stuff and whatever the hell they like till the maternity leave.

I think they’re deliberately parking me in th ‘spare part time body’ lay-by till they know how things will be.