The Fifteenth Republic - A Level and GCSE Results storm coming!

[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

Oh god it's new guidance day, isn't it? What gems will Gavin have for us today, I wonder?

The Times story backs up the other ones and justifying that older kids need masks at very least in classrooms.

I still can't find evidence that 11 August is actually a Thing.

I was thinking about the testing. My house to the nearest test centre is about 30 minutes drive. But I live 45 minutes from school and our catchment extends at least another 30 minutes drive from there. And that test centre is the closest one to school. Unless the local resilience forum is going to have more test centres up and running, lots of people won't be easily able to get tested.

[quote Hercwasonaroll]@SaltyAndFresh That is an outrage. I had no idea that was happening in Wales. Wow. Annoyed on your behalf.[/quote]
It happened in England too. You could have the childcare hub or whatever your schools provision was. You couldn't mix the bubbles because there won't be any bubbles at that point. Otherwise you'd have children receiving childcare in the hub for 3/4 days a week and then sending them back into their own schools for the remaining 1/2 days.

I don't think it was to do with protecting teachers as much as it was to do with containing the spread of Covid by reducing contacts.

Our LA didn't do that, they left it all at school level. So once kids were back they went into their year group bubble.

Thing is the @RafaIsTheKingOfClay, most other LAs in Wales were allowing one day in the classroom (max 6 per room) and the rest in childcare. If it happens again it will be the last straw for me and I'll resign.

Interesting that there's a thread where most people are telling the OP to report people that are coming from Spain, not quarantining then sending kids to school. You'd think they'd just tell them that kids don't spread it

I really should wear my glasses when reading this. I’ve just read “what germs Gav will have for us” instead of gems and child care in pubs rather than hubs........then again I’m not sure my misreading makes any less sense than the guidance we’re being given.

@PhysicsCat Gav can give us all the germs because we have magical teacher immunity as part of standard 8. And if you get sick, that's clearly a capability issue.

Unbefuckinglievable:

www.theguardian.com/education/2020/aug/11/should-ofsted-visit-schools-in-england-when-they-reopen

Lots of jitters about A Levels (and apparently some low CiE results today although I thought those grades were calculated differently?)

One thing that has turned out to be a very short sighted decision this year was the government's pressure on unis to get rid of unconditional offers!!

I think that's fine if the kids that go back are back full time and parents don't need wrap around care provided in the LA hub, not necessarily in their own school.

Where it was an issue was if some schools went for getting more pupils back part time rather than fewer full time. It meant the children are in a year group bubble and a childcare bubble along with children from different school who might also be in a year group bubble part time in their school.

Since we seem to have abandoned the idea of bubbles I doubt it will be an issue in September.

Childcare in pubs makes perfect sense seeing as they’ll be closing to keep schools open. We can use the extra space.

They keep mentioning closing pubs, I don’t know whether it’s a threat to try to keep people in line with the current restrictions or whether they are genuinely going to take on Tim of Wetherspoons again.

I’ve got to go to Sports Direct today for football boots. I keep thinking of how their boss tried to keep them open at the start as an essential purveyor of gym equipment.

Yeah we also don't suffer from stress. We suffer from 'stress'.

Oh but echt ,the parent at the end is lovely! She sounds really nice.

I agree. I just hope the carbuncles on teaching, AKA OFSTED, don't get to roll in.

Thing is, if Ofsted aren’t sticking their noses into schools, then they have literally nothing to do, and furlough is ending.

Maybe they could be retrained to do track and trace or swab tests....OR CLEANING TOILETS. Everyone else is super happy to be asked to clean toilets and Ofsted should be no exception. Roll your sleeves up, guys!

I’m off out for lunch for the economy today with my bubble friend, that’s what she was called when I as a single adult household was allowed to bubble with her household. I’ve honestly lost track of the rules now.

If I miss the guidelines I’ll get the synopsis on here and decide whether it’s too blood boiling to watch/read.

I marvel at it being so surprising that teens bodies are a lot like adult bodies do they think we’re different species?

I’m no scientist but surely the biological definition of an adult mammal would be the ability to reproduce? Pretty sure viruses would care about the age of consent or whether you’re old enough to vote.

How about, instead of Ofsted rocking up to 'check how we're doing' implementing the vague as hell, make up your own rules, guidelines, they share some tips on best practice or what they do and don't think is vital given the situation.

We're not touching books for the first half term - this is a total turn around from last year when we were told to not let them take them home (massive issue with PP/turbulent homes pupils losing books).

We can't lend equipment - again, more likely to effect the already disadvantaged.

All homework will be submitted online.

I'm concerned that a lot of our measures to protect against Covid will widen the gap we've all been trying to close. I don't know the answers but surely if schools/ofsted shared and discussed ideas that would be better than us all making up our own rules?

I dunno, maybe the higher up do that and I just don't hear about it?

This has been raised on another thread. Where do we stand if it comes to our attention that a pupil has just got off a plane from Spain (or other country) where Quarantine is compulsory?
Do you reckon your SLT would act in getting them sent home?

It will sadly, in the absence of clear support in enforcing anything safety related, come down to the head’s individual opinion of this pandemic.

Are they cautious, or out having illegal raves?

Anything our Head sees as potentially pissing off a parent if broached is ignored (WhatsApp parent comments that their child was throwing up until the early hours then sending them into school/TikTok videos showing dc in different bubbles all in a garden together with no sd etc).
I can’t see quarantine after a holiday being any different 😞

It will sadly, in the absence of clear support in enforcing anything safety related, come down to the head’s individual opinion of this pandemic.

I think this is a very good point, which applies more generally.

I look at our Risk Assessment and think: do they actually believe this rubbish, or are they as anxious as we are, but just doing as they are told?

Surely heads who flout the minimal guidance leave themselves wide open to being sued?