The Eighteenth Republic - More U Turns On The Horizon? - INSET Days and travel problems

[StaffAssociationRepresentative]

You are most welcome to this school staff support thread to get us through stressful times. It is meant for school staff only – a sort of room of requirement. Baiters, haters, goaders 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 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

Do not give ‘The Every twat for Themselves mob’ the staffroom password as a number of them are operating in an alternative reality.

No DfE muppets allowed

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 goad us then that is not allowed in the staffroom. Close the door quietly on your way out

I know I sound ridiculous.

My windows are those that only open an inch. I can open an outside door but I strongly suspect the risk assessment of my "runner" child and his escalation prevention plan will prevent me from doing this. I shall show the SENCO that graphic and prepare for a fight. His behaviour should not trump my health.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/4006878-Schools-and-Corona-virus

This thread reminds me that I don’t actually know what the rules are when there are positive tests. It’s supposed to be two in a bubble pops that bubble isn’t it? But the second poster is right, kids who sat near that kid should be isolating, right?

I agree, Salty. My dh is CEV and I feel I'm definitely going to bring it home to him. Luckily we do have a spare bedroom and bathroom (and living space, kind of), but it's going to be a miserable winter not going anywhere near a colleague except via a screen or near my husband or son at home.

You don't sound ridiculous Salty. I feel the same. If anything happens to me that's my mum and 2 kids in an awful situation. I need to have a serious talk with my sister about taking care of my mum if I am incapacitated and think about how my teens can cope. I spend the day veering between panic, anger and fatalism right now.

I thought if one positive test then contacts will need to self isolate, hence seating plans so will know who has been within 2m for more than 15 minutes. Then if another positive test in ‘bubble’ then PHE or whoever will decide whether bubble burst.

The rules might be different in Scotland?

I don't think two cases automatically pops a bubble but the unions have been calling for clarity for ages.

Trouble is, at my school, one kid tests positive = across several days could have sat within 2m of100s of other students.

Salty I try not to worry about things that are out of my control and save my energy for focusing on things that are in my control, which at the moment when it comes to school is pretty much nothing as I don’t have any info on what to prepare for.

@Piggywaspushed, Re: Debenhams/ToysRUs, didn't we have run-ins with a poster a few weeks back who also put smiley passive aggressive after her contentious posts?
Haven't seen her recently. Can't remember the name.

@SaltyAndFresh

I know I sound ridiculous.

No, you don’t. I never expected barefaced lies about my safety at work, from my managers, LEA or govt. It’s a shock to hear them now. Very lonely and isolated feelings here, like I don’t matter and my DS’s health and education don’t matter.

@noblegiraffe

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/4006878-Schools-and-Corona-virus

This thread reminds me that I don’t actually know what the rules are when there are positive tests. It’s supposed to be two in a bubble pops that bubble isn’t it? But the second poster is right, kids who sat near that kid should be isolating, right?

I think it's 2 cases in a bubble could lead to further action, such as the entire bubble isolating. However, the close contacts of a positive case should definitely be isolating.

This thread reminds me that I don’t actually know what the rules are when there are positive tests

I think at my school the plan is - is one person is diagnosed with Covid, everyone who has been in contact with them has to isolate for 7 days.
Considering most teachers are teaching 4 year groups. So just one case will pretty much close the school.

I'm on the 4th floor of a Victorian building. Ceilings are really high - maybe 5m? The windows open with a crank handle, but only at the top - so 4m above the heads of most children. They can be opened lower, but I've got more than one child who can't be trusted with that.

Why is no one questioning how insane it is that we've all got children who could/would jump out of windows?

I think at my school the plan is - is one person is diagnosed with Covid, everyone who has been in contact with them has to isolate for 7 days.

Are you sure about that? If so I would be having strong words with SLT, as the guidance makes it clear isolation for close contacts should be 14 days.

I assume if someone gets it who sits in the front row will result in many teachers having to self isolate as most classrooms can’t accommodate the 2m safe area for teachers at the front.

We have no opening windows due to noise from major roads. Instead there's a ventilation system but not sure how good it really is.

The kids jumping must surely be so so rare. Isn't it more of a "they could fall out" by an overzealous H&S person which has been replicated up and down the country.

Yes, callme : this is a different poster but I do recognise her. Just can't fetch the prior name out of my head now.

One of the proper TBs who led to us getting staffroom out of active.

Surely this is all so unworkable that it cannot last longer than a few weeks.

I still think that Boris and Gav are playing a game of chicken with the unions. Their statements are getting more and more provocative. They want us to pull the plug on this stupid plan so they don’t have to.

I do wonder what they will do once schools start closing because of infections and lack of staff.

I do wonder what they will do once schools start closing because of infections and lack of staff.

The fantasist in me says - Provide money and support, so schools can afford to make adjustments.

The realist in me says - Blame the schools and their staff.

I need to go and check the windows in every classroom I teach in on the inset. Most are not ground floor so I doubt they will open.
We need to have those window extractor fans fitted to every classroom with windows that don't open sufficiently, AND reduced class sizes AND face masks for everyone who can wear them.
Masks are great (if we are even fucking allowed) but not enough.
I've been saying this for months.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/explainers-53917432

How to not catch CV-19 indoors (don’t go in a classroom!)

@BelleSausage

Surely this is all so unworkable that it cannot last longer than a few weeks.

I still think that Boris and Gav are playing a game of chicken with the unions. Their statements are getting more and more provocative. They want us to pull the plug on this stupid plan so they don’t have to.

I do wonder what they will do once schools start closing because of infections and lack of staff.

I think the same, but the unions resent being played. It needs to be the government's fault when it goes tits up.

@ineedaholidaynow

I assume if someone gets it who sits in the front row will result in many teachers having to self isolate as most classrooms can’t accommodate the 2m safe area for teachers at the front.

And then we'll get panned for not sticking to the rule.

Thanks for your kind words everybody I'm just going to spend this weekend drunk.

We had a new build on the side of an old one so many of the windows in the old building now open into a corridor.

And a couple of classrooms have no opening windows at all because of where they are.

I hate my Covid timetable. I hate what it has done to my whole school role. I don't want teach like this.

And I absolutely think we're being hung out to dry. 10 tests per school? What a joke!

Wait, whaaaat? Ten tests per school? When did I miss that little nugget?