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

Sorry for everyone feeling worried. I had a couple of completely sleepless nights. I’m trying really hard to be more positive and change my mindset a little.

I’ve realised I’m never going to get any work done in my non-contact as I don’t have my classroom or anywhere to work except a random classroom somewhere so decide just to assume I can’t do anything and then if anything gets done it is a bonus.

I’ve done loads of prep for two year groups and essentially all our lessons are done for those year groups. I want to do some a-level prep but that is just for me so easier. That will then just leave me with Y11 to work out what we’re doing...

I’ve offered to do extra duties because I can’t work and can’t sit anywhere and can’t talk to anyone anyway. I’ve requested outside ones because I’m diabetic. I’ve been a staunch refuser of lunch duties before but might as well get some fresh air and steps in...

With regard to ventilation, I have two windows that open about 2 inches and are on the same side of the room as both the normal door and emergency exit.

What I want to know is what level of ‘expectation‘ will SLT be having of us when we are back. I will be really pissed off if timetables for lesson observations start going up.

Will we be encouraged off the premises at 4 to reduce transmission or will we be back to being turfed out of the building at 6 to prove we are working hard

time.com/5883081/covid-19-transmitted-aerosols/

@Appuskidu

What I want to know is what level of ‘expectation‘ will SLT be having of us when we are back. I will be really pissed off if timetables for lesson observations start going up.

Will we be encouraged off the premises at 4 to reduce transmission or will we be back to being turfed out of the building at 6 to prove we are working hard

I know I'm expected to still observe the new staff, and NQTs have to be seen - but I suspect that might be it.

I can guarantee we will be having observations as per normal. I had a bloody book scrutiny 2 days before lockdown!

We were all told to do coshh training online ready for cleaning tables, switches, doors and loos. Unions have been useless and I was told it was within our remit as teachers by our HR woman / academy stasi.

@MrsHamlet I'm on a training webinar, this made me think of you

@WhyNotMe40

Seriously though - outbreaks in schools and PHE. Do we know when PHE is being relieved of duties? Especially as I seem to remember the advice in schools if there are cases is currently "talk to PHE". Nothing about when bubbles burst, just talk to this organisation that we have already massively demoralised by announcing it's demise, let alone it's imminent demise....

This is a very good point.

You have people working locally though this who must individually have a level of oversight that is worth hanging on to.

Will everyone be sacked? Or is it higher up that the changes take place?

Stupid time to scrap something.

[quote namechangedyetagain]@MrsHamlet I'm on a training webinar, this made me think of you [/quote]
My work here is done!!!

@WhyNotMe40

Seriously though - outbreaks in schools and PHE. Do we know when PHE is being relieved of duties? Especially as I seem to remember the advice in schools if there are cases is currently "talk to PHE". Nothing about when bubbles burst, just talk to this organisation that we have already massively demoralised by announcing it's demise, let alone it's imminent demise....

Good question. However, you're asking it far too early. The Gov and all associated cronies won't realise this will be a problem, until 4 / 5 months after PHE have gone.

@MrsHamlet - LSA's not in class? How the heck is that going to work?

One of my jobs as LSA is to ensure certain children are supported to access the lesson without taking essential teaching time away from the teacher. Or supporting a student with physical disabilities to get to class, to get to the toilet mid lesson.

Removing the LSA is just going to put so much more pressure on the teacher in those situations. I can imagine how some of the student/teacher relationships are going to suffer as a result.

One student is already seen as the 'bad kid' when they genuinely does not understand and therefore finds it hard to get on in the lesson. Admittedly they don't always help themselves, but that is why they have an LSA.

Well, the one student with 1:1 in my year 11 will have his laptop (if he's not broken it) and I'll have to put everything on his one drive. He will also have headphones and a tablet through which he will teams with his LSA who will be elsewhere. I will do my thing and his LSA will scribe for him. If he can hear me. And if the student talking to his LSA doesn't disrupt the other 28 too much.
It's also a bugger because the LSA normally helps me with the other students in the class who need support but don't get any.

So what schools need to be buying (funded by government/ PHE?) is window opening limiters, stair gate type things for ground floor primary doors etc. All the most robust available and with fire safety details worked out.

I realised yesterday that every time I've envisaged a class I've been seeing them all with masks on.

Not without. When I imagine that I feel scared.

I've just received my local government pension scheme annual statement, written in the usual jargon and doublespeak. Thanks to you lot, I have now printed off and will return the form about who to nominate for the death in service benefit. Let's hope none of us have that coming for our families. I will also be re-writing my will before the start of term, and, like BelleSausage, my DH has told me he will be adding a codicil to his own will which states that in the event of his death from Covid, transmitted by me or DD, he wants Gav and "Boris" named on the death certificate. A bit OTT, but I totally get it.

Unless I’m misunderstanding the year group breakdown of day timetables I’ve seen some lessons are going to be only half an hour long or have 20 minutes, then the kids go for a 20 minute break and then come back for 20 minutes more of the lesson. Bizarre in itself but the year group timetables don’t match each other so god knows what our timetables are going to look like.

I chose to switch to doing my part time hours over an extra day to have less pressured days in work and more access to the bathroom which I need since my surgery.

I’m now worried with things as they are I may just have volunteered for an extra full on day and would’ve been better off before itms? The days look set to be manic and I can imagine them using the you don’t have a form group card to fill every slither of space I wanted to create by spreading my hours.

Anyway I’ve swung from insomnia to hypersomnia now and just slept for nearly 13 hours. I’m also having an extra period which never happened before. Don’t know if it’s stress related or just another joy of being 44.

Building up to turning on the laptop to see if I have a timetable yet. It’s a daily ritual

If my ds doesn't get his 1-1 and he is staying in the same classroom all day so not getting the movement break he needs, I am going to be so pissed off. It took three attempts to get an EHCP and I am not having it ignored.
Apologies to all TAs who are being told not to go in the classroom.

Yes I was looking at our timetable again and only then did I realise that some lessons are split into two sections by the staggered lunch arrangements!

I suppose teachers will have to plan for two bursts of short activities for those lessons and gird their loins for the amount of time lost by leaving the room (with attendant sanitising etc) and then arriving back in the room (with attendant etc etc)!

Am glad I'm not a teacher...

tadjennyp I'm a 1:1 TA and my child also needs the breaks etc. I've been told that will happen as normal but outside only, there won't be any going to different areas of the school as we used to do. Taking my spare big coat and leaving it at school! We are primary and have been told interventions etc will still happen in the same way, as we are in bubbles and phases (R& y1, Y2&3, Y4-6). Hmmm...

Email in saying everyone has to be off-site for 5pm. This is so cleaners can do their stuff and whatever.

School finishes at 3.45pm.

I’m lucky that I live just round the corner from school. If I ever have a free next to a break and nowhere I am allowed to work I will just come home and try to avoid pouring a g&t.

@Appuskidu

What I want to know is what level of ‘expectation‘ will SLT be having of us when we are back. I will be really pissed off if timetables for lesson observations start going up.

Will we be encouraged off the premises at 4 to reduce transmission or will we be back to being turfed out of the building at 6 to prove we are working hard

All observations have been suspended for now at ours.

We will be encouraged to leave soon after the kids to help with cleaning and reduce pressure on public transport/roads at rush hour.

We have been told:

Everyone our by 4pm for cleaning. School finishes at 2:50pm
Limited meetings in school after day finishes as we all have enough on our plates.

Still doesn't get round the 2 days I have no break/lunch or other in issues but gosh, I feel for SLT. They have a thankless job at the moment

Same as staff.

Ppa at home.

@StaffAssociationRepresentative

Email in saying everyone has to be off-site for 5pm. This is so cleaners can do their stuff and whatever.

School finishes at 3.45pm.

We finish teaching at 3:20 and have to be off site for 4:30.

Pupils can clean desks before they start if they want to, but don't have to. But then they'll have to get up one by one to bin the wipes as only one is allow out of a seat at a time.

I haven't seen any expectation of tables being wiped down between groups but wouldn't be surprised if it was expected.

Surely they can just nappy bag the wipes and put them in the bin as they leave. Lots of talk of nappy bags for used tissues to be double knotted and binned.

Dread to think how much additional plastic is being generated