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've not heard mention of nappy bags for us, I think I'll avoid suggesting it though.

I would really not be happy with kids using antibac wipes to wipe tables without gloves. They set off my eczema something awful and lots of kids have sensitive skin

Well I've just spent the morning in school. Heaving with staff trying to rearrange their furniture. I have to say that the cleaners have done a brilliant job. Never seen it so sparkling.

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.

How do they get the wipes? One at a time too?

The idea that a pupil gets to decide whether a frequently touched point like a desk needs cleaning or not seems to be rather unfair on them? Like telling heads to decide whether the kids should wear masks. It shouldn’t be up to the kids to decide what needs cleaning!

At lunch I have to spray and wipe desks and sink areas with anti bac, then nappy bag the cloth. Then wipe the loo and loo sink and nappy bag them, then dispose of them in a lidded bin and at the end of every day empty the bin then wash it with chlorine water. The cleaners do it again on closing.

We will still be having bloody staff meetings just sat in our sodding rooms on teams. Why can't I go HOME!!!!

@Phleba, Why are you cleaning the loo? Is this a student loo?

@Augustbreeze

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...

I taught in a school where we did that under normal circumstances, it actually worked surprising well. If you had a short time before lunch you set up the lesson and told kids what to do on their return so they could get on with it. If short after lunch had time to do a plenary to check learning.

Yes. We've been told to clean our class loo at lunch. We've been given aprons and gloves though, so it's ok.

Except it is not.

Weasel words in the conditions of employment.

Anyone else had shit weather these last couple of days? It's very reflective of my gloomy mood.

Yep. Monday was glorious but it's grey and damp now. I've spent the best part of three days making form time resources which I know no one will use, and I've just found out that a PE colleague has 12 frees instead of the 5 he should have. I have rage.

I feel really sorry for the outdoor attractions this summer who have been shut for so long, worked hard to re-open and then have been screwed by the weather.

Just had an email from the dcs high school.

Masks to be worn at all times except for when seated in lessons or eating lunch.

We are in an area of low cases- except there was a recent outbreak in a chicken factory in the county

Phleb, your school is taking the fucking proverbial mumsnet biscuit.

Phleb that is really not on!
Incidentally - the worst thing you can do if there are fomites is to spray the surface you want to clean - it just sends them up in the air. Spray the cloth then wipe

@noblegiraffe

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.

How do they get the wipes? One at a time too?

The idea that a pupil gets to decide whether a frequently touched point like a desk needs cleaning or not seems to be rather unfair on them? Like telling heads to decide whether the kids should wear masks. It shouldn’t be up to the kids to decide what needs cleaning!

Wipes by the door so they can take one as they come in.

I'm staying put so I'm just planning to do it myself between classes tbh.

frl that's the same system as we've got. Pupils collect a wipe on the way in, then wipe desk and chair before starting and again before they leave. I too am thinking I'll just do it myself between classes if there's time. I really don't trust some of my classes to do it properly.

We are truly back to normal other than the pupils wiping desks, sanitisers, and a one way system that uses outside routes as much as possible (which will be ignored as soon as it rains)

I have just had DS's schools safety stuff. he is in a sixth form annexe of a main school. 3 hour lessons(!) with 20 minutes break in each (staggered) . Set zones on the shuttle bus. Handwashing on way in. Separate entrances , floors, staircases and toilets (it used to be office buildings so this is all quite easily achieved), not to be on site when no lessons (easily done as they only have one or two a day I guess) and no Costa open (they will be gutted!)

I knew his school would be planning and taking it seriously and am pleased for him, and relieved. But it makes me want to weep at what I am having to put up with.

My two smallest classes are 16 so that's awkward as that makes one per desk nearly but not quite possible. Do I sit them all in pairs? Or do I sit two together and the rest apart which seems harsh on the two!

We have to have masks in corridors and are allowed visors to teach in if we choose.Low numbers locally at the moment. So I was surprised.

Dh has just told me that the Zoe app has discovered that the symptoms for children differ greatly to adults.

Fever, loss of appetite, headache being the main ones he could remember. Apparently it's just been on radio 4.

That definitely not what my school have listed as symptoms to watch out for.

My daughters sister has had her test come back negative. She now has a bad rash and a very sore throat.

Ten top symptoms they found have been Headache, fatigue, fever, sore throat, skipping meals/ loss of appetite, under 18s. Just listened again.

On the plus side my Nicola Sturgeon mask has just come in the post.

Maybe I should wear it whenever my headteacher hoves into view.

Riga, if it's very itchy it could be scarlet fever? Which needs swabbing for.

That was covered on the bbc inside science programme.

@NeurotrashWarrior

Riga, if it's very itchy it could be scarlet fever? Which needs swabbing for.

Thanks will tell her