The Twenty-first Republic - All back but for how long? Why is Big Gav still in post?

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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.

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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.

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What did you do wrong Angelina?

Recording the screen while using the visualizer as a webcam saved my online provision frankly. We've been told that if we're sent home in the middle of the day, we have to leave everything behind. Pointed out that without a laptop we'd be stuffed. So I'll be walking out with a visualizer too.

I've copied one class set of English packs and got sets of envelopes with each child's name on. They've got specific stuff in there if they have SEN, but will have rest of class stuff added. Card with Teams password on it inside the pack, and one sheet 'how to log in' for parents. Then either parent collects from outside school, or they go home with it.

Some parents won't want them to take anything home with them, but they can leave it to quarantine for 3 days or whatever.

Can't help it, am a prepper at heart.

are most schools sending home bubbles for one positive? We're just sending home the kids within 2 m in lessons. Which doesn't take into account the lunch outside in a whole bubble and our risk assessment which says equipment can be shared across the same bubble. Or the crap ventilation.

I want to know if public health bods are involved in every "sending home", whether they've given general principles after reading a RA, or what .....

Might try asking our pastoral head if I see him wandering about tomorrow!

We sent home the whole bubble (2 parallel KS2 classes) but I have certainly heard of other schools doing things differently. That was following PHE's advice though. I do suspect that it will change as it becomes clear that bubbles are popping too often.
Already, too many children are being sent home (for anyone's liking).
We only have one confirmed case so far, but to see how many people are reporting not being able to book tests (and having experienced it myself) it seems to me that there must be many hundreds more people positive at the moment than the published daily infection rates are showing.

Hurrah angelina! You're out!

are most schools sending home bubbles for one positive?

Well, interestingly the area that my school is in is white on that Argis map despite being in the NE. It's not been reported in papers but a local high school only sent close contacts home.

However, the individual had only been in school a day or two and I think they've all been in classrooms with seating plans etc. I'm wondering if because cases are low locally and they could trace contacts, they've not sent the bubble home?

Other schools in the same LA, same PH team, have sent whole classes or more home, either due to staff member or child.

So certainly here so far it's quite dependent.

I think some RA's are being exposed as being rather flimsy which might result in different treatment? And case numbers locally.

Sadly I think we will have a lot of chaos in a couple of weeks. All children who've been unable to get tests, perhaps parents decide it's a cold after all and send them back in to infect everyone else...

I'm reading horror stories all over the place!

@WhyNotMe40 sorry you can't get a test; can the school give you one? Hope your Dh isn't too grumpy and the kids are turning a corner?

A third ohthegoats?!* Wow.

Children's catch up progress, especially in areas such as greater Manchester etc, RELIES ON MORE TESTS!!

I bet many of them are colds but have symptoms that mean they should definitely be checked. No tests = many kids missing school.

We ALL need that t shirt Piggy!
Thanks for the tip @SaltyAndFresh - I will try the Nytol if it doesn't settle tonight.

Well today we had year 7s and year 12s walking through the year 9 bubble as they were lining up outside... obviously this is not in the RA which states the separate zones. If there was a case this would miss all this year group cross contamination. Would PHE be informed of all this in school bubble breakings... doubt it.(not that it's all a load of rubbish anyway what with siblings and transport).

This concerns me. www.tes.com/news/coronavirus-tests-teachers-prioritised-under-moonshot-plan

It defines schools as 'high-risk settings'. It's now that we don't already know that, bit that Government is fine with having us work completely unprotected in what they've been saying are Covid-secure workplaces.

The link to the brtus school closure map seems.to be down. Is there a way around it?

Jeeze, Make up your mind boyo, are we high risk or Covid secure?!?!

I'm not even sure the moon shot thing is worth it we just need tests available when we need them!!!

Loads of Yr7 off today, a few awaiting Covid tests.

My DS school has sent yr13 home after a case.

I'm more worried that DS (Yr7) says he's got nobody to hang around with at lunchtime. My poor boy. He's not "laddish" and used to have a big gang of girl friends but they're all together in girl groups and he doesn't fit into the boys....

Doesn't it make you want to just go back to all those posters who were attacking us all over the Spring/Summer, and accusing us of being work-shy so-and-sos (God this is hard!) for pointing out the issues there would be in schools, and shout, "WE TOLD YOU SO!!!"

Yes, Angelina. I also want to tell a lot of people online and in real life to just F off....

Me too. I have to cross-stitch my feelings 😂

@NeurotrashWarrior thanks for asking. Smallest is much better - only coughing occasionally now. Oldest is still coughing a fair bit but it's now gone chesty - so absolutely typical for her with a cold.
DH is indeed grumpy but I can cope.
I haven't asked the school about a test - was going to give it another go tonight first.

Yup

Quote fail! the Yup was to "I told you so" urges

One email today was basically "are you aware that 1400 kids all leave at 3.30, and what're you doing about it?"
Yes. Nothing. F off.

@CallmeAngelina

Doesn't it make you want to just go back to all those posters who were attacking us all over the Spring/Summer, and accusing us of being work-shy so-and-sos (God this is hard!) for pointing out the issues there would be in schools, and shout, "WE TOLD YOU SO!!!"

Ah no, we are just being negative nellys who won’t teach in tents with buckets for toilets and a bowl of water to wash your hands in.

Aw guy bless him . It's difficult for gentle boys this transition stuff.

Hope you get sorted soon why and they feel better soon too.

Omg we fucking told them so; I just didn't actually expect it to be this hard to get a test!

Welcome back @CallmeAngelina

Interesting article @SaltyAndFresh when I tried to get a test as asked via the Zoe app for my sore throat nothing was available but when I registered as a teacher with symptoms as now developed cough bam lots of options! Still waiting for results though. Test was Sunday was hoping for results today so I could go back to school

This article was an interesting read if only for the close contact information.
https://framheadteacher.com/2020/09/13/weve-had-our-first-positive-test-but-it-wont-be-our-last/

I'm so angry that no-one gives a shit about the conditions were working in. Literally no-one cares. My DH barely registers it; my wider and friends not at all. I was up in arms about frontline staff having no PPE.