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

[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
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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, especially if you have not used the hand gel. Close the door quietly on your way out and put your mask on.

@TheOnlyMrsW hooray for your DD! Is there anything she can do this term or not? We're trying to work out if it's possible, eg looking after a class book box or something.

It's just occurred to me how the present testing shortages are going to further disadvantage already disadvantaged children. The ones whose parents are trying to do the right thing/ whom school has told to get tested.

If you don't have a car then you can't access a drive through test centre and can't even get to a walk in unless you're feeling up to walking there, depending on how far away it is anyway.

There seem to be home kits available at times.

If school are made aware of the problem they might give you one of their ten kits. These will run out quickly and I bet reordering them isn't a Next Day Delivery scenario at the moment, if ever.

So you end up excluded from school for 10 days (14 for siblings), for what is probably just a cold.

Yes @Augustbreeze, and those will be the families on the worst employment contracts who won't get paid at all.

I just realised that I don't make sense in the post above. I meant that every child comes to school, unless you are off with actual covid proven by a positive test result.

Tbh i dont think alread gcse and a levels can be fair.
They have missed content.
Some already 14d off. That is a lot. And how many will get away with zero additional for a whole family awaiting tests?
2w = 5.7% of the school year 35w . But i guess its even less as ideally you would be done by easter?
So maybe out of 28w so 7%.

Matt Hancock on Today prog this morning said he's heard of "whole schools of children being told to get tested." Really? Who by, Heads? Or PHE in which case there would have been a reason for it.

Could it be private or boarding?

I didn't hear it, but I suspect what he really wants to say is that kids should just stay at school and staff will have to take their chances.

My DS's HT seems surprised that I've kept DD at home and we're all off until he tests negative but as far as I'm aware, that's what we're supposed to do.

Yes @SaltyAndFresh from some of the stories on MN I am wondering if there needs to be urgent training for heads - to stop both extremes of over- and under-reaction. Wonder how much info and general advice is being given by local health authorities, anyone know?

Given the amount of misunderstanding going on around the rules, I wouldn't be surprised if there are heads out there who think that a negative test means a bubble can return to school instead of doing the full 14 day quarantine.

Did we all miss Gav announcing Saturday school and longer school days or was it just me not paying attention?

www.standard.co.uk/news/education/schools-reopening-uk-gavin-williamson-coronavirus-lockdown-catch-up-weekend-classes-a4541981.html

I think MH has achieved his aim.

I’ve now seen at least 2 parents agree he’s right on one of the testing threads because their school wants a negative test for children with coughs who obviously just have a cold. 🤦‍♀️

If your child has a cough, you’re not in the 25% that is allegedly causing the issue. You’re in the 75% that meets the criteria for testing. And if that’s causing the issue, then the public and schools can’t be to blame it’s the government.

Missed that. Not sure how well that will go down with the get them back to school crowd. I don’t think that’s what they had in mind.

MH is talking through his bloody arse.

@AugustBreeze nothing she can do at the moment but wear her librarian badge, I suspect that the day she got it may be the proudest she's ever been . I'll go back to lurking now and for you all x

Can I ask if the Employer Referral for Essential Workers system gives priority now? Is it worth doing? Or was that just for when the general public were not eligible for testing?

How do they know exactly that all these people are getting tests with no symptoms ?
The blustering going on today is unbelievable. So last week we were encouraged to go to the pub and get a test if we were unwell.
Today we need to stay in groups of 6 and are taking tests unnecessarily.
No wonder people are confused.

noble that article is terrifying!

Full guidance out shortly re tests held by school, but there will be a cap on number and frequency, based on how many on roll. No mention of distance to test centre or demographic of area which could mean access problems to test centre.

The keyworker priority testing is current but one poster this morning says the code they give you isn't making it any less of a nightmare to book a test!

I've already had an email today telling me that our morning year team briefing will be 15 minutes earlier. I mean, I've got a 50 minute commute as it is. The staggered start means that other year group tutors can do it at the normal time. I'm just not doing it.

Press conference time.

God I’d forgotten about the hands, face, space bollocks.

Very small rate of increase in 11-14 & 15-16 yr olds.

Most increase in 17-18 yr olds & 19-21 year olds

@RafaIsTheKingOfClay

Very small rate of increase in 11-14 & 15-16 yr olds.

Most increase in 17-18 yr olds & 19-21 year olds

Hoping for masks in secondaries...

Urgh 'schools are safe'.

Absolute tosh.