The Twenty-second Republic - the DfE have no idea, Gav MIA, bubbles in and out

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

Track and trace info meant a pupil of mine had to go home thurs because they had been in contact with someone the previous weekend.

Got back from Sainsbos, it was fine. The only thing that was missing from the shelves was my preferred brand of prosecco

I did hear a couple discussing whether they should 'panic buy some pasta'.

Sorry can't post a link but the NEU Gen Secs have written open letter to the PM demanding immediate action if he wants to keep schools open - re testing crisis, social distancing etc (Nightingale Schools??), next summer's exams.

Reminds him that GW apparently wrote to all heads on 07/09 saying that all staff and students who needed tests would get them.

Having a lovely day thank you everyone! DS1 has just turned up having fixed his brother's IPad (DS2 who is disabled and in the care home) as DS2 smashed it (despite being in the toughest of cases) during last lockdown. Got another case (had to get it from the US) and now DS2 bounding around happily with his fixed IPad

Glad to hear it Monkey.

I feel so shit about going to work tomorrow. I'm not well (not the three symptoms though) there's a staff case at work and nothing whatsoever to prevent it flying round the school. DH doesn't get it at all. It's very lonely.

@SaltyAndFresh - the loneliness is definitely the worst. Pretending to be fine about it all so no one worries too much. I hate the faux cheerfulness at work so much. I’d feel better if we could just all admit it’s pretty awful and quite frightening!

@SaltyAndFresh

I hear you, Salty. My DP is a firm member of the "it's all exaggerated" camp. Which is nice when you only have to go to the office now two days per month, where there will only be two other people... in spite of the office being bigger than my classroom.

Lovely family moment, monkey 😍

Salty we're all here with you. If you're ill, don't go in. Last thing the school needs is other illnesses going around as well.

Oh yes I feel the same about everyone pretending. When non teachers ask about work I give them the harsh reality and they don't know what to say. It's a bit awkward to be honest.

16yo Dd has a raging sore and swollen throat. I'm letting her have tomorrow off if its like that in the morning. Not because I think its covid but because conditions in her high school aren't great for her look g after herself- she won't eat during the day for example because of timings and systems making using the dining room tricky in the time they have and the food isn't great as it's all brought in frozen...even the sandwiches. So she can stay home and eat and drink plenty if she's a bit under the weather tomorrow. Dh agrees. I'm aware some people do have a sore throat first so I've told her to tell me if she feels hot or starts coughing.

Thank you, This thread is my saviour. I'm not holding back on the details either. I won't do this without protest.

I checked with the head that raging throat and croaky voice is ok and he said it's absolutely fine

salty sorry you're feeling ill . I hope you feel much better very soon.

I've been speaking to another teacher from my school today who said "I had a rotten cold with a wet cough and I was still in school, because I need to save my sick days for when me or my kids are properly ill, not just for a cold". I had a similar conversation last week with other staff in my department where they were very disparaging about kids going for tests when they've just got a bit of a cough. Despite a cough literally being one of the 3 symptoms where you are supposed to isolate and test!!! But even the NEU specify that you need to test for a continuous DRY cough, so what hope do we have when our unions are giving advice that is not current NHS guidance?

www.theguardian.com/education/2020/sep/20/a-35000-in-school-covid-testing-machine-only-in-the-private-sector

Actually Salty, I'm going to say no to going in with a croaky voice. This is one of my bugbears - you get one set of vocal cords and if you bugger them, it's game over for teaching. I now won't go in if my voice is on the way out - I had a vocal cord paralysis years ago and it's still not normal now.

Good on you MrsH. It feels as if we're obliged not to be any other sort of ill than official Covid ill.

If they fuck about with our holidays this year I'll be resigning.

That sounds lovely monkey. Sorry to everyone feeling ill or worried about conditions at school. I didn't think we got a fixed amount of sick days 😟 Dc2 is 13 today and is currently in the rec with 4 friends who he sits next to in class. I assume that is within the rules. Enjoy the rest of Sunday!

After all manner of tests (including a barium meal and being swooshed about and xrayed!) and an operation and speech therapy, my consultant was pretty clear with me!!! I still have problems breathing when I exercise (so I mostly don't) and any cold goes straight to my voice. It's just not worth it and I don't want to have to go back to the headset mike I had to teach in

Sunday afternoon email from our head today to say a member of staff has tested positive. So now we've had 3 cases in school. Tomorrow's cover board will be interesting as he said staff in close contact with the person who tested positive are isolating now. This is how schools will close. I'm feeling anxious.

Evening!

Anyone else ready to scream at the next poster who wrongs their hands and say ‘schools can’t closed because the poor kids have already missed out on so much socialisation.’

We’re all being told not to socialise in large groups indoors but teenagers apparently need to be the exception. FFS.

I had to scrape two Yr11 off each other on Thursday. I can only assume they were trying to eat each other. I told them they were in contravention of the social distancing rules. They just went outside and carried on 🙄

As a social scientist , I feel the need to point out that they are misunderstanding the word socialisation if that is what they are saying.

I am wondering when our school email will appear!

You reported to BRTUS flump?

I told two year 10s to get off each other last week. They said they didn't know they were still supposed to socially distance in school.... I said the rules said "socially distance where possible".
But I can understand their confusion when they are in a scrum in the corridors and elbow to elbow in class..

@Piggywaspushed I hadn't thought to, but I really should. Thanks.