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

DH has no extra precautions at school, no RA , nothing. I think he is feeling anxious but juts getting one with it. he has gone 50% this year so at least exposure is cut down. No point in keeping away from us, though, then!

I am not sure I really buy into all this washing clothes etc. I think that might be quite out of date advice. But if people want to do it then that's fine by me.

I do feel the sword of Damocles hovering over us a bit.

Just so tired and haven't sorted all my planning for tomorrow yet....

A few of my class have had really tough lockdowns and now there are back in the safety of school they are struggling in rather an explosive way.

It is hard. I can cope at the moment - it's only been a few weeks (and a couple of weeks in with KW children before the summer) but I don't know if it's good for my marriage to do this for a year or more!

Gosh I’m so far behind on this thread. Another case at dd school and one of them I know the family well and they are literally infecting each other.
My stress levels through the roof , I’m actually sending her to catch it
Will read through now and catch up but sending tea and cake to everyone

DH and I wash clothes, have showers when we get home. He is sleeping downstairs and we have our windows open at home more.... trying to avoid each other because of the risks in schools!!

No danger of closing windows in our house! DG always has them open!

DH even...

DD(15) has the HUGEST tonsils today, so we kept her off school.

My class was 4 kids down to day, from 6 down on Fri. Not usually this many off in one this early in the term, but they've not been mixing in large class groups for a long time, so I'm sure it's that. One SI after being told to by T&T.

3 members of staff off waiting for results of tests (if they could get them) for themselves or family members.

I'm taking every day I can get with my class as 'normal' before we get a case and have to isolate - I really feel at the moment it's a matter of 'when' rather than 'if' that happens, especially if schools are going to be kept open til the bitter end this time.

Do any of you think we will follow France and give up on sending bubbles home?

Do any of you think we will follow France and give up on sending bubbles home?

I’m behind with news (and planning, and washing and life). What’s going on in France?

@WhyNotMe40 I can certainly see it's appeal to the government...

As a doctor's wife has just pointed out on Daily Numbers, the testing priority statement is in a sense worthless as it doesn't mention "and any household member" - for HCPs, teachers or the other categories.

Oh wait a minute, I thought I was posting about two separate issues..... ?

@WhenSheWasBad French gouvernment Have today announced that if a primary child tests positive none of their classmates or teachers is considered a contact and therefore don't have to isolate....

France will only consider sending bubbles home if more than 3, (I think) cases are positive in each bubble.

Apparently the education minister there is insisting that younger pupils are not contagious.....

@WhyNotMe40

Do any of you think we will follow France and give up on sending bubbles home?

I'd bet my mortgage on it.

Extract from an open letter to the CMOs from lots of doctors published in The Lancet:

"As evidence accumulates for airborne transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, measures which would help control the virus while also promoting economic recovery include mandating face coverings in crowded indoor spaces, improving ventilation (especially of schools and workplaces), continuing to require social distancing, and continuing to discourage large indoor gatherings, especially when vocalisation is involved. With measures like these, much of society will be able to function effectively while keeping the risk of transmission relatively low."

France will only consider sending bubbles home if more than 3, (I think) cases are positive in each bubble

Oh god. My primary school kids are better at social distancing than teenagers.

Thanks for updating me why and august I kind of wish I hadn’t asked. It’s going to be a complete lockdown in all but schools soon.

Good rant by Michael Tidd here:

www.tes.com/news/how-dare-gavin-williamson-criticise-teachers

I am lying awake listening to DD coughing uncontrollably in the next room and feeling guilty for worrying about work when I should be focusing on her. I swear the throat swab from the test this evening has made her cough worse- is that a thing? Or has all the stress turned me into a covid conspiracy theorist??

How very dare he indeed.

I can’t sleep: stressing.

If I ask for a test unnecessarily then it lets down work, stops ds being educated and gives the nightmare of trying to set cover and disrupting groups some of which are disruptive enough already without adding in supply and missed lessons. Ergo harder when I go back.

Before I thought that if someone had symptoms they isolated but the rest of the house didn’t unless they themselves got symptoms or the original person tested positive. Has this really changed or are schools changing it to whole household isolates themselves?

Bit confused again.

Throat is awful, headache still going strong, couple of bouts of coughing and feel flu like. No sneezing or sniffling though my sinuses hurt. No temperature last I checked.

Ordered takeaway because I was knackered and needed to feed ds but only managed to eat about a quarter of mine.

It’s actually awful having to self diagnose like this. I know the test result is the dx but I’m having to decide do I risk disrupting the kids learning and increasing colleagues workload or do I risk potentially having it and passing it on. I don’t like either option and wish someone like a doctor or my employee would decide for me.

Honey, whatever you decide, you are NOT going into work tomorrow.

Another bout of coughing and you are getting a test.

It's always been that family of people with symptoms have to self-isolate. It's the family of symptomless contacts that don't.

Either way, you really don't sound well. I know you are reluctant to, but I would get a test tbh. If a couple of bouts of coughing is 3 or more then you meet the criteria.

I’m not working till Wednesday hence pausing. It’s been 2 bouts of coughing no temperature but I’d been taking paracetamol.

Will see if I get another coughing spell and take temperature in morning when there’s no paracetamol in my system.

I wish they’d made GPs the tests and funding so we could actually talk to our own surgeries and take medical advice.

I’ve got/had lots of the who symptoms list but it feels like unless you cough for over an hour solid and have a temperature of 37.8 you are meant to ignore it when actually a significant proportion of people didn’t have those symptoms but tested positive.

Sorry for all the moaning and hand wringing and thanks for clarifying about household members. I think that business of family members of someone who is a close contact of a confirmed case is what I must have gotten it mixed up with.

I agree with noble. You are not fit for work and you will need a test if you have another coughing episode. If colleagues workload is increased and learning is disrupted it's not because of a choice you made. Widespread disruption was inevitable when they decided to open all schools fully at the same time along with loads of other stuff that had been closed for months and no effective tracing and testing system to support the process. I feel guilty because I'm isolating for the second time since we came back but I keep reminding myself I didn't vote for this shower of shite and I didn't make the rules, I'm just following them so this is not on me.

That's why I'd get a test if you get another bout of coughing. It officially qualifies you for a test and you have enough other symptoms to suggest that you are ill with something even if it isn't Covid.

It's a bit early for flu, but plenty of other winter viruses share similar symptoms.