The Twenty-third Republic - school attendance not great - half term to be renamed circuit break?

[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

The classrooms of 60 will probably happen. Although I’ve no idea how you could manage the behaviour of 60 kids.

At our school the year 9 area has loads of room to do a classroom of 60. Years 11 & 10 could just about manage a few classrooms with 60.

The year 7 & 9 zones don’t have the space though. Especially year 9.

So happy that never happened for us in March. We had proportionately more kids off than staff (panicking rather than with symptoms) so double classes never happened - we had tiny classes in some cases. And then we closed year groups when staff went down.

Work are piling more and more stuff on as if it's a normal year

That’s happening in my school too. I’m providing the lessons on teams to any kids who are shielding - if we get anymore at home I can see we’ll be asked to provide a lesson for them at home and we will teach the kids at school too.
I just don’t have the hours in the day to do this.

We combined some classes in March, but so many children were off the number in a combined class was less than a normal class. Education had gone out the window at that point - mainly kept them safe for an hour, answered covid questions and tried to show them where to find online work.

It's all feeling a bit like a rerun of March at the moment. I've got at least 1 child with an X in each class. We didn't have any confirmed positives last week, but I fear that is lack of test availability rather than no cases...

I've had some classes with up to 8 Xs and some with none. I'm sure that (based on the coughing I witnessed before the kids went off) that some have it and have passed it around but very few parents are even attempting to get a test. They're just off for 3-5 days and back again.

Got up early to get lessons planned and complete this year's individual appraisal form. Hoping this means I won't be going to bed too late tonight, as will only have marking left for the evening. A lovely colleague messaged me to say she had marked our class's tests (we were supposed to be doing a half each) - it's the little things that touch you, isn't it?

5 lesson day tomorrow. I seem to be falling asleep after those days as soon as I've got the dc to bed. Luckily this year I have Tuesdays and Thursdays off, so can work on those days instead of very late nights. Hats off to the full-timers here. I don't think I could do it.

Yeah, I've got a suspicious number off with sore throat or headache (so I not X on register), think some parents are altering the symptoms so they can send back without isolating :(

I just came on to post that Guardian article. We will be there till the bitter end, won't we?

One thing that's making me nervous is that if as a household we have to SI again, I will need to continue to teach via Teams but my DC's school is refusing to set work other than homework so far. They're going to be spending a very long time playing Minecraft.

I’ve had loads off with sore throat and headache which seems fine until you look at the most common symptoms in children.

Stomach upsets too...

DS has a sniffle and a frog in his throat since Friday. Good appetite though and can smell and taste things.

Of all of us in the family, he is the one prone to sniffles.

We are now SD in our own household! Luckily we have a big front room!

I'm exhausted and just been sick out of the blue. Definitely not pregnant, could this be corona? Bet I'll be expected to teach on teams from my bed.

Oh, Herc. It could be exhaustion/anxiety but I'd look after yourself and not assume anything.

Piggy, we've been sd in our house since 1st September (literally separate sitting and bedrooms). It's absolutely miserable.

I am getting so fed up of parents not seeing through the government when they are trying to discourage young people from getting tests.

On the WIWIKAU FB page a parent says her DS has a COUGH and various other freshers' flu like stuff and nearly everyone replies'oh, don't waste testing! It's a precious resource'...

That patronising thread! It’s so obviously goading for an outraged response from teachers. I am sitting firmly on my hands. Will. Not. Give. Them. The. Satisfaction.

I do think that OP needs to come over to staffroom where it is safe. Not sure of the agenda there.

herc don't forget the 48 hour role for sickness. I hope you feel better soon 💐

I'm not SD in my household as I'm the one bringing the most risk into the house and I'm the one most at risk if I catch it. The others aren't really bothered if I give it to them.

I'm sorry so many people are feeling exhausted and stressed. I wish I could make it better for you all. I will never complain about my school ever again, as at least our SLT seem to be trying to prioritise our wellbeing as much as possible by not stacking extras on top of our normal workload.

Reading about what some schools are expecting of teachers is making me really appreciate mine. The school are setting generic cover work for kids who are off isolating because it would be ‘ridiculous’ to expect individual teachers to do this for each of their classes. I don’t have to do anything extra except at KS5 where I send the ppt or mymaths lesson or whatever.

My school is slightly less Covid safe than others, I think, mainly due to no mask wearing (not banned but not encouraged) but, by god, they are trying hard not to load us with extra work or pressure. Obviously, there's the inevitable remote learning provision requirement but other than that, very light touch.

Thanks DrMadelineMaxwell (I love those books!!)
Just a nightmare that SLT wander around all the time checking we are keeping to the expected timetable. I am hoping that the teachers are going to feedback how difficult it is (as TA obviously I don't get to feed back at staff meetings because we don't go!) with children arriving all the time.
After a quiet day yesterday I now feel like another sore throat is coming my way but I will hope it doesn't come to anything.
Best wishes to you all for a restful Sunday.

Did anyone watch the 'Scientists debate' on sky on Sophy Ridge?

Maybe I had too high expectations. Yes they said their point of view but not really why? The Oxford woman said they need to sit down and look at figures. I thought they would have some for their debate.

I felt like nothing was really debated but the imperial guys opinion was my preference.

Some of your schools sound excellent.

We are covid safe and not marking anything physical. However everything is on screen so marking load js outrageous for maths. (if we followed policy, we aren't).

We have to upload a lesson for X code students. This takes at least half an hour a day for 3 lessons. (long lessons mean only 3 per day). SLT "just upload your ppt" a ppt with only questions on is useless to the students. I use Corbett maths mostly.

Add on the revision class timetable which a poor lowly pastoral guy circulated and had 30+ angry replies with "this isn't directed time" in them. Then assessments and feedback on teams. Rehashing lessons to make them suitable for mixed ability. The whole thing is a perfect storm.

Very grateful to our head and SLT - all of whom teach.
Teachers are now allowed to wear masks if not teaching, marking has been reduced to one in depth piece of work a fortnight (on paper to be quarantined) and books are not expected to be marked.
We don't have to provide work for X marked students unless it is a whole group - but isolating year groups will shortly need zoom teaching, which I'm a bit nervous about, but everything else - they are doing what they can.
Shame the windows don't open more than a crack, and we still have classes of 30+, but that's out of SLT control....

What was it about riga?

That guardian article is hideous. There won't be many schools that can easily do that.

We definitely can't.

We have had no guidance at all about X codes, unless my HOF just hasn't told us, which is possible. We are providing work upon request for virtually all absent children.