The Thirty-First Republic - oh the joy of on-line parents evenings

[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 staffroom password just in case it attracts the wrong sort

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 booze is stashed - Thirsty Tuesdays, Fizz Fridays now in operation.

If you come with a stick to goad us then that is not allowed in the staffroom and you will receive a detention

Good news MrsHP. I hope she continues to improve.

@Augustbreeze

Interesting interview with Glenys whatshername, Ofqual, on R4's PM tonight. She claims the pre-notification of topics at the end of Jan will help those who've missed school because teachers will have 4 months to focus on those areas of the syllabus.

Will it work like that, teachers?

Obviously the teachers of those who've not been disadvantaged so far will be able to focus this too?

4 months minus four weeks for Easter and two half terms!

They don’t like to give us much time do they?

Can you believe that my first A Level exam is only 3 days later than it usually is?!

Bunch of incompetent idiots!

Dd2 is gutted that the SATs are still going ahead

My DS was gutted that his were cancelled, particularly the maths!

Don't know about you, but I think our current Y7s are much weaker than they would normally be without having that big SATs push - it's not just all the time they had off school because most of them were in in June.

Oh yes, the year 7s this year are definitely much, much weaker than normal. The top sets are pretty decent, but the others need so much more practice on the absolute basics. It's a similar story with our year 12s who didn't get the big push of revision before the GCSEs.

Some of my year 12 can barely string a sentence together. I've one who got an 8 who hasn't a clue how to analyse a text. Some digging revealed a pattern of extremely impressive grades from one feeder school which saw its best ever results ... by a lot!

Hi all sorry I haven't been on for a while, hope everyone is ok. DH is really struggling with a non Covid related health issue. God I'm knackered.... I phoned LBC earlier to talk about the contingency exam stuff (err like when are they going to happen?) but a teacher was on there just prior to me who said exactly that so didn't bother. Anyway, thinking of everyone x

Yes our year 7 are much the same. Top end fine, middle band awash with depleted number skills. Year 8 it's like they have never done maths before!!

My year 12s are pretty good on the whole. we take them with a 4 (really!), so the most noticeable thing is that many of those 4s would not be in sixth form had they sat an exam...

Science - top end absolutely bloody brilliant - some of them obviously spent lockdown swallowing the entire BBC Bitesize for KS3 science.
Bottoms are the weakest I've ever had outside of special schools. Some are literally at "see spot run" and I have to do related colouring in diagrams, and keyword crosswords and clozes. Super easy ones.

Re strike action. I didn't get onto the NEU chat as I'm still child wrangling, but I don't think we should strike - no public support. However I do think there could be an organised section 5 walk out - no universal masks, or adequate ventilation, or social distancing etc, then it is flagged up to the government and the press and HSE and everyone. Even if it is only one staged hour.

Glenys seems to believe/be actively promoting the idea that all syllabus teaching will be done by about Jan and the rest is revision. I still have three whole texts to go!!

I cannot see how this is better. So much spoon feeding will go on. I actually think it makes the playing field virtually vertical!

Hey Monkey sorry to hear about your DH, especially when things are already tough. Hope he gets well soon. Have pmed you.

Keep up the good LBC phone-in effort! Maybe next time...

@monkeytennis97 sorry to hear that I hope your DH gets better soon!

@MrsHerculePoirot great news!

I am glad KS1 SATs have been cancelled -my DS is Y2 so would have been doing them.

As for exams - I am glad we will know topics but just wish it was before end of January I do worry though that next year's Y12s will have big knowledge gaps!

Current Y12 (Physics) are actually very strong which is good.

Other years is a real mixed bag. So many gaps in knowledge and skills. It feels like an insurmountable task sometimes

In the three councils I can see data for, far more boys than girls are testing positive consistently.

This is also true of my school... do we think this is the 'man flu' effect? Do boys seem more 'ill'? Do they make more of a fuss? Or are they less often ill and so it is more marked? Three of our four boys have all had SEN, too so maybe concerned parents.

This is not he same in adults so it can't be a property of the virus.

When exposed equally men get more ill.
With sen they possibly have more restricted diet or less time outside. (My friend's dc didnt want to be in the park with friends, wanted to be inside playing on a phone).

Did the newspapers cover asthma being removed vulnerable list? (Unless severe)
It seemed to happen quite suddenly.
Leaving the ones under 50 not getting vaxxed.

Thanks everyone x Noble have pmed you🤞😊

Thanks everyone - definitely lifted my spirits.

@monkeytennis97 sorry about your DH. Sounds like something you could all do without right now.

@ChloeDecker and @starrynight19 how are you guys feeling?

Totally agree about strike action not working as no support and we have jobs etc. I really like that idea @WhyNotMe40 of a staged hour to raise awareness of health and safety.

Missed herc's post from earlier - glad to hear that the student is being properly dealt with. Hope you are feeling better after a good sleep.

Thanks MrsHerculePoirot! I am still very itchy! The rash has spread to my stomach and gone over my elbows today. DD got results back and positive too. She’s fine really and her rash on the backs of her knees has pretty much faded.
Still no other symptoms.
Definitely come through the positive case in DDs class and passed on to me. Children don’t spread it my arse!

Hey all quietly reading and lurking and posting on the odd school thread.

Sorry to hear about dh monkey

Thanks for asking MrsHercule and great news hope she keeps improving.
Not great here honestly feel awful. Don’t know how I will be able to go back to work next week. I am much worse than dp was. Was a bit worried today that I am going backwards but have been reassured it’s normal.

The benefit of being at home meant I could watch Gavins car crash today. Can’t see him being allowed out for long. Disappointed in sats still going ahead in primary for apparently no purpose. And still not sure how any of the proposals work in secondary either. Sadly my y11 dd seems to have given up at the minute and I don’t have the energy to encourage her. Luckily my other dd is getting all online lessons as her form got sent home yesterday due to a positive case so she is busy and focused.

Don’t know how I will be able to go back to work next week

Don’t push yourself, starry, other teachers have and had to go off again. If necessary you can ask for a phased return. You need to take care of yourself x

So sorry to hear you are wiped out starry. It’s so hard not to worry about schools and the kids I totally get it. We have been programmed to put the job first and in times like these, need to know it’s ok to focus on our own health

Feel better soon starry.
Dont do too much. Stay hydrated.

Hope you feel better soon @starrynight19 dose yourself up on vitamin D,C and zinc

Hope you feel better soon Starry, but don't go back too soon.

Definitely don't go back to soon. You have been pushed into this situation; it's time for someone else to pick up the pieces.