The Thirty-Third Republic - End of term and DfE threats- cheers all!

[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

We had to fight to get our resource base kids in over lockdown - they come in taxis, which didn't run initially. Lots of conversations convincing parents.

They don't do home learning because they don't have devices they can work on, or don't speak English very well. 73% EAL. 64% PP. Woohoo!

Luckily (!?) I had a few nervous parents this term, and lots of kids got stuck overseas at 'home' during the summer, so I only really had a class of 17 regular attendees. We're also down the end of a corridor where no one ever comes, and had our own access to the playground. Quite easy to isolate our bubble from the rest of the school.

Here comes Boris to spread Christmas cheer

I have been released and met a friend for lunch. It was so lovely. I really, really enjoyed it and feel like a human being again.

Cannot believe I'm in on Monday though. A parent who has done no other homework throughout term or during SI has sent me a message to ask if the party will be on Monday or Tuesday as they missed out

Oh a parent of a vulnerable child who she wouldn't bring in at all during lockdown, and who did no work at all at home with, complained to the head that I hadn't given her any maths homework this term.

Very outing as I’ve shared elsewhere hence anon user name but I sent this to our dear friend Gav today.

Dear Mr. Williamson,
I am writing to you in your role as Education Secretary as a concerned parent, primary school teacher and, particularly today, as the wife of a secondary school senior leader.

I have some simple questions for you related to your department’s last minute secondary school announcement of the afternoon of 17th December. I very much look forward to your reply.

1. Can you guarantee schools will be provided with enough test supplies to test all of their students and staff over the week commencing 4th January? (N.B. There were 3.41 million pupils in secondary schools in January 2020 explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics.)

1. Can you confirm exactly when these tests will arrive at schools?

1. Would you be able to organise a full testing programme – or indeed any large-scale project beyond your usual area of expertise - with 1 working day’s notice and without the full guidance?

1. Re: 3 – do you therefore feel this is a reasonable ask of Headteachers?

1. Using the information on p.8 of the Schools and Colleges Testing Handbook (schoolsweek.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Schools_Colleges_Testing-Handbook_version-3.3-Copy.pdf), it will take 3 hours and 9 staff members to test 100 people. My husband’s school has 1100 students. Should they look to make their school day last 33 hours OR should they employ 54 additional staff members to be able to test everyone if we assume a school day is 6 hours long?

1. Re:5, exactly how much do you consider to be ‘reasonable expenses’ for the additional staff that will be needed to deliver testing in schools? When will schools receive this funding? Does it risk being reduced in the same way promised laptop allocations were?

1. Given the news you are offering a £1000 bonus and the ability to carry leave over (& take some immediately the project is finished) to DfE staff for working on the testing project over the Christmas period, what will you be offering to Headteachers and other school staff working on the project during the same period?

1. How long does the usual recruitment process take at the DfE? Is it more or less than 8 working days from start to finish?

1. Re: 8, do you therefore feel this is a reasonable period of time to give schools to recruit staff and / or volunteers to deliver the expected testing programme?

10. Which school will you be volunteering in?

11. School staff and unions have been calling for testing programmes in schools since before the wider reopening of June 1st. Rising infection rates in secondary schools have been known since at least October. The wider Christmas mixing plans were announced in November. Why has your department waited until a day before the end of term to announce their January testing plans?

12. In light of the all the above, are you and your department acting wilfully poorly towards schools and school staff or are you just incompetent?

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas, and in anticipation of your prompt and illuminating response.

@User123456123456

Very outing as I’ve shared elsewhere hence anon user name but I sent this to our dear friend Gav today.

Dear Mr. Williamson,
I am writing to you in your role as Education Secretary as a concerned parent, primary school teacher and, particularly today, as the wife of a secondary school senior leader.

I have some simple questions for you related to your department’s last minute secondary school announcement of the afternoon of 17th December. I very much look forward to your reply.

1. Can you guarantee schools will be provided with enough test supplies to test all of their students and staff over the week commencing 4th January? (N.B. There were 3.41 million pupils in secondary schools in January 2020 explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics.)

1. Can you confirm exactly when these tests will arrive at schools?

1. Would you be able to organise a full testing programme – or indeed any large-scale project beyond your usual area of expertise - with 1 working day’s notice and without the full guidance?

1. Re: 3 – do you therefore feel this is a reasonable ask of Headteachers?

1. Using the information on p.8 of the Schools and Colleges Testing Handbook (schoolsweek.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Schools_Colleges_Testing-Handbook_version-3.3-Copy.pdf), it will take 3 hours and 9 staff members to test 100 people. My husband’s school has 1100 students. Should they look to make their school day last 33 hours OR should they employ 54 additional staff members to be able to test everyone if we assume a school day is 6 hours long?

1. Re:5, exactly how much do you consider to be ‘reasonable expenses’ for the additional staff that will be needed to deliver testing in schools? When will schools receive this funding? Does it risk being reduced in the same way promised laptop allocations were?

1. Given the news you are offering a £1000 bonus and the ability to carry leave over (& take some immediately the project is finished) to DfE staff for working on the testing project over the Christmas period, what will you be offering to Headteachers and other school staff working on the project during the same period?

1. How long does the usual recruitment process take at the DfE? Is it more or less than 8 working days from start to finish?

1. Re: 8, do you therefore feel this is a reasonable period of time to give schools to recruit staff and / or volunteers to deliver the expected testing programme?

10. Which school will you be volunteering in?

11. School staff and unions have been calling for testing programmes in schools since before the wider reopening of June 1st. Rising infection rates in secondary schools have been known since at least October. The wider Christmas mixing plans were announced in November. Why has your department waited until a day before the end of term to announce their January testing plans?

12. In light of the all the above, are you and your department acting wilfully poorly towards schools and school staff or are you just incompetent?

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas, and in anticipation of your prompt and illuminating response.

Brilliant. What about

13. Will the 10 day self isolation period be scrapped for all members of the population, and replaced with these tests? That will mean that next time Boris holds a meeting with no masks, no social distancing and all windows shut with someone that tests positive, he won’t have to disappear off home for 10 days?

Thanks user!

@DollyMixtureLulus

Here comes Boris to spread Christmas cheer

I have been released and met a friend for lunch. It was so lovely. I really, really enjoyed it and feel like a human being again.

Cannot believe I'm in on Monday though. A parent who has done no other homework throughout term or during SI has sent me a message to ask if the party will be on Monday or Tuesday as they missed out

Bloody hell - some parents make our job hard not the kids

The in-laws have understandably cancelled coming over in Xmas day. We cancelled going to the my parents, who are a 2 hour drive away, on sunday.

Bbc news don't think 'it' will include schools. They're asking the question about schools as it was insinuated that the spread was in schools. Answer was, that's why rapid testing put in. ... so yes.

Are you in school on Monday Dolly??

Brilliant @User123456123456 I may well use some of that in letter to my MP to ask Gav and the gang

Someone said the tests was how Trump etc got many infected.
I would still SI contacts and especially the positive and family members.
I would do random tests in scbools plus the
Headaches/stomach aches /sore throats.

Otherwise youll just have everyone is a contaxt and testing daily. but travelling in on pt to get there

Tier 4 for me.

I can go to church. Oh, and schol I expect.

DH kicking off about golf. Sorry lurkers.

school

Oh that’s harsh on Tier 4 areas. And mainly because infection has been driven by schools

Just bobbing in to say hello, and what a shit show - just when you think it couldnt get any worse... fuckwits!

Don't worry, I'll close the door after me but leave all the windows open 😶

It did get worse as I am so missed off I didn't even notice my missing apostrophe 😣

FFS - pissed not missed. Grrr!

Omg-we are Tier 4. We were Tier 1 before the last lockdown!!

We are still Tier 3, for all the good it will do us.

Boris just literally said shielding people in top tiers should not be asked to work. Has he told the DfE this??

Shielding teachers will be on holiday so at least won’t have to fight that battle.

Tier 4 here too.

I get that but he did seem surprised that those in tier 3 areas had been at work!

DH kicking off about golf. Sorry lurkers.

. Well played there!