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

Wow! Sturgeon talking about schools.

What’s she saying, @RigaBalsam

@Isthatitnow

I guess because it's the holiday and to tell us now what the plan is would give schools too much notice

Of course! Lightbulb moment!

It's the holidays.

Can you imagine if the government made a decision about what we needed to do in January and stuck to it NOW? We might know what we were doing ...

That would be ridiculous. It's far better for them to make their announcements about education at 4pm on Sunday 3rd Jan.

What better way to keep education staff on their toes ?

I'm fucking dreading January and feb. The chaos .... argh.... this new strain. Feck.

I'm mentally shortening all my planned plans to what we really need to get done.

I heard him saying education open

I think online learning until the 18th except the usual exceptions.

I think they'll keep primary open.

I suppose it's whether they look at how schools work in very high areas/ tier 4s, esp secondary, esp as it's more contagious. And in that context, sen schools too. We did operate a v successful week on and off routine.

They may also have to look at ecv staff too by the sounds of things.

What better way to keep education staff on their toes

This government is like that tricksy Y 9 who is full of charm but will periodically launch a chair at your head without warning.

Sturgeon also announced a staggered return to school for pupils, with schools online only until 18 January, other than for the children of key workers who can return on 11 January.

Which they can do of course because they have already cancelled their exams...

What if what they are not telling us is that they know that this strain is more transmissible in children? It would be a genius mutation..

I'll grab my tinfoil hat...

@SmileEachDay

What better way to keep education staff on their toes

This government is like that tricksy Y 9 who is full of charm but will periodically launch a chair at your head without warning.

Nah - because I think that said y9 would have given the chair launching at least 3 seconds thought before hand.

Which is more than I can say for boris and gav

@NeurotreeWenceslas

I think they'll keep primary open.

I suppose it's whether they look at how schools work in very high areas/ tier 4s, esp secondary, esp as it's more contagious. And in that context, sen schools too. We did operate a v successful week on and off routine.

They may also have to look at ecv staff too by the sounds of things.

You think we might not be staying open ? (Sen) I'm in tier 4. Fortunately I'm also not english and don't celebrate Christmas so on this side of things I don't mind but.....

piggy

If that’s the case I predict we’ll get 2 months of SCHOOLS MUST OPEN followed by an announcement at 10.30 on a Friday evening that schools have to sort it all out. Then an article in the Sun saying that teachers are awful human beings.

So sorry for all of you in T4. It's shit having to cancel plans so late in the day.

We're in T2. My parents and sister are all in T3. We weren't going to see any of them over the easing, but were counting on being able to see them outside in the new year. I don't think we'll be seeing them at all now ☹️ We'll manage with teams meetings over the festive period and see them at Easter.

Sorry, MsAwesome :(

We also had to cancel new year plans to see my parents due to differing tiers, so same boat as you.

It’s shit.

Literally no plans cancelled except golf and DS1's haircut. We are naturals for lockdown!! But my sympathies to those of you who are more networked.

DS's laptop is currently in Curry's for repair... do you think he will be able to get it back??? Surely they'll have a system.

This variant being more transmissable in children would make absolute sense.
It is like we create antibiotic resistance.
If you reduce infection routes in every place other than schools - then mutations that cause the virus to spread more in children will quickly become the dominant mutation.

Fuck. Wasn’t expecting Nicola to close schools again. Back to remote teaching until January 18 for me. Yay.

Tier 2 here, but on the border of Tier 3, where my parents and in-laws live. We had already cancelled plans to meet up as they are all elderly/vulnerable and both DH and I are working in the community, face to face with all and sundry - and of course our DC are both in secondary school. It wasn’t worth the risk. I had hoped to drop presents off on their driveways and chat from a distance on 23rd but not sure if that’s even allowed now. I suspect it isn’t.

In some twisted noir way it might almost be a good thing - it might actually make them take action and fund mitigations in schools

I'm completely expecting England to follow Scotland. Back to lockdown 1 with schools, even primary. More people will send in vulnerable or KW kids though, because there is less fear this time. Just for 3 week or something.

I work in T4, we live in T2, supposed to be going to T1 for Xmas, with in laws from T3. Partner on phone to them right now. Erk.

My mum is 200 miles away. My dad is a little further. I'm in tier 3 and they're both in 2. I was holding out some vague hope that I might be able to go down but it's futile if I can't stay over. And there's really not enough clear space since the end of term, and it's unlikely that the covid test I have on Tuesday as part of the trial will be back in time anyway. I just feel so sad.

I’m so sorry @MrsChristmasHamlet - it’s such a tough situation