The Thirty-Fifth Republic - Covid - the gift that keeps on giving even during the Christmas Break

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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

c) he doesn't want to deal with the exams crisis
d) his DD has mocks after Christmas

@Piggyinblankets indeed. I am wondering if it's a larger plan to ensure schools get the blame as it won't work so they will have to close anyway. It's like continual emotional and mental abuse from the government.

I'm getting sick of reading parents saying- well I'm in tier 4 only one case in our school. Don't they realise some schools are trying to suppress numbers just like the government?

I am feeling a bit aggrieved on behalf of Primary schools - we are getting barely a mention. Not that I want a rushed, ill thought out plan like secondaries have been lumbered with either.....I want to be in school, my class can’t really manage a lot of home learning - but I am also pretty anxious about it as things stand.

Some of them think that 14 cases in a school since October deserves the word 'only' before it. I honestly think they have no perspective.

Year 11 and 13 aside,where I understand the anxiety, I am so bored of this 'falling behind' guff. Recent governments have done an excellent number on parents there.

Can you imagine, even 30 years ago, that being such a huge anxiety?

I had a night heat flash insomnia blip and saw all the stuff about the army. The front pages of papers are interesting. Gav does seem to have been in a meeting; no idea why no statements from him though.

not least a bit in the times on how learning to meditate, mindfulness and try to be less selfish etc actually makes you egotistical and smug which I found amusing

Even staff don't know how many cases or even if a bubble has closed sometimes!

I'm getting angsty about sen. We were mentioned in original testing guidelines. Now we seem to have been dropped. Secondary sen would be included under secondary. Primary definitely should.

@Piggyinblankets nope like I have said before DH was at a London state school in the 80s there were strikes on and off for nearly 2 years about various things. In his words "no one gave a shit about the disruption to my education then" tbh I don't think he did either

I'm angry for all of us in education. Special school staff and primary too. We are all being massively let down.

@NeurotreeWenceslas re comments about staff not knowing. Nail on head.

I'm a pacifist so all this army stuff is grinding my gears.

Where I lived as a child the US army used to come and 'help' with things. This mainly involved trying to seduce teenage girls. Times have moved on , I am sure! But, since I grew up around squaddies during the troubles I don't have men in uniform thing : quite the opposite. It triggers rage! Sorry!

Most recent thing I read about the army was that they were simply logistics, so they might deliver the kits.

The bbc seems to indicate they'll be on hand and doing logistics and might rock up if there's a big outbreak.

Honestly this seems utter batshit.

I very much feel for those who have to be with the kids being tested. The risk surely increases.

Germany have had whole schools when necessary being tested since sept by medical staff.

I dot understand why the army thing is suddenly “news” - army support was mentioned before Xmas I think?

Steve Chalk saying “Oasis academy schools have been asked to pilot testing”

Staff tested next week
Student testing from the week after
No mention yet of which children are in when...

He’s saying the govt should pause and have a short delay - a week or two perhaps.

I thought they were softening everyone up for a short time of home learning (2 weeks or so) by showing us how bad it is in the hospitals, but I am actually starting to think they will just be sending us back as usual!

With regards to the testing of secondary kids, mine have to bus in, and would then presumably go for a test. There's just going to be positive kids floating about everywhere and that would be if the tests were even reliable.

I really didn't think it could get much worse!

Steve Chalk didn't sound happy from the bit I heard.

Absolutely no mention in all the headlines about reliability of tests or dangers of close contacts being allowed in school. This is being painted as means of salvation.

Am with you on no automatic love for anyone in a uniform, piggy.

I know I should know this by now but I'm so confused!

Is the testing weekly for all or just when there's a case for a bubble?

How are staff being tested?

Staff supposedly tested at start of term but this has been vague.

All students offered (this is an important point too which isn't being publicised)!tests at start of term.

Thereafter only close contacts tested for 7 consecutive school days.

Hmmm well we are clearly not included then. Zilch info.

I’ve family experience of army medics and logistics so I’m not averse to the involvement, but at the end of a phone line is cock all use.

@Piggyinblankets

Some of them think that 14 cases in a school since October deserves the word 'only' before it. I honestly think they have no perspective.

Year 11 and 13 aside,where I understand the anxiety, I am so bored of this 'falling behind' guff. Recent governments have done an excellent number on parents there.

Can you imagine, even 30 years ago, that being such a huge anxiety?

I might put the word only before 14 if that was how many a school had since October, as we had at least 14 in one week... (I wish we'd only had 14 cases since October...)

It's getting beyond ridiculous now Nothing from the meeting yesterday and the press reporting old news e.g. armed forces supporting testing.

We are now, technically, only 2 working days from returning (today and tomorrow if you take out NYE and NYD) and we still don't know exactly what's happening

I don't want schools to be online but realistically, with the data and hospital news, I don't see how we can all just go back as we were before Christmas.

At least if we knew, we could plan properly. At the moment, I am having to plan 11/13 for in school and remote as I have no idea if plans will change.

No, he didn’t December - his call for a short delay sounded more than reasonable and I think framing it as “let’s do it properly” is sensible.

This all sounds so nuts. We at least know here that we have between 11th and 18th online, but if England go back as normal you can be sure we'll all be in on the 18th, despite the whole country being level 4.
Woke up to find everything covered in snow, which was quite nice

Blimey they are talking about schools a lot on radio 4. Feels like virtually every other guest has been asked their opinion on schools returning.

Agree with support via a telephone being next to useless

This is just bonkers. Does nobody in charge give a shit that these tests don’t work!? It’s all smoke and mirrors.