The Thirty-seventh Republic - Mass testing rolls on - school staff remain expendable

[SantaAssociationRepresentitve]

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

Some very cross people on Twitter today!

That photo needs some sort of award for Services To Memes this year.

Even I've done some tweeting and I don't actually have any followers! If any of you would like to follow me..?

I’d like to Gleaming

@Piggyinblankets

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/948529/Weekly_COVID-19_and_Influenza_Surveillance_Graphs_w53.pdf

PHE this week

Finding the graph on rates by level of deprivation interesting. I expected the most deprived folk to have highest rate (retail work and high occupancy) and it's the lowest

Rah. As expected all staff are expected on site next week and we're teaching everyone online.

Why have the DfE removed the consent form from the mass testing guidance?!

Just received an email update

Currently watching what Geoff Barton said to school leaders. Wil report back if anything is interesting.

ISC, Cof E, ASCL, Unison all meeting today about testing.

He said online learning for year 11 and 13 only was daft because teachers who were freed up weren't supposed to be involved in the testing. So he still thinks year 11 and 13 only get teaching.

Otherwise he basically says watch this space.

@SmileEachDay

I’d like to Gleaming

And me!

@MrsHamlet

Rah. As expected all staff are expected on site next week and we're teaching everyone online.

We have had the same type of email.

@GleamingBaubles

Even I've done some tweeting and I don't actually have any followers! If any of you would like to follow me..?

I’d like to follow you too! I also don’t have many followers but every little helps.

(Consent form gone???)

Now love our Head even more. Staff and parents have had emails. Absolutely no mention of testing! Plus teaching staff are to WFH if poss. Associate staff in and then plans will be made for rest of week. Non-exam years to go ahead with online lessons as was already planned at end of last term (although they will have only planned one week not two?!)

Apparently there won't be any school transport, which surprised me. Is this happening elsewhere? Govt obviously assumed it would continue as there was mention in the original testing guidance of students possibly having to use it just to come in to get tested.

@Achristmaspudsskidu

Why have the DfE removed the consent form from the mass testing guidance?!

Just received an email update

That's concerning.

It must just be to adjust the format or change an element. They can't possibly remove consent from the tests entirely.

Oh and DD and I now know her mocks are being moved back a week.

https://schoolsweek.co.uk/more-confusion-after-dfe-u-turn-means-schools-now-required-to-offer-mass-testing/?fbclid=IwAR2msjq6JZaCDFVSmrxVD4Xa-XKoY57oGWyoWss_aeS1LX6PZEiDnTtWHdY

The consent form contained information about the efficacy of the tests I think.

A MN thread says that DfE have just tweeted that not all secondaries will open fully on the 18th, in line with the primaries???

Thank you @ MrsHamlet . Finally an email from school, staff back in next week providing remote learning for all years. Ironically staff are unable to live teach unless they take their own laptops in as our IT won't support it. Plus my classroom is being used as a room for keyworkers, so no live teaching for me. I could do it from home...

We are teaching from home (although can go in if we prefer). We're donig virtual assemblies/form time with all year groups as planned. Then ONLY remotely teachint Y11 and Y13.
Week after Y11 and Y13 in and remote teaching everyone else (unclear if we will need to be in then).
First lot of lateral flow tests offered to staff next week - we've asked parents to volunteer to support running the testing.... basically our school are trying to make it as easy as possible for us and will update us next week.

@DecemberStar is it this? The asterisk saying after the 18th some may still be remote (within the 'contingency framework')

@DecemberStar

A MN thread says that DfE have just tweeted that not all secondaries will open fully on the 18th, in line with the primaries???

That was what Gavin said yesterday, though it was not clear whether the areas were the same ones as the primaries.

Lots more cases today and death back log. 😓😓😓