The Thirty-eight republic - Covid Carnage - Schools still waiting for test kits

[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-

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-SWOT - school workers opposing teacherbashers
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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

Message from the Head - no test kits have turned yet! He has a training session on Monday. The DfE told him to state that the tests had 98% accuracy so he tweaked the letter a little bit as we do have some litigious parents and he doesn't want to take the rap for DfE spin

So we're supposed to lie about this too? FFS.

I literally can't cope with this level of gaslighting anymore.

I really want to hear from Chris Whitty about whether he believes that schools are safe and LFTs are a replacement for self-isolation. I bet he doesn't.

how low they will stoop , bare face lies to parents and it will be heads who take the flak

Hello and thanks!

Speaking of tests, DH went for a free lateral flow test being offered in Greenwich today (negative result obvs) as his school (private) was asking staff to do one before they can back.
He said there were about 20 staff their in masks, visors, gloves and aprons although no one was ever near you and behind a screen if so.

He said, with only 7 members of the public getting tested, it took him nearly 25 minutes all told. There were booths you went into (with screens separating you from the person handing you the test) and brief instructions for the nose and throat. He said there would be so much drama from many pupils over the gagging and slight plain/uncomfortable feeling on the nose part!
This was held in a massive sports hall at Greenwich uni with an entrance and separate exit that goes straight outdoors-no corridor queuing.

These conditions will be hard to replicate in many Secondaries!

@SantaAssociationRepresentitve

Message from the Head - no test kits have turned yet! He has a training session on Monday. The DfE told him to state that the tests had 98% accuracy so he tweaked the letter a little bit as we do have some litigious parents and he doesn't want to take the rap for DfE spin

That is dreadful.

Has your head just said, ‘the DfE claim this is 98% effective’ and hope they read between the lines?!

I would have huge trouble toeing the party line here. Probably one reason (along with 500 others) why I’m not a head!

Thanks Staff.

If I get that in either consent letter from my dd school I will be questioning it straight away.

@ChloeDecker

Hello and thanks!

Speaking of tests, DH went for a free lateral flow test being offered in Greenwich today (negative result obvs) as his school (private) was asking staff to do one before they can back.
He said there were about 20 staff their in masks, visors, gloves and aprons although no one was ever near you and behind a screen if so.

He said, with only 7 members of the public getting tested, it took him nearly 25 minutes all told. There were booths you went into (with screens separating you from the person handing you the test) and brief instructions for the nose and throat. He said there would be so much drama from many pupils over the gagging and slight plain/uncomfortable feeling on the nose part!
This was held in a massive sports hall at Greenwich uni with an entrance and separate exit that goes straight outdoors-no corridor queuing.

These conditions will be hard to replicate in many Secondaries!

They just won’t bother as there won’t be the room.

It’ll be lining up like at lunchtime!

The DfE told him to state that the tests had 98% accuracy

This is absolutely fucking disgusting and some heads (or the heads' union) need to make this public. This is nothing short of bare-faced lying and I seriously hope that someone takes the DfE to court for this.

Well they were all given a letter to send. Check the one from your school
There will be a statement about test accuracy

Hello all, can I join you? I've been reading the republics all through lockdown and they're my main source of school news. I'm a teacher but escaped to teach aboard 12 years ago now. Currently in Romania at a British school there. Comparing the situation in UK schools where my friends and sister still work with my school is incredibly upsetting - we have all had masks (age 4 upwards) since March, sanitiser everywhere, distancing is OK clearly not really possible though, and the government is closing us periodically where we all go to online learning, but we know how long for and have pretty good attendance from kids and support from families. Sorry! I just can't understand the DfE's reticence at bring in such measures. They're not as expensive as some of things they have tried even. Nonsense! Anyway, I've finally spoken up as I really want to join the health thread, so I'll head over there.

Thanks for new thread!

Thank you for the new thread, Staff.

Just been for a walk. Jumping' on😊

Welcome @Ulelia!

That's awful that heads are being asked to lie about the accuracy of these rubbish tests. Although some heads won't be lying, because they genuinely won't know any different.

@Ulelia

Hello all, can I join you? I've been reading the republics all through lockdown and they're my main source of school news. I'm a teacher but escaped to teach aboard 12 years ago now. Currently in Romania at a British school there. Comparing the situation in UK schools where my friends and sister still work with my school is incredibly upsetting - we have all had masks (age 4 upwards) since March, sanitiser everywhere, distancing is OK clearly not really possible though, and the government is closing us periodically where we all go to online learning, but we know how long for and have pretty good attendance from kids and support from families. Sorry! I just can't understand the DfE's reticence at bring in such measures. They're not as expensive as some of things they have tried even. Nonsense! Anyway, I've finally spoken up as I really want to join the health thread, so I'll head over there.

Now are the littler children finding them? What are the rules about changing them/taking them on and off? Is anyone exempt and why?

I’m EYFS so can’t imagine they’ll ever suggest them down here but would be interested to hear what it looks like in your setting.

Thanks for the new thread!

Welcome @Ulelia

Is this version 4 ?

January exam students back next week now ?

Just placemarking. Too knackered to think.

More likely it means "those who have real exams in Jan, eg BTEC?

@starrynight19

Is this version 4 ?

January exam students back next week now ?

Is this what some people have been given £1k bonuses for?!

@Achristmaspudsskidu

They cope fine as far as I can tell (I teach upper secondary though, but on the same site). Masks can be worn for a maximum of four hours and then we change. There's a bell! Disposable masks go in special bins, fabric ones go in plastic bags to be taken home. They can take them off when eating and they're all sitting socially distanced, or for PE lessons where distancing is observed as much as possible. Every day starts with reminders about not touching your mask and so on. We share a staffroom with primary staff and after a week or so I haven't heard of any battles with getting them to wear masks. Us secondary teachers have more issues with teenagers wearing a mask under their chin where possible. It's the law here that all kids from 5 upwards have to wear masks in public though, so they're used to it.
Some students where offered exceptions, only one ever uses it though as he has facial ticks which make a mask painful. He has adapted masks and uses them 90%of the time though.

Chloe maybe they won’t get their bonus now