The Thirty-ninth Republic - Covid Carnage continues and spring term is just about to start

[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

Maybe instead of being mass testing centres schools should become mass vaccination centres

Wow. Half term.

Sorry to those of you with exam groups to navigate. I'm sorry I forget who said they were teaching year 11s tomorrow but yes that's awkward not knowing what to tell them when they'll have so many questions.

Them4Themselves must be exploding (and ready to leak the blackmail material)

Is it ok to record a video to upload for class with a large gin in hand? Just wondering?

Put it in a mug and you're fine. Put it in a water bottle and you're modelling healthy habits!

@RigaBalsam

Does a vulnerable child also mean someone who hasn't got internet access at home or is bad at logging in?

It might in my school.

So cross with Boris.

We have so many hcps in our school. Whole thing closed tomorrow to sort out this mess.

So many who would be needed at work will struggle.

This could have been planned days ago.

Think it does in mine too Mrs H.

@RigaBalsam

Does a vulnerable child also mean someone who hasn't got internet access at home or is bad at logging in?

Yes, this is actually in the guidance now. What a great way for them to get out of providing technology!

To be honest, we have less than 20 children coming in out of a primary school of 500+. Only 3 are KW children. We will probably try to get some more in using this, the ones we are worried about.

Our application for key worker spaces has been open for an hour and we’ve received 230 responses already.

Is anyone having trouble getting KW places for their own children? We are both teachers here but the school keep emailing to ask if an adult will be teaching from home, in which case we shouldn’t require a place.

@RigaBalsam

Does a vulnerable child also mean someone who hasn't got internet access at home or is bad at logging in?

Apparently the DfE definition is now quite broad. I believe NEU are querying this.

I expect I’ll be looking after key worker children (HLTA) . To those teaching year 11, I’d told my year 11 dd that it’s work as usual until we hear more about exams. She’s worked her socks off this year. And it’s a very long time until September.

I anticipate it here User; DH really isn't a KW at all and yet is insisting I ask for a place. I've said I'm going to be honest and am quite annoyed with him.

God this is such a mess.

Fielding panicky emails from yr13 and 11. I can't tell them anything. I can't help them. It feels awful. These poor kids have had the shittiest year.

Our issue is that we also have a toddler not in childcare (vulnerable to Covid) and the school know this. My parents don’t feel comfortable looking after him during lockdown, if it is even allowed.

We will always have one of us teaching from home because of this. But I can’t manage it with both children at home. It will be hard enough with a toddler.

@SantaAssociationRepresentitve

Maybe instead of being mass testing centres schools should become mass vaccination centres

I suggested this up thread.

Medics say giving vaccinations easier than doing swabbing, too. Easier to train people on.

I’m just going to say that they have said ‘exams can’t go ahead as planned’ but that could mean anything so we have to keep preparing for now as likely some school assessment will count like the plans in Wales. I think that wil be enough to keep them working for now mostly and then we can see....

It's a fucking mess. Parental scrum
For KW places because "kids are happier at school." Schools having to make the priority decisions.

Sorry , haven't got Twitter link now ... couldn't find it again. Was a journalist.

Argh nursery shut tomorrow to plan. Luckily dh is off.

I'm going to cry if they can't take 3yo. No idea what we will do.

Such a mess.

Maybe instead of being mass testing centres schools should become mass vaccination centres

It would make a lot of sense. Obviously some NHS, prison service, care home workers could be vaccinated in their places of work and others/vulnerable/elderly in GP surgeries. Some schools or parts of school could be keyworker children hubs. But over six weeks, with most children working remotely:

Week 1: train vaccinators (possibly inc. some teaching staff), vaccinate vaccinators, vaccinate school/care home/NHS staff, some old/vulnerable

Week 2: continue groups from week 1, begin to work down categories.

Week 3: continue working down categories

Week 4: continue working down categories (first jabs), begin second jabs

Weeks 5&6: rinse and repeat.

Week 7: begin opening schools.

God I feel sorry for the headteachers in this. The secondary ones have worked all Christmas trying to work out how to set up a testing centre.

The primary ones now have to sort out all the KW places. Poor sods

Is anyone else doing dry January? I think it’s for the best (Jan started on 3rd though).

BTEC exams to go ahead apparently: twitter.com/educationgovuk/status/1346212271605886977

Not sure I would want to go and sit in an exam hall with 30+ others after today's announcement.

Oh no.... I went for my flu jab today and the needle made my toes go funny. And my blood pressure tanked abd I thought I was going to pass out. I don't want lots of needles in school :(

Posted this in the wrong thread. Thought you were all quiet:

Can you believe that schools are having to work off KW guidance set by an academy trust??

Fucking joke.

I would happily volunteer to be a vaccinator. I didn't and wouldn't volunteer to do swabbing, but I would volunteer to do vaccinations. It's funny what I am and am not prepared to do. Of course, I'm likely to be a bit busy teaching remotely and homeschooling a reluctant 10yo.