The Fortieth Republic - Schools are safe but they are vectors so go online

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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

Floob surely smallest bubbles is better? Although workload would be higher if providing for online too.

Unless the rota is week on week off?

That's the trouble worth the guidance, the categories are so broad. That example sounds bad but then a few planners probably are still needed, eg re hospitals, bad centres (are they actually building any, not sure?)

Just seen this - illustrated by a photo of what looks like KS2 children entering a primary!

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/05/unison-calls-for-nurseries-in-england-to-close-covid-lockdown?fbclid=IwAR2MwONvWDMefQxby21R3o-AM2YNkDJyedUsNSys9Fl7g6wyzRn0T5Ke6cY

*vax centres

We have 26 kids in my year group in and been told that we don't need to be distanced from the children. What exactly is the point in that then?? I despair.

www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-9116303/SARAH-VINE-No-one-gets-second-childhood-pay-price-virus.html

God, this woman is just vile

Noble has become legendary on MN!

Luckily there's still enough people queuing up to tell me I'm the worst to keep me firmly grounded

I've just been on Google Classrooms to download DD's work for tomorrow. There was a Twinkl worksheet. I shall burn it while shouting 'Boo! Hiss!'

@HercwasanEnemyofEducation yes I think this is my preference really. Rota is across the week & not same people each rota day iyswim (we have a lot of children with additional needs so quite a lot of adults needed per bubble). I could maybe suggest the week on / off as a ‘safer’? rota option.

Luckily our parents are fairly low maintenance/ happy with previous provision so we’re not doing masses of live lessons etc therefore 1/3 of class plus doing similar online doesn’t feel unsustainable to me. Others may feel different of course.

Can’t quite work out what Union would say as they talk about smallest possible bubbles / 1m distancing but also about making self available on a rota so a contradiction.

This absolves the government of all responsibility:

www.theguardian.com/education/2021/jan/05/call-for-pupils-without-laptops-in-england-to-be-allowed-into-schools-covid

I really enjoyed reading the second half of this. It's quite a hatchet job.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jan/05/boris-johnson-gavin-williamson-exams-fiasco-schools-u-turns

Good morning and good luck today - can't sleep so I'm going in early. Might as well try and get a head start on recorded lessons as I will need to start welfare phone calls after school.

See you on the other side!

Morning everyone

The key worker thing is a big issue for primary schools. Seeing loads of things on Twitter where schools have half or more kids in. Obviously, if key workers absolutely need the place then fine but there are key workers who have some days at home (and haven't worked nights) who are sending dc. Pointless having closed schools if there are still going to be loads in

Today will be a real test as I have 4 lessons out of a possible 5 so it's one of my busiest days. Should be ok though - just need to make sure I collect some evidence of work from kids - I am using google forms with one class for the starter to see how that goes.

Not many of my faculty will be in today (about 5/18 I think) so it will seem a bit strange. Plus one colleague has tested positive thankfully, he isn't too ill.

Also heading in early to sort videos and upload work.

Good luck today all

Good luck everyone who is still going in.

Full day on Teams today for my first day of remote teaching. Fortunately most lessons are KS4 and KS5 so think they may forgive any tech cock ups from my end. DH has a couple of frees which I think he will need (he hates computers at the best of times!).

@DollyMixtureLulus

Can anyone recommend some sort of stand that will let me film a flat whiteboard on a table? Does that make sense?

I have a gooseneck phone holder I use for online teaching. Bendy but sturdy so you can manipulate it but it holds its position. We use it for family Zooms, too

Good luck today everyone. Still haven't decided which mask to wear that best allows our deaf children to access sound.

Good luck all.

Life as normal with a an added extra.

We have a staff meeting as normal.

It is an outrage that so many pupils this time are classified as “critical worker” children. It should not be ok to send kids in on the basis one parent is a critical worker and the other is at home. What is wrong with people. Do these parents have a death wish. Clearly shows utter contempt for the welfare of staff.

I don't like the way this divides parents locally.

No one speaks or texts anyone else knowing that they're likely to either not or get a kw place.

So many hcps locally have had the jab already too so feel their risks are lower.

@SarahLou67

It is an outrage that so many pupils this time are classified as “critical worker” children. It should not be ok to send kids in on the basis one parent is a critical worker and the other is at home. What is wrong with people. Do these parents have a death wish. Clearly shows utter contempt for the welfare of staff.

Which requires all staff to be in. Schools are not closed. We need new risk assessments now, otherwise what is the point?

It should not be ok to send kids in on the basis one parent is a critical worker and the other is at home.

I think it depends on the nature of "being at home". A blanket policy that both parents need to be critical workers isn't appropriate either for many reasons. Obviously a SAHP should be keeping their child at home. Employers are far less flexible this time. My school is far less flexible re live learning than the first lockdown.

As far as I can tell, most schools here have said that both parents have to be critical workers. As there's so many. My sons is at 50% capacity.

Gah the whole thing is a mess. I think some staff at mine may be thinking about some union action.

I think part of the issue is that academy heads will now start to play the game of 'my school has better online learning and more kids in than yours'. I have already heard this kind of thing at my school. The threads in primary education have already started where we have one poster who has set up a thread for each year group asking parents to post what their child has been set daily whilst complaining that her own child's school is crap. It is very depressing.

Gavlaaar on in the commons today with an "update".

By the way, bbc are running TV Bitesize programmes daily for primary and secondary.

I'd absolutely be recommending this if I was in mainstream.

@cansu

I think part of the issue is that academy heads will now start to play the game of 'my school has better online learning and more kids in than yours'. I have already heard this kind of thing at my school. The threads in primary education have already started where we have one poster who has set up a thread for each year group asking parents to post what their child has been set daily whilst complaining that her own child's school is crap. It is very depressing.

Oh Christ yes. Already happening. Especially re online live lessons.

Our head is doing her best to push down numbers we are at about 25% but I am scared that will rise. She is insisting that children who are in come every day even if they don't need every day. I am going to give her this week to get her head around things - she is very stressed like all heads - and then I might push back on this if the numbers in our area are getting higher. Have a couple of people I know who work in the local hospitals so will check their capacity and if they are struggling will make sure she knows this. I will distance from the children when I am in and will try and force the tas in my bubble to do the same.