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

[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

First online day today. We're doing a live 'set day up thing for half an hour from 8.45 - sent my invite out to whole class, only children who have replied are 3 clever girls in Yr 3, and 2 clever girls who are currently stuck in India. Lack of engagement a concern!

Those 'what are your child doing today' threads are part of U4T. Been disguised but their website asks parents to do fact finding.

Has there been any guidance re social distancing in primary schools as I have googled and I can't find anything. Feeling sick about today. Really not sure if all this stress is worth it.

So many layers on I look like Nanook Of The North. Made sure the new staff in our classroom know that we have large windows and they WILL be open all day.
All the best, whether you're in, out or indeed, shaking it all about.

Someone's claiming "most key workers in London have had it now" on a thread. As a reason why schools should be open.

@Piggywaspushed

Those 'what are your child doing today' threads are part of U4T. Been disguised but their website asks parents to do fact finding.

Ridiculous.

And I have to say, most of my Year Six parents wouldn't have a clue - they leave the kids to just get on with it.

Our head is say that you are either in or not too. At least that way we can give them consistent learning. Part of the problem last time was that we would have some only on certain days so there was no way to do continuous work. It also makes it clear that this is school not child care.

@Piggywaspushed

Those 'what are your child doing today' threads are part of U4T. Been disguised but their website asks parents to do fact finding.

I did wonder if this was the case.

Can I ask for opinions/ advice?
I have heard that a lot of schools are insisting that teachers teach from school due to safeguarding. What is the safeguarding issue of teaching from home?

Also - if your small child kept invading your online lessons to talk to you and the students - is that the safeguarding issue?

There isn't one. Our school tried this with GDPR in lockdown one. All nonsense!

The main issue comes with schools that insist the kids have cameras on.

You can change background if your school insist cameras on for staff.

It's the govt guidance that says only one parent needs to be a "critical worker" - which doesn't seem to have any narrower definition than the former "key worker" - so schools following that may feel they have to.

I think our reason for all staff being in is wrapped up as ‘safeguarding’. All staff on site until the number of students on site remains stable. Compulsory LFT for all staff as well.

Thanks. The main problem I had was my husband failing to keep the small one away! DS thought it hilarious to come and say hello to a bunch of teenagers.

I've been worrying all night that I've done something dreadfully wrong wrt safeguarding!

Oh no enemy that's a horrible feeling, and probably baseless? Can you talk to someone about it today?

In terms of safeguarding, I would assume that the "danger" is potentially if you and your class see someone's else's toddler, rather than them seeing yours pop into the lesson.

Does yr post relate to the previous one, I'm not sure?

Mine? Sorry - I was responding to enemy

No hamlet, we X posted. Am with the game now.... ignore me! (All overslept here, just had to force grumpy DD to log in late to her English lesson, 😬)

No sign of @TheHoneyBadger for a while, hope you're OK? Unless you've NCed, in which case, ignore me again peeps!

(Has carefully think, is honey badger a grammatical pun? 🤔)

Your toddler seeing the class can't be a safeguarding issue, surely? It must be more to do with some teachers living in e.g. shared houses and an unknown adult could (theoretically) see the class.

I think most safeguarding issues are surely solved by having students keep their cameras off, and only first names visible on screen, so no-one is identifiable?

As a separate issue, in school we currently have 3 "bubbles" of key worker students (Y7, Y8, Y9/10/11), social distancing of children within and between each bubble. However, we have staff crossing between bubbles this week (and possibly next).

I'm pretty sure if I raise it, the response will be "keep 2m distance fro students at all times and then it's not an issue", but that is incredibly difficult to do in practice.

MrsHamlet is it you who has the guide to Teams? If so could I have a copy pretty please? Struggling with it this first morning. THanks!

@cornercupboard send me your email by on

I'm not Honeybadger!