The Forty First Republic - Gav encourages parents to report schools to OFSTED

[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

One of my students claims there are no pens or pencils any kind in their house. The worst thing is I can kind of believe it

Yep - also with a pencil!!

We sent home our random collections of books that don't match anything we normally use in class.

In lockdown 1 they all got sent home with a whiteboard and whiteboard pen too, assuming they'd bring them back. Reader, they did not bring any of them back.

I am home for the next ten days, but not happy about it!

Driver of SEN transport tested on Friday with symptoms. Got the results today and positive...but they drove kids in today!!

So kids self-isolating and, fortunately, I'm allowed to work from home as can't break bubbles and work with other children. But I'm fuming. Those kids need all the time in school with me they can get. Nearly two weeks of school gone, plus any other time if one of them also tests positive. Or me or other staff who've been in their bubble today.

Argh.

@Ulelia

One of my students claims there are no pens or pencils any kind in their house. The worst thing is I can kind of believe it

I swear my kids at home destroy pencils. I buy loads but after a bit whenever I go to sharpen them, the leads are all broken. Or they've been used in craft and are covered in glue/paint/sellotape.

Drives me nuts

Katherine. Sorry but what an arsehole. And what a pain!

@KatherineOfGaunt that's awful that he drove them in whilst waiting for a test. Sorry to hear you're at home for 2 weeks heres hoping your students stay safe.

As for resources, one reason my HT was annoyed at short notice was that we couldnt give children resources such as writing books/rulers/pencils to have at home to do their work like we did previously. I know were providing for those who say they cant access the work online but imagine a lot of our kids wont phone in and just wont do it.

Today I started couch to 5k, however it seems to have killed me. Knew exercise was bad (also any recommendations for running leggings/sports bras welcome)

Ah no Katherine!

Sadly that's how we had some cases come in to school Last year. Massive risk on taxi sen transport.

M&S zip front sports bras are great.

Been in school today and back tomorrow I'm primary ta usually 1to1 but covering a different Yr group as my little one isn't in. TAs are in on rota and teachers at home with a mix of live catch up and video lessons.
We had 40 kids today split in 3 bubbles, mostly vulnerables and NHS parents.

At least you aren't having to isolate yourself, Katherine, I suppose.

I'm hearing about lots of nursery bubbles popping locally which isn't good.

What is everyone doing with trainees? I've got for placement 2 in a few weeks and have no idea if they will actually be doing their placement or not.

Our trainees are participating in online lessons as a co presenter.

Oh no Katherine why would they drive kids in today whilst waiting for results

Wow KoG, that is unbelievable!!

Parents must be livid too.

The school slides will be very interesting next week.

It's our youngest bubbles that have popped. Staff and pupils.

My neighbour was under the impression that under 5s couldn't catch it. I hope others haven't thought like that.

I was think about PP and electronics/kit earlier. After a pupil's laptop 'broke' halfway through my lesson.

Obviously some PP have parents on lower incomes, and providing them with equipment and tech will really help.

Others, however, have really chaotic home lives, even if we give them a laptop and all the stuff they need it will be missing/stolen/sold/broken by the end of the week.

I'm not really sure of my point, it's just another reminder of the reality of some of the home situations I guess, and I really don't think they're the sort of families that will be accepting their 'vulnerable' place.

I am picking up on the vibes that other public Sector workers are also protesting about unavailable risk data and not being included in vaccinations. If the police and teaching unions got together to fight for more data gathering and protections that could be really powerful.

My A Level class were let loos on the ONS data today : they concluded it was used in a biased fashion, was not generalisable, was possibly unethical and definitely was neither valid nor reliable.

Go them.

They are a really quite dim witted bunch of 16 year olds and they could see the flaws!!

Yeah, really annoying. Got to try and sort stuff online for them now. sigh But, as @noblegiraffe says, at least I'm not isolating myself yet

Another day down. I hope everyone found it okay today.

Matt Hancock said we need to "act like we have the virus." Doesn't that mean that none of us should go to work tomorrow?

Wow. New covid cases today down to 46k. It was topping 59k a week ago. Let’s hope this is a downwards trajectory that sticks and if it does, how on earth can they keep on with the schools are safe mantra? The only thing that has changed in the last week is schools.

Hancock mentioned laptops- 500,000 not sure how many schools have got any! He stumbled so much over the answer about tech too.

@chocolateisavegetable

Matt Hancock said we need to "act like we have the virus." Doesn't that mean that none of us should go to work tomorrow?

Thought the same thing. We have posted home loads of packs for the kids to right on with a title page. Probably cost a photocopying fortune.

I’m getting really fed up of driving past the vaccination centre twice a day on my way to and from mixing with 15 - 25 Covid vectors !
Unreasonable, I know, but it rankles!

Katherine what a thoughtless dick that driver is. The rules could not be clearer about symptoms and waiting for test results.

So I have a letter as a parent just arrived saying this?

validation studies conducted by Oxford University and Public Health England, they were shown to be as accurate in identifying a case as a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test (99.68% specificity). The tests have lower sensitivity but they are better at identifying cases when a person has higher viral load, hence the need to test frequently.

My school has had issues with SEN transport more than once too, leading to cases in school, here was a huge rwo after the last occasion. Our LA has now made it mandatory for drivers and escorts to have tests to be allowed their licence.

Means they can achieve that 99% accuracy if viral load is extremely high, I think, Riga. So totally fudging the stats.

@Saucery

Means they can achieve that 99% accuracy if viral load is extremely high, I think, Riga. So totally fudging the stats.

Totally ridiculous