The Forty Sixth Republic - online learning has killed the 'snow day'

[Staffdontblowitnow]

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

What did he mean by 'older' piggy? Secondary?

Commons Ed Committee on right now. Lots of discussion of extra time. It looks like it will happen. It's all just an excuse to promote MATS and Free Schools and the rest as enemies of progress.

can't remember and can't find anything now about it in the media!

I expect Jenrick only "misspoke" in that he inadvertently revealed the truth!

It wasn't Jenrick : it isn't helping that i can't recall the man's name!!

I know it won't happen but I almost feel like they should just say secondaries can only operate at say 30 or 50 percent capacity and then let the school decide priorities.

Personally, our year 11 haven't done mocks, so I'd get them in to do those, feedback and targeted improvement can be done remotely after that, possibly same for year 13, I don't teach those so I don't know.

Then I'd want to focus on 10 and 12, with maybe some face to face for other years - maybe 10
and 12 in 50% and others 20% or whatever works out.

But different schools will have different needs imo.

I want exam years back if possible because they don’t know what form their assessments will take. Some of them are falling to pieces with all the uncertainty. A calm teacher cracking on with the course and some proper mocks would give them a focus.

Dd will be gutted, absolutely gutted, if she has to go back to school before I do!! Especially if she goes back on 8th March, as that's her birthday.

@Frlrlrubert

I know it won't happen but I almost feel like they should just say secondaries can only operate at say 30 or 50 percent capacity and then let the school decide priorities.

Personally, our year 11 haven't done mocks, so I'd get them in to do those, feedback and targeted improvement can be done remotely after that, possibly same for year 13, I don't teach those so I don't know.

Then I'd want to focus on 10 and 12, with maybe some face to face for other years - maybe 10
and 12 in 50% and others 20% or whatever works out.

But different schools will have different needs imo.

I totally agree and think all schools, secondary and primary, colleges too, should be given a percentage maximum and allowed to choose who they want to see, or to be allowed to do rotas.

It's so utterly ridiculous that all they're focussing on - including the msm- is a date and still no mitigation measures or alternatives, like rotas.

@Piggywaspushed

Commons Ed Committee on right now. Lots of discussion of extra time. It looks like it will happen. It's all just an excuse to promote MATS and Free Schools and the rest as enemies of progress.

Am not watching this-so sorry if this is a stupid question!!

It’s looking like what will happen?

If they decide to go with us all doing summer school that's absolutely fine with me - as long as they make it clear by 27 Feb so I can resign on 28th!

as long as they make it clear by 27 Feb so I can resign on 28th!

Same!!

Here's a question. I've found a masters course I'd like to do at Oxford uni. It costs a shed load, but I could get a loan. When I say shed load, I mean £40k. It's about social policy because I'm beginning to realise that I hate so much about how stuff is run these days, and I feel I need to 'do' something really fundamental instead of shouting about on the interwebs.

Am I being nuts? I mean, it's an extreme way of getting out of teaching, isn't it!

Bit "wtf?" about this. Two weeks won't make much difference. Is this for primary too?

And also, most Sen schools have been open throughout. We have a small handful of kids at home due to various clinical reasons, either them or close relatives. Probably only 10% of the school, if that. So I doubt any staff will be up for that.

I will go back now and work through Feb half term and Easter if it means we don’t lose those two weeks in the summer. That’s the only time we get decent enough weather to take our own forgotten children outside...

No rule, that's not nuts. You're well placed to get into "something" with all your experiences on the front line, so to speak.

I don't think that's nuts Rule. Expensive, but not nuts.

I've been looking at an anthropology masters in childhood, adolescence and education.

Yours sounds more practical than mine

I'm not doing summer school. My flights are booked. I can't see how they could compel us to do it.

@Frlrlrubert

I know it won't happen but I almost feel like they should just say secondaries can only operate at say 30 or 50 percent capacity and then let the school decide priorities.

Personally, our year 11 haven't done mocks, so I'd get them in to do those, feedback and targeted improvement can be done remotely after that, possibly same for year 13, I don't teach those so I don't know.

Then I'd want to focus on 10 and 12, with maybe some face to face for other years - maybe 10
and 12 in 50% and others 20% or whatever works out.

But different schools will have different needs imo.

I agree.

Personally, I'd like to see all students back on a rota basis- our Y11s are coping ok, but Y9/10 are struggling a lot more. But equally, I wouldn't want e.g. Y10 back in at the expense of Y11!

Honey, that sounds equally as fascinating and useful!

I'm extremely happy in my job and school and the particular role I have. As long as they don't keep coming up with stupid paper based waste of time exercises (and expect me to do them) I'll be staying. But I'm part time, which helps.

Just need to sort the crap body out!

Schools week live tweeted the Ed select committee twitter.com/schoolsweek/status/1359079723419205634?s=21

Not much about plans, points out that academies have ‘the autonomy’ to extend the school day - will it be left up to schools to either do it or take the flack for not doing it?

Typical bloody tories finding a way to manipulate the situation to their advantage with academies and free schools etc.

@noblegiraffe

Schools week live tweeted the Ed select committee twitter.com/schoolsweek/status/1359079723419205634?s=21

Not much about plans, points out that academies have ‘the autonomy’ to extend the school day - will it be left up to schools to either do it or take the flack for not doing it?

What a load of old crap that education committee is. ‘Nick Gibb is asked 100 questions by Robert Halfon to which he answers, yes, we’ll be looking at all of that’.

I’m glad I don’t work for an academy.

I can't see how they could compel us to do it.
Vocation
Mental health
Won't somebody think of the children???

@noblegiraffe

Schools week live tweeted the Ed select committee twitter.com/schoolsweek/status/1359079723419205634?s=21

Not much about plans, points out that academies have ‘the autonomy’ to extend the school day - will it be left up to schools to either do it or take the flack for not doing it?

Can academies extend the school day to take them over directed time, though?