The Forty - Eight Republic - countdown for DfE media agency to wake up

[StaffRepFeistyClub]

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

Can someone clever make sense of today's data for me please?

The react study says: "prevalence fell substantially across all age groups compared to the last REACT report from 6 to 22 January. Prevalence fell from 0.93% to 0.30% among the over-65s. Highest prevalence is among 18 to 24-year-olds at 0.89% and those aged 5 to 12 at 0.86%.

PHE report shows positivity highest in nursery and primary children, although they appear from the report to be the least tested age groups.

I think this means that these age groups are currently the most likely to have covid, presumably because they are still the only groups currently mixing in largish numbers. I don't get why this isn't a worry for opening schools again with no mitigations. Our primary have about 20% attendance and we can socially distance the older children at the moment. This won't be possible if they all return. Its going to be carnage again and I'm really worried.

I got the vaccine call. Turns out they tried to call me for a leftover jab yesterday afternoon. My DVT history apparently.

That's brilliant news, Rule.

Rule sorry if I lectured you about going back to work the other day! I was just worried and wanted you to take care of your own interests.

Congrats on the vaccine.

I'm considering phoning my surgery to make sure they actually know that I'm obese and on universal credits etc. I'm confused as to how they think that surgeries all have this kind of data - where does socio economic data and health data actually cross over? I haven't been weighed at a doctor's appointment in years so I know they wouldn't know my weight and I can't see any reason at all that they'd know my income.

Would it be annoying of me to call them and check they know my weight and financial situation? I don't know if their systems would even link up my asthma and mental health issues as in do they database search x condition AND y condition or just individual conditions? I guess we're assuming/hoping there's some kind of sophisticated software at play but call me a cynic but we haven't got a great track record on IT solutions for nhs have we?

Honey if you think you have individual risk factors that combined put you at risk enough for vaccine priority, you can discuss this with your GP and they can add you to the list if it’s under the new prioritisation.

But bear in mind that you’ll be added to the shielding list.

I doubt I've enough to be offered vaccine (or shielding) now but I keep hearing oh they're going to take weight into account or they're going to take income into account etc and I wonder how anyone is supposed to know that information about me? Health data and HMRC data for example don't cross over and it sounds like it's GPs making the decisions further down the priority groups.

Possibly I'm hearing these things but they aren't real ie. they're just things people have read in the DM or DT. I can't see how they could have this degree of data on anyone unless they used a blunt instrument like 'receives free school meals' in which case the parents don't work at all (you cannot get fsm unless you have literally no earnt income or eligibility for in work benefits) and imo it wouldn't make sense as by being able to stay home they're less at risk than most people.

Income is postcode based - so local deprivation level.

Use the QCovid calculator to see your risk.

qcovid.org/Home/AcademicLicence?licencedUrl=%2FCalculation

GP rang. Apparently it's hard to diagnose over the phone so I've got a face to face appointment tomorrow. He suggested pain killers and a hot water bottle.

Thanks for the new thread, Staff. I hope your pain improves soon, MrsH and great news about going home, Ophelia!

Been into school today to send some stuff out to Y12, probably need to go back in tomorrow to send a few packs out to Y8 as well. Feel as if I could do with another week as have worked most days this half term, but it seems as if there is still so much to do.

I'm finding the uncertainty re. return since the Sunday papers started reporting very unsettling - it's probably the thing that messes with my head the most.

It's been really nice being able to get out with the dc every day this half term. I tend to go out separately with 1 or 2 of them and we've had nice chats and quality time together. Feeling a bit melancholy today. I know it's only a short term till Easter then we have the long break.

Yes Dreaming, it's the uncertainty that stresses me out as well. I like there to be a plan.

I have spent a couple hours gardening and feel a lot better. DH knew I was stressed at lunch just from the amount of swearing coming from me apparently everything was a f f*er as I was vacuuming. I said it was the DfE and Gav the muppet.

I think I have just read that NI secondary schools will not be back till 22 March

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-56101041

@StaffRepFeistyClub

I think I have just read that NI secondary schools will not be back till 22 March

Yes just saw that too.

@StaffRepFeistyClub their numbers are better than England too. It would be madness for all English schools to go back on the 8th.

Madness is one go Boris's many middle names.

R4 news said unions have raised concerns with govt about idea of secondary parents having to administer tests, ie they won't.

Which rather puts paid to the DM's narrative of "unions have forced govt into sending the tests home so lazy teachers don't have to supervise them"......

Anne Longfield's answering our questions now.... hasn't got to noble's yet......

Is she actually answering? Jenny H couldn't cope at all and answered two!!

Do you have a link??

Doing it by postcode is a very blunt tool. When I lived in London you had council high rises within spitting distance of million pound houses. Most villages have council streets in them and most new developments around here now have a combo of 400k houses and social housing. I'd have thought household income would be a better indicator of poverty than your council flat being on the edge of primrose hill.

Thanks for the link to the tool - it doesn't seem very specific and ranked me 47 out of 100 whatever that means.

Massive procrastinator here too!

Today I decided to avoid work by clearing off a large, neglected bookshelf and sorting through some old books, revealing a terrifying amount of dust and damp on the wall which I have been scrubbing at all afternoon. It's clear now and mould-free but I am left surrounded by hundreds of books and have no energy left.

I could really do with knowing if we are all back in from 8 March (KS2). I have planned and resourced for the next two weeks but until I know, I can't get any further.

The propaganda campaign is definitely working. My nan is convinced rates are now lower than last May, and we're all moaning over nothing. She also asked why kids kept having to isolate, "was it because the students were in contact with each other outside of school". I looked perplexed and said no, they're isolating because they're close contacts in school. She was under the impression there was social distancing and no one had to isolate due to being a school contact! If she thinks that, plenty of other people will.

I was patient and went through exactly what school is like and she's going to phone her mates and tell them!

Piggy
Guest Post: "Post-COVID, we will need a new government commitment to children" www.mumsnet.com/Talk/guest_posts/4168527-Guest-Post-Post-COVID-we-will-need-a-new-government-commitment-to-children

@HercwasanEnemyofEducation, I've had so many conversations with family members or close friends who thought I was doing nothing at home during January and that social distancing was happening in schools. It's scary how educated and generally well informed people have been taken in by the propaganda.

We will be heard Herc! One nana at a time