THE FIFIETH REPUBLIC!

[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.

Do not give the staffroom password to others 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.

Wearing them unless teaching at front due to HI students needing to lipread.

There isn't 2m at the front in most rooms but I don't know what else heads can do re HI students.

We have been told to make sure classrooms are clean and tidy for next week...

Because that's my priority...

Wearing it all the time (as I have since September tbh). This time I'm FFP3ing it and have my headset to help.

It's wear your mask in the corridors and toilets etc here but once you are in a classroom packed with 30 children you take it off to teach them. 2m box not remotely achievable. (Primary).

@piggywaspushed

We have been told to make sure classrooms are clean and tidy for next week...

Because that's my priority...

And like this wouldn't have been the perfect time to have the cleaners come in and do a deep clean...

Just had it confirmed that we will be being expected to continue remote learning and in school teaching during the staggered return. Fun, fun. I'm meant to go back on Monday even though none of the year groups I teach on Monday will be in yet. So just hanging around risking unnecessary contact? Might email head and check if I can work from home or if I'm actually needed for something there and if not do I need to book a room to work in etc.

@Saucery

It's wear your mask in the corridors and toilets etc here but once you are in a classroom packed with 30 children you take it off to teach them. 2m box not remotely achievable. (Primary).

Same here. I've only got 25 in my class this year, and when we go back at least 5 of them are stuck in other countries/in quarantine here somewhere. One is a school refuser, one has never shown up at all since September?! So, only 19 of them.

It’s going to be a total shitstorm, isn’t it?!

@piggywaspushed

We have been told to make sure classrooms are clean and tidy for next week...

Because that's my priority...

Us too. Which of the many classrooms we all use, I wonder?

Our school being sensible. We’re setting work but not live teaching and all students tested across Monday and Tuesday (year groups given days, times and gates). We can go in if we want to prepare for full return on weds, or can just do so from home.

We had to do that back in January. Maths did the maths rooms so they are all tidy. Bet my other classrooms are a tip.

Other teachers can’t possibly use the whiteboard to write on (just project) because of the amount of crap that gets dumped directly in front of them in various rooms. In one, someone put a table right up against it. Wtf, I need to stand there.

So I have taught 1 lesson and I can't see again!
Obviously not blind as I posted here but really dappled vision! Getting on my wick.

@Appuskidu

It’s going to be a total shitstorm, isn’t it?!

Yes. Especially given what we’re dealing with now is a completely different variant to the one in October.

We’re going to be back in last minute change ‘because this is a fast moving situation’ to deal with problems that can be seen a mile off territory aren’t we.

But back in September everything else was open not just schools. Pubs and so on. We know that community transmission affects transmission in schools (November lockdown) so if non-essential shops, pubs and restaurants are still closed then it means it’s not exactly the same scenario as back when rates where that high before.

@piggywaspushed

So I have taught 1 lesson and I can't see again! Obviously not blind as I posted here but really dappled vision! Getting on my wick.

In character.

This is true and apt!

Do the bursaries for training include psychology? Massive increase in applicants to teach psychology this year and a drop in biology.

I'm waiting to see whether there'll be any different guidance for schools in surge testing areas. Or in areas where rates are still high/rising. Prof Graham Medway in radio this morning said something about the problem of treating England as a whole when the data (which Boris is allegedly following) suggests that some areas need treating differently.

Obviously my breath is not bated (just realised, that's presumably short for abated!)

We’re going to be back in last minute change ‘because this is a fast moving situation’ to deal with problems that can be seen a mile off territory aren’t we.

I've just had a push notification on my phone with a 'lockdown easing may have to go backwards if... ' so they are preparing us.

@noblegiraffe

But back in September everything else was open not just schools. Pubs and so on. We know that community transmission affects transmission in schools (November lockdown) so if non-essential shops, pubs and restaurants are still closed then it means it’s not exactly the same scenario as back when rates where that high before.

Yes, that’s true. And there’s only a short gap until Easter.

Though Easter could be quieter virus-wise-because schools are closed, but busier as more things start to open? I guess it’s still outdoors mixing that’ll be allowed, which is less problematic.

Having read about Cheltenham I am not at all convinced by this 'can't get it outdoors' malarkey must say!

BBC headline - press campaign ramps up to show we’re not at further risk to other professions.

In early December, the Office for National Statistics took finger-pricks from about 7,000 teachers in 15 local authorities across England.

About 15% of those teachers tested positive for antibodies.

This is not very different to the 18% of people of working age in the same local authorities tested around the same time – in fact, given the margin of error on any study like this, they’re basically the same number.

The study authors are not claiming that teaching is risk-free: they say that going into work increases your risk in any profession.

So the key question is “by how much?" While the study can’t give a precise answer, the numbers should offer some reassurance.

It can’t give a precise answer because “working-age adults” includes people who were working over the summer, who work in restaurants or retail (who might have higher risk) or those who work from home, are unemployed or furloughed (who might have lower risk).

So the study doesn’t give a neat like-for-like comparison that allows us to identify the effect of returning to the classroom compared to teaching remotely.

But the study authors say that similar tests in really high risk environments – care homes or in healthcare – give very different answers: ranging from 25% to 50%.

So it does suggest that teaching, with the measures currently in place to reduce transmission, does not put teachers at markedly higher risk.

Interesting.

This short thread bears a read

Informed consent and GDPR for LFTs www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/4179834-Informed-consent-and-GDPR-for-LFTs

Ours are being tested 7 days apart between 1 and 2. It seems the priority is to get them back and then do 2 quickly as the test centre will be better able to cope....

I'm resigned to it whatever happens now.

There's nothing on the ONS website that I can see about that study, annoyingly!