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The staffroom

Whether you're a permanent teacher, supply teacher or student teacher, you'll find others in the same situation on our Staffroom forum.

Original poster

The Fifty-first republic - twice weekly tests and wear masks at all time till Easter

999 replies

StaffRepFeistyClub · 01/03/2021 22:18

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. Do not sit on the chairs and wear a mask.

OP posts:
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9
Mistressiggi · 03/03/2021 18:49

Piggy so they are providing key worker care for any teacher dc then? What a poor decision.

TheHoneyBadger · 03/03/2021 18:49

Ah you might be a little older than me then. My sister still remembers having her hand hit with a ruler. We had the odd psycho who threw things at people and occasionally assaulted a kid at secondary but it wasn't 'sanctioned' as such.

Anything conclusive Fripp or pretty speculative?

HercwasanEnemyofEducation · 03/03/2021 18:52

fripp do we work at the same place!?

MsAwesomeDragon · 03/03/2021 18:54

@Piggywaspushed

Apparently three schools in my area have ordered staff in all this week to tidy up/have meetings etc! The head said it was not up for discussion.
That seems really weird to me. We've been told we need to go in on Monday for our first lft tests, but we should limit the amount of time we're on site next week. Years 11 and 13 are in from Tuesday, but the rest of the school are at home til the following Monday other than coming in for a test.

The head is proposing face masks are to be worn in corridors but can be taken off once the pupils sit down in a classroom. The unions are busy "clarifying", as we'd all prefer them to be wearing them in classrooms as well. Since very few of us have had the jab, but loads of us are CV (almost half our staff are CV in some way)

Piggywaspushed · 03/03/2021 18:54

It just sounds like these heads have said 'everyone in, teach your live lessons from school and tidy up your rooms and sort yourself out in between'. It sounds like they view this week as giant INSET with added teaching.

Some heads are proper bullies.

HercwasanEnemyofEducation · 03/03/2021 18:56

We're in from the 8th as we have staggered return so some classes will be face to face and others remote. Makes sense unless you have a full day of remote classes. Guess it's easier to have a blanket rule for all.

MsAwesomeDragon · 03/03/2021 18:58

I remember having my hand hit with a ruler!! I'm pretty sure it wasn't allowed by then. Just the once, but I was 5!!! Who hits 5 year olds and thinks it's fine? I even remember what I'd done wrong. I'd forgotten my pencil, and was too scared to tell the teacher. It was mid afternoon when she noticed I hadn't written anything down at all that day, so I got hit on the hand. I was devastated!!! And even more scared of the teacher after that.

JanFebAnyMonth · 03/03/2021 18:58

We've had so many emails warning us not to say a word to parents/students about the grading process etc yet. I think we have a lot of pushy parents....

MsAwesomeDragon · 03/03/2021 19:01

@JanFebAnyMonth

We've had so many emails warning us not to say a word to parents/students about the grading process etc yet. I think we have a lot of pushy parents....
We haven't. Maybe I've put my foot in it. I've told them all that since we will need evidence for their CAG, they should assume we'll be doing a test/exam at some point once we're back at school. I don't think that's controversial, but now I'm doubting myself.
RigaBalsam · 03/03/2021 19:02

@JanFebAnyMonth

We've had so many emails warning us not to say a word to parents/students about the grading process etc yet. I think we have a lot of pushy parents....
Same here. The word malpractice has been used.
Appuskidu · 03/03/2021 19:08

@TheHoneyBadger

Dark Towers.

I’ve just watched all of that Dark Towers episode-it really brought back memories! I was trying to work out what age it was pitched at and when we watched it?

Wikipedia tells me it was made in 1981 when I was 5, so I must have been at least Y1, though I’m sure it was reshown a lot, but I thought I was in the juniors in the hall with the big wheely telly. If it was in the juniors, though, would they really be focusing on Capital letters and full stops in the Wordy segment?! Did all year groups at school watch it or were there other things for each year to watch?

I remember others in the series in later years-The Boy from space and one about a fairground, but we all decided they were rather crap compared to Dark Towers! I remember it being quite scary, so maybe not infants?!

Wikipedia also tells me that the boy in it also played Dick in the 1970s Famous Five series which I also loved!

RandomGrammarPun · 03/03/2021 19:21

The Boy From Space was literally terrifying. I had nightmares about that for YEARS.

RandomGrammarPun · 03/03/2021 19:21

Definitely watched that in Juniors, not Infants.

AFallingStar · 03/03/2021 19:30

For those who like listening to stories, I sent this out to my class this week:

www.google.com/amp/s/alittlebutalot.com/2021/02/27/free-resource-digital-library/amp/

I may have listened to some of the picture books myself...

Beetle Boy has been popular with a couple of my class this year, but I've not read it.

Some of my recent reads:
Boy at the back of the classroom
The fastest boy in the world
The Last wild (bit too close to real life though)
The One and Only Ivan

Anyone else in primary been told not to launch into full assessment mode next week? I'm kind of glad but we've also been told to drip assessments in which just seems time consuming and complicated... We're throwing a maths test at them in a couple of weeks anyway, but we'll follow the rules and split science and reading into fun quiz like chunks (as if that's going to fool many year 5s Grin)

CallmeAngelina · 03/03/2021 19:34

The only fantasy conversation I have in my head with my old teachers involves me saying, "I am SO sorry."

phlebasconsidered · 03/03/2021 19:34

We have full on PUMA and PIRA plus some others. I've argued the toss so the end date is now much later. The last thing they need is exam week. I can do an honest assessment at one paper a day and other lessons and outside time and social stuff.

CarrieBlue · 03/03/2021 19:36

Dark Tower is why I’m still nervous around four poster beds 35years later.

CallmeAngelina · 03/03/2021 19:37

@Piggywaspushed

Apparently three schools in my area have ordered staff in all this week to tidy up/have meetings etc! The head said it was not up for discussion.
We have the builders in and they have been using my room as 'mission control.' I popped in today and was horrified. There is NO WAY it will be ready for Monday.
DrMadelineMaxwell · 03/03/2021 19:48

I love reading aloud to my class. I'm currently after a book that has a film adaptation for my y6 for next term. Have previously done Wrinkle in time, Narnia, Skellig (but if a hypocrite spending all year telling them to mind their language and then having lots of shit and bollocks in the class read.
Ideally the book would have a fantasy or future theme to tie in with our topic.

MrsHamlet · 03/03/2021 19:50

We've been ordered in tomorrow and Friday. It's nonsensical to have us in to teach remotely... and we can't tidy "our" classrooms as instructed because people will be in them!
Kids will be in from 9 on Monday but most teaching is still remote. It's as if we can't be trusted!

2kidsintow · 03/03/2021 19:50

We go back on the 15th and we have all been directed to be on the premises all week next week. We will be juggling a mad blend of online learning and feedback, performance management targets and research, covering the kw provision and preparing for the week after.

Not good. At all.

Piggywaspushed · 03/03/2021 19:59

I think the key word is trust. A lot of heads seem low on trust. I guess they are embittered by experience with some untrustworthy characters!

RuleWithAWoodenFoot · 03/03/2021 19:59

I have read and read to my class since we've been off. We've read 2 and a half of the Podkin One-ear initial trilogy.. they are pretty hefty, but I (and the kids) love them.

Going to read Giant by Kate Scott next. The Wizard in the Shed.

Dr - Holes?

RuleWithAWoodenFoot · 03/03/2021 20:06

I think reading to them, sometimes for an hour at a time, I'm giving a bit of childcare. No need for a parent to sit with them.

TheHoneyBadger · 03/03/2021 20:06

Same as Herc here. Staggered and all in by Friday next week and we're expected in from Monday. 2 year groups in at a time each day Mon and Tues (ie. 480 kids all arriving at start of day on buses, walking together etc plus all staff) - clearly not having tests before being in the classroom or they'd be queued around the grounds.

So we and they will all be jumbled in together: if someone get a positive then what happens?

Dark Towers was definitely in juniors for me.

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