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

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

a couple of colleagues who are fucking hopeless and generating loads of complaints

The KW kids were bringing borrowed stuff back to my room today. The teacher next door to me has been dreadful all along. I heard a kid say "You make so many mistakes in your lesson videos." I backed out of the room and left him to waffle on about mistakes being a test for them haha... cringe...

Oh gosh being with the KW kids plugged into other lessons has made me embarrassed for some of our provision. On the whole it's been decent, especially core subjects. Some depts have sent twinkl ppts with no editing that expect 'partner chat' and 'make a presentation'.

I asked a year 12 the other day which school she went to because she can't write an essay to save her life
Our school. She then said "but I did have miss thing and she didn't really teach us much"
Yep.

I had a severe case of CBA today but a couple of gins have helped

Can I ask: iirc there was someone on here who mentioned some months ago that they had direct/indirect experience of self harm. You couldn't message me could you, need some advice? (It's not about me or my DC, and doesn't need to be tonight). Thanks

I had a severe case of CBA today
We had "Fuck It February" - what shall we name March?

Dc just been up vomiting. That can be a Covid symptom in children can't it?
Though we haven't been anywhere bar the local shop.

Oh no! Yes it can be.... hope whatever it is, you all get some sleep!

Am very confused/cross maybe:

I thought one of the main reasons we were accepting (well OK not much choice in the matter for staff!) these less accurate tests was because they were for asymptomatic people, less likely to be infected.

What do the NHS instructions in my home test kit say?

"You can use this self test kit if you have symptoms or if you are asymptomatic (you do not have symptoms)." (my bold)

WTAF???

Yes, symptoms should mean a proper test!
I think he's just overindulged in Friday evening food personally but will keep checking him!

Because the tests were initially designed (by the manufacturer) for rapid testing of symptomatic cases IIRC. Symptomatic use is a legitimate use for them, it's just not part of our test and trace policy.

I wonder whether symptomatic use of them with a confirmatory PCR test might not be such a bad idea in schools. Quicker isolation might lead to a bit less spread.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-56285179

Headline: Great School Re-opening: What could go wrong?

Erm, everything 🤷‍♀️

@ItsIgginningtolooklikelockdown Our two year old has just woken up having had a very poorly tummy from the other end (trying not to be too graphic at this time of day!).

She’s fine now, sitting between us in bed watching In the Night Garden, but if it happens again I’ll probably get her tested just in case.

Good luck with your DC!

That BBC article is unusually sensible. However:

Government advisers say schools have not been a key driver of infections so far. This much can be seen from the impact of the second national lockdown in England in November when infection levels fell despite schools being open.

In fact, what the graph seems to show is almost the opposite of what the article claims. Infections fall, but only by about 50%. To me that looks as though with everything else shut, schools are responsible for half of infections.

My prediction is that opening schools will result in an ad hoc general unlocking, with people changing behaviours sufficiently to amplify infections acquired in schools and a high level of infections, particularly among school age children and their 35-55 yo parents, as well as unvaccinated school staff, by Easter.

The BBC article does not mention false negatives which is MUCH more of a concern. The rate of positives is so far behind the false positive rate that it is in fantasy land.

Does John Deeks think people will listen to him more if he goes on about false positives? He does really just seem anti LFTs . At least a false positive will be weeded out by a PCR.

Government advisers say schools have not been a key driver of infections so far. This much can be seen from the impact of the second national lockdown in England in November when infection levels fell despite schools being open

But the November was pre the Kent variant. It’s hardly reassuring.

But the November was pre the Kent variant. It’s hardly reassuring.

And the R rate didn’t fall that much and infections rose in young people during that time. Madness.

@Piggywaspushed

The BBC article does not mention false negatives which is MUCH more of a concern. The rate of positives is so far behind the false positive rate that it is in fantasy land.

Does John Deeks think people will listen to him more if he goes on about false positives? He does really just seem anti LFTs . At least a false positive will be weeded out by a PCR.

Absolutely. I'm of the opinion this article is the beginning of the scrapping of the LFTs. Unusual for the BBC to criticise a government school initiative without reason. Especially one that school leaders were told they had to speak so positively about.

@ChloeDecker

But the November was pre the Kent variant. It’s hardly reassuring.

And the R rate didn’t fall that much and infections rose in young people during that time. Madness.

Exactly. Was it Patrick V that said the numbers didn't go down in Kent and they thought hmm something is wrong there?

The BBC article does not mention false negatives which is MUCH more of a concern. The rate of positives is so far behind the false positive rate that it is in fantasy land.

Yes. And indicates that whoever wrote the article really doesn’t understand the concepts of false positive/false negative. I notice that every so often BBC radio news programmes wheel out someone to explain this, they do so in detail and at length, the presenter/interviewer says something like, oh gosh, that’s so clever and interesting, and then goes on to show they didn’t understand a word of it. Rinse and repeat three weeks later.
Mind you, this is the way the Beeb deals with anything technical or intellectually demanding nowadays, in both the scientific and political fields. Its new motto should be, Misinform, Half-educate and Mansplain (mostly).

Forgot about the Entertain. Going by Radio 4 comedy shows, they’ve given up on that too. The newer ones are barely funny and weirdly reliant on outdated stereotypes.

At least there's a graph in that article which explains why false positives are an issue at low levels.

And I'm confused, when are results confirmed by PCR and when are they not, in schools/other settings/homes?

It does sound like the gov could scrap school testing doesn't it? After ALL that effort.

Very sensible line re masks perhaps being seen as "worth" the hassle just to get schools back

A poster on data, and am sure have read similar on other threads, says they received an email after collecting their home test kit instructing that they must not be used for symptomatic people. Contrary to the instruction leaflet.

So that's clear.....

A getting thoroughly hacked off by all the really childish celebrations of kids going back to school/end of home learning.

Picture July. A few teachers post something on FB/MN about it being the holidays and something about freedom. These are not our own children we are glad to see the back of for a while. How does MN react to our celebrations??

I understand people are relieved and that they think it is better for their children but to be celebrating and joking about their hangovers and using words like freedom and craving peace and quiet/ meeting friends for a coffee. It grates. And it is also crashingly insensitive.

Imagine how some kids feel with parents saying they are celebrating them going back to school because they (the parents) get their freedom back. Also same parents saying to children that they must attend summer school because they need to catch up and their future depends upon it. Some children are going to be totally fucked because of their parents behaviour and attitude.

However I had read some posts where without all the pressure of clubs & homework stress etc some families have re-bonded