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.

We have a June 2019 paper and Nov 2020. The Nov grade boundaries are so low I'm tempted to just use that and bat it back to ofqual with "you said this score was this grade in 2020..". I'd probably need to cut a few topics though which is where it gets a bit tricky. Small cohort size too. Don't think we'll be on ofquals radar though.

Oh god Herc I hated that one, we ditched it because of the coursework.

Have you done enough of it to be able to grade them?

We started it again because of the lack of coursework!

Yes we have covered enough content, 80% ish. Bright cohort so could assume they knew gcse maths stuff and build from there. Now my focus is on anything in s1 to prep for A level and tailor my assessment to suit that.

"Piggy engages with leading commentators on education practise and policy".....

"Collins said the summer school approach is for schools to determine which children, if any, they want to bring to those summer schools. "

"Collins said early years has to be "absolutely central to the plan"

"I think overtime we have under invested in early years as a nation" "

Oh Kevan, I'm sorry I underestimated you. You actually sound ok.

Ed Select Committee this morning on catch-up plans.
twitter.com/schoolsweek/status/1366690534551670787?s=21

EY kids need to be in free-er environments this year, not school. In my opinion.

Feeling horribly paranoid about complaining and saying I wouldn't be at a meeting outside of my hours. Hod wants to meet me to discuss things on Monday and I'm wishing I never said anything now and am dreading it.

We're testing year 11 this Friday and they're back in on Monday! I say we, I'm having nothing to do with the testing. I just know that parent are going to test symptoms DCs with LFTs then send them in when it's a negative.

In the meantime, with my parent hat on, DS's work yesterday was a dodgy photo of the teacher's computer screen - it was a free download anyway so I just found a copy myself. I've really lost the impetus for this knowing that a golden opportunity to show that blended learning could work to make schools safer has been pissed up the wall.

I have never sued Zoom at schol but presumed all kids merrily did at home since that's what the media tells us (who appear to have shares!). Not one of my year 11s can get themselves sorted to watch a workshop on Zoom!

What things does she want to discuss, Honey? Surely just to catch you up on the meeting you’re missing?

A word of warning about classroom tidying .i did this yesterday and I'm now laid on the sofa high on codeine unable to move much after a trip to hospital to rule out a fracture.

All fine but rest has been ordered so I'm off for a few days. Hopefully I'll feel well enough to go through and start the job application tomorrow now it's March it's advertised. And also got first choice secondary so that was a huge relief as have a very happy child.

Can't believe I missed so much yesterday@

How nice for Calum Semple that his workplace has coffee rooms and careers for adults to gather in.

He seems to have become the new Jenny Harries...

The article just appeared on BBC neglects to mention that the testing done was only done in staff and pupils present on the day! Ffs.

They do love blaming us!

I’ve just been informed that after ‘massive issues’ with a student in my class that have been discussed with SEN, HoD and SLT, they are being moved.

Nobody has ever spoken to me about these ‘issues’. Child has been attending online lessons. Submission rate is non existent but I wasn’t aware of any issues. Why on earth has no one thought to talk to me about any of this, instead of this? I now feel bloody awful. I’m not a bad teacher or person. My HoD must really hate me or believe that I am beyond incompetent.

Honey it’s good that your HoD wants to meet - it means they can bring you up to date on the meeting?

name - oh nooooooo!!!

I saw that Pig

Coffee room! And yeah, they didn’t test anyone who was at home isolating.

I was just coming into say the same @Piggywaspushed ...

“Prof Semple said that a detailed examination into how teachers caught the virus suggested that they were more likely to be infected by another adult in the staffroom than by a pupil in class.
"It's the interaction with other adults which poses the greater risk. Like doctors and nurses, they have to be just as careful in the coffee room and canteen as they are in the workplace environment of the classroom," he said.”

Wish I had time to have a break. Or even a Staffroom to have a break in. (Apart from this virtual one of course).

What issues, Herdy? With your teaching?

Situations like that I tend to just shrug and think that it sounds like a massive pain in the arse that I’m glad I wasn’t involved in, and better that the kid is moved.

@noblegiraffe

What issues, Herdy? With your teaching?

Situations like that I tend to just shrug and think that it sounds like a massive pain in the arse that I’m glad I wasn’t involved in, and better that the kid is moved.

They haven’t given me any issues. They haven’t told me anything other than it’s a stressful lesson for the student.

It’s the idea that everyone has just discussed this behind my back. It shouldn’t upset me but it has.

If they’ve not discussed it with you, Herdy, then just assume it wasn’t anything you could help with, particularly in these lockdown times of not being able to find someone for a quick chat.

Could be anything. The other kids, part of something bigger, better support in the other class etc.

I understand your feelings herdy. What a weird way to communicate that would obviously cause stress.

Hod wants to meet to discuss the issues I brought up in my email about being uncomfortable with a colleague telling me off in front of others and feeling they also forget I'm part time when dividing work and responsibilities and forget it's my first year in the department and I'm basically going it alone thanks to Covid zones etc and it feels like I'm expected to be psychic sometimes rather than explaining where things can be found, what topic they're referring to etc.

Wishing I'd kept my mouth shut.

Bloody hate anxiety. I've only been on the right dose of new ads for about 10 days so they haven't really kicked in yet. I've looked back at emails and I was definitely told I didn't need to do what I was yesterday publicly told off for not doing

Hod should be the one feeling nervous about the meeting as you have valid complaints, Honey

If you’d kept your mouth shut you’d be going into meetings on your day off.

particularly in these lockdown times of not being able to find someone for a quick chat

This is becoming an issue for me. People don't reply to bloody emails - sometimes for days. I don't want to hassle because 'mental health', but REPLY TO YOUR EMAILS I CAN'T MAKE DECISIONS WITHOUT YOUR INPUT.

I know that they are sending emails to their mates in school, so it's not a lack of time.

Grr.

Herdy

The massive issues are probs nothing to do with your lesson. That’s the kind of phrase that suggests safeguarding or some previously unknown SEN or SEMH issue. Don’t worry.

Honey - you’ve raised some really sensible issues. It’s horrible feeling anxiety, but it doesn’t mean that what you’re worried about isn’t valid.