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.

Aw I'm sorry mrsA. It's so hard for them. A final straw was seeing a friend in the street who he's not seen at all on walks etc. And as he's in school not done any mine craft zoom calls with etc.

I've just seen a post in a non Core subject lead group about what assessments staff are doing when returning?! Primary foundation subjects... poor kids!

Im only part time Jan so he's been doing it with Dh when I'm in and has done really well. My days are with a toddler in tow who's become a proper threenager. Balancing his needs (get outside at 9 am, snacks and lunch and then nap at 11:30 etc) and the 8 yr old is v hard.

I know we won't be the only ones and I know there will be kids who have much less than us, more stressed parents etc.

I feel so sorry for all these kids who are going back to school to find themselves doing tests as soon as they get there. They really, really need a few weeks of normal before anyone starts making them do tests.

I hope miniwarrior bounces back soon. It sounds like you've done really well as a family, but it's just gone on too long now. And balancing a toddler with remote learning must be incredibly tough on him.

I'm going to practise deep breathing tomorrow and jollying along rather than aiming to improve her work. We'll pick an art task after she's done the English and maths, and as it's book week she can listen to her teachers reading stories while I'm teaching. We're on the home stretch for her, so it's not worth falling out over school work now. Especially since she's been so good with it until yesterday.

My two have hit the wall this week too.

I'm not pushing them, I hate the idea of forcing learning. Will gently prod the work to be done but it will probably be a little cursory this week.

I'm scouring TES for jobs. Not sure if I want to go back to full time though? It's a big jump.

I keep looking at jobs and getting the willies....

My Y3s seem to have hit a wall this week too - engagement has plummeted this week, and I'm wondering if it's down to exhausted parents thinking 'Oh well, they'll be back in school next week' and choosing not to push it.

My DDs are older - Y12 and Y8 - so coping quite well really. I worry about the Y8 engaging properly with lessons as both DH and I are out at work all day, and my workaholic Y12 is too preoccupied with A-levels to check on her. I am choosing to believe that her form tutor would have contacted me by now if there was a problem.

I've been looking at jobs too, think I'm ready to take the plunge back into teaching (have qts but worked as a LSA for last 3 years). Think I've gone mad.

I just desperately want to finish the class book so I can start another one on Monday! Tomorrow I'll be reading to them for hours!

What you reading rule!

Haven't caught up on tbe thread, just jumping in quickly to update about Osted. Honestly? Most of us blinked and missed it! They were only interested in how we had dealt with the covid challenges so only SLT involved as far as I know. Still having a drink to ger over it though

Haha! Loads of typos and haven't started on the vodka yet!

We were told today that we were legally bound to tell school our LFT results and actually that was the case as soon as we open the box... is this true?!? How do I find out?

That sounds good re Ofsted crackle. The least stressful inspection ever for teachers (I suspect SLT still found it stressful). Do you know your result yet?

@RuleWithAWoodenFoot

I just desperately want to finish the class book so I can start another one on Monday! Tomorrow I'll be reading to them for hours!

Last half-term, we were reading quite a long book (330+ pages). We'd read a little each day and our English writing and reading was focused around the text. We were within 20 pages of the finish line and there was just no more time - I had to upload the last couple of chapters to Google Classroom so the kids could finish it off themselves.

@Cracklefraggle

Haven't caught up on tbe thread, just jumping in quickly to update about Osted. Honestly? Most of us blinked and missed it! They were only interested in how we had dealt with the covid challenges so only SLT involved as far as I know. Still having a drink to ger over it though

I was saying to my head that, with the current type of covid inspections, if it wasn't for the fact I'd need to talk to them about our remote provision, I'd never even know we were visited.

What a shame that they aren't changing their real inspections to look like this after the pandemic is under control / done.

Gah lost a post.

I hope the mini dragon and mini guys are feeling happier soon. I'm sure it will all be forgotten when she's with her friend MrsA!

Harriet, it could be a mix of parents and kids. From other parents though they've been gradually battling over the last few weeks. Certainly ds is saying how much he's missing playing with friends. Everything seems to have suddenly become rawer for him, so no, I'm not pushing him this week. I pushed him over some spellings and it led to silent tears which he never does.

That's great crackle!

Some twat reported ds's school anon to ofsted for lack of live lessons. They have filmed lessons on see saw daily. Tonnes of support. The poor head had to have a long chat with ofsted.

I've been boiling my piss over this.

Wtaf. Too many prize quotes in here:

www.gov.uk/government/speeches/education-secretary-speech-to-fed-national-education-summit?fbclid=IwAR0pYaa9KdLZXfQ07r0VfjrmilzoEFTJMH8XCI4DqY16qU-U8Yex0pwNmmQ

More mats. What's a hub?? And no mention of Sen. And the everyone facing forward shite?!

@WarriorN I could hear Gav's creepy voice as I read that.

We know much more now about what works best: evidence-backed, traditional teacher-led lessons with children seated facing the expert at the front of the class are powerful tools for enabling a structured learning environment where everyone flourishes.

Wtaf? Although it's not surprising that we are suddenly the experts given that this government famously said it had had enough of them.

Why in the name of arse has Gav been let out of his box again?

A SLE is what we have in special! And it's not sitting in rows.

Will be also be including the regular opportunities to play with gloop and run about outside?

He literally hasn't a fucking clue what he's talking about.

He hasn't got a fucking clue.

Are there MAT trusts for Sen? Are Sen schools included in that?

[quote HarrietDVane]@WarriorN I could hear Gav's creepy voice as I read that.

We know much more now about what works best: evidence-backed, traditional teacher-led lessons with children seated facing the expert at the front of the class are powerful tools for enabling a structured learning environment where everyone flourishes.

Wtaf? Although it's not surprising that we are suddenly the experts given that this government famously said it had had enough of them. [/quote]
Well, this expert's opinion is that a classroom structure and style that reflects the class and the teacher is what enables a learning environment where everyone flourishes.

But then, I'm not a Government minister with no educational experience so probably have no idea what I'm talking about.

And all that stuff on behaviour.

Prus are going to be bursting at the seams soon.

Zero mention of child mental health.