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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-second Republic - Beware of Education’s ides of March

999 replies

StaffRepFeistyClub · 06/03/2021 13:13

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 non-staff as it attracts the wrong sort of crowd.

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 do wear a mask.

OP posts:
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7
Piggywaspushed · 08/03/2021 13:47

Well, DS has had one LFT. Literally not one piece of documentation tells anyone about the 30 minutes nil by mouth!! Until you open the booklet, which students don't get.

JanFebAnyMonth · 08/03/2021 14:01

BBC have worked out the false positive problems:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-56321537

Now we just need someone to pipe up again about the false negatives (unions? SAGE scientist?)

TheHoneyBadger · 08/03/2021 15:14

Sorry it went badly sansa though it probably wasn't as bad as you think it was.

Interesting day Hmm Made slightly worthwhile by getting to listen to and empathise with a colleague who lost her mum over lockdown Sad

Thanks for well wishes and yes I took notes. Not sure it achieved anything except make it clear that I will act when pushed too far.

MsAwesomeDragon · 08/03/2021 15:41

Quick question about LFT tests. Are we supposed to be leaving them for 30 minutes before reading the results? The booklet we've been given says yes. The head says he's taken advice from medical professionals (no further info about which medical professionals) and no we don't need to wait, it's an instant result.

Appuskidu · 08/03/2021 15:49

@MsAwesomeDragon

Quick question about LFT tests. Are we supposed to be leaving them for 30 minutes before reading the results? The booklet we've been given says yes. The head says he's taken advice from medical professionals (no further info about which medical professionals) and no we don't need to wait, it's an instant result.
Yes, as far as I understand it from the instructions, you must wait the full 30 minutes.
MsAwesomeDragon · 08/03/2021 15:53

That's what I understood too appu but none of the tests being done at my school are being left for 30 minutes, barely even 2 minutes tbh. The head, when queried, says he's been given advice from health professionals that the 30 minutes isn't needed. I don't trust this advice he's been given, and if that's wrong we have literally wasted a whole week doing rubbish tests badly.

Beachhuts90 · 08/03/2021 16:09

You can read a positive result before 30 minutes but apparently it can take the full 30 minutes for a positive to show so yes you do have to wait to confirm a negative result.

JanFebAnyMonth · 08/03/2021 16:32

Head in hands over the LFT "false positives" debacle.

Now we just need to wait a week or so, for cases to begin to emerge which were negative on LFT, but then positive on PCR (although only I can think of which could lead to this would be someone in an ONS or whatever study), and / or a few scientists pointing out that false positives are a far bigger problem, and the whole house of cards/kits will fall down.

MsAwesomeDragon · 08/03/2021 16:36

Well we're going to be doing hundreds of tests that we're throwing away before we can be sure they're negative. It's a complete farce. I've already raised this with the head, and he's dismissed my concerns completely. It's not even as if we save lots of time by not waiting 30 minutes. All the time consuming bits of getting the kids in and organised are happening anyway, it's just that they are literally only waiting a couple of minutes at best before saying "that's negative" and sending people on their merry way. Farcical!!!

TheHoneyBadger · 08/03/2021 16:36

We did all of year 11 and 13 today and apparently no positives. Tomorrow is 12 and 10.

Can you imagine having the surface space for those tests and the paper work that identifies them for half an hour? 480 kids need to be tested each day at ours - your average school desk might suitably hold 4 tests with their corresponding paperwork laid out in a clear way that avoids cross contamination or mixing up of whose is whose. developing for 30 minutes. Not surprised they're saying half an hour isn't necessary.

Appuskidu · 08/03/2021 16:41

@MsAwesomeDragon

Well we're going to be doing hundreds of tests that we're throwing away before we can be sure they're negative. It's a complete farce. I've already raised this with the head, and he's dismissed my concerns completely. It's not even as if we save lots of time by not waiting 30 minutes. All the time consuming bits of getting the kids in and organised are happening anyway, it's just that they are literally only waiting a couple of minutes at best before saying "that's negative" and sending people on their merry way. Farcical!!!
Blimey, that seems so daft!

If someone were to rummage through the black sack thirty minutes later (not volunteering) and found some positives, could the tests be traced back to their owners?

noblegiraffe · 08/03/2021 16:43

That sounds like it could use some clarification from the Squaddie Hotline.

We haven't got a squaddie hotline have we?

TheHoneyBadger · 08/03/2021 16:45

No. The mythical squaddies have remained mythical so far as I'm aware.

Saucery · 08/03/2021 16:46

Holymoly, my head is spinning Shock
Straight into intensive interventions today. Those poor children! So much for welfare being the focus of this first week.

JanFebAnyMonth · 08/03/2021 16:47

I guess they should be as they have to be registered to the owners first - eg I got a text and email to say my daughter's second test had been registered this afternoon, but haven't had the official results yet. (If she'd have been positive she'd have been hauled out of lessons and I'd have been called.)

Think this answers yr point too honey - they don't have to be kept with paperwork as they're registered by QR code immediately before being taken.

mother, our certified testing expert, will be able to tell us later, if she has the energy!

chocolateisavegetable · 08/03/2021 16:53

Very sorry to hear that Sansa

Anyone else in Primary who found that behaviour was shit challenging?

Michino · 08/03/2021 17:00

@chocolateisavegetable

Very sorry to hear that Sansa

Anyone else in Primary who found that behaviour was shit challenging?

I'm in Y3/4. They were very loud indeed! They had also forgotten how to listen, take turns or do anything for themselves.
Piggywaspushed · 08/03/2021 17:03

Every time I see someone Scottish on telly they say that senior pupils are asked to observe 2m distancing... is this actually happening on Scottish schools, can anyone confirm??

Saucery · 08/03/2021 17:04

Gosh yes, the LOUDNESS! And the arguments at break. Finding their feet in the peer group again, learning how to get on.

Frlrlrubert · 08/03/2021 17:05

So far all the 11s and 7s I've had today are wearing masks. 11s I had a couple I had to tell to pull them back up a few times, and stop turning around to talk to their mates.

Our exempt ones wear a badge, it's supposed to be visible. Lots carry it in a pocket though and it does get annoying to keep asking them.

They get negatives if they don't have a mask (and we provide one and then contact parents. I don't think we've had any just refuse.

9s are back tomorrow. (And 12 and 13 but I don't teach them)

OytheBumbler · 08/03/2021 17:05

Ours were having arguments and falling out before we even got to lunch time! They were also very loud.

I can't wait to get back to it feeling like a normal school day, we're doing well with easing them in and mental health activities but actually I think they'd just like some normalcy too. 😞

Mistressiggi · 08/03/2021 17:06

@Piggywaspushed

Every time I see someone Scottish on telly they say that senior pupils are asked to observe 2m distancing... is this actually happening on Scottish schools, can anyone confirm??
Schools reopened a week ago for some seniors to do practical work, and are reopening for all seniors (on some form of rota) next week - until Easter this will be with 2m SD so cannot all be in each day. After Easter, it's chuck them all back in. We have 2m distancing + masks + voluntary LF tests to be done at home.
Piggywaspushed · 08/03/2021 17:06

I have no idea how long they are waiting at my school!

At DS's they tell them to go and then phone later if positive, so I am assuming they are leaving them for half an hour. They do tend to be very cautious and 'proper'.

motherrunner · 08/03/2021 17:13

@JanFebAnyMonth

I guess they should be as they have to be registered to the owners first - eg I got a text and email to say my daughter's second test had been registered this afternoon, but haven't had the official results yet. (If she'd have been positive she'd have been hauled out of lessons and I'd have been called.)

Think this answers yr point too honey - they don't have to be kept with paperwork as they're registered by QR code immediately before being taken.

mother, our certified testing expert, will be able to tell us later, if she has the energy!

Ha ha!

Once the test has been given we scan the barcode and it’s immediately logged to that person. They firstly register, get given barcode, pass us barcode, we given them the test, stick barcode on and process it.

Tests are left for 30 minutes.