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

[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 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.

Blimey - although how is there 20 units?!?!? Good luck - can you read take if you don’t get 100% first time?

mother Have you been given time/payment for this training?

I didn’t realise it was so complicated to pass a box of tests to someone 🤷‍♀️

Tbh, on the last unit I scrolled through clicked ‘done’ and took the test. Failed first but passed second attempt. This I’ll keep doing that. I was making notes but now I’m losing the will to live.

@HercwasanEnemyofEducation

mother Have you been given time/payment for this training?

We need to be certified for tomorrow, am then shadowing an already certified tester for 30 minutes but then we are given the rest of the day to ourselves.

That sounds like our fire awareness training : which has literally made no difference tot he fact that there are blocked fire exits and non opening ground floor windows in my school.

I am now certified in ‘meet and greet’ which is essentially don’t be a moody cow. Amazed I passed that one 😆

Think there’s so many units because there’s two makes of LFTs. Similar questions so am getting faster!

Gav W on Andrew Marr

@motherrunner

Gav W on Andrew Marr

He has just been on sky blagging on about nothing. Then Amanda S was on who was slightly better.

Are we due any announcements?

Taken the dog out for a quick stomp and am settled back in bed with my first coffee. Anything worth reading in the papers?

Gav still banging on about his 5 term academic year. I’ve already moved my holiday this year to next year (the holiday I should have taken last year!). Cost me £200 in admin fees. Don’t want to move it again!

Sorry if I'm being thick- would this five term year still have the same amount of holiday just spread out more?

I suspect this is something they ahve had on the table for ages and are going to sue the catch up fear as a way if swaying parental opinion towards it (previous consultations have been resounding nos).

@Cantaloupeisland

Sorry if I'm being thick- would this five term year still have the same amount of holiday just spread out more?

Yes. So 2 week break in October and May.

But how would that help kids 'catch up'? I can't say the six week holidays have ever led to any kind of regression that I can see!

2 weeks in May... But surely not for exam groups???!

There is no evidence at all to back up the claim of summer learning loss cantaloupe despite it being looked for!

@RandomGrammarPun

2 weeks in May... But surely not for exam groups???!

I didn’t even think about that and I teach exam groups 😆 Apparently he wants all counties to have staggered holidays too, it will make holidays more affordable. Supposedly.

@RandomGrammarPun

2 weeks in May... But surely not for exam groups???!

Didn't think about that. I would be gutted as a year 11 losing a week but then they would gain an extra week for paper 2 revision. We would feel pressured to put on holiday sessions.

Apparently he wants all counties to have staggered holidays too, it will make holidays more affordable. Supposedly.

Except to teachers with children in different schools to them and different holiday dates or parents with children in different schools.

The poor souls would never be able to have a holiday as a family-at home or away. Shocking stuff eh?!

You can't have staggered term breaks in May/June... Again, exams!

And ppl whose children get allocated schools in different counties/boroughs would never be able to have a holiday.

The 6 week summer break does seem, anecdotally, to show some regression in learning for some children... But, many, many countries have much longer holidays than ours, so

Is Gavin actually saying anything? Apart from schools open blag blag blag.

Will private schools be having their summer holidays cut to 4 weeks and parents fined if they take holidays outside this?

I can’t see state school parents being happy about jostling for the same v few summer weeks off at work. How would 2 weeks off at May affect GCSEs as well.

@RandomGrammarPun

And ppl whose children get allocated schools in different counties/boroughs would never be able to have a holiday.

The 6 week summer break does seem, anecdotally, to show some regression in learning for some children... But, many, many countries have much longer holidays than ours, so

This would have been a hassle for me a few years back. My exes dds lived in Devon and us in the North. Holidays were the only chance they got to spend time together. They are both 18 plus now though.