The Fifty-fourth Republic - Easter holidays anyone?

[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

[RuleWithAWoodenFoot]

Hmm, you're sort of convincing me that it might be a good option for the child. I mean, she's only 6, so it's not urgent, and obviously it depends on her at 11.

[HarrietDVane]

I went to two different mixed state secondaries (moved to the other end of the country mid-teens). The first one was horrific. I was bullied badly and nothing was ever done to address it, even though teachers were aware. Boys especially were unruly and there was a lot of low-level sexual harassment of the girls. Even being in the top set didn't save me. I was glad to leave.

The second school was much smaller, behaviour wasn't perfect but I felt safe there, and I wasn't bullied. It wasn't at all aspirational for its pupils - there was no sixth form, and I was very much a minority in going on to A-levels at college.

There was a selective girls' state grammar nearby but it never occurred to my parents to send me there. They weren't particularly aspirational for me either and I wasn't worldly wise enough to know any better.

[JanFebAnyMonth]

Headline -
Schooldays: quite important and formative!

[DreamingofBrie]

@CallmeHendricks

Another one here for an all-girls (grammar) school.
Didn't stop me mixing with boys outside the gates, but it did mean that girls got a proper look-in at STEM subjects.

Yes, it never occurred to me that people would think I was a naff engineer because I was a woman, until I got into the workplace!

[Timeturnerplease]

The sister closest to age and I went to a small, mixed secondary in a v middle class village, and both did v well in terms of grades.

Younger brother went to a boys grammar. He also did v well in terms of grades BUT is very much a ‘City boy’; an investment banker, laddish, arrogant, sexist and materialistic.

Youngest sister has dyslexia and wouldn’t have passed the 11+, so went to small private girls school as a day student. She didn’t do as well as the rest of us re grades but is easily the most rounded and self assured of all of us. At 24 and a decade younger than me, she’s far more confident than I’ll ever be and has outstanding interpersonal skills in any situation.

Anecdotally, the girls school seems to allow students to develop into their own person without the distraction of trying to impress/avoid harassment from the opposite sex. The boys school seemed to breed competitiveness and aggression.

I’d definitely send DD to an all girls in the future if we could afford it, which is of course never going to happen on a teacher salary 😂

[Piggywaspushed]

See, I thrived at a mixed school. Loved the competition of outdoing boys intellectually and did loads of debating , drama etc. Plus lots of boyfriends with minimal effort as I was always sat next to conveniently good looking boys.

[noblegiraffe]

I went to a mixed school, I'm not sure I'd have liked a single sex school as I tended towards male friendship groups both at school and uni (possibly due to STEM subjects and nerdy interests). So while I've had female friends, I think I might have struggled with only girls. It's a different dynamic and not one I'm very good at!

[MrsHamlet]

I'm not good at the "girly" stuff. I didn't do makeup/ boyfriends etc - too busy being a girl guide and driving steam engines 😂

[HercwasanEnemyofEducation]

I went mixed and would (probably) have hated all girls. Friendship group was predominantly male and I wasn't/still not into make up etc. Don't know what would have happened if I'd gone single sex, would have been interesting that's for sure.

[noblegiraffe]

And do you still drive steam engines, MrsH?

[JanFebAnyMonth]

Mixed comp here, just can’t imagine school without the boys.

Just thinking, it’s 7 days until many of us return to school (apols for mentioning that!) and we don’t yet know what’s happening re masks or testing. And, if they’re continuing with testing, scools will need to give out yet more blue boxes by Wednesday - or earlier for those on different schedules for year groups. I saw some supplies left in our foyer at the end of term, but no idea whether it was enough for all students to have another supply, or whether all schools have such a stock.

[noblegiraffe]

You just know that the govt haven't realised that some schools are returning earlier than others and are planning on making their mask announcement in 2 weeks time.

[JanFebAnyMonth]

I did just see some newspaper saying there’s going to be a lot of important announcements tomorrow: obvs vaccine passports are the big talking point atm, but also presumably re Apr 12 - wonder if schools measures are going to be bundled up with those although they’re not on the schedule?

[MrsHamlet]

I can noble but I don't live near them any more. My inheritance is going to be very strange.

[noblegiraffe]

Now I'm picturing our Enemies of Education tour taking place on a steam train.

[RuleWithAWoodenFoot]

I tended towards male friendship groups both at school and uni (possibly due to STEM subjects and nerdy interests)

Me too. My best friend from school is a bloke, my uni friends were blokes (because I did engineering, not many girls to choose from), and I sailed and climbed, friends from work were blokes. Weirdly, even my friends from primary school teaching are/were blokes - my 'best' friend in the village we live in, is a bloke too.

BUT, there was a big old dip in my late 20s/30s, where the blokes got married and their new girlfriends/wives were precious about me being friends with their boyfriend/husband. One or two in particular. I stopped getting invited on the annual ski trip (everyone else a bloke), and have slowly lost touch with lots of them. Not the best ones, obviously, but the others. I've never been near ANY of them sexually, and have no interest in them... yet I was apparently threatening.

I've got more female friends now than I have had at any other point in my life. Mostly baby related.

[JanFebAnyMonth]

Really interesting. I noticed a while ago how many on here said they never bother with makeup. (I rarely do either.) Oo we could have something like the Orient Express, quite fancy that.

[Piggywaspushed]

Oh, we had this conversation. I do. I think I might be the 'glamorous' one...

[CallmeHendricks]

I always wear make up and look smart for work (and socially).
Since lockdown however, it's just leggings, baggy tops and no makeup and frankly I need taking in hand.
I'm a bit ashamed of myself, to be honest.

[JanFebAnyMonth]

And a couple have said they have seriously short hair I think?

Btw, Happy Easter all 🥚 🐣 Oo and see what’s now appeared:

[RuleWithAWoodenFoot]

I wear moisturiser and BB cream. That's it.

My hair is out of control long. Looks awful - haven't had it cut other than a tiny trim since January 2020 - I'm going to have it cut into a short bob on 15th April. Can't bloody wait.

[MrsHamlet]

I mostly wear high heels and dresses at work, and I never wear trousers. But makeup makes me look like a clown.
It's not quite the Orient Express (that's on my bucket list) but I could probably drive that if someone would help with the coal shovelling.
It used to be one of the questions every year on the "get to know the sixth form tutors" quiz. Which one is a lie? They always guessed train driving was a lie instead of collects national costume dolls.

[TheHoneyBadger]

I've recently taken up wearing more make up and started taking more care over my hair. I'm fat and middle aged and my face and hair are my best features now.

I'm a long way from glamorous but I have started to feel better treated when well presented by kids and adults alike.

[noblegiraffe]

I wear make-up, but that's because I look dead if I don't. When I wear make-up, I look like I'm not wearing make-up because I wear just enough to bring me in to the land of the living.

[MrsHamlet]

I never learned how to do makeup. I had it done for a wedding once when I was bridesmaid and it made me feel silly.... and a bit orange.