The broom cupboard 3 - for briefly stranded republicans

[TheHoneyBadger]

First in tops up the gin supplies and turns on the tea urn.

We’ll talk you through it When.

Am placing myself in the older age bracket too!

Parents United not impressed about the attendance officers either. I wonder how they’ll approach anxious parents, especially if their child is CEV....

Excellent article detailing the now contradictory government guidance on isolating and getting PCR tests.

westcountrybylines.co.uk/the-mobius-strip-of-government-covid-19-guidelines/?fbclid=IwAR275Nt7X3dd_V9v8zmdTqbN4qwxXgmCWN9GLL6j72x88t-I7d8QjPwsCDU

(Doesn’t look like Western Bylines is related to Byline Times other than being broadly left wing)

That article is excellent. I don't envy employers, including HTs, trying to navigate all that.

I wonder how many parents with positive DC will think to include school staff in their 'close contacts' list. Or are we somehow exempt again due to the magic school walls?

That is a good article. It's such a shambles.

Does anyone know if we are off ill with covid or symptomatic and awaiting a pcr result does that now count as normal 'illness' ie. covered by absence management and potentially punitive consequences? I saw someone say that it just counted as illness for kids now rather than X and meant to ask if it was the same for staff. If so it makes even more of a shambles of the guidelines saying teachers should be facilitated to work from home if they are off with covid related issues - surely you can't be working and being considered off sick at the same time?

Oh what fun there is in store!

I've tried to find the answer on the internet but everything is out of date eg. still saying 'if someone in your household has tested positive' as an example of isolating on full pay.

Am currently at Hampton Court Palace’s food festival, saw this and thought of you all

Hello Long time lurker and occasional poster here, under a new name.

I popped into school yesterday to start getting organised for next term. As others have also mentioned, I was more tired than I have ever been at the end of an academic year in July, so have done bugger all very little over the summer except recover.

I was so traumatised by a few hours' work that I had to have a nap when I got home . How will I cope with staying awake all day?

Ange doesn’t look like a primary teacher but does look like someone who owns a hot tub. We also had a fist fight over some smarties, which I won.

Things I learned: you can’t drink a pina colada with a paper straw

Some were quieter than expected

I did try to tell you!

Hello and welcome @AnInspectorBores

Well honey X still exists for kids, am sure have read that somewhere official(ish), but who knows for staff?

If I'm being treated as 'off sick' rather than off on an X code equivalent then there is no chance whatsoever that I will be doing any work at home for the duration,

I read gov guidance today and kids are on x if off waiting for a test or quarantining after travel but if they get a positive it goes on as an I from that point onwards. Not sure if the rationale.

Can’t find anything about staff

NEU claims we should ask for exceptional parental leave in the instance of our child testing positive and should be fully paid for up to ten days. I think that’s just their opinion of what ’should’ happen though rather than anything agreed upon by schools.

NASUWT has nothing much to say as usual. My union.

Oh that’s weird honey, re the “I” - so instead of loads of children off for Covid related reasons (still there’ll be quite a few), the attendance stats - now issued fortnightly - will show loads off “ill”.

Am assuming I means Illness, can’t remember all the codes

So glad there are a few cocktail lovers amongst us

I’ve had quite a lot of fun reading this spoof SLT twitter account these past few days but based on our recent conversation, this was pure joy to read!

Yes, just illness. Presumably meaning you still get the threatening letters as a parent about attendance levels. Think you’re only allowed 5 days authorised absence a year for illness at my school so doctors will be having to write sick notes for children stating that they’re ill with Covid and of course they can’t be at school.

Madness

Time will tell. I'm resorting to idioms now.

There's not much to be done really other than see what happens now.

Ah found reference to the exceptional dependents leave in this guidance - however it hasn't been updated since April. If it hasn't been updated then presumably it still stands?

www.education-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/education/Covid-19%20Pay%20and%20absence%20guidance%2001%20April%2021%20Final.pdf

@ChloeDecker

So glad there are a few cocktail lovers amongst us

I’ve had quite a lot of fun reading this spoof SLT twitter account these past few days but based on our recent conversation, this was pure joy to read!

Ha, I replied on that one.

Doh! Just realised that's guidance for NI.

@ChloeDecker

So glad there are a few cocktail lovers amongst us

I’ve had quite a lot of fun reading this spoof SLT twitter account these past few days but based on our recent conversation, this was pure joy to read!

I see little has changed since my secondary days.

I take it back after enough digging NASUWT has come up with the goods:

I HAVE BEEN REQUIRED TO SELF-ISOLATE AND MY EMPLOYER SAYS THAT I MUST BE PLACED ON SICK LEAVE WHILE I SELF-ISOLATE. IS THIS CORRECT?
No. Members who show symptoms of COVID-19 and are required to self-isolate are on authorised leave not on sick leave, until such time as they may test positive for COVID-19.

I HAVE TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19 AND I AM NOW ILL WITH THE VIRUS. SHOULD I NOW BEEN ON SICK LEAVE?
Yes, because you now have a diagnosed illness and should, therefore, be on sick leave until such time as you are certified fit to return to work.

Where members are off sick with COVID-19, the employer’s normal sick pay arrangements will apply.

So if you are positive you are on sick leave, sick pay and subject to absence management procedures. That definitely is not compatible with expecting you to work from home.

@JanglyBeads

Oh that’s weird honey, re the “I” - so instead of loads of children off for Covid related reasons (still there’ll be quite a few), the attendance stats - now issued fortnightly - will show loads off “ill”.

So, if they are still publishing the weekly Covid surveillance report with the colourful bar charts, covid will just disappear in schools?!

Will attendance be published anywhere?!

They were collecting daily covid attendance, now it’s only going to be weekly.

Seems odd that they are stepping down the collection of schools data while expecting covid to go up.