The Sixty-First Republic - Covid the gift that keeps giving even in the last half term!

[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 for school staff to let off steam.

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. Finally, upload your covid test results twice a week on Wednesdays and Sundays.

I’d second asking for the same opportunities and making sure they know you are interested in it. Even if it doesn’t work out for this role, then at least it gets them thinking about it for the future.

Well done on the interview carrie.

It won't change their decision if they've already made their minds up but reminds them they are meant to be bloody fair! It's really inappropriate to be grooming someone without advertising yet.

This with knobs AND bells on. Definitely definitely go to the senior team with offers of what you can do.

Go for it Carrie well done on getting the interview.

You know when a kid completely misrepresents what you've said and takes the opposite point to the one you were making home to their parents. That's happened today, leading to a very upset parent who thinks I've said some awful things about them, which of course I haven't. So now I have to phone an irate parent tomorrow and attempt to explain that their child has misunderstood the conversation. Very frustrating that this is taking time away from everything else that needs to be done. Obviously I don't want the parent to be upset though.

And well done on your interview Carrie! Even if you don't really want the job, it's a good sign that you are getting an interview for the sort of job you might want next time.

Guy I agree that you should ask for the same opportunities as the other person. It's easier said than done though, and I haven't taken my own advice enough in the past.

Well done on interview @CarrieBlue

@Beachhuts90 I’m NEU rep so I’d say them 🤣🤣🤣 honestly as student you can join them all for free and then when you get a job I’d maybe consider going for the one with the biggest following in your school. In mine approx 75% are NEU so it would make sense to join us here but it is different in other schools.

I’m still feeling sorry for myself - signed off, can’t see properly so back to opticians again (think blood sugar related but I can’t keep spending £££ on glasses). The world still feels like a ship after about 4 pm. Tablets making me sleep for 3-4 hours of the day. Just having a pity party.

@Beachhuts90 I’m NEU rep so I’d say them 🤣🤣🤣 honestly as student you can join them all for free and then when you get a job I’d maybe consider going for the one with the biggest following in your school. In mine approx 75% are NEU so it would make sense to join us here but it is different in other schools.

I'm NEU too, formerly ATL..I've never had to call upon them for help (I don't think we have a union rep at all in school), but check if you have a rep, which union they belong to - at a former school we only had a rep from NASUWT and she couldn't help me as much.

There are rumblings on FWR about the need for a women's union, which is something that would interest me. I met Kiri Tunks at a meeting, she's probably one of the reasons I haven't looked elsewhere, she seemed really decent.

Carrie, congratulations on the interview. Is it external? I'd say go and see how you feel when you're actually there - you can withdraw at lunchtime if it's not for you.

Teaching interviews are brutal - I hate them!

I’m a rep for NASUWT @Beachhuts90 too but as has already been said, find out who most are with at your school or at least, that your school actually has a rep.
However, it’s not all bad if no rep. You get represented by someone regional usually then!

Year 8 in a local school are out after 10 cases since Sunday.

Someone on a school thread on another forum I’m on has just lost year 10, which was the only year group they still had. I think their year 11 are unaffected, but they’d finished anyway.

They aren't sending our year 9 home because we are getting MTUs.Hadnt occurred to me before that it's a play yo stop or delay closure.

2 more positives today, and a staff member.

Sorry MrsHP. Missed your post. That sounds worthy of a pity party tbh.

That should say ploy to!

We have a lot off in all years with unspecified symptoms

Congrats Carrie.

MrsHP That does sound awful. Hope things improve soon.

piggy Hope you're OK after the crash. Take care of yourself.

Local school has 25+ staff either isolating or positive. 2 year groups gone home.

Us, too.

Multiple positives in all three ks3 year groups. Whole classes at home but not whole year group. Loads of other poorly kids, too. Again.

Well done Carrie! As others have said, go along and get a feel for the place. You can always withdraw if it's really not for you.

I hope you feel better soon MrsHP - that does sound grim.

Hope you're ok Piggy and not too shaken up.

Still ok at ours.

Piggy will they give everyone pcr tests then with quite rapid turnaround for results?

Everyone who consents, yes and the notifications within a couple of days via text.

I think just over half have consented.

Not too shaken up. The driver of the car was shaking so much. Poor man.

That sounds shit, MrsHP, hope things improve soon.

All those times I was accused of being a union rep for the threads I started and it turns out you lot are all union reps!

I'm NASUWT. I find the NEU a bit too militant. But what you really want is colleagues in the same union and school representation.

Only half have consented? Ffs! And presumably they just carry on in school without being tested? That's when things get a bit crazy imo. LFTs not being compulsory is fine (preventative and piss poor reliability anyway) but in an outbreak in an area of concern being able to refuse to be tested but still come into school seems crazy.

Have you tried all the weird exercises MrsHP?

I think more will. The irony is the ones at home isolating as contacts aren't allowed to come on site to be tested!

Thank you all. Thing is, I’m already working in ‘my’ place, and whilst this should be the perfect job for me I really don’t feel excited at the prospect. I have no ambition so don’t feel I need a new challenge or anything. It only has a bit more certainty about the contract about it that is attractive but I don’t think I’d be happier there. But then things change and I’m worried I’ll regret it. I don’t really want to go to the interview either, I’m properly rubbish at them so I’m scared of that too. I’m putting off replying to the invitation email.

I think I might see if I can catch my ht tomorrow and see what he says - he’s quite approachable and was supportive either way. I just feel a bit yucky