The Sixty Third Republic - as we glide into staycations the DfE whip up anti-school media storm

[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.

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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.

@ineedaholidaynow

He really brings out the rage in me, never shout at the tv so much

I had PPA so listened to him while marking. I didn't really get marking done, I was too busy shouting "answer the bloody question!" & trying not to swear...

Piggy
That's interesting because 10 seems to be the average. Even though the media have been talking about whole year groups wiped out by one case, the actual numbers show the children isolating are only 10 times more than the number with confirmed or suspected cases. On average, for every confirmed or suspected case, 9 to 10 other children isolate at the moment.

Yes, certainly seems to be my experience.

Lots of these beliefs are U4T hyperbole.

In a bid to find something to laugh about today - people on Parents United are getting very aerated due a few misunderstandings:

They’re saying “How on earth will Test and Trace contact the children and know who close contacts are if phones are banned in schools?!!!! 😡”

But the idea that they’re going to be asking the Bobs / Reception children who their close contacts are (they haven’t stated any alternative to this) is utterly ridiculous.

I gather NEU are having a Fb live discussion about it all now?

What's ridiculous anyway is that even if you have a switched on year 8-10, say, who knows all their classmates names etc, they won't have contact details for them or their parents. Contact tracing can only be done by schools!

It's so they can say they've tried it and it doesn't work so what's the point and then they can cut it completely.

Just had the email about dd2 needing to SI. So that's 80+ year 6 pupils all at home til next Tuesday. Luckily dd1 is at home looking after the puppy, so she can look after dd2 as well. I shall encourage her to do some work, but can't guarantee that it will all get done 🤷

Yes it’s going to HAVE to involve schools, isn’t it??

Presumably other workplaces are the same? I mean, I imagine if you work on a factory floor, you don't necessarily have the contact details of all your (possibly ever changing) co-workers?

I would love to hear a phone conversation with test and trace operative and Bob!

You see, the only way i can see it working in primary schools is:

T&T ring - Bob is positive. Who are their close contacts?

Receptionist - Mrs Can't's class.

T&T - Can you narrow that down any further?

Receptionist - No. they're all together for 6 hours per day and there isn't any social distancing. So they're all close contacts.

T&T - But that is what a bubble was.

Recptionist - Exactly.

So as far as I understand it, at that point, the infected child goes home but everyone else stays in and is requested to get (one) PCR test. Which most won't do as parents don't want to know the answer.

The logical conclusion is herd immunity via the back door.

Close contact tracing will be impossible. No regular testing means no cases identified early.

I don't necessarily agree with it but I can see why people do.

They need to announce vaccines for kids even if not mass vaccination so that CEV kids have some option for protection.

Yup

Herd immunity via infection is temporary at best. It's been shown that natural immunity lasts between 6 and 8 months. Current estimations suggest we'd need 7 million children to get infected to act as herd immunity. What will the long covid rates in children be then?

@cantkeepawayforever

You see, the only way i can see it working in primary schools is:

T&T ring - Bob is positive. Who are their close contacts?

Receptionist - Mrs Can't's class.

T&T - Can you narrow that down any further?

Receptionist - No. they're all together for 6 hours per day and there isn't any social distancing. So they're all close contacts.

T&T - But that is what a bubble was.

Recptionist - Exactly.

So as far as I understand it, at that point, the infected child goes home but everyone else stays in and is requested to get (one) PCR test. Which most won't do as parents don't want to know the answer.

So, Test and Trace will spend ages on the phone with the head and end up with a list of children who the head has identified as close contacts.

Then the head will pass details of all of these children to T+T (this will take a while-will the head be reading out 10/20/30 parent names and numbers on the phone?!) and then T+T will phone them all, yes? Then, the parents are told to go and get PCR tests (at some point-but not urgently so they still all stay at school?)

Can parents choose for them to isolate or do they have to go to school?

Are secondaries and school staff still being advised to do LFD tests in September?

I think September and October are going to be even more disrupted than last year. I'm imagining a merry-go-round of positive cases needing 10 day isolation which spreads through the school as each case is infectious pre-symptoms so in to spread it. Instead of having most of a class at home, it'll be a few kids every lesson until herd immunity is reached.

Until the end of September apparently appu

We have to test every kid twice in September. Presumably they'll be in school before and between tests.

@Appuskiduthey are asking Secondaries to continue the twice weekly tests in September and then it will be reviewed

@Piggywaspushed

Until the end of September apparently appu

Right, thank you-I didn’t hear what Gavin said.

So from October, LFD will stop?

Wasn’t testing the future!?

Appu
Can parents choose for them to isolate or do they have to go to school?

Given that isolation will be removed for all under 18s, I'm going to say that they will have to come to school and that isolation won't be an option.

I agree Flags, the Autumn term has the potential to be messy as fuck.

What about if a child or teacher has a household member who has covid. Will they still come to school?

Sorry if Gav answered this already!

I can't bear to think about the mess that's going to unfold in the autumn term. At least there's nothing in the DfE guidance insisting on keeping rows of desks. I've missed table groups.

Those of us who don’t break up until the 23rd or later are going to have fun! Or maybe an extra weeks holiday by the back door.