The Sixty-Fifth Republic - The Covid School Phoney War under way so who will the gold medal and who will get the wooden spoon?

[Staffholidayclubrep]

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.

You can sit on chairs but keep the windows open. You don’t have to upload LFT results during the holidays. You do not have to wear mask - free choice

DS has had slightly dodgy symptoms since his nightclubbing venture at the weekend but not enough to test really : bunged up nose and minor cough. I am going to do a LFT on me and DS2 when we get back. Mainly because DS2 now has music lessons in our house with a reasonably elderly tutor and starts a volunteering job on the 5th.

My LEA is doing some kind of survey of children's' covid behaviours in schools jan. They want teachers to take part. £10 voucher!

Ooh a £10 voucher. More than the exam boards offered for doing their work for free whilst still charging schools.

What are they asking piggy, that sounds interesting

Don’t suppose you can post what they’re asking, and / or the time frames, can you? But maybe not.

Need to wait till I am home from hol to have a look jan but will let you know!

Yes, I realised that was a bit of a stretch on holiday, sorry!

This might be of interest to people on here. It's a report from 'More in Common' in political debate, 'culture wars', and how to fight that narrowing and enflaming of cultural debate:

www.moreincommon.com/media/q43lim5p/dousing-the-flames-uk-mic-report-july-2021.pdf

Wow, ONS data shows an increase in infection rates for school kids (a big one for secondary)

This doesn’t match the case rates picture.

I suppose that what it shows is that if you want an ideal environment and timescale to incubate infections, schools and a school term fit the bill perfectly.

@noblegiraffe

Wow, ONS data shows an increase in infection rates for school kids (a big one for secondary)

This doesn’t match the case rates picture.

Well, my NDN's DS has covid now. School year 9. We only broke up last week.

What is literally the most important thing Gav could be focusing on right now?

www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/gavin-williamson-latin-department-for-education-england-b948533.html

Oh do fuck off, Gav

Obviously doesn't care quite enough to give the schools Latin teachers to teach Latin though Just resources and training them to teach latin.

Nothing says 'raising school standards' like getting teachers to teach subjects they have little experience in.

hmm 4million pounds to ensure 40 schools in the whole of the UK offer latin as a subject - in theory and presumably they're the schools that already have latin teachers? That sounds worthwhile and a good use of money.

I mean , Latin is great but is there any evidence at all that having Latin in school raises standards or increases a disadvantaged child's life chances?

I am all for schools offering it :I don't have a utilitarian approach. This could be ES reporting here :it could be a funded project from Cambridge Latin or whatever they are called, who have been around for ages promoting classics in schools. But you do have to have staff you can train up to teach it and I do wonder how many state school teachers these days have Latin at a good enough standard. Languages can't just be 'picked up' in the way a history teacher might be able to do politics, and English teacher film. I do teach two subjects with absolutely no qualifications in them at all and have taught German with an A Level but I definitely could not teach French or German beyond GCSE.

As I have said previously, we do Latin at my school. The HOD has just left (and is starting Latin at his new school!) so now we are down to one teacher (who is an English teacher by trade). Numbers taking it after early buoyancy have dwindled. My school's big USP has always been breadth of (academic) curriculum : we offer three MFL subjects and Latin and soem other unusual GCSEs and A Levels - but have never had special funding.

I suspect this push is coming through those free schools that want to be like private schools.

I definitely could not teach French or German beyond GCSE.

I meant to write beyond beginners.

[quote noblegiraffe]What is literally the most important thing Gav could be focusing on right now?

www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/gavin-williamson-latin-department-for-education-england-b948533.html[/quote]
Every time that imbecile opens his mouth I am filled with rage.

I loved Latin (favourite subject) and would love other children to be given the chance to learn it. My teacher was amazing- she took us to Bath, the British Museum to see a Pompeii exhibition, and did Roman cookery with us when we finished the syllabus.

But... IMHO, if I wanted to spend the money enriching the lived of children, I'd spend it elsewhere. For inspiration, I might offer more musical instrument lessons, so that it doesn't just become the preserve of the rich.

Anyone seen the RNLI ad on Twitter? It is so powerful.

twitter.com/RNLI/status/1420319266746871834

Yes, but the arts are being axed...

And studies already show music has become increasingly elite,. Even pop music has a large number of privately educated people now. And there is robust evidence to show the link between music and improved academic performance. Guess Gav just thinks that can be done in the all new longer school day somehow.
To be fair, the assumption is all schools at least offer music.

I have always been curious to know who this powerful Latin lobby are because they seem to have some heft. Maybe it's Boris himself?

[quote Piggywaspushed]Anyone seen the RNLI ad on Twitter? It is so powerful.

twitter.com/RNLI/status/1420319266746871834[/quote]
❤

@noblegiraffe

Wow, ONS data shows an increase in infection rates for school kids (a big one for secondary)

This doesn’t match the case rates picture.

We've been having a cousin packed few days; bil and sil are teachers in Leeds.

That ons data definitely represents the NE in the last few weeks! It was bonkersly high. However, one area finished 2 weeks ago and others a week ago. So well on the way down now. (My nephew in Leeds only finished this week!)

I am actually in favour of the Latin however the arts have been drastically cut.

And there is lots of evidence to show that they do support stem subjects.

For inspiration, I might offer more musical instrument lessons, so that it doesn't just become the preserve of the rich.

Absolutely. Shown to improve cognitive skills too.

Good teaching in Drawing supports reading.

Nothing against Latin itself, I did it to GCSE and loved it. Just not sure this is the best use of 4 million right now. Or the best way to introduce it if you did want to bring it into schools.