Sixty Seventh Republic - under temporary guardianship

[Hercisback]

In the absence of staff and her fabulous thread titles and witty openers here is a 67th thread. The broom cupboard is overflowing so time for another Republic. Hopefully we hear from staff soon.

Stolen from thread 66.
'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.'

PCR neg issue has made it onto main BBC news, along with quoted advice to act as if it’s Covid
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-58841259

My DH is awaiting a PCR, it's getting sent out tomo but he's done an LFT which is neg.

We had staff in school today with a fever which made me angry why put other's at risk like that.

Hi jan lovely to see you!

[quote JanglyBeads]PCR neg issue has made it onto main BBC news, along with quoted advice to act as if it’s Covid
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-58841259[/quote]
I had four positive lfts but four negative pcrs. I’ve knocked out at least two other members of staff since returning to work. Similar lft vs pcr for those staff too. This advice is again too sodding late to be useful.

@eitak22

My DH is awaiting a PCR, it's getting sent out tomo but he's done an LFT which is neg.

We had staff in school today with a fever which made me angry why put other's at risk like that.

Hope your dh is ok, eitak22.

My dd has been isolating for a week, having tested positive on Sunday. She's only got mild symptoms but enough to feel uncomfortable. She's old enough to be left at home on her own during the day and is dialling into lessons remotely, but she's lonely. I'm popping back at lunchtime and when I've got half days.

It's all just awful. A friend caught it last week at work (Gp) and now the whole family also have it as well as 8 other gps at the surgery. But as the kids initially tested negative they went to school / nursery.

Youngest is close to my youngest; they played together for 3 hours on Weds afternoon.

Hi all
Haven't had a chance to catch up.... can I ask has anyone actually sent siblings or gone in themselves with Covid in the household?

Dds best friend just tested positive and head is adamant that even if dd gets it I go in, and also send younger dd who attends federated school where she is also head.

Should say have order dd a PCR even though not been told she is a contact despite having a double lesson sat side by side yesterday. 😬

I and I think others here have gone in when children positive, because you have to / the guidance says it is "allowed".....

I subsequently tested positive (at least I was LFTing every day so caught it at that point), and my boss has since had symptoms which she seems to be dismissing as a cold.....

Yes, all our staff and students have been in when family members have it. You "have" to.

I sent DD in when I was positive, which I was dead against, and the local guidance changed just as I was released from isolation. I got all my family to PCR the weekend I tested positive, lft every day that week, then PCR again the following weekend, and they were all negative throughout. Just me, caught it at school.

One colleague is now on her 3rd week off with covid, she's been signed off for another 2 weeks. She's got quite mild symptoms but it's the fatigue, she can't stay awake for more than a couple of hours. I really hope she starts to feel better soon, as she's such a lovely woman and she's so fit and active normally that this must be torture for her.

I had to send mine to school even though I was positive because even in Cumbria (where you were advised to isolate if a sibling was positive) you didn’t have to if it was a parent. New advice was issued today that changes that to isolate if any family member tested positive.

Incredibly, mine do seem to have stayed negative though (four tests each last week)

Thanks that's helpful.

I just feel awful knowing there's staff with vulnerable family members and also vulnerable children in school.

It's interesting (for want of a better word) that this autumn local public health seem finally able to do what they wanted all along, and set their own rules. But of course they're not rules, only advice. Are employers complying with it?

On the one hand, yes, local authorities do seem to be able to be flexible, but isn’t that just the government passing the buck (again?) I think parents would be shocked if they knew how many cases there are in local schools.

@AttaGirrrrl

On the one hand, yes, local authorities do seem to be able to be flexible, but isn’t that just the government passing the buck (again?) I think parents would be shocked if they knew how many cases there are in local schools.

Ain't that the truth?! I've done attendance every day for a fortnight, and I'm shocked.

My husband was in school with covid. The lfds were positive but the pcrs negative and his school insisted that if he felt well enough he was to go in. He was in teaching for 2 of his 10 days.
Ds went in whilst we were out testing and retesting with positive lfds. He had negative pcr, negative lfd and no symptoms. Once he had a positive lfd he stayed home but went back when symptoms were over as he had negative pcr. I rang his school and they put me through to the head who said to send him in. He said he was getting increasing numbers of cases like this so what could he do.
They do have kids in masks in corridors and in lessons of pregnant or vulnerable teachers.

I will be sending my DCs in / going in myself of one of us tests positive, as no-one will tell me I'll be paid if I stay off with them and DH has done 75% so far. We can't afford to lose the money.

I'd like to ask to stop receiving info about + pupils now as it's just stressful given that I can do.nothing about it. They're supposed to have been wearing face coverings in the classroom for the last three weeks, but they don't comply and I'm told in the same breath that it's compulsory but I can't sanction them. It just creates conflict.

This is very much no win. Citalopram is the answer for me.

@twinkletoesimnot

Hi all Haven't had a chance to catch up.... can I ask has anyone actually sent siblings or gone in themselves with Covid in the household?

Dds best friend just tested positive and head is adamant that even if dd gets it I go in, and also send younger dd who attends federated school where she is also head.

Yes. We are LFTing every morning before school, but unless we are unwell/displaying symptoms ourselves, we are expected in.

I don't feel great about it. I normally have a stress/lack of sleep headache by this stage of term anyway, but I haven't taken any time off. I know dd is lonely at home and am seeing her as much as I can, without it impacting on my classes. We've had quite a lot of illness in the department as well, so I feel as if everyone is bearing the brunt.

I went to work and DD2 went to school. Luckily DD1 did not pass it on. We took lft every day and I wore a mask at all times whilst in my school. DH works from home so was able to check on her.
When test and trace called I was very clear she got it at school as she doesn't go anywhere else.

Trafford’s Councillor Mike Freeman:
"There remains a sense out there that this pandemic is over and I cannot help feeling that central government have somewhat abandoned our children, their parents, schools and staff within schools to the ravages of Covid-19.”

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/very-grave-situation-trafford-infection-21806060?fbclid=IwAR0S6rbUT2eYXoF4h2Jwc9BNl64kj-E3i9i7UXnZCAW-H-cbZPSzagY-_4A

When test and trace called I was very clear she got it at school as she doesn't go anywhere else.

The T&T man whom I spoke to agreed with me that dd had probably caught it in school.

Zahawi is going to make a speech to the Headteachers' Conference today and say

"Perhaps one of the most crucial commitments, certainly as far as I’m concerned, is that we do far more for vulnerable children and make sure they have the support they need to succeed.

“For me, this is about children with SEND, or those who are looked after, getting as many opportunities as their peers.

"It is about acknowledging that we must close the disadvantage gap and do the best by every single child by focusing on the outcomes for every single child.

“And that means mental health must be better understood and support provided where it’s needed. I want us to put wellbeing at the centre of everything we do in schools alongside a drive for rigorous standards and high performance."

I'm not sure Gav ever mentioned kids with SEND, so that's interesting. I wonder whether his words will come with anything concrete like funding. And whether 'well-being' will include teachers.

www.tes.com/news/nadhim-zahawi-put-wellbeing-heart-schools-policy-schools-mental-health

I wonder whether his words will come with anything concrete like funding

Well, quite. I suspect it will just mean a massive focus on it, but no additional cash. This worries me-most schools round here used to have a senco who was also
Deputy head-usually full time and lots of sway over budgets and staffing, but there is a real move away from this now and sencos are increasingly ‘just’ (I know it’s not just) a part time teacher with no extra pay, not SLT and no real power to do anything!

And whether 'well-being' will include teachers

I doubt it.

Not sure if anyone has seen all the stuff about mental funding the government are introducing but it’s so bloody complicated. Rather than, you know-commissioning some good training for schools to sign up to, which would be a really good idea-they have a different idea. They have asked loads of different providers to submit a training package which have been quality controlled. Schools then sort though them all choose one, book and PAY FOR IT, and then have to put in a bid for the funding (up to £1200) which they will ‘probably’ get back later!

Why not just have a few good training courses that are free for schools to access?! They are also all hours and hours long and involve huge amounts of paperwork. Whose mental health is that good for?

I think the difference is that Zahawi knows some words and can string them together to make sense, whereas Williamson didn’t and couldn’t.
Any Conservative education minister who says I want us to put wellbeing at the centre of everything we do in schools is probably lying.