Sixty-Eighth Republic - still under temporary guardianship…

[MrsHerculePoirot]

In the absence of staff and her fabulous thread titles and witty openers here is a 68th thread. The broom cupboard is overflowing so time for another Republic. Hopefully we hear from staff soon.

Stolen from previous threads…
'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.'

Hello all, our school is converting to an academy chain and so thankfully ofsted won't be comingin the near future. They are in the area tho so feeling lucky. Knackered with all the staff absences though.
I have an interview elsewhere coming up, can anyone give me any fashionable buzz words to get in, apparently it's a place that's a bit like that. So far I have, closing the vocabulary gap, interleaved, er that's about it. It's a level history. Thank you!

Yes I see that piggy but then I also see the massive trolling he does. I find it exceptionally odd.

read a book
Sounds perfect to me!

winewolfhowls You have to get cultural capital in there somewhere.

Just got a positive PCR but bound to happen given how many little poppets have licked or coughed on me this week. Irritating to have got my covid booster booked for next weekend though! Feel ok, have a headache but thought that was just a headache, and the usual "oh God it is the end of term yet?" fatigue.

Sorry to hear that corner. Hope it doesn't get you badly.

My DCs school had Ofsted just before half term, have retained outstanding. Staff said it was ok, or at least not staying to stupid o’clock to prep. Really pleased for them since it was their first inspection for 10+ years.

That's good Carrie, I heard there weren't many Outstanding ratings being handed out post pandemic but I suppose a lot of the places being inspected that were overdue wouldn't have been Outstanding to begin with.

Beachhuts90 I was surprised, thought they’d be bumped to good although I think they well deserve to keep outstanding. Maybe sometimes Ofsted do manage to get it right!

I just popped by to ask a question. Close contacts of the new variant now need to isolate for 10 days. Do you think this will include classroom contacts? If it does and it takes off, schools are going to be shutting again. If it doesn't then there is no containing it.

If test and trace are doing the contacting then it can’t involve seating plans etc, we know that already.

Will tracing fall back to schools? Or will they pretend that T&T is working where school kids are involved?

I guess they'll probably pretend or just ignore what's going on.

I think it's plain that schools will just be ignored.

This new variant will take off and test and trace will lose track (excuse pun) so it will just be isolation whatever I reckon. I mean does they never tried to differentiate delta peeps when that kicked off.

They re talking as if there will be a few easily traceable omicron cases. We all know that won't last.

I didn’t see the press conference but from a current thread it looks like it was very much a Don’t Mention The Schools effort.

Did anyone ask a question about them?

Yes, actually , sort of. An ITV (I think) journo asked about vaccines for children.

It seems like they're hoping if they don't talk about schools then nobody will point out that thousands of unvaccinated people in a poorly ventilated space with limited (almost no) preventative measures might be a problem.

It also means that if more restrictions come into place, Boris can wag his finger at the public and argue "look what you made me do" which detracts from his failings on schools.

twitter.com/educationgovuk/status/1464549619828940803?s=21
Great idea for my local area!

I read somewhere that the advice for masks is anywhere you can't smoke.... like a classroom???

That Miriam Cates spent a short amount of time as a teacher (couldn't hack it Mim?) and has a genetics degree. That's terrifying.

Just got a cinema visit in quick with ds before waning immunity from having had covid in Sep plus new varient means that we are off cinema again for a while. Also have an early Christmas theatre visit booked for Tuesday. Think we will go for more masks and distancing again after that but probably pointless as we are a 3 school family.

I have gone back to lurking recently as this year is turning out to be tougher that the last due to staffing and safeguarding stuff. I've been a bit on the edge lately.

You are all been pretty quiet though. Are you mostly on Skype now? I hope everyone that has got/had had covid recovers well. We have all given up with masks and distancing as a staff now - even those with additional risk factors. I think we just can't cope with a 3rd school year of total crap without the emotional support of our colleagues.

As always, my message is filled with mistakes. I just can't type on my phone!

Um yes, there might be some chatting continuing on Skype, Squashed…..

Hope you’re ok squashed, and corner.

Yes this nee situation does raise a few awkward questions about what T&T are actually doing about school children (we all know the answer to that one.)

Also JCVI have emergency meeting tomorrow: I guess if they do anything re 5-11 yos we’ll know they’re really really scared. I would have thought it’ll be more about “boosters boosted”’as BJ so thoughtfully put it, and second jabs for 12-15s, although that would presumably need at the very least a 12 week gap, so wouldn’t happen anytime soon for most who’ve had the first dose. Of course many haven’t had even that.

I need to stay off Noble's new thread! All okish now but I suspect will kick off...

I caught the very end of the presser and Whitty (or Valance?) said that (of course it was up to the JCVI) but he presumed they would look at 3rd doses for 18 plus year olds before second doses for 12 plus or first vaccines for 5 plus.

I'm sure he didn't speak out of turn/must know that would be where they would go for next steps.