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.'

My mate who had Ofsted in before half term told me that since Ofsted have reinstated after the pandemic they haven’t awarded one outstanding.

Inspirational Us4Them?!

Jeez.

I’m starting to think that my immune system is totally covid proof. I’ve been in two meetings with staff who later tested positive (no masks and little ventilation) and been in close contact with others. I don’t know whether or not to feel concerned in case there’s a nastier variant I pick up later

Me too. Still waiting to get it at the end of this week. Confused as to when I can stop obsessively LFTing and go back to twice a week.

Teachers can still close schools with with the health and safety letters from last winter though, right? Or will the bill mean we aren't even protected by that legislation?

I’m starting to think that my immune system is totally covid proof

Me too. I’ve been in the same room as loads of positive kids and staff. I suspect I’ve had it before and was one of the extremely lucky asymptotic ones I’m so going to catch it now I’ve said that

I've been through 5 Ofsted inspections in 16 years, and 7 diocesan inspections (which have had more impact on me as a member of an RE department, only been seen during two Section 5s). School is due an Ofsted, local schools are being done so we are on high alert 🙄

I feel like I'm just waiting to catch covid. So many staff/pupils absent; hardly any air circulates the room but the room is freezing by lunchtime for having the windows open. Apparently we have CO2 monitors in school, they just haven't got round to giving us them yet.

Goodness knows Rule. We need to see the text of the bill.

Do we know, is any infrastructure legally mandated to stay open currently?

That "inspirational" quote has pissed me off. Though I am in a naturally grumpy and pissed of state anyway. Have got a cold from dc, I definitely hoped my Lateral flow was positive last night and that is seriously messed up. I think I've just spent so long trying not to catch Covid the suspense is starting to feel worse than actually having it! (I would soon change my tune if I did though). Feeling a bit panicky reading a thread about staff in their 50s being managed out of schools.

@Mistressiggi, I read that too. It apparently there are some who are determined to downplay it because it happens elsewhere and "teachers aren't special."
It's incessant, isn't it, this sneering at teachers? Not to mention they're misunderstanding the point being made.

I've just had a positive lateral flow.

Shall I do the postal PCR I've got, or drive to a test centre?

@RuleWithAWoodenFoot I think either. I’ve found my PCR results come back quickly if you say you’re a teacher compared to others on both ways!

In my area they seem to come back quicker from the drive in test centres rule, but that is probably because post round here is sometimes a bit slow at the moment.

Sorry to hear that rule - although it confirms what you thought doesn’t it.

Surely it doesn’t reply matter how long your results take as you’ve got a positive already? Although I’m not sure if you’ve been completely isolating - there’s the contact Tracing aspect?

Hope your feel ok 🌺

Well, luckily I'd done my LFT at 6.30, so could book a first slot at the test centre. All done by 8.30. Lots of other people there, which isn't a good sign for our area really. Have banging head, and absolutely no taste or smell, but so far that's all.

Main pain in the arse is getting the child to and from school. Literally had to do a 'help me please' message on the class whatsapp group. At least we're only a 5 minute walk from school.

Thought some might be interested in this which I happened upon whilst trying to research my late mum’s primary school
in Catford. It’s about neighbouring schools and what happened when they were evacuated in 1939. 11/14 days work for the teachers and some outdoor lessons (any of this sound familiar?!)

runner500.wordpress.com/tag/brownhill-road-boys-school/

Just thinking back to Robert Halfon’s suggestion that schools be made part of our emergency infrastructure which never close, just like hospitals.

That would mean they are important and a priority, yes? So, just like hospitals, all staff would be entitled to priority vaccines, all people going into the buildings would be required to wear masks?

Just thinking back to Robert Halfon’s suggestion that schools be made part of our emergency infrastructure which never close, just like hospitals

Thing is hospitals have some flexibility in the services they offer. For example scaling back planned operations during the flu season.

Most people on a wait list are very aware planned operations can be delayed if emergencies turn up.

Schools run at 100% capacity at all times. Can’t scale back services, instead you have to get in supply teachers (and the poor sick teacher has to sort out cover).

@WhenSheWasBad

Just thinking back to Robert Halfon’s suggestion that schools be made part of our emergency infrastructure which never close, just like hospitals

Thing is hospitals have some flexibility in the services they offer. For example scaling back planned operations during the flu season.

Most people on a wait list are very aware planned operations can be delayed if emergencies turn up.

Schools run at 100% capacity at all times. Can’t scale back services, instead you have to get in supply teachers (and the poor sick teacher has to sort out cover).

And I bet Ofsted would still expect perfection!

news.sky.com/story/covid-19-react-1-study-shows-infections-are-at-highest-ever-level-as-researchers-warn-next-ten-days-will-be-critical-12459376

"Scientists from the Institute for stating the flipping obvious say that one "viable hypothesis" for the cluster of cases in this region (South West) could be related to mistakes at a private laboratory in Wolverhampton, which wrongly told thousands of people from the South West their tests were negative."

Not that it matters that we are at 100% capacity at all times, my HT assures me that school is a covid secure workplace and I do not need to work outside the classroom from 28 weeks. Tell that to my year 10s... or at least the few of them that are actually in school right now! My register looks like a greetings card full of kisses.

I've been Ofsted-ed twice in 12 years and SIAMS twice (once as RE-lead and was specifically mentioned as making "an outstanding contribution" even though we got good!) but fortunately they don't seem to happen in my branch of SEN. We have other other inspections instead and had one last year but they didn't see me teach, thank goodness.

That bill is ridiculous as it stands, is my initial reaction. Sometimes schools need to close. Making it harder for us to do what's right for staff AND pupils is so unfair. It all just needs to be taken on a needs basis.

@WhenSheWasBad is right that hospitals can remain open because all resources are poured into vital services and everything else is on the back burner. People told not to go to A&E unless critical, all mask-wearing, strict maintaining of space by roping off seats, one-way systems etc. In schools, everything is normal now, including back to Ofsted inspections, and, as usual, little to no guidance so different schools are doing things differently. The whole thing is ridiculous.

In schools, everything is normal now

We don’t even have the hazard tape anymore. I felt so safe behind that stuff

Correct me if I’m wrong at least, sorry for sounding like a broken record but schools never closed fully either. Like other public services, ‘service’ was reduced but critical services, such as keyworker children and SEND or vulnerable children were as a whole, able to physically go to school in the main.
This narrative by dickheads such as Halfon needs to be called out for the inaccuracies that they keeps spewing out!

I know but I guess part of the impression that schools closed completely is because that’s what was leaked and what the instruction seemed to be to schools initially, it only became apparent about the day before we closed that KWV children had to be allowed in, do you remember the chaos?
And then v few of them came initially because everyone was so frightened, and /or confused!

Crikey remember that week….

Positive PCR here at midnight. Poor child missing out on Halloween AND fireworks.

True Jan but I guess that was also true of the NHS at the time and most people stopped using those services even when many were technically open, meaning some departments were very quiet at first.
The fact that schools are being picked on to make a very dubious political point from an MP influenced by a dangerous lobbying group just seems so unfair.