Coronavirus and schools

Author
Discussion

Antony Moxey

8,088 posts

220 months

Thursday 25th June 2020
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Murph7355 said:
Antony Moxey said:
Or maybe the head at one school is far better than the head at another. Not everything in multi academy trusts is the same across the board, there’s still good and bad under the same umbrella.
I'm not up on the details of Academies, but isn't one of the reasons for them existing to get standards to the same level? Yes there will be some differences in the schools, but over time shouldn't academies be in a position to spread/iron them out/mitigate them?

More reason to let the CEO know...
I believe it's schools that opt out of local authority control are now academies, and a group of academies under the same overall leadership is a multi academy trust. Although I work in a school its at the bottom of the food chain so happy for someone to correct me on that.

Lucas CAV

3,023 posts

220 months

Thursday 25th June 2020
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Antony Moxey said:
Murph7355 said:
Antony Moxey said:
Or maybe the head at one school is far better than the head at another. Not everything in multi academy trusts is the same across the board, there’s still good and bad under the same umbrella.
I'm not up on the details of Academies, but isn't one of the reasons for them existing to get standards to the same level? Yes there will be some differences in the schools, but over time shouldn't academies be in a position to spread/iron them out/mitigate them?

More reason to let the CEO know...
I believe it's schools that opt out of local authority control are now academies, and a group of academies under the same overall leadership is a multi academy trust. Although I work in a school its at the bottom of the food chain so happy for someone to correct me on that.
Correct
And all MATs are not the same. Some are dictatorial, some are not. Most seem to be inbetween.

sim72

4,945 posts

135 months

Thursday 25th June 2020
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Lucas CAV said:
Correct
And all MATs are not the same. Some are dictatorial, some are not. Most seem to be inbetween.
The MAT I work for now seems pretty good. They are fairly hands-off in regards running the school and although we have had to make cuts, they haven't been serious.

The previous MATs I worked for were

1. So bad at micromanaging schools that the staff turnover rate was ludicrous
2. Might as well have not been there - precisely nothing changed
3. So horrific that they had their schools taken off them by the Government and given to other academies. Though they were very good at finding jobs for relatives of the Trust's management and funding "fact-finding" trips to other continents - all money that should have been used to educate the kids, of course.

nadger

1,411 posts

141 months

Sunday 28th June 2020
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Mining Subsidence Man said:
The solution is to get the kids that online teaching is failing back into the classroom PDQ.

Staff and students who are vulnerable, stay home and hide behind the settee.

Everyone else, back to work.

There are A LOT of qualified teachers not working at the moment. Give them an incentive to plug the gaps.

Let's face it, most people use pretty much none of their PGCE on a daily basis.

We need schools open and we need people in them now. We don't need excuses, group think (sheep think) pointing to contracts, etc, etc. These are exceptional times and we need a full effort restart.

Any mucking about, instant sacking.

There is also no place for unions in a first world country within the public sector. Ban them. Teachers and educators enjoy some of the worlds best working conditions.

Cue comments from people in central london wearing stab vests.
You claim to be a teacher yet consistently blame teachers for governmental policy! Teachers are not the ones deciding all students shouldn’t be in school yet. That one has come down from central government!
I understand you’re probably desperate to get back in to school to print off some worksheets and discuss your latest beheading video (or possibly imagine you are), but you’re railing against the wrong target here.

sim72

4,945 posts

135 months

Sunday 28th June 2020
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Mining Subsidence Man said:
Let's face it, most of the teachers on here don't want to go back to school.

I'd go back tomorrow, because we have a job to do.
That's strange, because

Mining Subsidence Man said:
My work is relating to the building/development sector and I can tell you that people out here are sweating about what's happening next. Building sites are back but they aren't sure for how long. I am very busy doing mining investigations at the moment, probably as busy as we've ever been
Mind you, you can't even make up your mind what your "fellow teachers" are like ...

Mining Subsidence Man said:
The senior management have been exceptional and the regular staff have done very very well indeed. Sterling performance and preparation and they are running things effectively. It is a good school.
Mining Subsidence Man said:
My peers in school are generally a bunch of hardworking intelligent people, but there is other side to them which is so damn lazy.
...and you sort of really gave it away here.

Mining Subsidence Man said:
Contrary to what you read everywhere, there are not a shortage of teachers. The colleges train bucket loads of them.
You'd probably do better calling teachers a

Mining Subsidence Man said:
bunch of entitled prks who have the best employment deal in Britain apart from the University academics and politicians
in a different thread to this one, really.

dave_s13

13,814 posts

270 months

Monday 29th June 2020
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Haha...well played.

mSm really is a prick of the highest order. Or a very elaborate troll.

21TonyK

11,537 posts

210 months

Monday 29th June 2020
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-53221741

Looks like back to "normal" from September.

sim72

4,945 posts

135 months

Monday 29th June 2020
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Reported to be in the schools guidance, published tomorrow...

The DFE said:
No in-class social distancing requirement for primary pupils, with secondary pupils advised to stay one metre apart but not at all times. Teachers advised to keep two metres away from pupils, at the front of the class, and away from colleagues as much as possible as if in a supermarket.

No face coverings for pupils or teachers, on Public Health England advice, as they "interfere" with teaching and learning. Teachers advised to spend no more than 15 minutes at any one time closer than one metre to anyone. Heads told not to put in any physical distancing that would require extra space or make it impossible for all pupils to return full-time.

Whole classes or year groups liable to be sent home if a pupil tests positive, but whole school closure not seen as generally necessary.
How do you bubble year groups and stop them interacting with any other student for the whole day? I think the word "impossible" springs to mind

The DFE said:
Fines of up to £120 for parents whose children fail to attend school. In contrast with the "softly softly" approach taken during full lockdown the message will be "education is not optional". "Robust" measures will be taken to engage with families where children had been persistently absent prior to the pandemic or who have not engaged with school regularly during the pandemic.
"Robust", eh? Good luck.

The DFE said:
Some subjects for some or all pupils may have to be suspended for two terms to allow catch-up on core subjects such as English and maths with a full spread of subjects returning in the summer term of 2021.

Some pupils may have to drop some GCSEs altogether in Year 11 to allow them to catch up and achieve better grades in English and maths. GCSEs and A levels to take place as planned next summer but with some "adaptations".

First year pupils at secondary school may have to be re-taught English and maths from their final year syllabus at primary level.
(a) what a shambles (b) where do we get all those extra Maths and English teachers from, please? And who pays them?

CoolHands

18,681 posts

196 months

Monday 29th June 2020
quotequote all
sim72 said:
Reported to be in the schools guidance, published tomorrow...

The DFE said:
No in-class social distancing requirement for primary pupils, with secondary pupils advised to stay one metre apart but not at all times. Teachers advised to keep two metres away from pupils, at the front of the class, and away from colleagues as much as possible as if in a supermarket.

No face coverings for pupils or teachers, on Public Health England advice, as they "interfere" with teaching and learning. Teachers advised to spend no more than 15 minutes at any one time closer than one metre to anyone. Heads told not to put in any physical distancing that would require extra space or make it impossible for all pupils to return full-time.

Whole classes or year groups liable to be sent home if a pupil tests positive, but whole school closure not seen as generally necessary.
How do you bubble year groups and stop them interacting with any other student for the whole day? I think the word "impossible" springs to mind
Not if your bubble is super-massive! Apparently bubbles of up to 150 or 200 will be allowed!



sim72

4,945 posts

135 months

Monday 29th June 2020
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CoolHands said:
ot if your bubble is super-massive! Apparently bubbles of up to 150 or 200 will be allowed!
That's still six different lunchbreaks for us, then, and we're only an average-sized secondary!

CoolHands

18,681 posts

196 months

Monday 29th June 2020
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I think it’ll be bring your picnic blanket for the classroom lol

21TonyK

11,537 posts

210 months

Monday 29th June 2020
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We've moved to eating in class. Not ideal but it works.

scrubchub

1,844 posts

141 months

Monday 29th June 2020
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21TonyK said:
We've moved to eating in class. Not ideal but it works.
That's how we've done it in my school too. No school dinners, all bubbles eat in their class and have their own area of playground. Free school meals have packed lunches provided (bloody miserable things they are too).

It's not ideal but it works pretty well.

21TonyK

11,537 posts

210 months

Monday 29th June 2020
quotequote all
scrubchub said:
21TonyK said:
We've moved to eating in class. Not ideal but it works.
That's how we've done it in my school too. No school dinners, all bubbles eat in their class and have their own area of playground. Free school meals have packed lunches provided (bloody miserable things they are too).

It's not ideal but it works pretty well.
We've maintained our normal menu but adapted it slightly so it can be served in disposable insulated containers collected by class staff or on our other site using hot trolleys and served in class.

Best bit is staff get a duty lunch as well so not only have we catering staff off ill or shielding we've almost maintained our numbers


sim72

4,945 posts

135 months

Monday 29th June 2020
quotequote all
21TonyK said:
We've maintained our normal menu but adapted it slightly so it can be served in disposable insulated containers collected by class staff or on our other site using hot trolleys and served in class.

Best bit is staff get a duty lunch as well so not only have we catering staff off ill or shielding we've almost maintained our numbers
Yes that's similar to what we've done too, mind you that's with a maximum of 40 kids, not sure how it'll work with 1200! (we have 34% FSM as well).



Antony Moxey

8,088 posts

220 months

Monday 29th June 2020
quotequote all
scrubchub said:
21TonyK said:
We've moved to eating in class. Not ideal but it works.
That's how we've done it in my school too. No school dinners, all bubbles eat in their class and have their own area of playground. Free school meals have packed lunches provided (bloody miserable things they are too).

It's not ideal but it works pretty well.
Yep, same as us.

Jamie VTS

1,238 posts

148 months

Monday 29th June 2020
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First day back today (Wales) and I had 0 out of 8 children back. Supported colleagues by covering comfort breaks, wrote some reports and planned my week’s home learning. I have 4 due in on Wednesday and 3 on Friday. I’d much rather have my full class back.

RammyMP

6,784 posts

154 months

Tuesday 30th June 2020
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Jamie VTS said:
First day back today (Wales) and I had 0 out of 8 children back. Supported colleagues by covering comfort breaks, wrote some reports and planned my week’s home learning. I have 4 due in on Wednesday and 3 on Friday. I’d much rather have my full class back.
They’ll all be off to Spain now the airlines have resumed flights!

Jamie VTS

1,238 posts

148 months

Tuesday 30th June 2020
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RammyMP said:
They’ll all be off to Spain now the airlines have resumed flights!
We’re still limited to 5 Miles local travel here in Wales...

RammyMP

6,784 posts

154 months

Tuesday 30th June 2020
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Jamie VTS said:
RammyMP said:
They’ll all be off to Spain now the airlines have resumed flights!
We’re still limited to 5 Miles local travel here in Wales...
Is that still a thing in Wales! I did a 6 hour, 390 mile round trip the other week for a one hour site visit. To be honest it was nice to have a good drive!