Sian

I keep hearing the nose swab gives false positives but every single one done that was positive has also been confirmed by a PCR for us. We haven’t had any false ones. I’m told they work better to find heavier viral load whereas the PCR picks up small amounts. I take this to mean it can more likely say you are negative when really you may be positive because there hasn’t been enough virus to detect. We have to isolate though if the lateral flow says positive and wait for,the PCR to confirm.

To bring a different perspective working with 2 to 7 year olds we have in the last few weeks had a spate of positive kids in lots of classes some with temperatures, others with cold like symptoms, diarrhoea and lots with no symptoms at all but parents tested them (we don’t force families). I have have 2 Reception classes, 1 pre-reception class, and my youngest 2 year old class and my turning 3 yrs class isolating at the moment, various positive staff and parents. It has suddenly blown up. One reception class was isolating for 10 days as one Teacher was positive. They were all back one day and that night a child in that class was tested and was positive, off they all went for another 10 days. They are due back Monday. I dont believe for one minute nursery staff are being persuaded by the unions.

It’s always struck me as odd the range of symptoms my lot have had. Kids present with fever, diarrhoea, cold like symptoms. Adults have hade the same and sinus issues, bad cold symptoms, headaches/migraines, muscle ache as well as the three main symptoms. One staff member early 40s lives with her partner, 3 year old and hos elderly mother. They all had the cough and felt rough with the elderly mother still feeling rough although now getting out. I really thought that family were going to have real issues because during the first lockdown the partner and his mother were shielding and when they got it I thought one at least would end up in hospital at leas but no. Her younger much colleague who got it at the same time fit man was really poorly but at home. He felt nauseous all the time and had to stay in bed for a week. He went deaf in one ear for a while and had sinus issues.

Whenever I’ve had to ask staff to isolate or children and they are positive, our guidelines have always stated they can return if they still have the cough or lost their sense of taste and smell but not if they still had a fever. They need to have two full days clear of fever before they return. I also noted that care homes have to isolate for 14 days not 10. They brought the number down but actually even 14 days was an average as they found people who were still infectious long after that.

I’m thankful for the community my parents live in. A small village in Wales. Today they were taken for their vaccine 20:miles away by a young farmer while “young” Margaret 50 at least got their shopping. Neighbours check in on them. They are active at 86 yrs and do drive still but short journeys. When this is all over and they allow me back in Wales I will be doing something for every one of them that have helped.

And we wonder why it keeps going. It’s a pain in the jacksy for sure but I’d been questioning the logic of that advice.

I’m starting to see a lot more at school. Remembering they are 2 to 7 yrs. they are testing positive as are their family members. Staff and their families also and returning staff are definitely still affected both physically and emotionally. Even those that have got off relatively lightly have not returned to their normal selves. It really is no walk in the park.

Not just London Using those airports. In any event that’ll be the Government surely who have allowed use of the airports whoever is using them. I’m talking about ordinary people like me, haven’t been on a plane for 18:years. We are doing what we are told, getting to work if we are allowed. I use a car and I think many more do this time round but they took away so many trains and buses and then expected the virus not to spread. Anyway people can blame areas if they want to.

Not all parents just a few and I don’t have a problem with most of their interactions and happily answer well into my evening but there are some that just really need to be sent to the naughty corner 😂. That list is long hence we have the awful Job of where necessary choosing the medical keyworkers first should we be overun with Covid and not have enough staff to cope. That’ll go down like a lead balloon but it’s okay because the government will then expect the others to get furlough to look after their children. It’s all piffle.

My parents (Wales) haven’t had a call yet and they are 86 yrs old. My date falls in a period when the worlds are on at E J Churchill’s. Hope it doesn’t clash 😂

And not exactly 8 million of us at that protest. Think we got protests all over the UK haven't we?.

You know the vast majority of us and there’s around 8 million of us are going about our law abiding business and doing as we are told.

Yes I’m sure there is mismanagement going on in some establishments. We did furlough, we did reduce our fees, we gave discounts and in some instances where circumstances were such we did stop fees. What was lovely was that some parents still able to work asked for their discount to be used to help other parents so our whole community tried. I still have some seriously deranged parents but the rest were great. On Friday a mother of a reception child was trying to get me to take her child because she felt in the first lockdown she couldn’t get her to engage well. she had another idea, perhaps she could get together with a few families and have one of our teachers come to her home to teach the group there. In the end I am getting a teacher to have a one on one team meeting with the child to discuss her behaviour. Then we’ll try to have the group online and see if she engages. If it doesn’t work then I’ll bring her in as vulnerable. The other thing is thenGovernment have stated if parents having children home learning they can be furloughed. This wasn’t available before All I know is I want the children back in as does my staff Well do our best to keep them safe and us safe as we have done the whole way through and get on with it.

Teaching this age group on line and the couple of years above them is very difficult. On the question of the laptops - ensuring children have the equipment and not to forget the internet connection as well goes some way to ensuring they have some education to satisfy the masses. My point was more the Government harp on about they are giving this support but the reality is it’s not happening fast enough to be of any use. I often wonder whether it would be more useful during these lockdowns to run classes on life skills - banks, mortgages, tax, pensions etc form the eldest year groups. we are also offering online for our early years. We have 12 classes. They can of course come in but some families are shielding or have to quarantine so we have a live filming of the class and teachers of songs and story time and their little lessons and they can join in if they want. They can talk to their friends and teachers.

I work in the private sector albeit the children in my school are younger than your own children. I’ve also been the private school parent in London so both sides I can see. I can’t answer for your school but my teachers have been working very long hours to give their best, missing lunch because you have to have do more for preparation when children are not present. The flow of lessons online is a constant battle to keep them all on let alone engaging. They are working weekends, they worked through Christmas, late into the evening. They certainly don’t want to be hiding at home, they are professionals. I think the age of the children we are trying to teach online are probably a factor - Reception to Year 2. An example online lesson a Year 1 boy has put a chair on a table and left off and smashed into his computer. The teacher can’t see this well because of the size of picture on her screen of the group she is teacher so no time for her to try to stop him. The parent wasn’t in the room with him. Anyhow class disrupted while she asks everyone to mute as she deals with him remotely. They are not complaining, we’ve been here before. With regard to knowing it was coming - the Government and the Department of Education have been very last minute. Sunday 3 Jan I spent on the phone to the Dept of Ed for clarification as to whether Reception were included in staying at home At that point the guidance was only those attached to a school not those with early years. Brilliant mine can come in, call on Tuesday at 3pm to tell me no they were sorry but because the language of the policy makers was confusing they now realised this was wrong! Equipment - not every child has access to equipment even those of the well off because their parents are using it at home for work. The government is apparently giving equipment out to those that need it. On paper it looks good but the reality is far from acceptable I’d argue the government knew it could happen but still this far into the pandemic they’ve failed to deliver. worse than this virus is how the population has constantly found fault with someone somewhere and generalised. Its a constant barrage of criticism everywhere. I’ve just about had enough to last me a lifetime.