Schooling during lockdown

[Mice!]

Both of my kids are still going to school as me and Mrs mouse are both key workers,  but in conversation this evening I've just found out that my daughter's class aren't being actually taught?

Apparently it's been decided that teaching the kids in school is unfair on the kids at home, they are all doing the same work that's set but can't ask for help if its needed.

Has to be the most random thing I've heard.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

My ex wife is a Teaching Assistant. She and the other TAs are teaching the Key Workers children while the Teachers are all huddled in one clasroom sending the online content out to the rest of those that are staying at home.

You really could NOT make it all up!

[Mice!]

37 minutes ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

My ex wife is a Teaching Assistant. She and the other TAs are teaching the Key Workers children while the Teachers are all huddled in one clasroom sending the online content out to the rest of those that are staying at home.

You really could NOT make it all up!

Same where my wife is except the teachers are sending the work from home, why have them in school?

My kids school has normal staff in?

[strimmer_13]

Mines having a few lessons a day, taught by teachers on teams. I do the rest, so to speak but the teachers have been brilliant, keeping us upto date, and even went door to door dropping school work off to keep the kids going. We tried getting him in but I'm classed as a essential worker not critical so they wouldnt allow him into school where as the previous lockdown he was?! 

Anyway I'm spending time with my boy which is nice as I now get the mornings off 

[AVB]

In addition to the children of key workers schools are open to vulnerable children which, differently to last time, includes children who don’t have access to space to work, a laptop or adequate internet. Apparently some schools are at 75% occupancy. 

[Mice!]

23 minutes ago, AVB said:

In addition to the children of key workers schools are open to vulnerable children which, differently to last time, includes children who don’t have access to space to work, a laptop or adequate internet. Apparently some schools are at 75% occupancy. 

I saw that on the news the other day, I think they were in Leeds and the head said it was ridiculous. 

36 minutes ago, strimmer_13 said:

Anyway I'm spending time with my boy which is nice as I now get the mornings off 

Not a bad thing, and good to hear the school is doing great.

[paul1966]

our primary school is a lot more organised this time with teams live lessons several times a day, i am sure i have read somewhere that ofsted have told schools they needed to up their game, probably explains why the teachers are doing a register every teams lesson to keep records of who has logged on.

[Sian]

I’m trying to think of ways of getting all of our Reception year back, four classes about 80:children.  Between the larger list of people who can send their children, the idiot parents, the extreme difficulty of getting teams/zoom to work properly, I’d take my chances with the virus!    I’m sick of the Government, the Department of Education and any other t++ser who seems to think schools are having a ball.   rant over.  

[southeastpete]

4 hours ago, Sian said:

I’m trying to think of ways of getting all of our Reception year back, four classes about 80:children.  Between the larger list of people who can send their children, the idiot parents, the extreme difficulty of getting teams/zoom to work properly, I’d take my chances with the virus!    I’m sick of the Government, the Department of Education and any other t++ser who seems to think schools are having a ball.   rant over.  

I really don’t get the people bashing teachers and calling the nhs heroes.

Nhs staff signed up to fight illness and disease and mend injuries. A big disease (virus) comes along and all of a sudden it’s oh so tough. 

People joined the military in peace time, along comes a war, and no one gave a monkeys. 

Teachers signed up to teach the 4x table and red green and blue, not be stuck in a class with 30 kids coughing covid at them.

[ClemFandango]

7 hours ago, southeastpete said:

I really don’t get the people bashing teachers and calling the nhs heroes.

Nhs staff signed up to fight illness and disease and mend injuries. A big disease (virus) comes along and all of a sudden it’s oh so tough. 

People joined the military in peace time, along comes a war, and no one gave a monkeys. 

Teachers signed up to teach the 4x table and red green and blue, not be stuck in a class with 30 kids coughing covid at them.

Totally agree. 

What exactly do people expect from their schools? 

The effort that ours has put in is unbelievable. The head teacher must be working around the clock along with her staff. I would say they are going above and beyond.

Even so there are parents complaining as if she was the one that ate the bat that started all this! 

One good thing about Covid is you find out who the total ********* are and once it's all over you can avoid them or at least treat them with the disdain they deserve. 

[WalkedUp]

I thought it was ridiculous not to have access to a laptop then my wife pointed out we don’t have 5 laptops and so we can’t work whilst the children study etc. Will bring a spare computer home from work but need to start saving. 

7 hours ago, southeastpete said:

I really don’t get the people bashing teachers and calling the nhs heroes.

Nhs staff signed up to fight illness and disease and mend injuries. A big disease (virus) comes along and all of a sudden it’s oh so tough. 

People joined the military in peace time, along comes a war, and no one gave a monkeys. 

Teachers signed up to teach the 4x table and red green and blue, not be stuck in a class with 30 kids coughing covid at them.

Agree.

[AVB]

1 hour ago, ClemFandango said:

Totally agree. 

What exactly do people expect from their schools? 

The effort that ours has put in is unbelievable. The head teacher must be working around the clock along with her staff. I would say they are going above and beyond.

Even so there are parents complaining as if she was the one that ate the bat that started all this! 

One good thing about Covid is you find out who the total ********* are and once it's all over you can avoid them or at least treat them with the disdain they deserve. 

I pay close to £30k per year for each of my children to be taught (in addition to the tax I pay) so I expect a lot from the school and it’s teachers. Yes covid is unfortunate but it’s been around for nearly a year now and schools need to have been planning for it. This lockdown was coming (and my children’s school started working remotely in December) and yet they still say that this lockdown came as a surprise! We are currently arguing over how much the fees should be reduced to reflect the reduction in service. They are doing an OK job but still less than what I am paying for. 

[markm]

6 minutes ago, AVB said:

I pay close to £30k per year for each of my children to be taught (in addition to the tax I pay) so I expect a lot from the school and it’s teachers. Yes covid is unfortunate but it’s been around for nearly a year now and schools need to have been planning for it. This lockdown was coming (and my children’s school started working remotely in December) and yet they still say that this lockdown came as a surprise! We are currently arguing over how much the fees should be reduced to reflect the reduction in service. They are doing an OK job but still less than what I am paying for. 

If you’re not happy with how things are going, why don’t you vote with your feet?
 

If I remember correctly, you weren’t happy back at the start of the first wave. 

[AVB]

2 minutes ago, markm said:

If you’re not happy with how things are going, why don’t you vote with your feet?
 

If I remember correctly, you weren’t happy back at the start of the first wave. 

Because moving schools isn’t something to take lightly. But I am considering it. 

[Sian]

26 minutes ago, AVB said:

I pay close to £30k per year for each of my children to be taught (in addition to the tax I pay) so I expect a lot from the school and it’s teachers. Yes covid is unfortunate but it’s been around for nearly a year now and schools need to have been planning for it. This lockdown was coming (and my children’s school started working remotely in December) and yet they still say that this lockdown came as a surprise! We are currently arguing over how much the fees should be reduced to reflect the reduction in service. They are doing an OK job but still less than what I am paying for. 

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.   

 

[Mice!]

2 hours ago, AVB said:

pay close to £30k per year for each of my children to be taught (in addition to the tax I pay) so I expect a lot from the school and it’s teachers

Ouch, I'd be expecting a lot as well.

3 hours ago, ClemFandango said:

One good thing about Covid is you find out who the total ********* are and once it's all over you can avoid them or at least treat them with the disdain they deserve. 

You could probably see them before,  but when they still gather in groups not wearing masks despite being asked to wear them they do stand out more.

1 hour ago, Sian said:

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.

I don't agree with classing kids as vulnerable who don't have a laptop,  I've no idea how much it would cost for the government to provide every kid say one per house with a laptop,  but they would probably be coming from China 😳

I can't imagine trying to teach reception age kids by zoom either.

[Sian]

35 minutes ago, Mice! said:

Ouch, I'd be expecting a lot as well.

You could probably see them before,  but when they still gather in groups not wearing masks despite being asked to wear them they do stand out more.

I don't agree with classing kids as vulnerable who don't have a laptop,  I've no idea how much it would cost for the government to provide every kid say one per house with a laptop,  but they would probably be coming from China 😳

I can't imagine trying to teach reception age kids by zoom either.

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.  

[AVB]

2 hours ago, Sian said:

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.   

 

Like any business I am sure there are some teachers working hard and there will be the lazy ones that don't. My gripe isn't specifically about the teachers themselves, any more than my moans about the NHS aren't directed specifically at nurses, but rather the general mismanagement of these organisations. The problem is that the more we accept a reduction on service "due to covid" it will become the norm and we will never get service level returned. How many time do you ring up an organisation to be told, by recorded message, "due to reduced staffing levels your wait time will be longer". My children's school isn't providing meals, isn't running 10 periods of sports per week (therefore sports teachers could be furloughed), isn't heating the classrooms etc. but no attempt to pass on these savings to parents paying the bills. Let alone providing fewer zoom lessons than they would normally get face to face in a classroom.   

 

 

[Sian]

16 minutes ago, AVB said:

Like any business I am sure there are some teachers working hard and there will be the lazy ones that don't. My gripe isn't specifically about the teachers themselves, any more than my moans about the NHS aren't directed specifically at nurses, but rather the general mismanagement of these organisations. The problem is that the more we accept a reduction on service "due to covid" it will become the norm and we will never get service level returned. How many time do you ring up an organisation to be told, by recorded message, "due to reduced staffing levels your wait time will be longer". My children's school isn't providing meals, isn't running 10 periods of sports per week (therefore sports teachers could be furloughed), isn't heating the classrooms etc. but no attempt to pass on these savings to parents paying the bills. Let alone providing fewer zoom lessons than they would normally get face to face in a classroom.   

 

 

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.

 

[amateur]

Our younger daughter and SIL are both coppers and thus key workers, but, since she can work from home, has been getting up at 3am, doing her job online, then schooling the grand-daughters from 9 to 3, and then finishing her shift whilst the kids occupy themselves.

She could have sent them in to school, but chose not to, a fortunate decision as two of the key-worker kids have now contracted the plague

[Bumble]

23 hours ago, Mice! said:

Both of my kids are still going to school as me and Mrs mouse are both key workers,  but in conversation this evening I've just found out that my daughter's class aren't being actually taught?

Apparently it's been decided that teaching the kids in school is unfair on the kids at home, they are all doing the same work that's set but can't ask for help if its needed.

Has to be the most random thing I've heard.

I’m doing all of my teaching remotely via Teams, with all lessons being taught live, as per timetable.
It was an utter ball-ache at first as I’ve had to re-write the entire term’s projects with 12 hours notice to make that work, but I’m settling into it now. 

The skeleton school arrangements for us are that the students work at computers all day and are supervised by by TA’s & SLT (plus teachers who are giving up their PPA time), accessing the Teams lessons digitally along with their normal class. It would be nigh-on impossible to try to teach in person & online at the same time (for my subject at least). 

The teacher-bashers are still out in force, and I tend to now avoid any comments sections on Facebook when an article related to lockdown schooling is published. They tend to be populated by halfwitted ‘University of Life’ graduates who’d never stand a chance of working in a classroom but somehow think that they know the best way to run them.  

[AVB]

5 hours ago, Sian said:

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.

 

Parents must be your worst nightmare! I used to be fairly 'hands off' when it came to engaging with the school but then it became apparent, well before covid, that those parents that shouted the most got the best for their children. So I have become one of the noisy ones. I think I average three emails a week at the moment.  

 

[AVB]

The list of jobs defined as 'critical' and therefore children of parents in the jobs can still attend school is massive. I think you would be hard pushed to find a job not on the list! From the Gov.UK website: 

Critical workers

Parents whose work is critical to the coronavirus (COVID-19) and EU transition response include those who work in health and social care and in other key sectors outlined in the following sections. Children with at least one parent or carer who is a critical worker can go to school or college if required, but parents and carers should keep their children at home if they can.

Health and social care

This includes, but is not limited to, doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers, care workers, and other frontline health and social care staff including volunteers; the support and specialist staff required to maintain the UK’s health and social care sector; those working as part of the health and social care supply chain, including producers and distributors of medicines and medical and personal protective equipment.

Education and childcare

This includes:

• childcare
• support and teaching staff
• social workers
• specialist education professionals who must remain active during the coronavirus (COVID-19) response to deliver this approach

Key public services

This includes:

• those essential to the running of the justice system
• religious staff
• charities and workers delivering key frontline services
• those responsible for the management of the deceased
• journalists and broadcasters who are providing public service broadcasting

Local and national government

This only includes those administrative occupations essential to the effective delivery of:

• the coronavirus (COVID-19) response, and the delivery of and response to EU transition
• essential public services, such as the payment of benefits and the certification or checking of goods for import and export (including animal products, animals, plants and food), including in government agencies and arms length bodies

Food and other necessary goods

This includes those involved in food:

• production
• processing
• distribution
• sale and delivery
• as well as those essential to the provision of other key goods (for example hygienic and veterinary medicines)

Public safety and national security

This includes:

• police and support staff
• Ministry of Defence civilians
• contractor and armed forces personnel (those critical to the delivery of key defence and national security outputs and essential to the response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and EU transition)
• fire and rescue service employees (including support staff)
• National Crime Agency staff
• those maintaining border security, prison and probation staff and other national security roles, including those overseas

Transport and border

This includes those who will keep the air, water, road and rail passenger and freight transport modes operating during the coronavirus (COVID-19) response and EU transition, including those working on transport systems through which supply chains pass and those constructing or supporting the operation of critical transport and border infrastructure through which supply chains pass.

Utilities, communication and financial services

This includes:

• staff needed for essential financial services provision (including but not limited to workers in banks, building societies and financial market infrastructure)
• the oil, gas, electricity and water sectors (including sewerage)
• information technology and data infrastructure sector and primary industry supplies to continue during the coronavirus (COVID-19) response
• key staff working in the civil nuclear, chemicals, telecommunications (including but not limited to network operations, field engineering, call centre staff, IT and data infrastructure, 999 and 111 critical services)
• postal services and delivery
• payments providers
• waste disposal sectors

 

[Sian]

29 minutes ago, AVB said:

Parents must be your worst nightmare! I used to be fairly 'hands off' when it came to engaging with the school but then it became apparent, well before covid, that those parents that shouted the most got the best for their children. So I have become one of the noisy ones. I think I average three emails a week at the moment.  

 

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.  

Edited January 9, 2021 by Sian

[Mungler]

Made me laugh