Coronavirus: General discussion (see opening post for rules)

[BOOT]

Anyone else completely in the dark about the imminent return?

[rad]

Anyone else completely in the dark about the imminent return?

 

I’m in the dark as to what is expected of us and how we go about our jobs. I suppose only time will tell.

[DrBeaker]

Nobody has told me anything either and we've been back today. So you are NOT alone.

 

Seeing how some of the staff acted today not maintaining social distancing and pulling up chairs next to their colleagues whilst not wearing any face masks I am lost for words.

[Katy]

Nobody has told me anything either and we've been back today. So you are NOT alone.

 

Seeing how some of the staff acted today not maintaining social distancing and pulling up chairs next to their colleagues whilst not wearing any face masks I am lost for words.

Some staff and part of the 6th form were back in today. Not a single face mask and nothing like waiting for me to get off the stairs and out of the way before charging down. I may have been doing the one way system the wrong way actually thinking about it but as there are no signs... how was I meant to know...

[smurfomatic]

We have been told lots about what we can and can't do (term starts on Monday) - no more than six staff in a room at any time, so staff room is limited and other "break stations" available.

 

Will be interested to see if pepole stick to the rules - support staff have been "given" the staff room, so in theory no teachers allowed!

[mikeprice]

Sympathy for everyone going back this week

 

 

 

best wishes for all

[mthomas08]

Wow we are lucky.

 

We have a 50+ page plan:

 

Students are in bubbled areas based on year group

Teachers are the ones moving classrooms

Wipes/sprays anti bacteria gel in every room

Desks/areas must be cleaned every lesson

Face masks must be used in corridors

Cleaner on site all day wiping down door handles/bars etc

Separate coloured bins for tissues

Restaurant eat in only available for a single year per day (rest are takeaway)

Kids must bring in their own pens etc and not provided

Hand gel to be used every time

Floors/stairs labelled for one way systems

 

Even our keyboards/mice are being cleaned every lesson.

 

These are just some of the bits.... out of that 50+ page document that got setup at the end of July. I can't help but praise the SLT that got this sorted... they deserve it.

[LeMarchand]

Wow we are lucky.

 

Yep; wish my lot were that stringent.

[Rob_D]

Wow we are lucky.

We have a 50+ page plan:

 

We're not quite that elaborate and have more of an emphasis on getting things as close to "the before times" as we can, but have bubbled year groups with their own entrances and staggered lesson changeover (otherwise the timetable stays as normal). Outside of lesson/tutor time the students have to return to their "bubble holding area" and pre-ordered school meals (hot or cold) will be delivered to bubble at break/lunch (they can even order a break time snack!). And we still have the super elaborate one-way system that went in at Easter. Staff all get scanned by the thermal camera on the way in, and we have sanitizer stations at the entrance to each building and by the copiers/water fountains/etc, and each classroom has a cleaner spray and stack of paper towels to clean the desks at the start of each lesson. The site team were talking about getting "foggers" to go through each classroom at the end of the day.

 

No requirement for face masks (yet), but the teachers get face shields and all the teacher desks have perspex barriers.

 

...and hopefully by Monday they'll have worked out where all the support staff will be sitting.

[paulkerton]

We've got lots of guidelines, but as my office is too small for more than one person, and I'm significantly further away than the person I share it with, I've been allowed to continue working from home for the foreseeable future.

I guess being the Google guy works there, as it means I can continue to do my job remotely without any effects.

[MrFlibble]

Face masks must be used in corridors

How does this work in terms of exemptions?

Also do they have to be a particular colour or does anything go?

What if a child has their mask lost/stolen or if it gets dirty etc?

 

 

Also is anyone using keyboard covers? We've been asked to order some, I think it's OTT and unworkable but the problem is that someone suggested it and we've been told we have to at least give them a try.

Edited September 2, 2020 by MrFlibble

[Ditto]

How does this work in terms of exemptions?

Also do they have to be a particular colour or does anything go?

What if a child has their mask lost/stolen or if it gets dirty etc?

 

 

Also is anyone using keyboard covers? We've been asked to order some, I think it's OTT and unworkable but the problem is that someone suggested it and we've been told we have to at least give them a try.

For the first three questions, the school can manage this much like they would P.E. uniform and children with exemption from P.E. Keyboard covers did come up in another thread and generally people felt positive about it. Do let us know how you get on with them in a couple of weeks based on first hand experience.

[DrBeaker]

Today was the first day with partial years back in.

 

Some support staff had to be reminded about the masks in the corridors, some teachers are not exactly giving good examples and I've told 3x staff off today for not being able to read the 2x A3 coloured signs on the IT support office door saying you will be turned away and asked to email (or ring) your issue.

[mthomas08]

How does this work in terms of exemptions?

Also do they have to be a particular colour or does anything go?

What if a child has their mask lost/stolen or if it gets dirty etc

Also is anyone using keyboard covers? We've been asked to order some, I think it's OTT and unworkable but the problem is that someone suggested it and we've been told we have to at least give them a try.

 

Exceptions: They have an official card from our office (parent notes don't count)

Colour coded: Nope but school clothes are already coded to year groups

Stolen/lost: We have plenty of spares in stock so I assume they would be provided one on a temp basis and parent contacted to let them know.

 

So far, I will say this - it seems to be working and not all our kids are angels.

 

The only issue we've had so far is down to an increased car reliance and its causing traffic issues... due to some choosing not to use buses.

[elsiegee40]

The only issue we've had so far is down to an increased car reliance and its causing traffic issues... due to some choosing not to use buses.

 

That was my fear. Everything I have seen on social media is that parents would use their cars rather than let the mids go on the bus.

 

I’m kind of dreading trying to get to the rescue for my 9am shift next week. I have to cross both Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells

[the_quick]

We have first pupils coming back tomorrow, Y11 and Y7 - one way system clearly labeled on the floor and walls, each classroom has gel, wipes and tissues.

Parents were told if they decided to come by car , they are not allowed to drive on to school grounds, but drops the kids somewhere near the school and walk rest of the way (I bet there still be parents who will ignore this).

 

Today already noticed relaxation among the staff - 3 people chatting in one office, all from the separate offices, non were wearing masks or social distance.

 

I can only look at the preparation in the way, that we are trying to minimize the risk, but there are plenty of opportunities to get infected. As always the biggest point of failure will be human beings not following the rules.

[JordanT91]

Our pupils were back yesterday. All-age SEN school so practically zero social distancing. Masks not required but may be worn if they want to, a couple of vulnerable staff are. Due to the nature of the school there's a decent amount of cross-bubble activity necessary to deliver the curriculum and therapies. One of the only things we could really do was have hand sanitiser everywhere, and have separate zones for break and lunch times. Other than that, it's pretty much business as normal.

 

Things will get interesting if we have a local lockdown, because the government has said SEN schools will not close, but if we have 15 or more staff absences then we wouldn't have much choice but to close as the staffing levels would not be safe.

[Garacesh]

Masks are mandatory in corridors (but can be taken off in classrooms), entrance zones to the building are separate per-year-group, sanitiser stations all around the building, and lunch times are staggered so no more than 2 year groups are on lunch at the same time.

I still feel like staff should be moving to the pupils, not the other way around, as effectively we have no 'bubbles' at the moment, but I don't get to make the choices ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

Year 7's only today, went pretty well. 7's and 11's tomorrow, then all hell breaks loose everybody back in on Monday.

[mikeprice]

Thought this fitted here

 

[mavhc]

Turns out this bubble thing is just a mild suggestion, almost no one except me is wearing a mask, we're all going to die

 

Between 1 in 300 to 1 in 1000 people are currently infected, so about 1 per school

[LeMarchand]

Turns out this bubble thing is just a mild suggestion, almost no one except me is wearing a mask, we're all going to die

 

There will be some SURVIVORS.

 

[LeMarchand]

Inset day today on one site. Just came in to see that lunch had been provided, in the form of large "sharing" pizzas.

[Ditto]

Inset day today on one site. Just came in to see that lunch had been provided, in the form of large "sharing" pizzas.

It really shouldn't come as a surprise, but the regular, complete lack of thought by adults, is just frightening. I've learnt of a couple of decisions at my governance school recently, that with just the smallest amount of thinking, should really have been avoided. The decision are having the opposite effect on social-distancing to what's required.

[the_quick]

First school closed because of Covid-19 : https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-54024750

 

That didn't take long

[mavhc]

People are idiots, they're 1 person off having a 2 digit average IQ.

 

Pupils are better at wearing masks than the staff at the upper school