Finally Debt Free After 34 Years, But Still Need to Live Frugally

HairyHandofDartmoor

It would only work at our school if the children came back part-time. I agree that ten children per classroom would be safest.
The teachers are taking it in turns to teach all different ages of key workers' children at the moment so they've had to be very adaptable 🤣. It's true that many parents may not want their children to go back to school. Playtimes and them all eating lunch are definitely the biggest challenge for keeping them apart 😱.

Our head teacher is saying that they're obliged to plan for children coming back at the moment, but as none of the scenarios are safe we're just going to carry on with key workers' children for now.

HairyHandofDartmoor

I had eleven children to look after at lunchtime today all by myself, which was challenging as I had to keep a close eye on them and keep reminding them to keep apart from each other (apart from siblings who  are allowed to play together, which makes it even more confusing!). Taking them all in to wash their hands and then taking them to the dining room to eat is no joke either! 

Tomorrow will be even worse though because I'll have seventeen children 😱 which is far too many to be safe with just me looking after them. The deputy head said she would help me tomorrow if I get overwhelmed and I said yes I would need her to help me take them from a to b, because with that many children you need an adult at the front of the line and at the back to ensure they are keeping a safe distance from each other.
 Normally I have thirty children with no problems, but keeping children apart needs more supervision. So I'm not looking forward to tomorrow 😫. I think I'll go in early and get the equipment out before I collect the children and then stay late and pack the equipment away when I've handed the childen back to the other staff, as that would make supervising them easier.

beanielou

Good idea to go in early to sort out equipment.
Take care 

[Deleted User]

HairyHandofDartmoor said:

Tomorrow will be even worse though because I'll have seventeen children 😱 which is far too many to be safe with just me looking after them. The deputy head said she would help me tomorrow if I get overwhelmed and I said yes I would need her to help me take them from a to b, because with that many children you need an adult at the front of the line and at the back to ensure they are keeping a safe distance from each other.
 Normally I have thirty children with no problems, but keeping children apart needs more supervision. So I'm not looking forward to tomorrow 😫. I think I'll go in early and get the equipment out before I collect the children and then stay late and pack the equipment away when I've handed the childen back to the other staff, as that would make supervising them easier.

I agree, HHOD, seventeen young children is far too many to supervise safely all on your own at the moment.  You need eyes in the back of your head!  What happens if it's a wet lunch break?  I imagine it's easier in lots of ways if they are outside as  there's more space.  How and where would you space out 17 children indoors?

Good luck.

Willowtree222

Good luck. I am sure that child to adult ratio isn't right though. x

milann

Make sure you get help in the playground - that’s a lot of children for 1 person. 

teafor2

Hi HHD Just catching up with everyone at the moment. I've not read from where I left off yet, so I hope all the family are well and that BiL is doing OK. 

I'm not convinced you should go in early and stay late to be honest. Surely if lunchtime staff are getting paid even if they're not in work, it's feasible to start bringing 2 members of staff in now for lunchtime supervision? I think 17 is far too many for one person to handle in the environment you're having to work in. Hope it wasn't too hard for you and you got some help. xx

Onebrokelady

That seems like far too many children for one person to be supervising 🙀

HairyHandofDartmoor

Thanks everyone 🙂. When I got there the deputy head said the caretaker was going to help me so that was fine. We had fifteen children in the end as one didn't turn up and one went home before lunch. But even with two of us supervising we had our work cut out to keep fifteen infants apart from each other 😱. They just gravitate towards each other (and us) magnetically, especially the five year olds 😱. I went in early and got all the trikes out, but the caretaker put them all away for me 😁. I'm still exhausted now though with the constant vigilance and needing eyes in the back of my head.

The trouble with staffing is that three MTAs are shielding relatives they live with and two of them have nobody to look after their children, so there's only three of us that are going in at lunchtimes even within the rota system.

All teacher and TAs are back in school from 1st June, so no more rota. I'm assuming that applies to MTAs too. But there's going to be a strict limit on the numbers of children in each class and it's going to be a lot less than the 15 per class the government suggested. I'm not sure how they will decide which children can come, but I suppose not all parents will want to send their children anyway.

Before I went I did another video recording that will be part of another message to the children, which is always a bit nerve wracking, but the children loved the previous messages we did so it's worth it 😀.

I've put all my work clothes in to wash and I'm relaxing now. I hope everyone is having a good Tuesday 🙂.

beanielou

Enjoy the rest of your day. 

That sounds stressful to me.