Schools closed until March/April? (part 4) **Mod warning in OP 22/01**

Murple

vid36 wrote: »

According to reports on RTE, SEN children will come to school on alternative days. Is this a possible trial run for a hybrid model next month?

I believe the plan is that pupils who attend special schools will attend on alternate days to reduce numbers on buses and in the school building. The staff will be in school every day.
In mainstream schools, children in special classes and children with ‘significant’ additional needs will attend school every day along with all SET and SNA from the school.

Icyseanfitz

Birdy wrote: »

I think Foley is trying to find some work for the SNA's and admin principals.

I am working fully remote with my students as an SNA right now, she doesn't need to "find" Us work

hesaidshesaid

Murple wrote: »

I believe the plan is that pupils who attend special schools will attend on alternate days to reduce numbers on buses and in the school building. The staff will be in school every day.
In mainstream schools, children in special classes and children with ‘significant’ additional needs will attend school every day along with all SET and SNA from the school.

Usual Friday evening bs. Does anyone have a copy of Norma's letter to schools please?

wirelessdude01

hesaidshesaid wrote: »

Usual Friday evening bs. Does anyone have a copy of Norma's letter to schools please?

Hasn't been formally issued yet but as normal the media are given it before publication.

hesaidshesaid

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Hasn't been formally issued yet but as normal the media are given it before publication.

God it's enraging.

khalessi

Murple wrote: »

I believe the plan is that pupils who attend special schools will attend on alternate days to reduce numbers on buses and in the school building. The staff will be in school every day.
In mainstream schools, children in special classes and children with ‘significant’ additional needs will attend school every day along with all SET and SNA from the school.

So is this children who attend for Maths and English?

downthemiddle

hesaidshesaid wrote: »

Usual Friday evening bs. Does anyone have a copy of Norma's letter to schools please?

Doesn't appear to be available yet.

yerwanthere123

Confused about what's supposed to be happening next week. I'm an SNA in a mainstream classroom, there are three pupils with SNA access in the class. Is the teacher supposed to teach them for the day and teach the rest of the class remotely? No idea whether or not I'm definitely back next week.

Inquitus

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

I am working fully remote with my students as an SNA right now, she doesn't need to "find" Us work

An SNA for a child in my Son's class attends the Zoom calls, sits there, camera on, does nothing, not sure what the point of it is, I guess she's been told she has to or she won't get paid, seems like a total waste of her time.

wirelessdude01

Inquitus wrote: »

An SNA for a child in my Son's class attends the Zoom calls, sits there, camera on, does nothing, not sure what the point of it is, I guess she's been told she has to or she won't get paid, seems like a total waste of her time.

For child protection reasons, most schools insist on minimum of two school staff on zoom calls. Protects both students and staff. Zoom terms and conditions actually state that for u13s, parent is meant to be in the room with the child.

Murple

Inquitus wrote: »

An SNA for a child in my Son's class attends the Zoom calls, sits there, camera on, does nothing, not sure what the point of it is, I guess she's been told she has to or she won't get paid, seems like a total waste of her time.

It could be because the SNA is part of the class same as the teacher and all the pupils.
It could be as a child protection measure.
It could be so that the SNA can talk about it afterwards with a child in the class who needs support.

khalessi

This is hilarious and not in a good way, all my colleagues when they should be chilling on a Friday night are waiting to find out what is happening on Monday, waiting for guidance. THe DES is so badly run, shocking way to treat people.

wirelessdude01

khalessi wrote: »

This is hilarious and not in a good way, all my colleagues when they should be chilling on a Friday night are waiting to find out what is happening on Monday, waiting for guidance. THe DES is so badly run, shocking way to treat people.

Why suffer when you can just get it from the media who have reporting it for the past few hours.

zeebre12

I didn't see anyone really up in arms about SEN children in mainstream not being in school. It was all about SEN children in units all on Joe Duffy. It doesn't really seem fair as I am in LS I will be in school every day from 9:20 to 3 but class teacher will be able to teach from home?

Ray Donovan

Ya and you'll have maybe 3 or 4 kids to look after and the mainstream teacher will have 24 so it's all swings and roundabouts really.

The Wordress

zeebre12 wrote: »

I didn't see anyone really up in arms about SEN children in mainstream not being in school. It was all about SEN children in units all on Joe Duffy. It doesn't really seem fair as I am in LS I will be in school every day from 9:20 to 3 but class teacher will be able to teach from home?

Yes, they're safe in their homes!

Hopefully it will be phased and you won't have all of your SEN children in on the same days.

At least I am used to a full and structured day in my special class.

Now, SNAs and SET will be thrown in at the deep end without the structure and guidance of the mainstream class but are expected to be in situ all day.

I feel for you, I do.

downthemiddle

Arrived at 19.43 to schools.

Main Points
Pupils in special schools will attend on alternate days;
Pupils in special classes in mainstream primary schools will attend every day; Pupils with significant additional needs in mainstream classes in primary schools
will have access to in-school teaching and learning

All special schools will reopen on 21st January.
All staff, including all teachers and special needs assistants (SNAs) who work in special
schools should return to work, other than in circumstances provided for by the
occupational health scheme, or where staff are on approved leave.

All special classes, including early intervention special classes for children with autism
or hearing impairment, in primary schools will reopen on 21st January.
All special class staff, including all teachers and SNAs in special classes should return to
work, other than in circumstances provided for by the occupational health scheme or
where staff are on approved leave.

All special education teachers (SET) and teachers who do not teach mainstream classes,
as necessary, and all SNAs should return to school on 21st January.
The pupils with significant special educational needs who are returning to receive inschool teaching support during this period will not be able to attend their mainstream
classes during the school day, in the manner in which they normally would, as the
mainstream classes will still be receiving remote support.
Accordingly, the SETs should group the returning pupils with special educational needs,
who normally attend mainstream classes, into temporary SET groupings.
SET groupings should be established, with the numbers in each temporary grouping being
based on the range and extent of needs that the pupils have. In doing so, schools should
also have regard to the requirement to comply with the public health guidelines for a safe
school environment as set out in the School Covid-19 Response Plans, including the use
of social distancing, respiratory and hand hygiene measures and creation of bubbles and
pods as appropriate. Schools will therefore need to ensure that these groups are of
manageable size to comply with the public health measures.
Pupils attending these temporary SET groupings will be supported by SNAs, where such
SNA support had previously been provided for them in the mainstream setting. Schools
may also redeploy SNA support from within their total SNA allocation, where required
but are asked to be mindful of the need to minimise movement between groups and SNAs
during this interim period to continue to support a safe school environment.

Schools should have regard to the number of pupils with special educational needs that
they can provide for, relative to the number of SETs, or additional non mainstream
teachers, that a school has.
However, all schools have an allocation of SET support and can provide some level of
in-school teaching support for pupils with significant additional needs. Where schools
operate in a cluster arrangement for special education teaching, such as small schools who
may not have a full SET post, school principals should work collaboratively to best
support as much in-school provision as possible.

Can in-school teaching happen for any other pupils in schools during this
period?
Yes. Having provided for in school teaching support for the pupils with the most
significant level of special educational needs, as set out above, where schools continue to
have capacity to provide for other children who also have significant additional teaching
needs, they may do so.

Glebee

Can teachers bring there own children with them:)

KrustyUCC

downthemiddle wrote: »

Arrived at 19.43 to schools.

Main Points
Pupils in special schools will attend on alternate days;
Pupils in special classes in mainstream primary schools will attend every day; Pupils with significant additional needs in mainstream classes in primary schools
will have access to in-school teaching and learning

All special schools will reopen on 21st January.
All staff, including all teachers and special needs assistants (SNAs) who work in special
schools should return to work, other than in circumstances provided for by the
occupational health scheme, or where staff are on approved leave.

All special classes, including early intervention special classes for children with autism
or hearing impairment, in primary schools will reopen on 21st January.
All special class staff, including all teachers and SNAs in special classes should return to
work, other than in circumstances provided for by the occupational health scheme or
where staff are on approved leave.

All special education teachers (SET) and teachers who do not teach mainstream classes,
as necessary, and all SNAs should return to school on 21st January.
The pupils with significant special educational needs who are returning to receive inschool teaching support during this period will not be able to attend their mainstream
classes during the school day, in the manner in which they normally would, as the
mainstream classes will still be receiving remote support.
Accordingly, the SETs should group the returning pupils with special educational needs,
who normally attend mainstream classes, into temporary SET groupings.
SET groupings should be established, with the numbers in each temporary grouping being
based on the range and extent of needs that the pupils have. In doing so, schools should
also have regard to the requirement to comply with the public health guidelines for a safe
school environment as set out in the School Covid-19 Response Plans, including the use
of social distancing, respiratory and hand hygiene measures and creation of bubbles and
pods as appropriate. Schools will therefore need to ensure that these groups are of
manageable size to comply with the public health measures.
Pupils attending these temporary SET groupings will be supported by SNAs, where such
SNA support had previously been provided for them in the mainstream setting. Schools
may also redeploy SNA support from within their total SNA allocation, where required
but are asked to be mindful of the need to minimise movement between groups and SNAs
during this interim period to continue to support a safe school environment.

Schools should have regard to the number of pupils with special educational needs that
they can provide for, relative to the number of SETs, or additional non mainstream
teachers, that a school has.
However, all schools have an allocation of SET support and can provide some level of
in-school teaching support for pupils with significant additional needs. Where schools
operate in a cluster arrangement for special education teaching, such as small schools who
may not have a full SET post, school principals should work collaboratively to best
support as much in-school provision as possible.

Can in-school teaching happen for any other pupils in schools during this
period?
Yes. Having provided for in school teaching support for the pupils with the most
significant level of special educational needs, as set out above, where schools continue to
have capacity to provide for other children who also have significant additional teaching
needs, they may do so.

That's brilliant news

Thankfully the disruption to these children hasn't been nearly as long as I though it would be

Fair play to everyone involved in coming to these arrangements

hopgirl

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

I am working fully remote with my students as an SNA right now, she doesn't need to "find" Us work

Lucky your students to give them that support, sadly the SNA for my child hasn't been in touch or anything. Well done.

beggars_bush

KrustyUCC wrote: »

That's brilliant news

Thankfully the disruption to these children hasn't been nearly as long as I though it would be

Fair play to everyone involved in coming to these arrangements

Its a complete joke

Yes, they are in mainstream so that there is discrimination or difference between any pupils

Now they are being dragged back on their own?
An email at 7:38pm on a Friday? Killing any scrutiny by the usual media midweek programmes


It won’t do anything for the confidence of many SEN children

Coneygree

I'm not even surprised any more...

BonsaiKitten

beggars_bush wrote: »

Its a complete joke

Agreed. Are they meant to be in all day? Hour sessions? What is the actual expectation here?

Icyseanfitz

hopgirl wrote: »

Lucky your students to give them that support, sadly the SNA for my child hasn't been in touch or anything. Well done.

My better half is also an SNA who is online every day with her students for at least 3-4 hours, as is every one of her colleagues and mine, as well as near every other SNA in our counties ETB.

Saying that, kids are so busy with online schooling at the moment, they don't really want us for much more than a chat and a bit of help with school work

dirkmeister

Classic email at 7:45 on a Friday night.

Days after Fine Gael readmit politicians the same day as the Mother and Baby report.

They can get f*cked.

Are Adam Harris’ charities still doing house visits?

Funsterdelux

So theres going to be some schools with not enough SET staff and others with too many coming into school.

Knine

My daughter has special needs & we have 2 zoom calls a day with her SNA & teachers. She even had a music class. She loves it & is interacting very well. I actually think alternative days might be difficult for her as she loves routine!

I nearly died though when she started setting up today's school work using my wine bottles as props! For all of Zoom to see!

hopgirl

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

My better half is also an SNA who is online every day with her students for at least 3-4 hours, as is every one of her colleagues and mine, as well as near every other SNA in our counties ETB.

Saying that, kids are so busy with online schooling at the moment, they don't really want us for much more than a chat and a bit of help with school work

I think that is great tho as the students feel they have extra support if needed. We just get work uploaded that morning and that is it. Thankfully I didn't have any expectations as I learnt from last time. It would be so nice tho for my child's school just to interact even twice a week just to pop in to say hello.

amacca

Does it apply to post primary...my OH was just saying if it does she thinks very few of the kids with additional needs in the mainstream classes she teaches would actually come in......

For some of them she knows the parents and they wouldn't want them going in

Some of them themselves don't want to go in as etc.is the last place they would want to be particularly when the rest of the students don't have to be there.........there would be some scowls and howls of not fair having to go back

Now we are not talking of profound/very significant(are those the right words/terminology) needs so that may not be representative I suppose

Knine

I don't get why those in mainstream go in every day & those in special schools are in on alternative days. It does not make sense. My daughters class in a special school is quite small.

Those in special schools would generally have higher needs than kids in mainstream & therefore need more support