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What are the current big issues in Secondary Teaching today....?

6 replies

lechie · 30/04/2015 08:40

I'm currently teaching in FE, but thinking of moving back to a secondary school. However, I've been out of secondary school teaching for almost 10 years now. So I'm feeling a bit out of touch. Just wondered what other teachers would say are the latest buzz words / crazes / things to be aware of so I don't look totally antiquated??

On a second note, what's it like in secondary these days? Are terms and conditions much worse than they were? I'm thinking of moving because in Sept I'm going to be expected to teach 24/25 hours a week - all A levels and with new specs coming in, to plan and deliver all of this. Am I kidding myself by thinking it will be any better in Secondary??

Thanks

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MrsUltracrepidarian · 30/04/2015 18:49

Swings and roundabouts .
The new measurement will be similar to the old value added - effectively based on the DC level when they leave Y6 there will be predicted grades for GCSE and there a are sophisticated tools for tracking this. If you are a non core subject, your predicted grades will be based on their levels for the core subjects. However, when secondaries re-test the DC, they sometime find that the primaries were lying not accurate about the levels, because their league table results were relevant to those. Your pay (PRP will depend on DC getting those grades, and you will have to demonstrate how you are working with the DC to get them to those grades if there is any possibility they won't achieve them.
On the other hand, planning for KS3 is piss-easy less difficult than KS5.

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lechie · 30/04/2015 21:13

Thanks that's really helpful. I'm top of payscale looking at a HoD job. How do PRP relate when you're top of scale...?

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Orangeanddemons · 30/04/2015 21:20

Secondary teaching has changed beyond all recognition in the last 10 years.

It is not nice at the moment....I would never ever tell anyone to voluntarily teach secondary

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lechie · 30/04/2015 22:37

That's what I fear, Orange.

In what ways would you say it has changed...? Just wondering whether the changes are the same we have faced in FE, is better or worse...? I don't want to jump out of the frying pan into the fire, but at the same time I really don't know how I'm going to cope with the workload in Sept.

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Orangeanddemons · 01/05/2015 08:27

The never ever ending pressure to deliver outstanding lessons. The endless scrutinies and marking. The pressure for after school and holiday revision times. The fact that every single kid has to make outstanding progress or no prp. I could go on.....