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AIBU?

HELP! I'm having such a crap day. Teachers advice needed too!

154 replies

tryingtobemarypoppins · 26/08/2009 19:43

What a rubbish day. First thing this morning I send my boss (primary head teacher) an email to ask about the first day back which is an INSET day. It is on a day I don't work, Thursday and so asked him if he wanted me to attend and if so I would put a pay claim form in.

He sent the rudest email back saying that although I work Mon-Wednesday I needed to attend all INSET days and just 1 this year is on a day I work so the others I would have to go unpaid! I am too pissed off to email him back, but phoned my union who said he was way out of line and had to pay me or give me time off instead. The childcare costs would be £120 if nursery could even help me out!

Trouble is it?s the sort of school where you get an outstanding observation if you conform to these mad systems and a crap observation if you say anything out of his dislike! AIBU and should just keep my head down and hope family and friends can help out? I only have until Feb and I'm on maternity leave.

Oh and then just to tip me over the edge went to play at a friend?s house today and my toddler of 22 months refused to share and bit my friends son

He has never done it before I feel CRAP!

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PitysSake · 26/08/2009 19:46

are oyu sure?
i am sure there is an amount of INSET days you have to go to tbh

violethill · 26/08/2009 19:50

Not sure, you need to look at your contract etc but tbh, INSET days are there because they provide training which ALL staff need.

I would feel unhappy as a parent if I felt my children were getting a less good deal because their teacher was missing out on training.

Think you need to look at the small print here on your contract.

susiey · 26/08/2009 19:51

my mil works as a tacher 4 days a week and if an inset day isn't on one of her working days then she does not have to attend

mmrred · 26/08/2009 19:52

I think the official line is that you have to go to the same amount of Inset as you do work - eg if you do .5 you have to do half the Inset days. Pressure is always put on pt staff to attend all this stuff. But presumably the union know what they are talking about - ring back and ask for the number of the regional rep to contact the head for you.

And maybe child picked up on the vibe and acted out for you! Did you feel like biting the head?

nymphadora · 26/08/2009 19:52

You should attend 3/5 Inset days as part of your contract.

ladyofshallots · 26/08/2009 19:53

I'm fairly sure you do not have to attend. My friend has had the same issue and her union backed her on this. I think the rules have recently changed so your school may not be aware. Will speak to my friend and get some relevant info for you.

tryingtobemarypoppins · 26/08/2009 19:53

Small print is really rather large! It states basically that if you are part time you need to attend INSETS amounting to the number of days you work, so for me that's 3 not 5 days. If these are on days you do not work, you can't be directed to work and should therefore be paid or given time back.

OP posts:

samsonthecat · 26/08/2009 19:54

I'm a teacher on a 0.4 contract. The first day of term here is on a thursday and my school have requested that I attend and will pay me the suply rate as it is not a working day for me.

snowmummy · 26/08/2009 19:54

I have taught part time and never got a definitive answer to as to whether I was obliged to attend INSET days that were on days I didn't work. I attended them pro-rata so if I was working three fifths of the week, I'd attend three fifths of the INSET days but I didn't have childcare to worry about then.

ladyofshallots · 26/08/2009 19:55

You do have to attend a proportion of inset but NOT on days you do not already work and if you did choose to come in then you should be paid.

My friend fought this and the school were not happy, but ultimately there was nothing they could do.

violethill · 26/08/2009 19:56

OK so you need to follow up the pay issue.

It's a tricky one.... often people who are part time don't want to work on their 'off' days, but then they miss out on what is potentially very useful training, so they're putting themselves at a disadvantage.

percypig · 26/08/2009 19:56

Am also a pt teacher, and my understanding was that we HAD to do the appropriate proportion of Baker and Inset days eg I work 0.54 so out of 10 combined staff only days I'll do 5 over the whole year.

This is the way it was explained by my head when I went part time. In reality I usually do more than I actually have to, and have never bothered to put in a form for extra pay, though if my head required me to be in I'd be entitled to. As the school have been mega supportive re me switching to part time and because I only need a childminder for about half the time I actually work the extra money doesn't bother me, but if I was forced to be in school more than my contract I'd expect to be paid.

tryingtobemarypoppins · 26/08/2009 19:56

Thanks ladyofshallots that would be great.
mmrred I would like to bit him!! He is soooooooooo rude! If I took the union help any further I would be out of a job by Christmas, it's a mad school. After this maternity leave I would love to move on.

I still am so upset about the bite!

OP posts:

tryingtobemarypoppins · 26/08/2009 20:00

percypig for us £120 is so much money. I just feel it wouldn't happen in any other job. I just hate the way he knows the system but doesn't give a toss!

OP posts:

deaconblue · 26/08/2009 20:07

I remember INSET and parents evenings being part of the job for part timers. Don't be upset about a 22 month old refusing to share - you have several years of this behaviour to go before your toddler will share voluntarily

tethersend · 26/08/2009 20:09

Hang on... INSET days are not fun. They are work.

Should you work for free?

Of course not.

Your school needs to pay you- the requirement to attend INSET is as much for the school as it is for you, ie that they must provide INSET for x amount of hours per year, and ensure staff attendance. If they want you to attend INSET which falls outside your normal days of work, they need to make arrangements.

If you would rather not rock the boat, get them to pay childcare- something schools can and will do.

tethersend · 26/08/2009 20:10

We all know it will just be powerpoint slides and waffle anyway

popsycal · 26/08/2009 20:11

Our inset day is on a day i dont work.
It would cost me £96 to put 3 kids in child care for that day

He is wrong

Hulababy · 26/08/2009 20:13

If you are part time you do not have to attend ALL INSET days. The union is correct. I have heads tell me this and had to fight to get either paid, should I wish to attend or not attend on the days I don't work.

popsycal · 26/08/2009 20:13

the proportional advice is correct
I work 2 days oper week so do 2 out of every 5 inset days (though I tend to do more if it is possible and useful but not required)

However, I think you RAE required to work on any inset day that falls on a work day (even if you have done more than your quota)

percypig · 26/08/2009 20:15

I understand that Mary Poppins, today is the first Inset day I've done without needing to that I had to pay for childcare (in the past my mum's taken the boys) I only paid £50 though, which is much more manageable.

I'm also hoping to not do an Inset day later in the year which is actually on one of my days so I can maybe wangle a whole week at half term rather than 4 days. My union rep suggested I go to the head and say these are the Inset days I'll be doing, and leave it up to him to object.

Sounds like my head is more reasonable than yours though!

Hulababy · 26/08/2009 20:16

I was told by the union that I did not have to work for INSET or parent's evenings, etc. on my days off unless I chose to, and then I should be paid accordingly.

This is why schools are supposed to ensure meetings, parent's evenings, INSET etc are apread throughout the year occuring on different days of the week.

Officially the school can be held liable to pay additional costs accrued by the teacher shoudl they attend, such as travel and child care costs.

Get all the union paper work and issue the head with them. When they see how much it costs them, they tnd to back down IME.

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Sassyfrassy · 26/08/2009 20:17

You're not required to go in if it's not on a day you work. For all they know you could be working somewhere else those days and you're not obligated to be available. Sounds dreadful that youre worried about losing your job if you fight this. What do you think the headteacher would do to push you out?

As well as your union, you might want to have a look at the tes website and ask on the pay and conditions forum.

mumblecrumble · 26/08/2009 20:22

Is it possible to swap another inset day for this one? AM just wondering if start of year inset migh be more essential. I'm working tomorrow on training day but am getting training day off after Xmas.

What a horrid day! Hope tomorrow is better. Don;t let horrid heads and biting babies get you down.

Talk to your Union rep again.

tryingtobemarypoppins · 26/08/2009 20:27

Well one teacher a few years ago really disagreed with a very 'subject' based curriculum. She was wonderfully creative. Her lessons were super and the kids loved her. She started getting Outstanding observations. We then had lots of staff meetings on curriculum changes and she was quite vocal. Within 6 months she had a satisfactory observation then he put her on a warning and within a year she had gone.

In the last 3 years he has only appointed teachers who attend his church. Says it all doesn't it!

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