Teachers, how are things as regards cuts?

[fivecandles]

If you teach, how are you being affected by the cuts? Have there been any reduncies at your school and if so on what basis? It's starting to hit my place of work now and it's rubbish. No redundancies yet but it's generally expected to happen at the end of next year unless people leave which they can't because there are no jobs anywhere else either.

[BoattoBolivia]

I am looking for a job at the moment, for the first time in 15 years! What has shocked me is the adverts where mps is quite specific. I am ups 3 and am seriously concerned that I will not get a job for September, as I am looking for part time work.

[noblegiraffe]

Our school's budget has been reduced by about a hundred grand. There haven't been any forced redundancies but contracts that are coming to an end haven't been renewed. We are dropping a couple of lessons a fortnight at A-level as sixth form funding has been cut, so some teachers in departments which are now over-staffed are now being asked to reduce their hours or teach other subjects which are under-staffed to fill up their timetables.

[basingstoke]

About 8 support staff redundancies and two teachers at the end of the year. One voluntary, one not.

[PotteringAlong]

Timetables filled up with random subjects you're not a specialist in as teachers not being replaced, cuts in amount of time for teaching a-level and, although the same amount of pupils coming in in year 7, reducing the form entry by 2 so every class has max of 30 but need fewer staff to teach

1 voluntary redundancy from sept, a warning we will need to reduce by 5 staff from sept 2012 and if no one wants to go they will look at compulsary redundancies.

Teaching assistants now on rolling 1 year contracts

[EvilTwins]

Two teachers made redundant, a third has had hours cut. All the support staff (admin, TAs, site team - pretty much everyone) were made redundant and then had to re-apply for the "new" available jobs. At the end of that process, support staff had probably been cut by between 1/3 and 1/2.

[MmeBlueberry]

State schools have had an outrageous level of support staff increase over the life of the last government.

Correction has been needed, through either natural wastage or redundancy.

[southeastastra]

wow i disagree with bluberry! it;s just a shame schools seem to overwork and underpay TAs!

[MmeBlueberry]

On what basis do you disagree?

[LawrieMarlow]

DCs primary school will have one fewer class from September - seems possible that budget cuts may have affected it.

[practicallyimperfect]

I know of redundancies in nearby schools, at a recent interview two of the other candidates had been made redundant.

We are not replacing people that leave, so next year I will be teaching English, history and geography on top of my specialism.

Oh and if you want resources- ha ha ha!

[MoreCrackThanHarlem]

Blueberry

I work in an inner city primary in one of the most deprived areas in England.
Experienced and qualified support staff are truly essential. Academically, small group interventions by learning mentors make an enormous difference to children who would otherwise miss their end of year targets in KS2.
In terms of emotional wellbeing, support staff are often the ones to recognise and report CP issues.

Fortunately, our Head recognises this.
One teacher and one LSA will not have their contracts renewed in August, but we will fare better than most leafy lane primaries in terms of budget. 83% of our children are entitled to free school meals so we will receive more in terms of the Pupil Premium.

[southeastastra]

if they want to teach the NC so ridgidly they need the extra support staff - not to mention the needs of children who speak another language or need extra support. Our TA's virtually run the school. do brekfast/afternoon clubs then have to spend lunchtimes supervising. how is this level outrageous?

or can you elaborate what is outrageous?

[fivecandles]

Blueberry, your viewpoint is really quite offensive.

[LynetteScavo]

MmeBlueberry Sat 28-May-11 16:54:53
"State schools have had an outrageous level of support staff increase over the life of the last government."

I disagree. Every one of the support staff in my DC's schools work very hard, and make the learning environment a more positive place, both academically, and socially

[fivecandles]

Bankers are alllowed to continue to have obscene bonuses www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/may/24/bankers-bonuses-subsidised-taxpayer-ibc, Cameron spends £680,000 of taxpayers' money doing up Downing Street www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/may/27/david-cameron-taxpayers-home-improvements and people and Govts get their knickers in a twist about teachers who have given a lifetime's public service get a reasonable pension to live on in their old age?

[fivecandles]

Sorry, that was meant for the other thread on pensions.

[EvilTwins]

I disagree with you too, Blueberry. Mine is a secondary school, and not only will we lose a number of TAs in September (I think we will be left with 3 who are pastoral support - one for each KS, then 1 HLTA and I think only 2 or 3 "general" TAs (I don't know if any Yr 7s will need specifically targetted TAs, in which case they will have to be found) for a school of about 700 students, but we've lost 1/3 of our IT support, the school librarian, the receptionists have been made part time, so we, in effect, only have one at a time, and a pile of other admin staff. In the new staffing stucture, there were 4 job roles to cover everything from running the library, doing exams admin, sorting out cover, careers, photocopying/typing letters/laminating etc etc (all the things teachers are not supposed to have to do) The finance office remains the same (1.5 members of staff) and the only full time "secretary" is the SLT PA. We will all feel the pinch next year. It means that the school will not be able to run smoothly, and than can only have adverse affect on students' education.

[mrz]

MmeBlueberry we have 1 TA for the whole school so I've got to disagree too

We are OK this financial year

[MmeBlueberry]

EAL does not qualify as a special need.

[Panzee]

Yes it does.

Anyway we're losing a quarter of our support staff. We will really feel it.

[mrz]

No EAL isn't SEN but it can require SA if the child is unable to make progress because they can't understand.

[MmeBlueberry]

When I started teaching in 1995, I did my own photocopying and I survived.

I wanted to get someone else photocopy for me it would take as long to write out the instructions as it would to press the buttons on the photocopier. In reality, it is even quicker to photocopy a whole year group of resources than to print one copy, hand write instructions, and copy the rest.

[Panzee]

None of our support staff do photocopying. They support the children.

[TheFlyingOnion]

no TAs at all in my (independent) primary.

We manage.

[Panzee]

You might manage, but is it the best we can do for the children? We will manage, but so many will lose out.