Open Saturday and charity fun run

[Hunnybe]

I work part time in an indi. I have worked there for nearly 10 years.

We got a new HT this year and seems many things are changing but its not being spopken - just being done, if you understand me -like being made to work additional hours ( unpaid) as an " expectation.

The thing that is bothering me most though is an Open Saturday and " Fun Run" in a few weeks time.I have never been involved in these before. I have always understood them to be voluntary and mostly full time staff and form tutors and SMT attend ( it may well be compulsory for them as I know their contracts are different).

However, I have received an e mail telling me I must attend this Saturday affair as the school will "need all staff" to run both the charity fun run and the open day together. I dont know what I am supposed to do but it will either be to marshal at the fun run ( most likely) or to be some sort of show case for the school.

I do not have a fixed classroom so I dont know where I am supposed to be for this ( usually I understand ) that staff have been in their classrooms and parents come round and see them if they want to. Iam not a year tutor, just a subject teacher.

Frankly I resent it I dont want to come out on a Saturday I am not paid for but I want to know if I am obliged. HT keeps using the phrase " duties which from time to time arise" when asked and then adds that he " exopects staff to show committment to the school" .....( so why have they not arisen in the last 10 years ?). Contract is otherwise silent on what duties are, but old HT gave part timers like me a set of verbal expectations ( this was not one of them). Verbal explanations do not count I guess?

Just want to know where I stand. Thanks.

Merry Christmas to all.

[MaybeDoctor]

Ex primary SLT here, having worked both full time and part time.

I think that the broad expectation would be that part timers do a proportion of these extras, in line with their proportion of full time hours. Also, if an event falls on a day when you would normally work then you would definitely expect to attend. On the other hand, it seems that this event is a big whole-school thing where the entire school community comes together and the HT wants everyone there, so I think the message is that you should do it but clarify the situation with the HT so that it is agreed that you won't attend the next similar event. Better still, ask for a policy note or memo so you all know where you stand.

Also, I was always under the impression that a bit more of this extra-curricular commitment came with the territory in independent schools than in state schools.

As a general musing on this topic, I suppose I think it is fair that pt staff do some of this kind of thing, otherwise the burden of doing it starts to fall harder on the full time staff.

[FabulousFudge]

I think you should attend. None of the staff will want to work on a Saturday and no one is being paid extra for it.

[Jaffacakesareyummy]

You get good holiday, good working conditions - I'm afraid it's all part if the job

[ElizabethHoover]

fee paying school deal
barf at 'indi'