I’m a Primary School Headteacher. Ask me anything!

[RonnieOnion]

This is not a TAAT, but I’ve just read one in AIBU about teachers/wine/holidays and it got me thinking.
What do you really want to know about us? Obviously I can only answer from my own personal experience.

How do teachers write end of year reports? I've just received my son's report & there is so much detail in there! How on earth do teachers find the time to write 30?
Also is it more difficult to write reports for the more "challenging" (not SEN) children?
Thank you!

I hate these threads. Such an odd concept.

Me too, I am curious why your experience as a teacher in your school (surely both very individual things) means that you can give us insight into all teachers in all primary schools everywhere!

French2019
I note your comments about power/ego in relation to governors, and wholeheartedly agree. However, I'm also interested in knowing more about what your governors could actually do to help the school and support you in your role. What do you want from them?

In real terms:
Read the paperwork before the meeting and ask the silly questions! It’s great when Governors say they don’t understand something and then we go back to very simple terms so that they do.
Come into school if you can and check out if what I tell you in meetings is true.
Seek to understand your area but in my context.

Owlettele
Tbh I’m not totally up to speed on the actual contents of the pilot (I have a lead who will get SLT up to speed) but I agree that ‘on-entry to EYFS to the end of Y6’ is the best measure of a school’s effectiveness.

Over the years I've seen a lot of posts on here about teachers having "naughty name" lists, it's not something I've ever come across in real life despite working with children in various settings for 15 years, yet it is rife according to the wise world of MN.

Have you come across this personally and do you make assumptions based on names?

scrappydappydoo
We absolutely do teach those ‘lost’ children. In fact, they are a big focus for schools as they are the children whose good progress is essential for us to be ‘effective’. The SEN children currently seem to get more press coverage and focus (which is a good thing - they were the ‘lost’ group for many years).

BaconCrispsGone
I know that as a manager you have to be on your staff's side and defend them to parents, but is there anyone working at your school who is a bit shit really??

I don’t defend to parents if my staff are wrong but I insist parents trust me to deal with issues. After years in Special Measures some staff weren’t in a good place. Parents do trust me to sort things.

If staff aren’t good at their job, my job is to improve them and I will do as much as I can to support.
If staff don’t treat our pupils/parents/colleagues well then I discipline them. As hard as I can.

Bluelonerose
Nits.
We can no longer send children home to be treated and we have to rely on parents to keep children head lice free. It’s frustrating for us all. (We often de-louse children too, but only when they are at crisis point with lice eating into their scalps and parents need support, often due to poor mental health.)

OneInEight
Do you think a "Good" Ofsted report reflects a "Good" school or one that is just "Good" at form filling.
It represents a school that is getting good outcomes and doing everything well. The issue is that ofsted inspectors apply the criteria subjectively, so one man’s GOOD is another man’s REQUIRES IMPROVEMENT. The key is, does it feel like the best place for your child?

Do you think schools need assessing and, if so, how could you improve the current system.
Yes I do. We should be held to account. The grading system is divisive and not useful. I’d like an MOT system: your school is either ‘roadworthy’ or it’s not. Or it may need a period of grace where the ‘brakes need fixing’.

Does the local authority force (bribe) you to take on excluded pupils and, if so, how?
No. We are an academy but we work closely with the LA Behaviour Team and I often take on excluded children. They come for a six week trial first and I can admit them or not. I believe in giving children second (and third and fourth) chances. It’s a poor system that writes off our children.

I've worked in two schools recently

One - head very into all the paper work weekly lesson plans interventions logged daily school ran efficiently wothon an inch of its life (hardwork but I really enjoyed in) poor area - average results

Second Lack on papers work no new initiatives no whole school behaviour policy kids not disaplined etc but receives higher attainment overall

Now here's the question - which is the better school?

Despite working through the questions in a methodical, headteachery way I’ve missed loads
I’ll go back and catch up.

EnolaAlone
My DH is a KS1 leader and on SLT. He's currently doing his NPQH. Is he completely mad? Will I ever see him? I feel like he already works very long hours.

He’s a legend! It’s so hard on families. It does get easier. Make sure you have a set evening/day/weekend where family comes first or it will break you.

Gileswithachainsaw
Policies should make life easier and reflect the good practices in place. If they’re not working, staff would raise it and we’d look again.

hmmwhatatodo
No user, in addition to tidying and listening to reading they also have the very important job of making the teacher a cup of tea every day.

I’d just like to point out that lots of teaching assistants (I’m talking from an Early Years viewpoint) actually do a lot more than Ronnie Onion has listed and I’m not talking about things like applying sun cream and making tea - do teaching assistants really do that? Who has time to drink tea other than at dinner time anyway?

Hmm I’ve already said that TAs are unsung heroes so I don’t know why my posts have riled you. I didn’t say they make tea for the teacher. We ALL make the tea: for ourselves, for each other, for visitors. I allow hot drinks in sealed cups. There’s always time for tea!
I could not possibly list everything a TA could do in their role. I gave examples of the mad variety of stuff they do every day. And yes, they put suncream on. We all do. It’s a part of our Safeguarding policy.

An Early Years Practitioner is different to a TA, as you will know. They are skilled in developing our youngest children in a holistic way. I have some brilliant EYPs who add immense value every day to our children. They also make tea and apply suncream.

Oly5
How important are Year 2 sats? Thanks for doing this OP!

For us, great for ‘gap analysis’ - what do children need to be taught next? What are their gaps?
For ofsted - a direct measure of the effective of a school (allegedly)
For you - pointless. What a child knows at 6/7 has no bearing on future performance.

Are Child of the year awards really necessary, when you've taught them all year we are all equal? Except on prize day when some are better than others?

Hi
I'm a primary school teacher with 5 years experience. I left teaching 6 years ago, as I was pregnant and wanted to focus on family.
I miss teaching so much, I have always been passionate about education and children.
If I applied for a job in your school, would you consider me? And I'd not, what can I do to make it more likely that you would?

Thanks

AvoidingDM
Homework - shouldn’t be a chore and shouldn’t be on set night imo.
Spellings, reading, timestables.

Letter sizing - you don’t need the tramlines if the teaching is good!

Do the year 6 SATs actually mean anything? I've heard different view's - do the results go to big school and are kids put into relevant ability sets from these results?

OK - one for you.

Are you a head obsessed with young and new and shiny... or one who acknowledges that older teachers with experience are still an asset to education? (Having seen all the graphs showing how older teachers are being lost at a bonkers rate out of the profession)

I'm going to be over in the corner here with @Doodlekitty hoping someone wants us one day!

Letter sizing - you don’t need the tramlines if the teaching is good! Nah - my youngest is quite severely dyspraxic... she needs tram lines, HS2 railway and the M1 motorway to even get her letters going in the right direction! (Otherwise her writing goes for a splendid detour around the edge of the page, off the paper and onto the table top, back onto the paper before ending in a splendid collision of letters all plonked on top of each other)

Fickleflock
Straight to the point - firstly, is a family who has high social/financial status given preferential treatment in your view?
No though I worked in a village school where this was definitely the case with the old head. I put a stop to it but it made me a lot of enemies. And many (quiet) supporters.

Secondly - do you think anti-bullying policies and procedures are effective in schools or is there a tendency for the victims of bullying to not receive appropriate support and for the situation to be played down?
I can only speak for my school. They are VERY effective but only if they are consistently and relentlessly enforced. Yes I do know schools where they are not. Yes I know schools where it’s easier to move the victim than deal with the bullies. These tend to be the schools who run like a business - imo.

onceisawabee
What is the most efficient way to get a TA job? - background of caring for adults with LD, limited classroom experience (2 months volunteering)
Keep applying! Your skills are transferable.

Aspieparent
I also agree that it's school culture. I find here lots of teachers think I am being difficult or that parent when in reality am trying to manage the anxiety he hides and the break downs he has once home from wearing a mask all day.

That’s why it’s so important parents and staff work together and information share. We can help with the anxiety at home even if we don’t see it in school.

It's great to have a thread like this. Well done OP for putting yourself out there.

What do teachers think really of parents of children that are doing extremely well at school, well behaved, thriving, above target in subjects, but are hit and miss on handing in or doing homework- probably handing in about 2/3 of weekly homework- YR5?

(Due to long hours working parent, several children /competing demand dilemmas, not laziness!)

Do head teachers push for homework or is it a requirement school is judged on? Do we get put in the bad parent book ?