Teacher in an alternative education provision

[askawayy]

I teach in an alternative education provision for children who have been excluded from school or are at risk of exclusion, i have also worked as a community domiciliary carer in the past, ask away! If anybody finds this interesting !

Do you not think the money could be spent elsewhere like on kids who want to learn?

Do you realise how lucky you are? I also work in a PRU and the workload in miniscule compared to mainstream.

It's not about the children wanting to learn or not really, some children's home circumstances and educational needs just don't allow them to function in mainstream school unfortunately. Some of the kids backgrounds are tragic to be quite honest. Alternative provisions offer a much smaller and more nurturing environment where the children can develop a trust and a bond with the staff and we notice immediately if something is off as we only have a maximum of 15 children on the books at any time and we are in constant contact with parents. Most of the kids end up not wanting to leave and move on and kids who barely attended mainstream school are now attending everyday, so no I don't believe it is a waste of money when you see the progress they make and there confidence soar. Plus we are paid less than a newly qualified teacher so it is quite good value for money .

Bel04 you're not seriously suggesting those kids get written off are you?

OP - what kind of qualifications are required for your job? Do you need any extra on top of your teaching qualifications?

I'm not paid less than an NQT. I'm paid on UPS3.

@YellowTelescope I'm just a bit sick of all this hippy doo dar bs that seems to be a thing nowadays. I can't even get benefit when I'm in constant pain with a chronic infection that the NHS won't treat. But they can set up special schools for kids who mess about in class. Come on.

Thefallenmadonna, this provision isn't run by the government, it was privately set up so pay scales are different. Most of the staff have youth work backgrounds.

There's generally a bit more to it than "messing around in class". I won't go into the backgrounds of the students I teach. It would be inappropriate. But they tend to be very vulnerable children.

We are an AP Academy. All our teachers have QTS.

Bel04 my child may well end up in this type of provision.

He has ASD with sensory issues and dyspraxia also likely. He is desperate to learn but cannot cope at all in a mainstream classroom environment. He can't cope socially with other children and the noise levels. Despite this he got 100% on a recent SATS paper (yes really and no he didn't cheat and I only know this because the head told me so I'd have something to be proud of because believe me I have very few moments where I hear good stuff from school).

But clearly just he doesn't want to learn and if he is excluded in future should just rot and get no education.

Sorry for the rant

It's a myth that excluded kids are just "naughty" and in need of a bit of discipline.

Their families and the system have let them down in numerous astonishing ways. They are all badly damaged by the astounding trauma and neglect they have experienced. We NEVER see a child and think "I wonder how you ended up here? ". They always have unbelievable tragic stories. Talk of money being better spent on "those willing to learn" is offensive if you understood even a tiny part of what these kids have been through. The "willing to learn" ones have every advantage already, in comparison.

Very nice "I can't get what I want so fuck everyone else" attitude you have there Bel, and besides, the two things aren't even slightly comparable.

We also teach skills such as mechanics, woodworking, life skills, budgeting , growing fruit and veg etc.

But they can set up special schools for kids who mess about in class. Come on

I don't think the OP is working with kids who mess around in class, I think she's working with children who, for what ever reason, are unable to attend a mainstream school.

And if these kids were forced into mainstream school then most of the parents of the other children in the class would want them out so their child's learning wasn't disrupted....you can't just abandon such children and give them no education. They'll just end up unable to get a job or in prison, which would be even more expensive!

What's the biggest challenge you face at work, OP?

The biggest challenge that I face is probably the frustration with the whole system that has let these children down and the frustration with the limited resources of the social care system who Won't intervene often until situations reach a iCal point. It is also a challenge and frustration that we wish we had more resources the kids. Dealing with parents is often a challenge as we have to work together to ensure that the children arrive on time and support us in trying to help the kids and back us up etc.

Until situations reach a critical point.

Growing up my dad was an alcoholic and my mum was mentally unwell. My brother was mute. My mother had very frequent breakdowns and on one occasions attempted to kill her self with a knife in front of me. My father was verbally and physically abusive calling me a cunt everyday. He once was pissed and angry and started speeding with me in the passenger seat yelling how he was going to crash and kill us both. He left marks on me and my brother and once threw my brother right across the bedroom at the tv set. I went hungry a lot of the time. Both wouldn't spend money on us kids. I ate a cereal bar at school for my lunch everyday. I still got all A's and Bs in my GCSEs.

Sorry your situation was so awful bel but can’t you see that just because you got good GCSEs, it doesn’t mean that every one could under the same set of circumstances. People have different tolerances for what they can cope with. “I was alright” is a rotten reason for withdrawing support from those who aren’t.

I'm sorry for what you've been through but hijacking a thread of someone who's trying to help people in circumstances similar to what you've been through is a bit odd. You'd think since you went through a really bad time yourself you'd want others to be more supported than you were. Why should people suffer just because you did? That's really cruel and I'm glad most people don't think that way.

@Bel04 You're achievements are commendable. I know of children you have been through awful things and don't seem too affected, but I also know others who don't seem to have too much on their plate, but it's too much for them. They might become very withdrawn or lash out.

Don't get me started on the lack of support for selective mute children!

If you had to name just one thing you love about your job, what would it be?

Do you have a waiting list for your provision?

How old is the youngest/oldest child?

Do you have any very, very bright children?

What do mist children go on to when they leave?

What I love about my job? Watching children develop confidence and belief in themselves and seeing their behaviour and personalities transform as they settle in and get comfortable .

No we don't have a waiting list we are actually under occupancy at the moment as we get referrals and then decide if we think we are the right place to take the child. The youngest age we have taken is 11 and the oldest 16 although we don't usually take the younger ones As they can come and pick up bad habits from the older ones and this can create problems. We try and decide if the child will thrive in a small environment and how they will fit in with the current group of children that we have.