Teachers- Ainu to be miffed about this?

[Moulesfrites]

Basically, I had a thread here last week. I informed the secretary at school that I am taking the full year of mat leave and so going back at Christmas not September. My head of department took the hump as I hadn't told her first. I have apologised about this to her and am meeting her next week as she wants to talk about it. She has a new job so won't be my head when I go back anyway.

Today she has emailed next years' timetable and I feel I have been penalised for my decision to take the year off. Basically, I have been given set 9 in both year 10 and year 11, and no a level classes. My hod has told me if I had gone back in September I would have had a level, but as I am not she has had to gave it to someone else. I have always taught a level, ever since I was an nqt, and have always had excellent results.

As for ks4, generally it works that if you have a higher set y10 you get a lower set y11, or vice versa, just for balance, but in my case i have been given 2 set 9s. I like teaching this ability level but am just concerned about the lack of balannce (having two set 1s could be equally hard because of the increased marking, bigger class size, etc).

I realise this might be because my tt is going to be taught by supply for the first term and I am only going to be there for 2 terms before I will have a new tt, but I just feel as if innate been penalised for having a baby- . I know my jobis to teach the children i have put in front of me, and i will do so, but in my school this timetable combo would be recognised as a raw deal. I just feel as if I am going to spend the rest of my mat lEave dreading going back to work!

Can someone help me snap out of this? Aibu?

Discrimintion?!!! I think the worlds gone mad. You are taking what you are entitled to you, but you can't expect the world to stop to accommodate you. Unfortunately you're not there at the beginning of the school year to take the group, so it's been given to someone else.

Can any reasonable person truly think that it's fair for a group of goodness knows how many students to suffer, so that one teacher doesn't feel discriminated against under these circumstances?

OK - it's disappointing that you haven't got a top group, but it's resultant of a choice you've made that's right for you. If you're such a good teacher - and I'm sure you are - you'll get a top group next year.

Yes ajandjjmum, I share your incredulity at the use of the word discrimination, as I said, I was just having a moan!

I think there are two other things you need to bear in mind:

1. you can still choose not to return to work at all, by delaying your return until January this has to still be a posibility considered by the school when arranging the timetable.
2. the strengths of the person covering your timetable, if this is known, for the Autumn term, they may be excellent with the lower sets, I have a friend who will always choose to work with the difficult kids given half a chance and she achieves great results, much better compared to others than she achieves with top sets.

At least you can spell it Moules!!

Ok, cmt, hadn't thought of that, especially your first point. There is no question of me not going back but I suppose the school don't know this!

'Both times I took maternity leave from teaching, I returned realising I was not as indispensable as I had thought...'

Well said.

Who knows, you may become a better teacher for having to try and motivate and enthuse Y9 children who have become disenchanted with your subject and need an excellent teacher to encourage them.

What I find interesting on here is how many people are quick to say you shouldn't moan about not getting A'Levels, because of the chopping and changing involved for the students, but don't seem in the slightest bit concerned by you getting GCSE students. These kids will still have a lack of continuity, and in Year 11, they will also be sitting exams. And if they are bottom set, this may well be the highest academic qualification they do. I think this is every bit as important as the high-flyers doing A'Levels. A lack of continuity is far more likely to affect them than the bright kids who can see the benefit of school work and are likely to get on and do fairly well whoever the teacher. So all the arguments put forward as to why you are being unreasonable don't make any sense to me at all as they all assume that A'Levels are crucial and Must Not Be Disturbed, while those kids struggling along at the bottom trying to get a handful of GCSEs before they abandon school well, they'll be fine with a messy year.

So in that sense, YANBU. However, the HoD does have to do what is in the children's best interests, and while you certainly have rights and returning to work after mat leave shouldn't involve you becoming a second class citizen, there is inevitably going to be a certain amount of 'like it or lump it' about the situation. Could it be that if the other teacher is not as good, that you have been given the sets you have deliberately, because you stand a better chance of getting decent GCSE results for those kids, rather than putting you in front of a class who stand to do fairly well anyway?

Yes, good point babybythesea, both the school and the majority of mnetters who have responded seem to think it doesn't matter that some bottom set y11s are going to get "messed about" too!

My english teacher left during my GCSE's. I was achieving B grades in my work and was predicted a B grade for the subjeck which fell when she left to a C. I know it's a pass but it's not the B that I had worked very hard for and it's very disruptive to students when teachers do this.

So what is your answer belle? Can we not have children? Teachers might justvas easily leave because of sickness, bereavement, travel, new opportunities, it's called life!

Just as!

I'm a secondary teacher and I think its quite usual for teachers on maternity leave not to be given A level classes if they come back midyear. It's disruptive for the students and they can't actually guarantee you will come back. To give an A level set to a supply teacher for a term is just nuts if it can be helped.

At the end of the day you will only have your odd sets for 2 terms and then things will be back to usual. Don't worry and enjoy your maternity leave!!

Have babies to your heart's content, just don't disrupt a GCSE/A Level class by leaving after a term.

The first part of what babybythesea said.

And employers are supposed to assume that you will take your full entitlement of maternity leave; you only have to tell them if you're going back earlier. So unless you already told them you'd come back in September and then changed your mind, there's nothing wrong with not telling your HoD.

emsies - but it's fine to disrupt GCSE students? If Moules is being given Year 11s then they will also be about to sit exams, and if they are bottom set they are unlikely to go on to A'Level - it may be their only chance at an academic qualification. Or do they not count?

At some stage, some children will be disrupted by teachers leaving/returning to work. Can't be helped unless some law is brought in whereby teachers can only join or leave a school at the start and end of academic year - looks like a great way to attract the best people into the proffession (why does that look wrong however I spell it??!!)
The effect just has to be minimised - I'm just confused by the number of people who think it's ok to disrupt GCSE but not A'Level.

I'm going back late next year and have asked not to have Year 11 or A level as I think it would be unfair to the students. It will be a huge shock to my system, as my timetable is always for these years. I will be spending two terms teaching mainly KS3. It will make an interesting change . I will just be glad to be back. You have my sympathy, but I think HODs are under so much pressure to make sure the results come in, they don't want to leave themselves open to the suggestion that the staffing should have been better managed. There's too much at stake. It also makes an easier transition for you. You don't want the stress of picking up A level nearly half way through the year (if 13) from a different teacher. I hope it goes well for you, and congratulations on your baby.

I think your career is a long way from being dented! It's only a change around for one year - 2 remaining terms!

Go in and talk v positively with your HoD. Apologise again for not telling her directly, and then emphasise that you would like to do everything you can to make sure that allthe students and the school get the best from your particular strength and contribution in the Spring and Sumer terms. You could also ask her how you might best support the arrival and induction of a new HoD and how things might be best structured to support the transition.

It may be that on such a discussion she might have a change of heart about giving the A level students the benefit of your experience.

Resentment and seeming hard-done-by will not get you what you want, showing that you are throwing yourself into the department and looking forward to coming back and using your experience to the best advantage might!

Teacher change is always disruptive, but I'd say even more so at A Level because the content of the course can sometimes be chosen by the teacher who teaches a specific unit, ie in MFL you can chose what topic you'll teach. So it can make it harder to take over.
I can see where they are coming from but by the same token, once you are there, you might feel relieved not to have to teach the 6th form, less marking, less prep.
I would not make a big deal out of it.

I think you need to look at the positives.

You will be returning a term in, and im not sure if your a first time mum or not but even so it's gonna be a shock to the system.

I assume if there are 9 sets you teach a core subject, so therefore you have not been given any of the crucial C-D borderline groups but other classes where you may have behaviour/SEN issues in the classroom, but you wont have as much pressure outside with regard to results/coursework/extra sessions in your own time etc.

So take the classes...and when everyone else is up to their eyeballs marking coursework at weekends enjoy your baby.

"I'm sure there's a little law out there about not being discriminated against for taking maternity leave"

This is true but it doesn't apply to things like this. She is still doing the same job for the same pay. Its not a "promotion" situation either. Its one of allocation.

There is some kind of law that says if you return within 6 months they have to put you back in the exact same job, (this probably still wouldn't be so specific as to mean she'd have to have A levels etc) and if you return within a year (basically take the extended materinity leave) then they have to put you in a job in (I think) the same location for the same pay but they can change who you work for etc etc.

And whilst this shouldn't change things like potential promotion etc, its perfectly legal. So say you have admin staff working for a large company, with a title of "secretary", and you work for the MD, if you return within 6 months they have to hold that job open to you but if you return after a year they can have you stuffing envelopes in the basement as long as your title is still secretary and you are on the same pay. It might be that the stuffing envelopes thing could be contested but you get my general drift.

Its not really a discrimination thing, its really one of allocation.

Blu, thank you that is great advice.

Belle, unfortunately things don't work like that, if only we could plan our pregnancies around our students' needs!

Agree with babybythesea - it makes my blood boil when low ability y10 and y11 sets are seen as so very unimportant.

However, all the getting het up about disruption for the pupils is not always necessary. Sometimes the new teacher is the better teacher. Sometimes getting a fresh face after Christmas can re-energise a class.

Depends on the teachers involved and how well it is handled. Which is up to your HoD. Good luck with that one then!

The school's decision is based on what they think is best for their pupils. It is not about you.

It is only for 2 terms so hardly going to ruin your career. Make sure you get in early next year( when the timetable is being sorted) and make your preferences clear.

I'm a mum who has taken maternity leave and an ex head of department at secondary school and a am afraid YABU

The head of dept has more to consider here, the classes have to go to someone and they will often not be certain who is covering, for how long or exactly when you'll return.

I hugely doubt this is personal and believe that it is all to do with looking at the bigger picture.

Its the way it is I'm afraid, school's do the bets they can for the kids first of all.

Ok, thank you, this thread has really helped me to get some perspective and look on the positive sides. I'm going to go back and do my very best for my lowly year 10s and 11s! But I have 7 more months of mat leave to enjoy first!