To think this is strange and to be worried about ds's education?

[Mittensonkittens]

Ds started reception in September at a school that had not long gone into special measures.

A number of staff left at the end of the summer term and they recruited a new reception teacher at the last minute.

The week before last she didn't come in and ds's class was covered by supply. She was not back this week and a rumour started going round that she had been sacked (only been at the school for 9 weeks).
A newsletter confirmed yesterday that a new teacher is taking over in January but no mention at all was made of ds's previous teacher.
In addition to this the newsletter stated that two other ks1 members of staff are also leaving, the yr1 teacher and one of the yr2 teachers. Both are going at christmas. One was also new to the school in September.

Am I unduly worried by this? It all seems a bit weird. Teachers don't tend to leave mid year and certainly not half way through the term. I was stunned when it was confirmed the reception teacher had gone - as was ds who is slightly bewildered!

We did have misgivings about the school to begin with but the school is familiar to ds as his preschool was on the same site so we decided to give it a year to see if it improved. I don't think the high staff turn over will help much.

Aibu to be worried? Has anyone ever known anything like this?

I've known it to happen, but in the cases that I have known it seems to be a positive thing "clearing the dead wood" rather than anything else. Better now than later. Hope your DC isn't too unsettled by the changes. I have to admit that I am hoping for something similar in DCs school, sadly it will be too late for them as they will be leaving soon

It just seems strange that two of the brand new teachers are going / have gone. After 9 weeks / one term respectively.
I agree that a bad ofsted often prompts a mass exodus but would have expected those to go in July.

Teachers don't tend to leave mid year and certainly not half way through the term.

They do in my experience.

I have 3 DC (eldest is nearly 22yrs old) and during their time at school there have been...

1 teacher who left because her DH had a heart attack

1 teacher who had to go back to her home country of SA because her DH's visa had run out.

And at least 3 teachers who went on very long term sick leave.

Having said that, all this was spread out over the years...not all at the same time like in your DC's school.

But the school are not going to tell parents the teacher's business, so I would avoid listening to rumours.

And I wouldn't expect them to go in July

They'll go as soon as a more suitable job opens up somewhere else (like any other profession) and just work out their notice.

The clearing of dead wood will have mostly happen in July. I suspect this exodus is in response to the new measures brought in by SLT in response to their Ofsted report.

It sometimes depends on who appointed the new teachers. DB is a teacher and has just started teaching in a school this year. New Head arrived in April, lots of new teachers in September. Lots of them, including the head have already left. New teachers may not fit in, may have been appointed by the old head, may not live up to expectations etc, etc. As I say, reception is a better time for the change than later in the school. Try not to worry, unless DC seems unhappy.

I'm hoping they will get a longish term supply for the next few weeks before christmas so that it's not covered by lots of different supply teachers.
I know that these things are unavoidable but I do think that lots of different teachers is not greats

I've done outreach work at a school in special measures (so was still employed by my own school but did work there 1 day per week).

It was incredibley stressful for everyone who worked there including me who wasn't there all the time. The atmosphere in school was awful

With this in mind it's entirely possible that the new teachers simply found it too difficult and decided to go - it certainly happened at the school I was attached to.

There is usually a lot of bad feeling in schools in special measures and they can be very tough places to be.

YANBU to be worried about your ds though - it is disruptive to pupils. Can you get on the waiting lists of other, better schools? I hope your ds isn't too badly affected x

Yes I think a long term supply would be the best option if possible.

get used to it.

in first and middle schools where we are and of course primaries the vast majority if staff are female.

at my kids first school there were 2 teachers in mat leave, 1 on long term sick leave and most work part time and job share.

it's the way it is in most schools.

excuse tipos!!

Arf at 'tipos'!!

It wasn't like it in any of the primaries I have worked in. M

Although they were not in special measures.

Teachers have to hand their notice in by half term to go at the end of the full term. Either she was sacked or she handed her notice in and was then signed off with stress perhaps. Working in a school in Special Measures can be very stressful, which is perhaps why the others are going.

The thing is it is a bit of vicious circle, because if a school goes into special measures or even just drops down the Ofsted grading, then the teachers are under much more scrutiny and feel more pressure, so are more likely to get up and leave if they can, then destabilising the whole school and so on. Perhaps give it a year.

sod off worra!! ha ha

was the new reception teacher who has left an NQT? They have to pass their first year in order to become totally qualified so she may have felt that this was in jeopardy because the situation at the school - mentoring etc may not have been taking place. Try not to worry too much - there is lots of time for your DS to make up any ground he may not be covering in an ideal way right now and special measures schools are given a LOT of attention to turn them around - they can sometimes work out being a better bet than a complacent "good" school. If they get a new head in post soon, you may well see swift improvement and more stability.

No she was supposed to be an experienced teacher. They can't take nqts because they are in special measures.

Can't understand why she's disappeared and none of the staff seem to want to mention her! Surely if she had had to leave for some personal reason they would have said something like 'miss x has sadly decided to leave us' which is what they put for the two that are leaving at christmas. But nothing! No mention at all!

I am sorry that your child's school is in special measures. Lots of schools are in a category of concern at the moment.

My daughter is in reception and she is losing her lovely reception teacher at Christmas. To make it worse both reception and the nursery teacher are leaving inspite of the OFSTED report praising the early years. Unfortunately everything goes downhill in keystage 2.

I think that working in a school that is in a category of concern is very stressful. Our school is being visited by the local authority improvement adviser every two weeks and the school will have another OFSTED inspection in 8 weeks time.

I can appreciate it must be hugely hugely stressful.

Sadly this is the second time in three years that the school has been in special measures. It went in, came out and then apparently everything was allowed to slide back to where it was. At the moment children enter the school above expected level. They then leave miles behind so they are giving negative value. The ofsted stated that children were really bored so the behaviour wasn't great and that the children had become passive in lessons and switched off. It wasn't good at all.
Until now I've had no concerns with reception but I am a bit worried that the teacher has suddenly disappeared. She seemed good. Now we will have cover for a few weeks and someone new in January which will be a bit like starting again.