To think school heads should be contactable in school holidays

[EloiseMinch]

A secondary head is likely to be on 70k+ and a primary head of 50k+. Those are high salaries for positions of senior management responsibility. AIBU to think they shouldn't just cut off completely in the school holidays?

Maybe some heads really are working in the holidays but I know the head at DC's school definitely doesn't. She is, for example, completely uncontactable from the end of one term to the start of the next.

Of course Head Teachers work in the holidays - it's the only chance they get to spend a serious amount of uninterrupted time on the strategic aspects of leadership that can't be done in term time because of the (perfectly reasonable) demands of, and interactions with, parents and pupils. They are not required to be at everyone's beck and call for 365 days a year.

I think a highly paid manager should be working in a normal way all the time they are not on holiday. 13 weeks holiday is too much.
That doesn't answer the question. If the Head only had four weeks holiday, would you still expect to be able to contact her any time during those four weeks?

Today I have been in my office for 3 hours sorting out data and paperwork, then I came home and have answered emails from the Chair of Governors, three queries from teachers, one from the admin office and a safeguarding referral. But I am on holiday so, if I didn't want to reply straight away there would be no presumption that I did.
I haven't replied to any emails from parents because

1. no parents have raised anything that can be dealt with during the holiday.
2. the majority of my parents are reasonable and expect me to have a break.

And I don't get paid anywhere near £50K either!

Realistically, what is it that you want the headteacher to do, at this moment, or during the summer holidays, to resolve the issue? What is the action that she can take, while the school is closed, all the staff away, and no children in school? What can she investigate, and what can she put in place? Unless it is a police matter, you can't surely expect that the head interrogates the perpetrators and places them in lunchtime detention over the holiday?

If you have a very clear idea of what you want to happen at the start of Y2 in September, then schools almost universally have 1 or 2 days of INSET just before the start of term. We spend that getting up-to-date safeguarding & first aid training, in group meetings and planning meetings BUT it is also a time when both the head and your child's class teacher will be in school and you can agree practical measures that can be taken immediately, from the first day of term, to ensure that your child is safe. So I would suggest that you send an e-mail to the school office address, asking for a meeting with the head at her convenience on those dates, stating that it is about practical steps to be taken to ensure your child is safe following the incidents at the end of last term, and then have a good holiday.

My OH was a HT of a secondary with 2000 pupils 200+ staff, 7 figure budget to manage.

But you are giving an example of a head who didn't take 13 weeks of holiday. That's the opposite of what I am talking about.

Do everyone a favour and move your child to another school

That just moves the problem. OP should home school. That way she can performance manage the teacher to her heart's content.

OP should home school. That way she can performance manage the teacher to her heart's content.

That's a nice line.

I am a Deputy, just back at work after 2 weeks holiday, my head had last week off and has another fortnight later in the holiday. We both check and respond to our emails whilst away on holiday and certainly during the holidays. I did a 9.5hr day today!

Office admin email claims it is not looked at, but in reality it is, but not that frequently, same for phone messages.

Sounds to me from the little that you have said that your issue can’t actually be resolved during the holidays anyway. There are no staff to speak to, or pupils to interrogate, so other than sending you a holding email they can’t do anything.

And, if teachers and others in Education are always available to students and parents, more and more people take the piss. Dh had someone persistently emailing him (and demanding answers to a complete non-issue that they insisted was vital) on the morning of his mother's funeral.

So, I might get flamed for this but, as a Depute on 50k+, I would like to say that I find your post quite insulting. I work, on average, 60-70 hours per week during term time and, 3 weeks into my 'holiday', u have already spent the equivalent of 3 days per week in school preparing for next session. This will continue until we return to start the new term.

Being in Leadership within school, even in a non-teaching role, can be all consuming. In what other profession do you give up weeks of your time with no additional payment to take children on residential excursions, give up 10-15 nights after school to attend discos, parties and school shows with no additional payment, attend essential child protection meetings within your annual leave with no additional payment, spend hours working at home and never, ever getting to the bottom of your to do list or spend a considerable amount of your own money to subsidise the needs of your service users? We are not a well paid profession in light of the intensity of our role. It can be a labour of love, it can be the monster which takes over at the expense of your own family or mental health. I would not consider any other career in spite of all of this because I can see where I make a difference. You do not.

All I can say is, walk a mile in my shoes before you judge and do not grudge the 'holidays' we have.

Steps down off of the soapbox

OP should home school. That way she can performance manage the teacher to her heart's content.

This

'OP should home school. That way she can performance manage the teacher to her heart's content.

That's a nice line.'

It's true, though, isn't it? You want to be top dog. You can be. All you have to do is educate your child yourself.

Realistically, what is it that you want the headteacher to do, at this moment, or during the summer holidays, to resolve the issue?

I would like a discussion about whether:

a) The school can raise more funds via the PTA for example to get extra TAs in time for next term. This might help some of the discipline issues as some of the children are taking up all of the teachers' time.
b) Some of the children who have been consistently violent should be going through the school anti-bullying policy with the next step being suspension. This would probably involve talking to the parents.
c) The classes could be mixed up for next term so not all the violent children are in DSes class.

So with the massive salary and the long holidays, why is it most schools struggle to find people who are willing to take on the role of Headteacher? Along with the high-stress job, long working hours, and massive responsibilities, they have to put up with muppets grumbling about them all the time.

Right, I'm out.

One too many goady little emoticons on here, which tells me the OP is loving this and is on the wind-up.

It's true, though, isn't it? You want to be top dog. You can be. All you have to do is educate your child yourself.

It's not true but I am not sure this forum will lead us to agreement sadly.

A. Not an important ishoooe

B. Not your business

C. Fuck right off

So with the massive salary and the long holidays, why is it most schools struggle to find people who are willing to take on the role of Headteacher?

My guess is that the constant changes in education policy and micro managing from the dept of education make the job very hard. That and the limited budget heads have to work with. (Sorry if it was only rhetorical question.)

Fucks' sakes, OP. I am an AHT. I have no desire at all to be a Deputy or a Head precisely because the stress is unbelievable. The HT will be working some of the 6 weeks that school is closed. Some of that will be at work and some at home, and sometimes she will be having a well earned break.

What exactly do you want her to do about your son being told to fuck off? She can't deal with kids now as they are all on holiday. Leave it til September and have a fresh start.

So if you have two weeks off but are not actually going away you should be contactable by your employer? What about Christmas Day?

Why on earth do you think behaviour management and who is in what class has anything to do with you?

EloiseMinch

It isn't the forum, OP; it's you. You want to be the Head's boss, and you're not. I accept that must be annoying for you, but it is tough.

I know a lot of Headteachers- both friends and some professionally. I only know one- who works in a failing school- who will only go in for exam results days. The rest will spend at least 3 weeks working, often more. They will be supported by their Deputies and other senior staff at various points.
They are all contactable - via the general school email if not their own- or at Reception or by phone call, letter or in last circumstances through the Chair of Govs or LEA.
DH - who is a Deputy Head and will be acting Head next year broke up on Friday and is in all this week. Then is off for a fortnight then in most days or part of those days for the last 3 weeks.

a) The school can raise more funds via the PTA for example to get extra TAs in time for next term. This might help some of the discipline issues as some of the children are taking up all of the teachers' time.

Which is a discussion for term term, when PTA are in action.

b) Some of the children who have been consistently violent should be going through the school anti-bullying policy with the next step being suspension. This would probably involve talking to the parents.

Firstly, discipline of other children isn't your decision to make. Secondly, they are currently on holidays so right now there is no behaviour to sanction. Thirdly, not your decision.

c) The classes could be mixed up for next term so not all the violent children are in DSes class.

Also not your decision to make due to the fact that you know nothing about the cohort, aren't in an objective position and don't have that sort of power. Also wouldn't be done most likely anyway due to class teachers being assigned and opening floodgates for other parents to have a whine and try to get their way on class allocations.

So if you have two weeks off but are not actually going away you should be contactable by your employer? What about Christmas Day?

If you actually have 13 weeks of contracted holiday as a head (or 13 weeks when you are unpaid) then the problem is with the contract not the head. But the NASUWT guidelines seemed to suggest this wouldn't be the case.