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.

You would last 2 seconds as a governor before being removed.

Oh and PTA funds are not allowed to be used for core staffing.

That's an important point. If this isn't the wrong place to ask, is there any support for a class teacher that isn't core staffing?

I do think you need to be a governor - not because i think that any of your ideas would be implemented BUT because it would give you an insight into exactly why they are batshit crazy.

The first shows you don't understand school finance.

The second shows you don't understand safeguarding and how schools manage behaviour.

The third shows you understand nothing at all about how schools function.

So becoming a governor would be a useful educational process for you.

The head might not be contactable to you but they will do days back at work.
Out of 10 teacher friends I don't know one who doesn't have days back at the school working in holidays for at least a few days.

I don't think they should be contacted by parents in holidays at all they wouldn't get a break at all!

Everyone deserves a holiday without people bugging them all the time. Managers in the private sector also turn their emails and phones off they get paid more than head teachers!

From your position politicians should also respond to your emails on their holidays....

I thought you had had a serious discussion, with the Deputy Head?

It is not your business as a tax payer. Not in the slightest.

cantkeepawayforever

Ignoring the insults, I do find the attitude you expressed defeatist.

Hang on, though - surely it's the school that has 13 weeks holiday a year, and not the teachers? (Can someone clarify this for me, please? I am looking for a new career, and had discounted teaching for the low pay and long hours, but £50k and 13 weeks off a year I'd find very acceptable )

And assuming that is, in fact, incorrect, I still don't understand why op can't use the school's regular email address (which will be being monitored, even if it has an out of office saying it isn't) and give a brief outline, requesting a call. It really doesn't require a hotline to the ht, no matter how serious, as it is important but not urgent - it needs a resolution, though, and the best way to get this is to point this out via the channel that is available, surely?

I thought you had had a serious discussion, with the Deputy Head?

Yes but it was clear that certain types of decisions (e.g. raising more funds to get more teacher support) are outside of his remit and only in the hands of the head.

I dont disagree with any of that can't keep away

But it would be a disaster

For everyone

DH has 8 weeks holiday, earns six figures and can work from home.
I earn a shit load less as a teacher and yes we do fucking work on our own time, unpaid to ensure the students can achieve their best.
You are being a goady, patronising, obstinate, malevolent bitch. Jealousy is so unbecoming in an adult and I pity the hell your children will go through because of the hassle you will cause them.

It seems sad if every parent whose child is suffering has to become a governor to be able to have a serious and detailed conversation about what if anything can be done.
They don't have to.

They just have to follow the clearly defined complaints procedure as soon as it's approrpiate to do so instead of bitching in the playground over email addresses.

It's the major element of this whole tale that makes no sense. What sort of parent goes 'ah yes. Timmy is being verbally abused ajd assaulted and the school are just ticketyboo with violent children, my child isn't safe, nobody is dealing with anything but it's fine... i'll not go through the complaints procedure. Nope. I'll complain in the playground for months and then make a MN thread about how awful the situation is and drip feed tje fact i only started formal proceedures at the end of the year'?
I'm genuinely curious as to what sort of parent would allow repeated verbal and physical bullying and continue to send their child to an environment knowing they'd be harmed.

That's an important point. If this isn't the wrong place to ask, is there any support for a class teacher that isn't core staffing?

Volunteers...

There you go, OP - volunteer your services!

If you’re not happy with the mix in the class you needed to discuss this months ago. Handover for next year has happened. The only thing now would be to ask for your ds to move classes come September but you'd need a very good case. Idk if that would even solve the issues your ds is having.

It is my business at least as a tax payer
Bingo.

waits for the more overt 'i pay the head's wages'

Everyone deserves a holiday without people bugging them all the time. Managers in the private sector also turn their emails and phones off they get paid more than head teachers!

Yes of course but not for 13 weeks! (And again, I am not talking about school teachers who get the holidays in return for shitty pay and terrible conditions.)

I suppose it might be your business as a voter, should a party make a manifesto pledge to change the pay and conditions of teachers...

It is my business at least as a tax payer.

Bingo!

PTA funds can be used for a variety of things - one term of a theatre workshop for KS1 one afternoon a week, or for an IT suite. But not for permanent staff as others have pointed out due to not having a permanent funding stream.

It is my business at least as a tax payer. These are public sector jobs. And yes, I too work in the public sector...

Great. Right, I think you get too much holiday. I think you need to be contactable 23/24 hours a day.

You clearly don't know any teachers if you think they get 13 weeks of holidays. Have my first op.

titchy
I love how we did the same reply within 60 seconds of each other!

You can't raise funds to pay staffing costs, it wasn't outside his remit, it was impossible!

Yes but it was clear that certain types of decisions (e.g. raising more funds to get more teacher support) are outside of his remit and only in the hands of the head.

You either misheard or were misinformed. The PTA can and do raise money independent of the head's "hands" - but such cash raised (as we keep telling you) cannot be considered core funding and therefore cannot be spent on staffing.

You haven't answered my question: ARE you involved with the PTA and raising funds? If not, why not?

They're not holidays OP - seeing as you STILL haven't got the message.

What sort of parent goes 'ah yes. Timmy is being verbally abused ajd assaulted and the school are just ticketyboo with violent children, my child isn't safe, nobody is dealing with anything but it's fine... i'll not go through the complaints procedure.

It's not like that at all. We have been going through the school processes continually since November. We haven't made a formal written complaint because, to be honest, I didn't even know that was a thing you can do in in a school and the school kept on saying they would fix it and we should wait a few more weeks in any case.