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.

That's rubbish @AspireAchieve. We have a huge recruitment problem for HTs here in Scotland - and we are right on the doorstep of the Central Belt too, with great transport links. They are really going to have to have a long hard look at recruitment issues and try the do something about it pdq.

The school I once worked in paid teachers on average 45k, head was 110k. Salaries paid across 12 months, not pro rats

How is this thread still going? Isn't this just beating a dead horse at this stage?

The school I once worked in paid teachers on average 45k, head was 110k.

OP has given no indication that her child is at a private school.

Just wow OP. I think you may need help. I worry for your child(ren) just enjoy your summer and anything now can wait till the new school term. There are complaints procedures if you really think educational or welfare requirements are not being met; utilise those.

If you feel the school is not a correct fit to your child's needs move them to another or home educate.

Fwiw I dislike my sons head teacher. It's a personal dislike of personality/demeanour and his actions and I recognise that is my problem I can not change his style of work which has seen him get to the position he's in. Similarly his holiday is none of my business and I wouldn't begrudge or expect to contact him out of term time. There is also only a central email address at both this primary and my eldests high school. The high school I do actually have issues with my child that I would have preferred more contact quicker but wouldn't question needing to wait the 6 weeks before reopening the discussions. Schools have always had these breaks it's not new just the staff now have triple the workload.

Life's really too short. If you're jealous of anyone please make your own life happier not try to bring others down.

Having said that, everyone I know on 70k+ is contactable at all times. It comes with the salary even though it is often annoying.

Well my DH certainly isn’t. At weekends and on his six weeks of paid holidays he switches his phone off (he doesn’t even take it out of the house with him most of the time unless he thinks either I or the DCs will need to contact him). He doesn’t look at work emails either. IF there was an emergency then some key people have his personal email address to contact him.

I work in a school, I work for 39 weeks per year (in admin) and get paid accordingly. The general admin email address IS monitored but not from the office itself, both myself and my manager will check our emails every few days despite the fact that this will effectively be unpaid work. If there is anything that we believe should be seen by the head, deputy or SENCo then we forward it on. The head and deputy are able to access the admin mailbox if they wish to as well but generally leave it to us, their admin team.

In my experience most heads do not give their email addresses to parents and this is a very sensible approach because you’d be amazed at how unreasonably demanding and entitled some parents can be 😉

I’m a deputy, on the surface I look non-contactable (only office email given out etc) but in reality I am reading the “office” email and screening answerphone messages etc. If it needs a response it gets one, if not the response will come on INSET day. Things that do need a response = social services, news of death of parent, new children starting school etc. Things that do not need a response = photos of holidays, questions about next term’s menu, notice that X has a dentist appointment in 3 months.
Also of course all the exam results stuff. Alongside this doing a mix of working from home and working in school 3-4 days out of 5 on admin and next year. Head is doing the same.

I would firmly support only giving out office contact details. People do figure out email addresses etc and just from those people I have had calls at 11pm about games kit and emails on Saturdays demanding immediate responses about things like uniform sizing.

Could I have your personal email to contact you whilst you are on holiday? No? Ok.
Schools generally have an admin email which is more often than not monitored over the holiday (otherwise the inbox rapidly fills with all sorts of guff). Contact the school and if it is really that urgent they will contact you. Otherwise let those who work 60+ hour weeks looking after 30+ (teacher), 200+ (primary head), 1200+(secondary head) young people have their time off.

I have had people turning up at my house in the evening with queries about their children! That is totally unreasonable.

My Grandson rang me (His parents were away). He was upset. He had received his A level results and they weren't good enough to get him into his Uni of choice. We rang the placement Administrators who said that his results were marginal but that a good report from his Form Master might help. However all applicants would be considered during the day and all places would be filled by close of business. We rang his school. “Sorry, everyone's on holiday”. We explained our urgency and asked if, exceptionally they would give us the Form Master's home number. The Master graciously agreed to do the report immediately and to email it to the Uni. By the end of the day my Grandson had been offered his place.
Thank you school. Thank you Form Master. Phew !

I agree with OP

Our head of department who is on a similar salary will take urgent calls/queries whilst on holiday- I spoke to her once whilst she was away in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Rick I think it was really unreasonable for your grandson’s parents to go away at result time, he was likely to need support.
I’ve never known of any state school in the country that didn’t have staff in for results day. So am surprised that’s not a thing in your private school. I’m glad it worked out for him though.

rickobucks

There is a certain irony in your post that you and your GS didn't feel that he could ring up his parents as they were on holiday but felt it was ok to ring a teacher that was also on holiday.

Interesting.
I know we are in an age when many feel that they have to put the 'mocca' on even a good story. Or even when there is noteworthy praise of schools and teachers.
Nor did I say that the parents were on holiday.

I’m reading this from my headteacher desk! I have 2 weeks off in the summer and I’m contactable for the other 4 weeks.

I’ve never known of any state school in the country that didn’t have staff in for results day.
Same. There's always staff in on results day.
Though I have to admit the entire 'get your house master to write an email and plead your case when you don't get the grades' does seem to be a feature of private education more than state.

I'm slightly with OP here! OK, so they don't get 13 weeks holiday, but do get around 7-8? And we can quibble over what they get paid.
But in most industries, a middle or senior manager would take a max of 2 weeks holiday in one go, and some (myself included) would respond to emails or texts, even if they have already set up an out of office message.
Being unable to contact someone for many weeks isn't reasonable in my opinion

Being unable to contact someone for many weeks isn't reasonable in my opinion

And would having huge restrictions on WHEN you could take your holiday be reasonable in your opinion?

My DH can usually only take two weeks at any one time BUT he can choose WHEN he has that holiday AND despite being senior management he is not contactable during that time.

Perhaps Heads, and teachers should take their holidays in short two-week bursts then. And should be able to choose the weeks they have as holiday.
Obviously, the children they teach would have to do the same!

We didn't ask any 'Housemaster' to 'plead the case'. We were told by the State Uni to get a reference (we never saw it) and that's what we did.
The parents were on the other side of the world attempting to improve the GNP of this country so that it could pay its massive Public Services bill.

Bloody hell as a teacher I have never heard something so outrageous.

Shouldn't people in the education sector have any holidays?

grwm1
But in most industries, a middle or senior manager would take a max of 2 weeks holiday in one go, and some (myself included) would respond to emails or texts, even if they have already set up an out of office message.
Being unable to contact someone for many weeks isn't reasonable in my opinion

The difference between schools and almost any other institution is that, when the senior leaders of a school are away i.e. outside term-time, the school ceases to do business. That is not the same as a senior leader going on holiday while their staff continue to work; it is far easier to see the necessity of managers needing to be in contact with staff/customers in that situation.

Of course, by doing business I mean teaching children. There is an awful lot of other work that is taking place during the holidays, but that is all in support of education rather than being the core business of a school.

rickobucks

The parents were on the other side of the world attempting to improve the GNP of this country so that it could pay its massive Public Services bill.

What saints they are, they must have been doing that for free, I doff my poor public services cap to them in gratitude.

rickobucks

have to put the 'mocca' on even a good story

What??

Also, many thanks to your son/daughter for paying the ‘public services’ bill. Nothing in it for them, I assume? Are they paying top rate tax or are they reaping the benefits of tax exile status while working outside the UK? Anyway your boy is off to university with a little push from the old boy network despite insufficient grades, so I’m glad to see nothing has changed in the world