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.

Why couldn't this issue be discussed before the school broke up?

In my case the deputy was attempting to deal with it but nothing got resolved and in fact the last 2 weeks of term were amongst the worst in the year for DS.

My head is opening my school for 4 weeks in the summer. The other 2 she's away with her young family. Heaven forbid she's actually allowed a fortnight away after working 6am until 8pm and 90% of weekends during term time.

Having looked at the other thread, is this what the serious complaint that can't wait is?

*Back to our immediate problem, DS was told to fuck off twice this week by a class mate and kicked by another. He was also threatened by a boy in the class that he would kick DSes head in. The school in return have started to suggest it is partly DSes fault because he makes a fuss about the rules when playing sport....sigh. He is 6!

If so, this is not a matter for the school holidays.

You are going to have a huge fucking shock when your kid goes to secondary school.

OP you must be a nightmare, moan, moan, moan.

Have you noticed you are on AIBU? :)

I'm honestly not trying to be goady but I don't get the thing about teachers not being paid for the holidays. A teaching starting salary is around £22,000 which is slightly more than for a nurse or physio (both who also do a three year degree as a minimum). Is that £22,000 pro rata, or is it the salary they get with the holiday already deducted?

Well, this is how it is, OP. Your opinion on her contract is irrelevant. If you want to query her conduct, go to the governors, otherwise, stop imagining yourself to be in charge, eh?

You are going to have a huge fucking shock when your kid goes to secondary school

Are you really saying that it's prissy not to want a 6 year old DS to be sworn at, punched and kicked regularly in year 1 of primary school? There is difference between being 6 and 13.

Mine has just sent me the back to school booklet for September. I may send them a rude reply 😂

Have you notified you’re on AIBU?
You are being unreasonable so accept it

Because parents will contact them about issues that really can wait.

Even if she is 90k a week if she is on leave she is entitled to be out of contact. Yabu

I think you'll find they are on a comparable salary. Bear in mind they're part time, so the full time equivalent salary of a secondary head might be £90k. Which seems about right for a role managing a hundred staff, a thousand kids, a substantial estate and multi-million pound budget.

This with bells on.

This is why Gove has to climb down over shortening school holidays and increasing the school day. Someone pointed out to him that he would have to pay us all for the extra hours.

The head is paid to be a head teacher.

They will be on the leadership spine which has different conditions to mainscale teachers (mainly MPS/UPS teachers even with a TLR are protected by directed time etc).
Leadership spine staff can (and often do) have more formal work during the holidays because being on the L scale allows that. It's one reason people are wary of TLR posts being removed and replaced with L group posts.

That does not mean they have to be available to be contacted by parents.

OP you are the gift that keeps on giving. What will you do when the overhwelming consensus of this thread is you're unreasonable? Claim there should bw a block function and start a 3rd thread?

Even if she is 90k a week if she is on leave she is entitled to be out of contact.

Right but is it really 13 weeks of leave or not? People seem to have different views here.

If my child was being sworn at, punched and kicked I wouldn't be settling for the deputy getting involved nor would I wait 2 weeks waiting for a response.
You should have been more proactive rather than moaning that people won't make themselves available during their holidays (and rightly so!)

diplodocus. So on 22,000 pro rata so end up with around 18,000 take home.

They get 39 weeks paid plus annual leave.

a) for the level of responsibility and what they actually do, it's not a high salary at all
b) HTs work an awful lot during their 'holidays' in my experience
c) having an email address where the HT is fully contactable by hundreds of parents 365 days a year would be very silly and also unnecessary. Their inbox would be full of whinging generally, and the equivalent in the holidays would be giving every client of a big company the CEO's contact details when the business is closed.
d) if there were a genuine emergency during school closure times, such as the school burning down or something like a pupil fatality as someone mentioned above, then of course the HT would be contactable by the appropriate people.
e) I am assuming there is not an actual emergency as you have failed to state what it is, or what reason you couldn't contact the head about it prior to term ending, or as term begins in September.

OP if you think the school can’t keep your child safe, move schools or keep them at home. The Head has every right not be contacted by parents in the holidays.

The sooner he learns some people are arseholes the better and develops resilience and coping strategies for those himself, the better.

So yes, in short.

You are doing him no favours in the long term.

Head Teachers and teachers definitely are not on holiday just because school isn't open. I'm a Clerk to the Governors and regularly have emails from our Head throughout the holidays, as I'm sure her staff do. They will be working on planning for the new year etc. However, the school is closed issues regarding DC will need to wait until the new term but, as DC aren't at school, I don't see this is an issue.

OP you are the gift that keeps on giving. What will you do when the overhwelming consensus of this thread is you're unreasonable? Claim there should bw a block function and start a 3rd thread?

I may change my mind in the light of new and convincing arguments or not... :)

Oh god it's a primary? She won't be on anything like £90k pro- rata then. Half that. And currently on unpaid leave. But still contactable in an emergency. A police/fire brigade/ social services type emergency. Not something relating to any pupil behavioural issues. Which do not constitute an emergency.

Are you really saying that it's prissy not to want a 6 year old DS to be sworn at, punched and kicked regularly in year 1 of primary school?
I'd say if that was happening to my child I'd have been straight through every bloody formal procedure going and ensuring my child's safety, not bitching about email addresses in the playground and then only making a formal complaint at the end of the school year at the point where schools were closing.

But that's me.

No they deserve a holiday too x

Get a life, OP. Your jealousy is ridiculous. What a waste of your time and emotional energy. YABU.