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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be disappointed that my children’s teachers have not come into school?

414 replies

Mixedbags · 31/01/2019 17:05

My teenagers are at secondary school in crucial years. They have said that the last 2days many teachers have not come in due to snow and the supply teachers have not been very effective. The snow fall here and within a 60mile radius (relatives and friends all over) has been close to non existent. What example does this send to our children? Snowflakes? 🤪

OP posts:
PurpleDaisies · 31/01/2019 17:57

When we have extreme weather, teachers are supposed to travel to their nearest school for work regardless of whether it is their own school, a primary or secondary etc. Most people (rural areas excepted) have some school within a reasonable walking distance.

I have never heard of this before. There are all sorts of issues with this, dbs checks for one.

OxanaVorontsova · 31/01/2019 17:58

Are you sure it is due to snow? We've had unprecedented numbers of staff and students off this week due to two nasty bugs doing the rounds.

EyesUnderARock · 31/01/2019 17:58

Dora, sounds like my county! Sussex by the sea.

Thisnamechanger · 31/01/2019 17:59

What do you want to hear OP? Yes, you're right they're probably all lazy, shirking snow flakes - that definitely seems the most likely explanation Hmm

EyesUnderARock · 31/01/2019 17:59

Travel to your nearest school used to be the case years ago.

BookwormMe2 · 31/01/2019 18:00

YABU and you are being one of those parents. You have no idea of their reasons for not making it in chances are they have to look after their own children you just unfairly assume they're slacking off at home. But I bet you any money they're working all day doing planning and marking and a mountain of other work to make sure when they do go back they can get their classes can catch up quickly, because otherwise it's a nightmare. I doubt very much they're feet up watching Homes Under The Hammer.

HerbertDibDab · 31/01/2019 18:00

I'm sure you really do know the exact number of teachers who were absent and their reasons why (courtesy of your "friend"). I'm sure you really do know how much snow fell in a 60 mile radius. I'm sure you also know exactly where each member of staff lives and what their exact journey entails. This all sounds very very likely.

icannotremember · 31/01/2019 18:01
Hmm
MissMarplesKnitting · 31/01/2019 18:02

Most of my colleagues have taken a bootful of marking home, in case of snow day tomorrow.

We are a v rural school and so the school buses dictate really if we open on snowy days.

So yes, teachers will not be having a jolly. If we are really lucky we get to mark with our own kids in tow too.

WaxMyBalls · 31/01/2019 18:02

I did rather think that CH.

Soontobe60 · 31/01/2019 18:03

So how exactly do you know there has been no snow within a 60 mile radius?
Where I live, snow was heavy as it's in a high hill. Roads very dangerous. Where my school is was quite clear. It's only 5 miles away.

fruityb · 31/01/2019 18:05

I work in a school and have for twelve years and even I don’t know where half the staff live! What I do know is if I couldn’t get home safely I’d do the same. I live ten minutes from my workplace however my village is accessed by two roads that are very steep hills! If I couldn’t get home then I couldn’t get to my son as his CM is in the village I live in.

Weirdly we have lives of our own to worry about as well as the ones we teach!!

Passthepigs · 31/01/2019 18:06

When we have extreme weather, teachers are supposed to travel to their nearest school for work regardless of whether it is their own school, a primary or secondary etc. Most people (rural areas excepted) have some school within a reasonable walking distance.

This was in the old days when schools were all local authority homes. As your contract was with the county council rather than the individual school you were expected to work from your closest for snow days.

Now most schools are academies no-one works elsewhere. They wouldn’t have access to your DBS checks for starters.

Passthepigs · 31/01/2019 18:07

*owned not homes

fruityb · 31/01/2019 18:07

Travelling to your local school hasn’t applied for years!

Intohellbutstayingstrong · 31/01/2019 18:09

Since when is a teacher not in school on an equal footing with medical staff??? I wondered if there would be a whingy whiney post from one of 'those' parents on here today.tomorrow

Mammyloveswine · 31/01/2019 18:11

waxon you are talking rubbish... this has never been the case. I've been teaching over 10 years and had lots of snow days... if I rocked up at my local school saying i was ready to teach they'd think i was a nutjob and rightly so!

I've worked for academies and local authority's... I live in a different local authority to the school I teach in and therefore the local authority I am employed within..

Honestly there's such vitriol spouted towards teachers.

To the OP... I bet there were a handful of many teachers off, some due to childcare issues and others probably due to illness, schools are hotbeds for germs and illnesses spread like wildfire.

If you are so sure that all these teachers were skiving then I suggest you raise it with the headteacher, the chair of governors or better still Ofsted...

Original poster
Mixedbags · 31/01/2019 18:12

She’s not a teacher. It’s a very close knit community.

OP posts:
Original poster
Mixedbags · 31/01/2019 18:14

All of the primary school teachers made it in. 👍

OP posts:
Foxyloxy1plus1 · 31/01/2019 18:14

I worked in a school that was a 20-25 minute drive away. Not a problem normally and the main roads were usually cleared in bad weather. But, we lived half a mile from the main road and the school was down a side road that was never cleared. Last time there was really bad snow, I tried for 45 minutes to drive the half mile to the main road. Then I gave up and struggled to get home again.

The staff in school that day were local, mainly support staff, but they were all those who could get there on foot.

Are you ensuring your children are doing some work at home? Schools have stuff on their websites, so there’s no reason for students to be missing out.

Gigis · 31/01/2019 18:14

Take your kids out and homeschool them then. Never have a snow issue again.

GalacticChickenShit · 31/01/2019 18:15

That's an issue between the teachers and their manager/employer. Not you.

wildbhoysmama · 31/01/2019 18:16

Travel to your local school is indeed policy I in Scotland, because we have a true comprehensive system with no grammar schools or academies and all staff are employed by their local council not individual.schools ( except for one school in the whole country I know of which is an anomaly).

And this is a teacher bashing thread!

Worriedmummybekind · 31/01/2019 18:17

The senior staff and colleagues will know where people are travelling from. Teaching is so under pressure that’s I find it really unlikely they would ‘skive off’ essentially. Far more likely is that they are travelling from a long distance (common) and snow is really unsafe where they live. Either way, trust me, the senior leaders are very concerned about exam results and you should assume if staff aren’t coming in, it’s for a good reason.

roundaboutthetown · 31/01/2019 18:17

"It's a very close knit community" - otherwise translated as "bitchy gossip is rife."