To think this is an unusual trait to list in job advert

[Snowandsparkles12]

Under desirable there's a bullet point for sense of humour? The post is based in a secondary school.

Aibu to think this is an odd thing to list and didn't come across as professional?

This is only part of the story though. When was the OFSTED report from? What changes have happened since?

TBH, this doesn’t sound like the right role for you. If you’re not sure before you even apply, I wouldn’t bother.

June 2022, before this it was still inadequate.

First line of the report reads
" Leaders do not always follow up on pupils’ safeguarding worries appropriately. As a
consequence, pupils are potentially at risk of harm."

Absolute necessity in a school office , I’d say.

It means 'you're going to need a sense of humour to work here ' if you find that unprofessional -then the job isn't for you.

Definitely not the role for you 😂

I'd be fascinated to see how applicants try to evidence this in their applications!

But having done a similar role - in a school with v good behaviour generally - I'd certainly say you need a sense of humour.

You need to be able to deal with a member of site staff reporting that someone's flooded the boys loos again, the Y11 self harmer and the slightly hysterical cover supervisor reporting a girl throwing an apple core at her, all arriving at your office at once!

I think if you didn't have a sense of humour you'd find working in a secondary school very challenging.

And actually I do think humour is a very important quality in a person generally, in particular an ability to laugh at yourself. I often don't take to people when they take themselves very seriously. Humourless people are hard work imo.

This.

I assume either the job is difficult and keeping a sense of humour is necessary, or in other words a sense of perspective. They're not looking for a comedian.
I personally find it a bit off putting, it makes me think that they will minimise issues and brush everything under the carpet and if you don't do the same, well it's because you don't have a gsoh - but I might be biased.

Maybe because having the odd joke or light moment in the office is just more fun? Amazed that you think that's unprofessional.

I think it is a reasonable thing to have in a job description. Especially with teenagers, you HAVE to be able to relate or they will either find lessons tedious or walk all over you (or make your life hard). The staff that had the most hassle from students at my school were the stuffy ones - with no sense of humour. The ones who could give it back if necessary (professionally of course) got on MUCH better and were more respected.

As for the culture, who knows? It could be code for needing to tolerate being disrespected, or it may be re: relating to the students. Unless you ask you won't know. Given that many schools have a lot of female staff, I can't imagine it having a "BANTZ" type testosterone driven culture, though I may be wrong.

It's because working in a secondary school is absolutely fucking mental, and if you don't laugh, you'll cry sometimes. It's easy to get wound up and parents, pupils and teachers can be very trying at times. Team spirit and a sense of humour is essential as we have to carry each other through the dark times (lots of self harm and mental health issues).

When working in challenging schools a sense of humour is needed. It doesn't mean you've got to be a hilarious and witty joke teller, just that it helps to be able to gain some perspective and roll with the challenges.

Schools need staff who want to work in challenging situations and with challenging pupils, but it is hard.

Working in a category 4 school isn't for everyone and it doesn't sound like it's for you OP.

You could always put that you’re a massive fan of Bad Education in your application OP?

🤣 could then put Bantz beside it

Why don't you just ask them about the advert and the ofsted report at the interview?
You seem to be looking for reasons to turn down a job you know little about.

This

I suspect they have a “cheeky chappie” otherwise known a fucking annoying member of the department.

This. If is absolutely the norm in primary school job adverts. I wonder how many people commenting work in schools. In my experience, nothing to do with toxicity. I had to tell a joke in my most recent teaching interview!

I've seen it on adverts for schools before. I fo get it; sometimes if you can't find the humour and sense of perspective in a challenging environment then you might find it stressful.

Believe me, a sense of humour is essential in a school! The ability to see the funny side of things will help enormously- it can be a very tense and stressful environment to work in and often things go wrong, there will be some very hairy scenarios in a secondary school especially and the ability to diffuse them with humour, and joke with your colleagues about it afterwards will help everyone's mental health. Those who take everything too seriously rarely last long in a school in my experience.

I’ve worked in recruitment and this is a red flag. They can’t have a fair recruitment process if this is one of the criteria as how on earth do you score that? And yes would agree it’s code for toxic. Stay away!

@Snowandsparkles12 doesn't sound like it is for you. However, working in a challenging school working hard to turn things around can be really rewarding and gives you a sense of being part of something important.

I put that I have a good sense of humour on my PGCE application form. I’ve been a teacher for decades though I now I have a tuition business. I worked in incredibly challenging inner city secondary schools. You definitely need a sense of humour, both to deal with things and also to lighten the lessons. At the end of the day, they are kids, not robots. Everyone likes to laugh.
Once, a friend and I had a free period and we were asked to look after a tiny Year seven who had been disruptive in his own class. We were doing our marking and he was meant to be doing his work. After a while he asked if he could show us the ‘chatterbox’ that he’d made. My friend did it and he got to the part where you reveal the player’s fortune. With a deadpan voice (and no apparent understanding of how utterly inappropriate it was) he read out ‘your cunt smells like fish’. Obviously, we took it off him, explained why it was wrong etc etc but we still laugh about it to this day. Working in those types of schools can be crazy.

I've never known an interview for a school position to be point-scored in the same way, say, NHS jobs are. Sense of humour is also generally on the 'what we can offer you' and 'what we are looking for' overview of the job advert rather than the person spec.