Beyond fucking angry about our primary school

[Whattheactualhell123]

This article has just
appeared in our local paper about my kids primary school - I'm so upset for the kids and the remaining staff sticking it out.

https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/local-news/former-teachers-slam-toxic-culture-27669063

Rumours have been circulating and heated debates launched on the school whattsapp from time to time about the new head.

In all honesty what power do we really have to make any changes for a better learning environment for our children and the teachers?

. Is it ever really possible for a head to be removed from their post because they have behaved so badly towards their staff?

What would you personally do if this was your kids school?

If you are a teacher or support staff (apparently the PA had an awful time too!) who has left this school due to this person I am so sorry that you have been so utterly failed in your profession. ❤️

New headteachers will never win all staff over, even in a generally good, happy school with a positive culture. Many people find change difficult. Some, especially this who don't see the necessity for it or don't want change, will find it difficult and may not budge- which increases their unhappiness.

As I said a good Head will win some staff over quickly, some gradually and some not at all. Some will leave quickly and others who remain unhappy will have to be supported to work with change or supported to leave- there are various ways of doing both.

It is clear from looking at Ofsted that this school has been on a slow, downward journey for a number of years. The most recent Ofsted identifies middle and senior leadership issues and significant Literacy and planning concerns and mentions bullying of pupils as a previous concern. The school is not in a category and seems like it could be improved quite quickly. What is emerging is a 'culture' issue. Time will tell whether the SLT are the right people to lead. There will be new staff, obviously and that can be a good thing in building a more positive culture. The remaining staff need to try to contribute positively- I'm sure most are.

It's not a disaster, yet.

I have a friend experiencing something similar but there seems to be no way to escalate without repercussions. Any advice?

Well the LA say there was 'historic bullying'. Ofsted mention it too. Staff might not like that but if it has come to the attention of the LA and Ofsted, something has gone on. Children are now telling Ofsted that it has improved so surely that's good?

I have only ever seen one Ofsted report that I felt was unjust as an outcome. If the Headteacher felt there was an issue with the team she should have rang HMI at the end of Day 1 when she listened to their discussion- the concerns will have been flagged up then- and told HMI she felt the outcome was likely to be inaccurate and why. An HMI would have intervened at that point and may well have turned up on Day 2 to take part in the process. If she didn't then that's a sign of her weakness as a Head. With the report I described as unjust, the Head did not ring HMI to express her concerns at the end of Day 1 and now admits she should have. She did not even express her concerns to the lead inspector about what they were discussing.

This does not sound like an awful school to me. It was graded as RI with clear areas for improvement that are quite straightforward in terms of actions. The difficult one will be changing the culture amongst staff and governors-all of whom lead this school- your posts illustrate that clearly.

LuluBlakey1
Well the LA say there was 'historic bullying'. Ofsted mention it too. Staff might not like that but if it has come to the attention of the LA and Ofsted, something has gone on. Children are now telling Ofsted that it has improved so surely that's good?

I wonder where they got that from?
No record of it before, now there is, Could it be that the Head and governors are covering their arses?

As a teacher I definitely agree with pp who say how common it is. It’s definitely the reason I left my last role.
I haven’t rtft yet but I’d be interested to find out why people think YABU! 🤔

I can save you the time its those damn lazy teachers out for revenge as they were made to work.

Of course non of the supporters of the SLT mentions the lack of evidence, support plans, competency plans and further formal action

This exact thing happens at a huge no of schools and is largely responsible for the mass exodus of staff. It is almost never the ‘old guard’ ie the experienced teachers who are to blame.

Based on what? That’s just not true.

Because they’re young, inexperienced and cheap. They’re being fast tracked to senior management positions when they have little to no experience in the classroom. Add to that the fact that lots of schools have become academies and the culture of them has changed as a result with the likes of Wilshaw holding up bullying staff as a shining example of how schools should be run (yes, I have personal experience of him). The result is miserable teachers and a mass exodus from the profession.

Like most of the positions in schools, Headteachers (and SLT) are in short supply, it means that people are often put in positions that they are not suitable for.

They can be removed but have to go through a long process, need parents support with this as many teachers hands are tied. Parents don’t realise that schools are very toxic environments and it’s not the teachers it’s usually the management team causing it.
You need governers, union and parents to help fight this. Even Ofsted, HR and legal bodies are required.

Board of Governors would be first stop to escalate to.

Unfortunately you need a board of governors that isn't in the pocket of the headteacher.

Most won't be as they won't admit to making a mistake in appointing them in the first place.

I’ve just left my job as a member of the office staff at a school that sounds very similar. One thing I wouldn’t do however, is publicly start slating the school because of just how you feel now. Your children are your world, and the thought that they are going anywhere that isn’t perfect is awful. The school I was at had lots of staff leave this year and is moving to academy status, so I’m hopeful the leadership will change. My own children went to the school and I would love for it be back to how it used be.

I experienced the exact same thing as a teacher. Sometimes headteachers will use bullying and divisive tactics because they want to get rid of the experienced teachers who have an opinion and replace with cheaper newer/younger teachers who do as they’re told. Only explanation I can think of other than serious personality disorder. Majority of staff left the same or following year the head started, including me. It’s an incredibly difficult decision to make because as a teacher you care deeply about the children and your colleagues and the school as a whole, but at the end of the day you’re powerless and the majority can’t afford to risk their career and/or income by trying to stand up to a bullying head.

If this was my child’s school I would seriously consider moving my child elsewhere, and I would make sure that the head’s boss knew why. I would also speak up on behalf of the teachers involved. I think it’s appallingly hypocritical of staff at any level to expect the children to treat each other with care and respect but can’t model the same behaviour themselves.

Start your complaints to the school governors

this exactly. and I'm always sceptical of press stories. trust your own experience not stories

The school has recently had a downgrade so this often happens but it does seem that the new leadership may be particularly harsh. The pressure to get them back to good will be immense and that often means getting rid of a fair few staff.

I’m a school governor at a maintained primary in Cambridgeshire. The LA is completely toxic and has hounded several excellent heads out.

Cambridgeshire primaries are some of the poorest attaining in the country. Most of them are LA controlled.

Cambridgeshire primaries are some of the worst funded in the country, it isn't surprising that attainment follows.

I think you are getting massively overinvested OP.

It’s weird because my DD’s primary school went into special measures and there was a massive hoo haa over it. The secondary has been partially closed because of RAAC and people seem less concerned. Just because it says ‘good’ in some old government document.

Yes the head who was such an unmitigated disaster for my children's primary school was like this - inexperienced and fast tracked. The chair and deputy chair of governors decided on her and not the vastly more experienced and much loved deputy head who had been at the school for years. He left of course. And then, when it all went spectacularly tits up after just one year, the chair and deputy chair resigned, with the deputy chair removing her kids from the school and sending them to the local private one.

I became a governor to attempt to moderate some of her batshit ideas and I can remember very vividly in one meeting saying to her "so it is SATS results at the expense of everything else?" and she said yes.

Exactly this. Unless you or your family have been directly effected and know exactly what is happening, I’d not jump to conclusions. There’s obviously long term issues over standards and a new SLT are trying to turn the school around and perhaps some of the staff have left because they can’t meet the new expectations. Maybe try to be supportive rather than jumping to conclusions from a one sided newspaper article.

As pointed out, there is "getting rid" of staff in the correct way, which means observations to gather evidence, putting support plans in place, making sure that teachers can attain competency targets and there is just bullying people out.
The latter is a lot easier than the former.