To email headteacher about this

[schoolgrinch]

DS is in year one, at a 2 form state primary. It is very well regarded, DS is doing brilliantly, and generally we are very happy.

However.

My child is in Class X. They have had two part time teachers (Teacher A Monday-Wednesday and Teacher B Wednesday-Friday) for year 1.

Teacher A announced her pregnancy early in 2024 and parents were told that she was planning to go on maternity leave after May half term. An alternative teacher in the school would take over her days at this point, for term 6. About a month ago we were told that Teacher A was now starting maternity leave 2 weeks before May half term, and a different member of staff would cover these 2 weeks.

So in one year, the class will have had 4 different teachers,

In comparison, the other Year 1 class, Class Y, have had 1 teacher the whole year.

Now- this isn't anything against part time working, pregnancy rights etc etc. I have benefitted from both of these provisions myself.

However- WIBU to email the headteacher to ensure that it has been considered in terms of planning teacher allocations for next year, that Class X have had quite considerable disruption this year, and would benefit from an opportunity for more consistent teaching next year?

1. YANBU, totally reasonable to email
2. YANBY, but the headteacher will clearly be aware of this and will already have considered it
3. YABU (please give reason)

If you were a real head teacher you would know you have to say 6

You really don't.

Wouldn’t that be lovely! People never think like that though, do they.
With supply agencies not even able to supply supply teachers a lot of the time, you are lucky these days that they had a qualified teacher the whole time.
All of these things are considered but also you can’t and shouldn’t be surprised if they do have another job share in the future. We can’t control teacher’s life choices or the timing of them, and many don’t want to come back full time after having a baby or children.

@frenchfancy81 true. However, many schools do ask teachers to share their intentions and if they know the majority or all are staying, many do have those plans made now.

I thought the 6 term trend had passed. It’s definitely 3 round here now.

o that is nice, I hope 3 is being allowed to be said again.. still no need to call people names for saying 3

Just checking you know I wasn’t calling anyone names. Think you are referring to another post?

no, I wasn't talking about you at all, some poster claiming to be a head, calling the OP "ill informed" and complaining they have to "accommodate people who cant be bothered to understand" which is a really nasty thing to say about people who have been told to call it 6 terms.

I always say 3, when talking to other teachers, but we have to say 6 to parents and pupils

My child is now year 6, she had a consistent teacher in reception, then not again until year 5. Mix of covid/sickness/retirement/resigning and it has absolutely had a big impact on her and a lot of her class. Thankfully the teacher than joined the school in jan year 5 stayed with them for year 6. I wouldn't write but I can see your concern. Hopefully year 2 will be more settled.

Don't worry. The numbers leaving teaching means your child will spend much of secondary school sitting in the school hall doing work set by the Head of Department. Four teachers will seem like an impossible dream.
I blame teacher recruitment and retention on MN. There are so so many smug boasts from work from home mums, and boasty posts from flexi working mums. 71% of NHS and education posts are held by women. Why should they do all the work when they are not entitled to the most basic rights like going to the loo when they want when posters on here whinge about going into the office one day a week.
It's time things changed and things are already changing and not for the better. Some posters on here seem determined to personally chase away teachers from schools.

I can understand why you'd want to bring it up, but they'll be doing the best they can. Kinda bizarre that they've had two teachers the whole year, but I'm sure it's okay for the kids.

If it helps, I had seven teachers in Y5. We all turned out okay 😆

Meh, I had two years of supply teachers could of been a new teacher every week for two years. I'm ok lived through it I'm not scarred from it.

What?

I'm afraid you're going to have to be stripped of your Mumsnet membership. How dare you listen to advice and make the right decision based on it (and so quickly) in AIBU?

You've ruined this thread for everyone.

The HT knows how to allocate staff. Focus on your own job and stop being completely ridiculous.

Post of the year that one

5 teachers in year 4 and year 5 at dd's private school. I can't really blame the school as it's due to serious illnesses that couldn't have been foreseen but it's still not great.

Teachers who work in private schools get pregnant too...it is allowed.

@saraclara 😂😂

I teach a level and once had a serious illness and missed the last 4 weeks before their exams. I have the temerity to teach in a private school too.

Teachers are human wherever you go.

Obviously the head will be considering stability of staff when planning next years teaching, however there are other factors too. If you think your head isn’t bright enough to work this out for herself you have bigger problems. Also it can never be foolproof the head cannot predict now which of her 6 teachers of childbearing age might announce a pregnancy in September 😂 or who might get cancer, or whose spouse will die unexpectedly etc etc…

also, there are no available teachers - I was off for a year, no one qualified in my subject could be found

I am sure the head would love some advice from you on how to do their job!!
How selfish of those teachers to start a family🤣

Class X have had quite considerable disruption this year,

They have not had considerable disruption. They have consistently had the same two teachers, one is going on maternity leave and someone else is doing two weeks, which I assume is also part time.

Then they will continue with one of their two teachers and a different teacher.

If they had a full time teacher then they would have had more disruption.

What on earth do you think the head can do differently next year? Quiz the teachers about their plans to get pregnant or only employ ones who've gone though the menopause? Teachers can go off sick, take mat leave etc at any point. The head doesn't have any control over that. It would be classed as discrimination if she asked if any teachers were planning mat leave before allocating them to a class....Would it be OK for your employer to ask if your planning any babies before allocating projects for example?

Seems normal in our school anyway. There is no longer one teacher for one year group and you keep them the whole year.

That’s a bit overdramatic to call it 4 teachers! Implies a lack of continuity.

But for about 80% of the year, they had 2 of those teachers at the same time, not consecutively. So not disruptive at all. Then a short term teacher who is already someone they’ve seen around the school - so good continuity - before settling with a new one. They’ll be fine - it’s exciting for children to have someone new, and for a small change like this, quite good for them to get new teaching styles.

The other classes teacher could suddenly become ill and there be a scramble to cover the class.

At least these changes have been planned.