To not go on the residential?

[Youthiswastedontheyoung]

I've just started a new p/t teaching role. Towards the end of the academic year the whole year group go on a residential which is about 3.5 hours away, for a full school week.
I have a just-turned 4 yo and other academic commitments outside of school.
AIBU to say I can't attend the residential?
As an aside, my mum (love her) thought teachers got paid for any additional hours regarding this. She was surprised to learn I'd just be getting my standard pay!

The ratio is 1 to 10. The lead teacher is one name only. The buck stops with them should anything happen. I take this on voluntarily. And now you want to gaslight me about how responsible I really am? Please.

I'm constantly amazed by the 'race to the bottom' mentality. "My job's harder than teaching", "you think teachers have it bad; in my job ..." Every job should be a good, well-respected and well-paid job.

Ah, this is the crux of it. Those of us that are saying "in my job..." feel we are in good, well-respected jobs. That's the difference. It would never occur to me to moan about the things teachers on this thread are moaning about. They are normal parts of normal, good jobs!

As a former teacher you should know better than to repeat this fallacy.

As with all jobs - if you don’t like it, go and do something else!

I already have, but I don't spout the tripe that you do,

The OP was referring to the residential in the Summer though, which is when most of them happen. She wasn’t talking about an imminent one…

We are not paid over the 12 months to compensate for extra work. I teach in Scotland. We have 40 days paid holidays including bank holidays and 26 closure days which are not paid. Salary spread equally over 12 months. Not paid for 13 weeks off. It’s very plainly and clearly set out in my contract.

@Fountofwisdom I wasn’t correcting the OP, I was correcting this from you:

These residential trips happen in the summer term

Ah, great, a 1:10 ratio, thank you for being more honest.

But you weren't actually doing your job during those unpaid hours while you were away. The OP will be in charge of 30 children for literally 24 hours a day.

PicturePlace

It would never occur to me to moan about the things teachers on this thread are moaning about. They are normal parts of normal, good jobs!

Except that what teachers are talking about on this thread are part of your job.

I was a Secondary School teacher for 6 years, left to work in other sectors and then returned to teaching for another 6 years, leaving in 2022. But I didn’t word my previous reply very well. Yes, teachers are contracted to work the proscribed number of hours over the year, etc, but every teacher ends up doing a lot more than that outside of contact time. Teachers DO get paid their annual salary spread out over 12 months, so they ARE paid over the holidays. That is a fact.

I’ve also worked in the public and private sectors in various roles and never have I experienced the amount of whinging that I’ve heard from other teachers.

I left because I hated the job - dealing with incredibly rude teenagers every day; dealing with aggressive/entitled parents. It’s a really hard job. But so are lots of other jobs…

I know, but my original reply was to the OP who was talking about SUMMER residentials 🤷🏻‍♀️

On any residential, in fact on any trip outside of school even just for an hour, a lead teacher must write a risk assessment. That teacher's name is on that document as the lead. Regardless of how many groups and other adults there are, the buck stops with that lead teacher as they are ultimately responsible for the content of the risk assessment and the visit overall.

I hope that clarifies your misunderstanding for you @PicturePlace

I think if your primary and it's your class, then it's pretty much a given that residential is part of teaching that year group rightly or wrongly.

sorry missed out the word "not"
as in not part of your job

You are paid equally over the 12 months of the year, yes? So you are being paid whether it is term time or holiday time, aren’t you? So as in every profession, you agree to an annual salary and that is what you are paid. The main difference being that other professions can request their annual leave allowance when they want to take it, but teachers have to take their leave during fixed school holidays.

Do single parents not exist?

Residentials are absolutely not a fundamental part of teaching. Many schools don't do them at all, and those that do often only do them for Years 5 and 6.

I'm assuming OP became a teacher because she wanted to teach children.

but teachers are not paid for the holidays. they are paid for 195 days, which is then spread over the year to make budgeting easier. Not because they are paid for the holidays.
As a former teacher you should know this.

The OP has already stated that her husband is ill.

The OP will be in charge of 30 children for literally 24 hours a day.

My gosh, she won't get to sleep, or have any other responsible adults there to share the load with? Sounds treacherous!

Eh?

Already corrected it further down the thread, do try and keep up. :)

I think it’s time to start ignoring that poster. They clearly have an agenda. If they hate teachers so much, I think they should open a free school and show everyone how it’s done. I mean, I won’t be sending my kids there because clearly there will be residentials every week and there won’t be any safeguarding measures put in place because they’ll do it all within 30 seconds, but I would come for CPD visits so I can see how we should really be getting things done.

I can’t decide if @PicturePlace is a troll is just a generally not nice person, but either way I hope their kids don’t go to my school! What a nightmare parent to deal with.

They do, but OP is not one of them.

@Fluufer no, but her DH is unwell. I mention “single parents” in relation to the wider issue of residential trips.