To tell you how schools changed within 15-10 years

[HerNeighbourTotoro]

I have been a teacher (on off, contracts and lots of supply) for almost 15 years now with some other work in between. If you have a child going through the system now and no older kids, you would not know how different things were even a few years ago.
15 years ago I did my PGCE in a fantastic school, I sadly missed out on the job they had at the end of that year and moved to a different location.

The staffroom was vibrant, lots of people always working, talking, exchanging ideas, they had a core team of teachers who were in charge of teaching and learning and each specialised in a different area, and were happy to pop in and observe or be observed. So many things were just amazing. They were also able to offer both more academic and vocational subjets.The department I worked in was wonderfuly resourced and they had a budget to buy into a few subscriptions offering students additional learning opportunities, they did trips, clubs, there were cross curricular days where departments collaborated to do projects. A dream place to work.

Over the years I worked in a few different schools and each year I have been noticing a change for worse, especially if I had a break from teaching/supply.

As it happens, last year we moved back closer to town with my PGCE school and an opportunity to do supply came up. No one I remember works there anymore, which was a shame, but what was really striking to me is how many things got lost in between. The staff rotation is however huge, and some departments have failed to recruit teachers for the vacancies and have either long term or daily supply to cover for the shortage (bear in mind when I applied, there were 50 applications for the job I ended up not getting and it was a norm to have over 30 applications in most schools in the area, and a lot more for shortage subject).

My subject lost a technician who was vital and it massively increased the workload. The department is half the size (as are many others). The classes are much bigger and some have 33-34 students. They run far fewer trips because a) the cost for the school to book suply is too big b) the workload increased so much that there is little time to organise these c) they lost office staff who used to help with the admin and now the team is smaller and can't help anymore.

The Language department used to have 3 language assistants (one for each language hey offered)- they now only offer one language and have no language assistants. The amount of subjects the school offers is much smaller and there apparently have been talks of closing down their 6th form.

All of the TAs are now mostly inexperienced agency staff that come and go and the SEN team is probably half of what it used to be as well. I have not seen a TA in any of my classes so far despite quite a few students desperately needing support.
The staffroom looks like a graveyard. Most people spend their lunches in their classrooms, eating as they prepare/mark. Forget about things like replacing damaged textbooks or other resources, so many people have to bring in their own pens and glues they buy in bulk because there is no budget.

I won't even mention the behaviour, 'teaching' a class of 30 or 30+ instead of 26 feels more like controlling chaos. There used to be a behaviour team supporting teachers, but now this is also gone because the school could not afford keeping 3-4 support staff on the team.

I genuinely feel sorry for children who are getting such different experience compared to before, with a small choice of subjects, supervised by supply teachers (I won't say taught) in the absence of teachers the school didn't manage to recruit, with few resources and few extracurricural opportunities.

For the record, the school is in a relatively well of area, I can tell you I have seen much worse elsewhere. But it is such a shame to see what was once a thriving school community in such a sorry state. All as the government is saying how supposedly schools are getting so much more money than at any given point in the past.

This is happening to my DS at the moment. Luckily his maths teacher seems to be always there.
I think we are losing a lot of younger staff. They seem to do 4-5 years & then just leave teaching completely. So I think that will be an issue in 10 years when the 50+ amongst us have retired.

One thing that has changed nowadays is male students saying to female teachers
"What are you doing here? You should be at home in the kitchen?"

So if you are applying to a secondary school go for a school that has a high expel rate. Because both of our teen's secondaries the Heads will expel.

We have no SEND, our teens are towards the top grades.

If one of our children even thought that about a female teacher (they are both male which is probably applicable) being expelled would be the least of their problems.

One of the female teachers is a Dr in her science subject, her husband is a Dr as well, all very high achieving and still researching in their fields. Our teen listened and was invited to a nanobot conference, via the husband.

How you learn is through listening and respect for people teaching you. We as parents can do a lot to remember and teach our children that.

Yes the runt who told her to get back in the kitchen was expelled, both of our children's schools have amazing Heads who support their staff as well as wanting the absolute best for all their students.

Teach your children to yes be listened to, but to also know their place. Their place being part of a school society which to thrive needs patience, understanding and respect towards others around them, students and staff.

If a child cannot cope or cannot behave in that environment they shouldn't be there for the good of many other people who can be, and can learn, and can go forward to get work to pay future taxes.

I think the tide is slowly turning that good Heads are not going to sacrifice a teacher for a runt pupil.

If you are applying state, apply to an academy, they can expel easier.

Our children's schools have full subject staff, consistent learning, minimal classroom disruption, do not take in students that can't learn in the environment they have, stream, separate SEN pupils who are unable to be in a full classroom environment. And it seems to work for all. (Like I said good staff retention).

Teachers want to teach, they want to see their students thrive. Instilling that into your children and making sure they are not part of the problems that stunt this is what we think we can do as parents.

Our eldest is almost out of secondary, and our youngster has never even had one negative point never mind an email or anything further regarding his behaviour or conduct. So it seems what we are doing seems to be working.

We, as parents, are part of the problem, and solution. Whinging and demanding the school does or doesn't do enough or should do more, or should teach, nurse, solve all mental health and behaviour problems is unrealistic, it makes good, steady teachers move to schools that are more stable. There just isn't the staff for numerous 1-1s no matter how many forms say your child is entitled to it. Train up yourself if need be. Be your child's 1-1. If need be. Do it free if they need to be in school. If need be, but increasing demands gets everyone no even nowhere, further back to where you started.

We would never advise a local authority school at the moment. If you have a child that could thrive go to an academy, that expels. And good teachers, please don't give up find a place where the Head and parents will support you and apply there.

All the Academies where I am are not as in demand, the most desirable schools, one of which my DD is at are maintained schools.

@Stegochops i think the difference now is how much earlier it starts, the constant testing from year one phonics to year 11. The marks schemes not being a part of revision or a termly reminder but a daily prop which the whole lesson hangs on. I also remember mark schemes at school but it was probably briefly introduced at the start of year 11 and then worked on in the build up to the exams at the end. Now it forms the focus of the lessons for literally years, it’s depressing for a teacher never mind the kids

The model of business/capitalism has been too closely applied to schools and it's making them function very poorly. As a secondary teacher, I spend so much time focused on exam results, attendance data, having documents ready but very little time on making lessons fun, exciting, enriching. Any brushing up on subject knowledge is down to me and my own interest and I see so many subject based mistakes made. This will have an impact and the above average ability as they need specialist knowledge to develop them more; below average will struggle as really knowing your subject can help you pin point mistakes and explain with real clarity.

We have websites with slogans that say how much we care for students but we actually spend our time caring for Ofsted and league tables. And it's not really the schools' faults - the laser sharp focus on succeeding with these things is because the consequences for failing are massive.

I'm lucky that in my school we do still have a good pastoral and enrichment offer but it's still an after thought compared to the beast of Ofsted and results.

To sum it up, people want to teach and inspire but get sucked into doing bollocks for Ofsted and results. And so many bloody emails. We tweak the same documents over and over again, we obsess over how to phrase things, it's relentless. Children get good care and teaching if the teacher has managed to find time beyond all the other bollocks but not because we are given enough time to do it properly.

Perhaps. I remember mark schemes from
about y6 SATs and they were a major feature of my secondary school education. I still liked school though.

Here it’s academies
As long as the Heads will expel disruptive pupils the rest of the students and staff might stand a chance of getting some teaching/learning done. As that is the basic reason for schools existing.

This is my fear with my son. He's going to reception in Sept but can already read and write, can count to 100, etc. I worry he's going to be ignored and misbehave because he's so bored. He didn't get into the school that I know can challenge him.

ND kids are still punished. Maybe things like the cane have stopped but punishment for you top shirt button not being done up happens. Not being able to go to the toilet during class is new and wasn't amazing issue in years gone by. Some schools resort to locking toilet doors to prevent pupils using them.
Punishments may have changed but they very much still occur

i Am saying the opposite - things are better for private state parents as they can afford better education, but I can’t see the government improving the state schools despite vat introduction. I also seeing loads of families doing sacrifices to pay tuitions exactly because things are better there.

My children are still at primary so I don’t doubt the focus on the mark scheme and teaching to the test in secondary but I really wouldn’t agree that there is “constant” testing at primary. There is a phonics check in Y1, which is administered in the gentlest of ways (my children barely knew they were doing it and both passed with virtually full marks), a times tables check in Y4 (they do some TT rock stars for homework but again there doesn’t seem to be any pressure or teaching to the test) and then SATs in Y6 which can be as high or low pressure as the school makes them and to be honest at 11 it is not a bad thing for children to learn to sit exams and work in exam conditions.

Certainly at our primary there are probably more concerns that the children are doing so many extra curricular things (trips, plays, tournaments, special science weeks etc.) that they won’t have time for maths and English rather than the other way around!

It was much easier to be a teacher 25 years ago.
For many students (and parents) the experience was and is the same/same shit.

I know my OP was long but I mentioned exactly how it's not- it's a pretty well off, white middle class area of city. Trust me, I also worked in crap schools and hence said that things can and often are much worse.

There are two things going on- young teachers leave because they loook at the shit show and think- I dont want to spend my life doing this.
And then schools bully out/force out expensive experienced teachers because it's cheaper to have a young teacher rather than someone you have to pay additional £10000 or whatever. Now- not all schools do this, but many do. This is why you have schools where you may have an experienced HoD surrounded by a bunch of ECTs or even ECTs as head of departments and supply. Many experienced teachers are fed up and leave, and take paycuts to work elsewhere with less pressure and responsibility.

This is my biggest issue with our education system. The constant stress of exam upon exam, and classes being endless exam training rather than fostering fun or creativity.

A friend's son is extremely gifted and has been school refusing because his teachers are placing huge pressure on him for a series of upcoming exams - and these don't benefit the students, they're 'practice exams' used to rate the school.

I think it's a really awful way to teach children. I grew up in a different country and remember my English cousins being constantly stressed every time I visited due to yet another set of exams.

From my experience- again depending on a school.
I do feel the academisation is killing it for everyone.
Some of the schools I worked are so strict and corporate... Drama, Art and Music are cut from the curriculums. Some academies have extremely long school days (some schools I worked in until 4:30/5pm). In bigger classes it's harder to support everyone. Behaviour is worse, which means kids that may have been better behaved often are not, because they don't see the point. It's easier to do nothing rather than do something.
There is more bullying which is also massively fuelled by social media. Because a lot of it happens outside schools, and because there is a lot of online bullying, I think many schools struggle to cope as well.

There are places where it is less on an issue, with competent management and support systems. I have seen some excellent behaviours in schools and places where everyone is more relaxed, schools offering a lot of support with mental health for everyone, wide curriculum, etc. But I also saw places where SLT pick each student's GCSE options to make sure the schools result looks good instead of allowing kids to dod what they are interested in. You need to do a lot of research before your child goes anywhere because it's a gigantic mixed bag.

Genuine question here. What’s different in Scotland? We have numerous family teaching in (admittedly leafy areas) of Scotland where graduates can’t get jobs as there are non and so well staffed?

Be involved. Write to your MP. Support the school comminuty. Spread awareness to other parents.
Your children deserve the best education possible- this won't happen with no money.
If the next payrise is funded from schools' budget, schools will be in an eve nlarger defisit. this means more cuts. fewer staff. Larger classes. Your voice as a parent representing your children is very important, but you need to make it heard.

It’s not always easy to get a teaching job in England. If you’re too high up the pay scale then you basically can’t move as schools just want to employ (cheaper) newly qualified teachers.

Discipline is more purposeful and less reactive and we consider all sides

This is working out really well isn't it.

I think one of the differences is that there are fewer schools, many may be rural and much smaller but there is a proportionally bigger amount of people who have a teaching degree. Also Scotland guarantees (or at least used to) a job for the first year after graduation- but it's only for a year, so there are jobs filled yearly by new graduates and then they have to leave with nowhere for them to go, but the palce is taken by a new graduate, etc.
Also people dont tend to move around as much, because schools outside cities are smaller there are fewer promotions, so not as many incentives to change workplaces. I have friends who teach in Scotland, some got lucky and got a job after doing the PGDE and are still in the same school, a few did supply and only once they got a cotnract they clung onto it for their lives.
This is just what I gathered from their intel, maybe someone can add onto this.

Interesting graph @noblegiraffe I noticed that the percentage doesn't change much it's just there's a huge increase in the amount of children. So it's an expanding population issue?

That wasn’t the point she was making. The point is that in some areas the local schools on offer are such a poor dxperience for students that people will make significant sacrifices to go private, and obviously very few people can do that but it shows how bad the situation is, from a parental perspective.

Teaching salaries are also significantly higher in Scotland (and Wales) making the jobs more attractive in comparison to what else is on offer.

I have no stats on this but my LinkedIn inbox tells me there is increasing brain drain of UK teachers to other countries. I have no desire to teach in the Middle East, China etc but recruiters are certainly keen I do so!

Our local secondaries have entire departments of pastoral support staff, who don’t teach but are there to deal with what is effectively student mental health and the fallout of WhatsApp groups. That’s where the money has gone.