To be tempted to pull a sickie?

[ofthelandandsea]

And yes it’s morally reprehensible but …

Work in a school, so can’t take annual leave or anything like that, and it’s my DDs first school play Friday.

My school won’t let you have time off for anything like that; they just won’t, it’s just no, no, no. It’s similar if a teacher needs to leave the site during the day, you just can’t get out.

I really am tempted to say sod it and say I’m unwell.

@MrsS424 since when has telling lies not been immoral?

@MyObservations yawn. Get off your moral high horse.

I missed my son's P1 concert because of work, NHS and I'd had so many days off with them both I'll that year that id had to use last minute annual leave for that id none left. I was gutted.

The kids in the school you teach in will be in similar positions. The alternative is these things are done at evenings and weekends so everyone can attend but then you need to work extra to facilitate.

There's no good answer but I bunk if yoU call in sick there's too much potential for it to backfire. Do you have a partner or grandparent who can attend a s video for you? That's what I had to do

Give me one good reason why I should? You can (if you haven't already) but I'm afraid integrity, and all that it means has been and remains an important part of my life, as instilled by my late parents. But, of course, you are absolutely at liberty to do as you please and, if you have children, to give them whatever sort of moral compass you wish. Have a great day.

@MyObservations cute speech. Still doesn't change anything

Thank you. I'm very comfortable where I am and don't have a problem explaining to my granddaughter why she shouldn't tell lies. Good luck 😉

I'll take that as a compliment, thank you 😊

You must work at Hogwarts! That's the only school I can think of that may be able to magically move all on its own! To start with the school's were 8 miles apart, then they moved to 10 miles apart and now they're 12 miles apart. Truly miraculous....

Well, I think you have misunderstood a bit actually.

So my first post re the distance of the schools is it only takes me about twenty minutes to drive there it is a good eight miles away So the secondary school I work at is about eight miles from my house.

Then I say a tiny primary school and a huge urban secondary school over ten miles apart from one another. The primary school my child attends is about four miles from our home. In a different direction from my secondary school. So that’s over ten miles, isn’t it?

Finally I say The two schools are twelve miles apart (eight plus four)

So nothing miraculous or remarkable. Just that the primary school isn’t on the doorstep of my house 🤷‍♀️

Well, did you go to your child's play?

That may have to go unanswered, especially since I may have altered precise events for privacy.

I understand why you can’t say one way or the other, but I really hope you went.

Your school sounds really awful OP. When my DS was little I worked in a similar school. I left secondary teaching to go to FE teaching. I found part time was easier to come by in FE and the general attitude towards things like medical appointments/school plays etc was better. Moving to FE will involve a salary cut but it was an enjoyable job and less stressful than high school. Plus I got comparable holidays in a college (just two weeks less than a school).

I can’t really comment on you taking a day off sick, but I’ve known plenty of colleagues who have done it.

I notice you're being careful not to have your post removed 😆

I found nativity plays the most tedious thing ever so I’d have been happy not to go, but that’s beside the point 🤣.

If you’re going to do it, I’d advise taking Thursday off too to make it look more convincing, and then if you are rumbled you can say you started to feel a bit better by Friday lunchtime.

Or…a teacher I knew used to go to Glastonbury every single year, by getting a friend to phone the school she worked at pretending to be calling from the school the teacher’s DD was at. “Oh hello, I’m calling from Littletown Primary School. We’ve been trying to contact Sarah Jones because her daughter Cybil isn’t well and needs to be collected. Please could you pass the message on?”. The school could never really argue with that one and let her waltz out every time.

Ditto.
I think I've perhaps missed an opportunity to go into schools and run singing practice or similar in the hall while teachers go to their children's nativities and other such things. My work is flexible enough that I could probably do that on a few days a year!

@MyObservations 🤣😉... this banter has made me laugh. Have a great day!

My Dad was a schoolteacher, and Mum in the NHS. I can't remember a play, assembly, or the like, during school hours, where either of them attended. No grandparents, etc. either. We just had to accept it.
Evening shows, usually at least one of them would make it.
My Dad had to write to the Director of Education to get permission to have the morning off (unpaid) for my secondary school leavers assembly, where I got Dux of three subjects, and sang in the choir.
Sometimes you just have to accept that your job will stop you attending certain things; but be offset by having the weekends and holidays off...

Just go. Nativities and Sports Days for your own child are so important and you never get that time back. As a Headteacher (and a mum!) I always allow this. It’s important and an hour or so can always be covered.

Some headteachers don’t allow it .

Quite - the whole thread is based on the fact OP's HT does not allow any time off - medical appointments, funerals never mind nativities.

You might get the sack for lying....(about being sick). Having said that, I think you should if it means you get to see your DD in her school play.
If work aren't going to be reasonable about you being able to take half a day's leave, then needs must unfortunately...

This thread is a month old, @EvieBB . It's done and dusted.