AIBU to ignore GCSE results queries during holidays before maternity leave?

[LilyGreenJade]

Currently 38+5 pregnant. Teacher and so fortunately finished for the summer as normal in July. Had it not been the summer holidays, I would have taken maternity leave at 37 weeks anyway. DH and I have also been ill for a few days this week with a fairly bad stomach bug.

GCSE results’ day yesterday. Only Heads of Department and senior staff expected to be in school/contactable on the day, which I am not. This is stated in contract.

Received an informal Teams’ message from Head of Department yesterday saying they needed to speak with me regarding a particular student (a simple case of organising a remark which only HoD can do anyway) and could I let them know when I was free to talk. I felt really annoyed that firstly I was being contacted during the holidays, secondly that they are fully aware I am close to my due date/would have been on maternity leave otherwise, and thirdly that there is nothing I can do to help. HoD has form for passing on work which is their’s to do. I ignored their message. I then also had several students sending me messages on Teams late last night regarding remarks. I very briefly replied to them saying to speak to the HoD.

I emailed the HoD and Deputy Head Academic this morning explaining that although I had seen the overall results, I was not really in a position to begin analysing paper breakdowns, discussing remarks, and contacting students/parents. I said I was happy for any remarks to be processed. As of tonight, I have had no reply.

YABU - results are important and you should be involved as their teacher.
YANBU - You should not be contacted during school holidays as per your contract, and especially given the proximity to your due date and that you would have been on maternity leave anyway if not for the holidays.

You clicked on YABU.

While I agree you shouldn’t be expected to uncontracted work in holiday time, it was probably more time and effort typing up your op than it would have been to provide a quick answer to the query.

YANBU.

HoD, it would appear, is useless - but that's not your problem.

As you've replied to the students with the correct signposting (to HoD) then there's nothing more for you to do.

Enjoy your mat leave. 👶🏻

You were asked for one phonecall, that's all.

I think you are extremely unreasonable.

And a teacher could take a second job for the entirety of the summer holidays and the school could do nothing about it as they cannot direct the teacher to work in that time

also see 195 days. 1265hrs etc.

with no context or agenda,
How long should the OP be on the phone for?

As teachers we expect communication about results. I was usually in on the day unless away, to show I cared. In your situation of course it's different but I really don't see the harm in a quick chat. It's all part of the job and while you may not be obliged to it, it shows commitment and you will I assume be going back after maternity leave? Best to be cooperative as part of a team, you won't be the only one due soon in our career at this point in time. Xx

It doesnt mean it isnt paid.

All employees are entitled to paid annual leave and can use it as they see fit. Teaching just has a contract that provides more of it than other jobs and with a very fixed timing.

And plenty of private sector workers will take an odd call or respond to an email when on leave, to sort out a problem or deal with an emergency.

It’s taken me a long long to accept that other than the occasional piece of lip service, no workplace gives a shit about its employees other than in terms of what they can get out of them. It may be unpalatable, but it’s true.

Depends if you are on mat leave or both I think. Mat leave defo no. Holidays well this is what happens around exams. It’s kids futures after all.

Sad for you, but not generally true by any stretch.

I think referring to HoD is the best policy. Given how far along you are there is no knowing when you could go into labour and not be available to do anything for a whilst if anything is a time sensitive matter.

The point is, when you're the only person who can supply information, it's more a professional expectation as part of a team. As teachers we're concerned about the grades our students get, it's naturally on our minds, so I would feel stressed with this hanging over my head, pregnant or not.

My comment is based upon my experience of decades of working life, and also how treated like shit my teacher relatives and friends have been by their colleagues and seniors. If you think any workplace genuinely cares about you as a person, you’re a fool. So was I, for many years. But it’s a business transaction on both sides. It’s healthier for everyone to see it that way.

other than the occasional piece of lip service, no workplace gives a shit about its employees other than in terms of what they can get out of them. It may be unpalatable, but it’s true.

Bullshit. I manage a team of 6 and i genuinely care about my guys. I'll interrupt my own holiday to cover for them when they are ill, tell them to take time off even if it inconveniences us as a business. We are nothing without our people.

I certainly don’t. I have a professional job I’m very good at, but I have boundaries. No one will die if I don’t work in my holidays. Hence, it can wait.

And if one of them dropped dead, you’d have an ad out for their job in a couple of days. Business.

Teachers have already earnt the money that they are being paid.
If you class this a spaid for the holidays then so be It, I CBA to argue about it.

But this isn't part of the OP's job, this is the job of the SLT/HoD, they are being paid for this as part of their terms and conditions.

The OP shouldn't need to be contacted at all by the HoD/SLT as this is part of their remit.

Otherwise its just another unpaid extra that is taking a chunk out of teachers goodwill.

I've never seen a teacher contract which particularly specifies who is and isn't contactable on results days or whatever (the standard STPCD has the 'any other reasonable' statement).

It's perfectly normal for queries to come in around results and if you're the class teacher then it's also reasonable for the HoD to seek your opinion about a remark. It's a 5-10 minute job to reply and I don't recall being incapable of doing that either time at 38+5 (would it make a difference if you were 38+4? Oddly precise for the context). It's your prerogative to ignore that but seems pretty belligerent to me.

I've known teachers that put in a resignation letter and the advert be out by the end of the day.
And had the SLT and HT either ignore them completely till the leave date or turn really nasty and start bullying them, in several cases putting the teacher on capability or trying to find something to ruin their career.

The notion that going in on results day / answering emails in holidays etc is to show we care is a nonsense.

My class know I care because I work bloody hard in term time. It so happens that I have been in yesterday, have been responding to emails - but that doesn't mean I care more than my colleagues who didn't and aren't.

Reviews of GCSE marking run almost to the end of September. This is not urgent.

195 days of directed time only. Unless on the leadership or lead prac scale.

And unless the OP is a trained and moderated examiner for the specific paper she's being asked to review, she's no more capable of doing it than the HOD.

Where have the other 3 weeks of school holidays come from?!

Doesn’t mean she wouldn’t care or be upset though, obviously. Maybe stop judging everyone else by your own standards.

As a former teacher ( and someone who was heavily pregnant on results day many years ago) you are being very unreasonable. You taught those kids and I’m astonished that you’re not remotely interested in their results. You haven’t started maternity leave because you want to delay it and receive as much pay and time off (which isn’t unreasonable), but you can’t have it both ways. Feel sorry for those kids having such an uncaring teacher.

Completely agree you have no responsibility whatsoever to respond.

is there a chance your HOD thinks you’d WANT to be included? Only you know what kind of relationship is there in terms of that.

In v similar circumstances, my (then) HOD called me to check I was okay and not stressing myself out over it!

Look after yourself. You’ve done all you need to.