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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to make a fuss about job-sharing reception teachers?

193 replies

EmmalinaC · 05/07/2010 16:18

DD1 starts school in September. Last week we attended the new parents evening and discovered that she will have two part-time teachers: Mrs X works Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Mrs Y works Thursday & Friday.

Many of the parents expressed concern about this and were told that both teachers were working mums and it suited them better to work part-time. They didn't really offer any justifications that were to the children's advantage (apart from 'it's better to have two teachers in case you don't get on with one' )

I don't want to start off on the wrong foot with the school by making a fuss about this but I can't help feeling that it is totally inappropriate for a reception class.

So AIBU to complain the school? To the Head? Or to the Governors?

OP posts:
LynetteScavo · 05/07/2010 16:58

YABU.

I love that DD has 2 teachers. It means they can cover for each other, and they haven't had to bring in unkknow supply staff (which I found always unsettled my DC in reception)

Complain if you like, but you will seem like a loon, and nothing will be changed.

mrsshackleton · 05/07/2010 16:59

I dont' blame you OP I would have been worried too when presented with this. It's way down the scale of pfb-ism

hope it works out well for you

LimaCharlie · 05/07/2010 17:00

OP What exactly are your objections to the job share?

Original poster
EmmalinaC · 05/07/2010 17:01

clam and diamonds I wasn't starting a thread about teacher's rights to work part-time and I agree having teachers who are also parents is a good thing. The issue I had was with job-sharing in reception.

I can see that most of you really don't think it's an issue and I am glad I posted on here before I made an arse of myself in front of the Head

OP posts:
mummyflood · 05/07/2010 17:03

This could work beautifully or be an absolute nightmare, we have had both. However, you will not know which until the term starts, hopefully you will find the former.

My advice is to wait and see and if problems arise, tackle them at the time. To be honest, I think that a jobshare such as this is actually better at the bottom end of the school, it can be beneficial for the little ones to learn to adapt to different faces/routines, etc at an early stage, and provided that the teachers have good communication and planning between them and good support from the Head, then it has every chance of being a good arrangement.

Good luck!

SleepingLion · 05/07/2010 17:04

By the end of my DS's reception year he had three teachers - one for Monday and Tuesday, one for Wednesday and Thursday, one for Friday so be grateful your DD only has two

He loved it, btw.

And yes, YABU and a tiny bit precious too, but you know that, don't you?

woahwoah · 05/07/2010 17:05

YABVU.

Perhaps I'm a bit biased as I am a Reception teacher who job-shares! I think there are loads of advantages - fresher, more relaxed teachers; 2 minds are better than 1; different styles suit different children so hopefully they will get on with at least 1 teacher; the teachers can cover for each other if they are absent; the teachers will have different talents and specialisms, so the children will benefit from greater expertise.

I'm not sure about the idea that job-sharing is ok but not in Reception! Seems a bizarre idea! I specialise in early years - I will never teach older children unless I absolutely have to - why should other teachers be allowed to job share but not me? Anyway, job-sharing is a win-win situation, for the children, the school, and the teachers themselves.

Give it a chance.

Original poster
EmmalinaC · 05/07/2010 17:06

SleepingLion I do know now!

I sort of wish I hadn't started it...

OP posts:
archstanton · 05/07/2010 17:07

Just a note of caution. Don't expect or assume that if one is off ill or on a course then the other will cover. If they both have young children then they may only have child care at one end of the week. This is the case in one of our classes. In fact, one is pg again. Neither can currently cover the others absences due to childcare issues and one will not be covering the other's mat leave.

inkyfingers · 05/07/2010 17:28

Reception classes are stuffed with teachers/parent helpers/TAs, so can't see it makes much difference to the pupils who is actually teaching them. Each year there'll be teachers who go on mat leave and maybe regular supply teachers in for different reasons. Cover has to be provided for non-contact time - another teacher or TA once a week. If they are good staff your daughter will be fine!!

happyharry · 05/07/2010 17:30

My dd was in that position and it worked ok. However, I think the final result result was that no teacher really got to know dd well. When she started in year 1 her new teacher thought the report was about another child. They got her personality completely wrong.

Also i think it can be a little confusing for a child if bothteachers are very different. Ie one stricter.

Hassled · 05/07/2010 17:38

Emmalina - we've all had our PFB moments and I have to say you're taking the flak admirably .

It is a scary business, your first child starting school, and I think lots of parents stress about it - but in most cases the parents suffer way more than the child. The children just adapt and get on with it - and really, having had 4 DCs get through the system, I think job-shares are fantastic.

traceybath · 05/07/2010 17:39

Well I'm going to go totally against the grain and say I wouldn't have been overjoyed at DS1 having 2 teachers doing a jobshare in reception.

However - at his school they have lots of different teachers for different subjects in reception so its not as though he was only with one teacher.

I just liked that he built a very good relationship with his teacher and the teaching assistant.

So in your position I guess I would feel a little apprehensive and would have preferred not to have job-share teachers but would hope it'll work out fine.

coffeefestival · 05/07/2010 17:50

YABU

CaptainUnderpants · 05/07/2010 17:50

YANBU to a degree - you really will have to see how it works out.

Teachers job sharing is great if - they have simialr teaching styles , are of similar erpsonality and there is a good handover procedure e.g Little Johnny is upset because of something at home - you tell teacher 1 , teacher 2 may also need to know this . How is all this going to be communnicated .

My Ds in Yr 3 had a job share and it was treuly awful - oposite teaching styles - good cop , bad cop . Seemed to be no handover system.

However I know of other job shares in his scool where the two teachers overlap by half a day , so can 'compare notes' so to speak and are very similar in teaching styel - and this has worked vary well.

I think you will just have to wait and see.

clam · 05/07/2010 17:52

happyharry, if neither teacher (you felt) knew your child well, I would say that was down to the teachers themselves, not the fact that they were sharing the role.
FWIW, I've just re-read my class's reports from their (pretty ropey) last year's sole teacher (who has now, thankfully, left the school), and I would say the same thing! They were shockingly inaccurate about the various personalities of the children.
From what she'd said about them, I was expecting the class from Hell. As it turned out, it's been one of the nicest classes I've had for years.
(Oh, and I job-share too! In case you hadn't guessed!)

happyharry · 05/07/2010 18:00

Good point Clam. Maybe thats it. I think it is also true that children do adapt really well. i think us parents get far more stressed about these things.

mumeeee · 05/07/2010 18:06

YABU. It could be good to have 2 teachers and the children won't get confused.

clam · 05/07/2010 18:25

It always puzzles me when people suggest that their PFBs DCs will get confused having two teachers. Do they get confused having two parents?

NoahAndTheWhale · 05/07/2010 18:36

DD starts school in Reception and I know that as her teacher is the Deputy Head, she will have regular time out of the classroom and the class will be taught by another teacher then.

I think it is good to have the same teachers (ie not a different one every week) but I really don't see the problem with having a job share.

I'm also not sure why it is such a problem in Reception rather than other years.

DinahRod · 05/07/2010 18:45

It's exactly the situation for dd this Sept, ds having already been through the same reception class.

What they have is two fresh and rested teachers (usefully parents too) working together for your child, combining their strengths to give them a great time!

Didn't your dcs go to nursery or preschool then? If they did they will have encountered a range of adults caring for them.

To complain before dcs have even started (and to actually think you'll be taken any notice of) - yes, YABU.

FiveGoMadInDorset · 05/07/2010 18:47

DD starts reception in September she has jobshare teachers one doing 3-4 days and the other 1-2, one does all the music as that is her speciality. It has never ocurred to me to mind.

Littlefish · 05/07/2010 19:04

Emmalina - well done for seeing the light .

My dd started school this year, and has a rubbish teacher all of the time. I'd much rather she had a lovely job-share partnership who had a good work/life balance, and enjoyed being at school.

I hope it works out well for your dd.

violethill · 05/07/2010 19:07

I think you need to wait and see. It's one of those situations where you can't state that there are disadvantages (or indeed, advantages) yet.

When your child has had a chance to settle in, then if you believe there are negative issues around the jobsharing, then by all means register your concerns, just as you would if there were problems with a single teacher. It's important that the school is aware of any negative impact of the situation. However, you can't possibly know whether there are negatives before your child starts!

DanJARMouse · 05/07/2010 19:12

DD1 turned 4 in the July, and started school in the September with job-share teachers.

One week Mrs X did monday tuesday wednesday, Mrs Y did thursday friday

next week Mrs X did monday tuesday, and Mrs Y did wedensday thursday friday.

I too was "concerned" about how the different teachers would affect DD1, but to be honest, it was fantastic! Both teachers were lovely, the teachers spent a wednesday afternoon (after school) doing lesson plans etc so they were both singing off the same hymn sheet so to speak.

DD1 thrived so much in reception, and enjoyed the mix of teachers. We moved to Scotland in April (she was Yr1) and has just finished this academic year in another job share and that too has worked fantastically.

DD2 starts in august with the same job-share teachers DD1 has just ended the year with and I couldnt be happier - especially as one of the teachers has a little girl about to start in the other P1 class so has hands on experience of 4 and 5yr olds!

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