Teachers, how are things as regards cuts?

[fivecandles]

If you teach, how are you being affected by the cuts? Have there been any reduncies at your school and if so on what basis? It's starting to hit my place of work now and it's rubbish. No redundancies yet but it's generally expected to happen at the end of next year unless people leave which they can't because there are no jobs anywhere else either.

.... and with that last comment, MmeBlue, I have decided that you've lost touch with what the reality is in some state schools.

It really has ever so much to do with the sector you teach in.

[laughs hysterically emoticon]

Times are tough, 5c. No amount of sugar coating is going to change that truth.

You need to accept that just because you've never had or felt you have needed a TA does not mean they don't have a valuable role to play.

There are lots of things I haven't had or needed that I have the brainpower and empathy to accept are valuable to others.

Dear God...

Yes we can, and we do. But I am talking about more severe emotional problems, Mme Blueberry - of the not being fed properly kind, etc. I very much doubt that that is part of your remit atm.

You'd be surprised, feenie.

'Times are tough, 5c.'

And you seem to be rubbing your hands with glee that they're about to get tougher. Really, you could think about developing just a little bit of tact!

It's also interesting to look at who times are particularly tough for. Not for bankers, methinks. Yet, study after study shows that those who are going to particularly suffer from the cuts are the vulnerable and women.

Some people need to stop swallowing the Govt's propaganda hook, line and sinker and adopt a slightly more critical stance.

People and Govts are responsible for the choices they make.

Our nurture group calms the pupils when they come in to school angry and upset. It gives them the breakfast they haven't had at home, provides the structure they have never had. Teaches them how to listen, take turns, interact politely, and tries to help them feel valued. All the things they haven't had at home.
If they went straight into straight into class, they would be angry, miserable and disruptive. This would impact on the learning experience of all the children in the class - to equate the demands placed on the class teacher in that situation with 'walking and chewing gum' shows that you have no idea what you are talking about, and I can have no respect for your opinions, frankly.

After half term we will find out our new staffing structure.

At the moment, we have an Attendance team of 5 staff, 5 on Reception, 2 reprographics assistants, 3 exams/data officers, all of the SLT have PAs, and we have more than 20 TAs (some for Statemented pupils, many not), an Anti-Bullying officer, several 'pastoral support' managers, an on-site police officer, 4 learning mentors......I suspect much of this will be reduced/cut.

As regards teaching staff, we are 35 pupils down for September, there are no staff aged above 50 (after first wave of voluntary redundancies last year) so no-one looking to retire.

I imagine the school will look very different in September :(

Other cuts include:
No external staff training of any sort for last 2 years
Sick leave/mat leave staff covered internally by cover supervisors and HLTAs
No subsidies for school trips
Dept budgets slashed so hardly any photocopying budget/stationery provision
No coaches/taxis to be booked (one school minibus has to used to take even large groups everywhere)
No refreshments for meetings/teaching staff on parents evenings etc
Lots of KS4 courses scrapped
Cut right back on exam re-sits
G&T budget gone
AimHigher scrapped
Connexions scrapped
Extended Schools scrapped

It's a very bleak picture at the moment. I feel sorry for the pupils the most though. Their experience of school is much different from maybe their sibling's 3 or so years ago.

We are suffering now because of the reckless policies of the last government.

I would be very surprised if your children had the same amount and type of emotional problems, yes. And clearly they don't, since you still think that it's as easy as simply 'building relationships' with your children, and that's that.

Feenie - I've found this before, that some teachers in the independent sector are outraged if anyone suggests that life in private schools isn't the same as in the state sector. MmeBlue has clearly convinced herself of this, too.

Your last post was a much better explanation than mine, ASByatt - but no, I don't think Mme Blueberry will ever get it.

Oh, God, don't you ever get tired of that line? This enables the Govt to make cuts which are ideologically motivated without them being questioned.

How can anyone be so obtuse as to believe there's no money for teachers pensions (which are actually self-sustaining) or TAs and then quietly accept the billions being spent on bombing Libya and bankers' bonuses?

Sorry, that was directed at Blueberry.

We got that

Blueberry

In my class of 28 children we have

4 children who arrived in the UK this year with no previous schooling
4 children with on the child protection register
2 with SLI and statements of 1-2-1 support
Several more with behaviour issues
About a third living in neglectful situations

I would love to see your plans to manage this class with no LSA support

Interestingly, my dcs go to an independent school where there are TAs who are highly valued even though class sizes are small and there is selecion. As far as I know they won't be losing their jobs. Which is good as dd2 needs one to help check she's understood instructions (she has a hearing impairment). If my dcs' school with all its privileges needs TAs and values them then they should be doubly and triply needed and valued in the state sector.

No, it's not the same, otherwise there would be no demand for independent schools.

But you do get a range of children, some of whom have complex problems. Some have emotional problems due to family/previous school background (including neglect), we get our fair share of ASD, ADHD, as well as learning difficulties.

The notion that private schools are full of pliable, perfect little learners from supportive families is laughable.

The key thing is how each individual child blossoms, and the role that their teachers play in this.

And it is about building relationships.

Thank goodness I don't work in a female orientated industry. The nastiness shown above always seems to appear when teachers or nurses get together.

They do have one thing in common though - they feel like they are so badly done to.

Read my post above Blue. Thankfully my dcs' INDEPENDENT school does not share your ridiculous notions that all will be well as long as they 'build relationships'. They have great teachers AND great TAs.

Who has said that independent schools have no pupils with SEN?

I've certainly not said that! But every time you try to argue that the situation is the same for state/private schools, and all that is needed is to 'build relationships', you lose more credibility in my eyes.

I will just have to live with the fact that I have no credibility with you.

Ho hum.

I have experience of both sectors since I have always taught in the state sector but have children in the indepedent sector but I've never met anyone with Blue's apparent contempt for teachers or their TAs.

DP works in a school for kids with severe EBD. There has to be a ratio of 1 adult to about 5 kids so that the students don't endanger themselves and others and so some learning can take place. I'd love to know how he'd get on with the whole 'building relationships' thing without his TAs!!