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.

Schools aren't offering permanent jobs as often as they used to. A lot of jobs are being offered on a one year contract so it is easier to shed staff. It makes for an uneasy life for a lot of people.
Also, many schools are overlooking experieced staff in favour of cheaper options, such as NQTs and (shudder) Teach First.

Why do you care what I think? I thought I had lost all credibility with you.

MmeBlue 'However, if this means you alter your working practices, you can actually turn a problem into an opportunity. When the economy picks up again, there will be new job opportunities.'

Ok, we're looking at this from different directions. I am thinking of pupils I know, eg severely dyslexic pupils, who will no longer receive 1-to-1 personalised support to enable them to learn to read and write. They don't have Statements - the LA pretty much stopped doing Statements for dyslexia several years ago, with few exceptions.

Removing the support from these pupils will certainly be a problem - how, I wonder, can it become an opportunity?

I can see that losing something that is nice to have

What?????? Haven't you read any posts explaining how essential some TAs are? Jesus.

Ah, but you can't resist digging yourself in deeper......

• sorry, that was to MmeBlue!

What rubbish, Blueberry. Employers are not choosing to lose TAs, they are being forced to.

I would love to hear your plans for say, a guided reading session in a class like mine.
4 groups of 6 children, year 5. One group with no English, and a year or less in education, one group reading at around 1a, the other groups between 2c and 3c, both containing children with behavioural issues.

The EAL children need teacher or LSA support every session.
The children with behavioural issues also need support.
The highest ability group can work independently but with no LSA would never receive an adult led session.

Thats not strictly true fivecandles and you know it.

I said it was the policy in my school to support special needs with specialist teachers and classes where they can work at the appropriate standard . Some statemented children have specific TA support as well. This is what their parents want. This is what their parents pay for. The pupils thrive it seems as a result.

I do not teach SEN in my subject at all at present. It is not part of my job. We have specialist teachers to do that. This is because they de select themselves from my subject and level anyway. I said I felt that the level of language skills and other features were such that pupils with learning difficulties would find they could not achieve and I do make sure pupils know this ( as do other teachers in a similar situation) because in fairness to pupils and parents we would not want them paying and having expectations which are unrealisitic.

I do reserve the right as I can in my school situiation to ask any pupil who is clearly not going to achieve to leave my course ( or refuse to accept them in the first place). It is the job of other teachers who have training in such to ensure most pupils are suitably placed in courses anyway.

I do not make the policies.

Lordy

Lovely

So rather than overcoming barriers to learning you build them.

With you, ASB, I have nothing to lose.

More crack, it's called differentiation.

What happened to 'Every teacher is a teacher of children with SEN'???

Oh, sorry, is that just in the state sector? - MmeBlue has been trying to convince us that state/private are just the same.....

Ah bless, MmeBlue, we live in worlds....

different worlds, even!

I'm going to have to leave this thread, as I'm developing an unhealthy fascination with the parallel universe of MmeBlue - no offence or insult intended, but I'm constantly astounded by the things you say.

How patronising.

Trying to explain and demonstrate a differentiated task to 6 children with no English can take up to half the 30 minute session.
Losing support staff means the higher ability groups receive less input and don't make the progress they deserve to.

link

There's no way anyone with an ounce of sense would answer Morecrack's dilemma like that, Mme Blueberry. I think you must be on a deliberate wind up mission.

Surely that's what MmeBlue's helpful and so humorous link (at this time of job losses for staff working with vulnerable pupils) was saying, that she is wrong, and has no idea what she's talking about?

Aaaaaaaargh got me again.

Am stepping away from the thread. Really am, this time.

I will assume from your last post that you are unable to answer my question.

You have clearly never worked with large numbers of vulnerable children, so whilst your opinions may have relevance in your sector I consider them irrelevant in the broader spectrum of education.

Trying to explain and demonstrate a differentiated task to 6 children with no English can take up to half the 30 minute session.
Losing support staff means the higher ability groups receive less input and don't make the progress they deserve to

In my school as a teacher this is not my responsibility perhaps precisely because it requires so much classroom support and we have to cut the cloth etc.?

I teach a number of ESL students and I am told by our specialist teachers to just teach my subject. It is the job of ACE ( Access to the Curriculum in English dept) to see to differentiation and deal with students language needs.
All the pupils are assessed for their skills and are given ACE lessons where they take their work and are supported as necessary.

The results they get are a credit to any pupil, so it must work.

Our ACE dept has two specialist teachers. We have about 60 ESL pupils in the school. Thats cost effective for you.

'I can see that losing something that is nice to have does not have any immediate upside potential.

However, if this means you alter your working practices, you can actually turn a problem into an opportunity. When the economy picks up again, there will be new job opportunities. '

Oh, yes, that's right. How stupid we all are. Redundancies are actually a good thing because in a couple of decades you might be able to get another job! Offensive and also plain stupid.

Look, Blueberry, I started this thread to commiserate with teachers who are facing the reality of losing their jobs, dealing with other cuts and losing their colleagues and to get a sense of what's happening nationally.

The fact that you and possibly others have taken this opportunity to come and rub your hands in glee at this situation is one of the most singularly tactless things I've seen on Mumsnet.

If you have nothing to say that is appropriate to the OP, why don't you just go away and start another thread along the lines of 'These cuts - they're great aren't they' and then people who are suffering from the cuts can be spared your views.