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.

I think I am entitled to post on any thread I choose to.

Jabed, you said that you kick students with SEN out of your classroom. Those were your exact words.

MmeBlueberry, I don't think anybody wants to hear views like yours on this thread. I think your views would be extremely offensive to most people working in education right now.

Then they are at liberty to ignore me.

It doesn't change the truth about the economy, though. Blame Gordon, not me.

Like I said - wind up.

Mme Blueberry, your response to the question in my OP has been along the lines of No, the cuts are not affecting me but I'm really glad they're affecting the rest of you, it's just tough isn't it and it's all the fault of the previous government. This is crass, stupid and offensive. You've chased off the people that I intended this thread for and now I've had enough too. Pleased with yourself?

Ecstatic.

But it is the fault of Gordon and his cronies.

see? I can stamp up and down and repeat myself too.

How about we talk about teachers' pensions?

Your insensitivity and lack of empathy is Gordon Brown's fault?

These are but words on a screen. It is so difficult to convey emotion. You'll have to just believe me when I say that I am gutted for those who are victims of reckless fiscal policies, and I don't limit that to people involved in education.

Blueberry, if you're still around, how big are the classes you're teaching? Surely size is everything?
DS attends a private school with a high % of SN (DS does not have SN). Class sizes are only about 9-12, and usually there's at least one adult helper (TA or parent volunteer?, I don't know which) in each class. That's what makes it manageable, I imagine.

My biggest class is 24 and I teach them toute seule. I have quite a range of abilities and learning difficulties in that class. In addition, I have EAL (first year in this country) and ADHD and emotional problems.

Don't you think it would a lot harder to manage toute seule if you had all classes of size 30-40?

MmeBlackberry - your are talking a load of tosh from your little ivory tower.

I work in a state primary, and do the '25 tasks' myself. I photocopy, enter data, do displays, etc, as it is easier to do it yourself rather than explain something to someone else.

HOWEVER... all classes at our school have around 30 children in them, and there is a vast range of ability. We have quite a few TAs, who do plenty more than phtocopying.

• support statemented children (3 x autistic, 1 x ADHD)
• All KS1 TAs run their own phonics group, every day of the week for an hour at a time
• Small handwriting groups
• Maths and phonics intervention programmes with individuals and groups
• Forest school
• Benchmark reading / assess reading progress (phonics and reading ages)
• Take groups within lessons to provide teacher time to focus on particular children
• Preparation of resources (e.g. laminating)
• Fill in reading diaries
• Reading groups
• Playground duty
• HLTA covers ppa time

I'm sure I've forgotten something, but I hope you get the picture. They are not a waste of space: they are necessary, underpaid and greatly appreciated.

No, because they would be split across two rooms.

Perhaps, then, Mmeblueberry, the children in your class aren't getting the support they deserve for their money?

They get excellent results and love school. Their parents are happy too.

How would that work MmeB?

Uh, so Blueberry is saying that if there were 30-40 pupils there would have a whole 'nother qualified teacher available? So another qualified adult is fine for the private sector to get in, but amounts to rampant waste in the state sector?

I don't think I said that at all.

I can fit 24 in my classroom. If I had 40, i'd have to put them in two rooms, and they would need another qualified teacher.

And how many teaching hours, & how many other non-prep hours do you work per day or per term, MMeBlueberry? I know the teachers at DS private school have lots of extra duties (minibus driving, for instance).

But don't you think that if you had a room that was big enough for 40, and therefore had to deal with 40 pupils at once, that you might have a different view on whether TAs were merely useful or essential?

I teach for 80% of lesson times. I also do cover, duties, prep and club, as well as whole school pastoral and academic duties.

Your hypotheticalmis stretched too far. Why stop at 40? Why not 100? Heck, why don't we just put everyone in the school hall and teach them at once? That would be a fantastic cost savings.

Mmeblueberry - it sounds like your school is pennypinching. Is it having finiancial problems? You shouldn't have to do all that without help in a class of 24.

A friend of mine works in a private school with 30 per year group, in two classes, each with a TA.

Our bursar is very prudent, but the school is a good one.