Am I risking my relationship and working myself into the ground for nothing

[TwinsetandPearls]

I am a teacher and the head has announced that there he has no choice to make redundancies, I am the newest member of staff and teach a subject that in other schools has been dropped or taught by non specialists.

We will struggle financially if I lose my job but more importantly I will be heartbroken, I love it. It is a tough school and I have had to work so bloody hard but have made significant achievements of which I am very proud.

I only work two days so am hoping that my "cheapness" may save me but just in case I have thrown myself at my work in a desperate attempt to keep my job. I work long hours on my days as it is, 12 hours in school and a few more at home but I am now going in on my days off to make sure everything is perfect and am now working into the small hours at home. As well as the stress on myself it is putting a lot of pressure on dp and myself, we have not sat in the same room all week apart from meals and we have just had our second row tonight about me rushing around like a mad woman leaving chaos behind me.

But it this a pointless task, if I am in mind for redundancy is there nothing I can do? IN the public sector is it last in first out? Or is it more curriculum lead?

No idea but I would talk to your head if I were you and firstly make sure he knows just how much you love your job and just how hard you have been working.

What do you teach?

He does know, I actually had some cery good feedback today on my work. Everyone knows it is a hard school and I am one of the few who regualarly says I love it here - but they ahve all been there longer than me.

I teach RE.

TwinsetandPearls. Personally I think that if the dreaded word redundancy has already been mentioned, then the HT and the Governors have already spent ages over the accounts and spreadsheets and know what their plan of attack is.

By doing what you are doing to yourself, you are not only wearing yourself out but your DP too. The HT is not daft, he will already know who is the "dead-wood" in a school and who is worth keeping if they can afford them. I, not for one second, think you are "dead-wood", I mean the die hard teachers who have been at it for years and no longer care or are not open to change - the dinosaurs. And having worked in a school and university, you do see them believe me.

You say you teach a subject that has been dropped in other schools or taught by non-specialists. Don't get your hopes up.. If they feel they can contract this out, they may well do. If it is not an essential part of the curriculum, it could be on the list as non-essential.

On the other-hand, if they do, then why not set yourself up as a contractor?

I am sorry I am the first to post. I am not the bearer of good news at all. I am just trying to prepare you for the worst if it does happen. And if it is of any consequence, I have been redundant twice in my career so I know the sadness and stress you are going through.

I hope upon hope that you keep your job because you sound so wonderfully dedicated and that is the sort of teacher our children need.

Good luck.

THankyou Pisces, I want an honest opinion. Since arriving at the school I have taught other subjects which I am hoping may make me more attractive if my subject is dropped.

I can't say too much but the issue of redundancies has only been in the heads mind for a few weeks although I suppose that is time to work out who needs to go or who he wants to go.

Thanks for your support, it mayu all blow over and people may offer themselves up for early retirement or voluntary redundancy but this is one of the nost worrying and upsetting things I ahve been through

Have you been told when they will be announced? I have been in public and private sector jobs through 6 or 7 rounds of redundancies (fortunate enough never to be made redundant myself, but know how stressful facing the possibility was). IIRC, with the general announcement, staff were always given a date by which the formal announcement would be made.

In my public sector jobs, it definitely wasn't always last in first out. Do you belong to a teaching union? Might be worth contacting them to see whether there is a set approach that all schools have to follow.

Have contacted my union as have others, we have been told different things one union said last in first out and mine said it would be curriculum lead.

The announcment for non teaching staff will come at the end of the first term, the non teachers who ahve less rights and weaker union representation are being told in two weeks and those that are going will be gone before september.

I was advised to perhaps widen my specialism and as I have been offered a second subject I have taken it.