Year 2 Teachers over here please....

[Doowrah]

I am gobsmacked and a little bit daunted, I have finally secured a job after far too long looking. I am the first teacher (Year 2 ) in a new class. I've been doing supply for eons and really do not want to screw this opportunity up. Have you got any advice for me with regard to planning/ class set up/displays/ organisation etc? Also as an NQT in a O.57 capacity how many hours should I be working and how much PPA should I be getting? Would be grateful for any wisdom offered...

Realistically, as an NQT you'll be working every hour you can! But if you mean how many contact hours you have, you're best off checking with the school. I think 5 mornings comes out as 0.6. I think.... Is your school going to give you PPA time in school, or pay you in lieu of PPA if you're only working 0.57?

Each school is likely to work this one out slightly differently - although there are very clear national guidelines on 10% of teaching time for PPA then 10% NQT time, each school I've worked in has done it slightly differently. For example, if you get afternoon PPA then you'll probably get slightly less than you're entitled to, but some schools have made this up by allowing an extra afternoon per term, others have said you get it back by not attending assembly etc etc. I've taken a pragmatic decision that it's not worth rocking the boat for small discrepancies as flexibility works both ways - I've had 2 funerals to attend this year, neither of which I was close enough to for compassionate leave, but my HT was happy to cover my class so I could attend.

If this is your first class you'll be working as many hours as you can manage.
If you are only doing 0.57 then who is doing the rest? Is it a job share?
If you are sharing who has overall responsbility?
If it is a job share then set up, planning and displays should be a mostly a joint enterprise. If the other member of staff is more experienced then i would learn from them until you have found your feet and know what each of your strengths and weaknesses are.
Go in with your own ideas but be aware you are the newbie and try not to rock the boat til you have settled and proved yourself a bit.

Oh - and DS was distracting me with GCSE revision, so I forgot to say congratulations and good luck! You'll love having your own class :)

Hi thanks for the congrats and info. I am doing the five mornings; so doing the reading, literacy, numeracy,phonics etc in the afternoon Year 2 go with Years 3 and 4. There are only 60 kids in the school! I have only 12 kids in my class...yeahh, there is a God!

Doowrah - totally jealous with your class numbers. I have 30 in September!
I think liase with the Y1 teacher to see where the children are at with their learning and maybe if you can, spend some time with the children in Y1 so you can get to know them in their setting too.