Now the supply teacher has gone. Is continuity just an oldfashioned notion?

[sparkysparkysparky]

Dd's teacher went on maternity leave before the end of the first term. This appeared to take the school (primary ) by surprise as they only started to recruit for her replacement after she left. And now the replacement has left at short notice. DD is 8 and whole year seems to have been one long exercise in coasting. Not sure dd has made much progress. Am I being incredibly naive to be fed up about this? It's parents evening soon. Do I shrug this off or do I ask for a clear plan of action?

OP it is not a satisfactory situation, if it were my DD I would look at the national curriculum for English and Maths and do some extra work at home. The alternative is hiring a tutor.

I left full time teaching to do supply work. I am currently on contract in a wonderful school in an affluent rural area. The class I am teaching has had 3 supply teachers this year because the permanent post was advertised twice and they had 0 applicants. They have not even been able to get a full time supply teacher to cover - I jobshare - nobody around here wants to work full time if they have a choice because of the long hours and ridiculous amount of pressure. I feel sorry for the children because they have missed out on the experience of having a teacher/s who really knows and understands them: I think it's really important at primary. Academically there is obviously a lack of consistency and continuity however competent the supply teacher.

Ten years ago I applied for a primary teaching post and there were 455 other applicants! Now you are lucky to get any.

OP I second the advice re looking at the national curriculum and trying to cover some of the topics at home. I would focus on maths and English. Lots of reading and discussion with you, write some stories/description/diary entries/poetry based on what she's read. You can probably get maths workbooks from amazon or similar. Perhaps ask at parents evening for recommendations for work to do at home?

I wish...I'm currently trying to move jobs and it's quite difficult. There are hardly any jobs in our county and those jobs, that are being advertised, are mostly for M1-4 or simply MPS.

In my county MPS means paid to scale including UPS for qualified candidates.

I'm not sure whether that's the case in my county as well, although I've applied for those jobs regardless (not the M1-4, because, really...I am way above that and I am worth every penny - at least ). Some state MPS/UPS, others only MPS. We'll see if anything comes of it. I've only seen about five suitable jobs advertised in the last two terms, though.

I understand your frustration, OP. My DS is in Y4 and has had at least two teachers every year since starting reception! Reception, Y1 and Y3 he had two different teachers and in y2 he had three different ones. He goes back tomorrow to a new Y4 teacher. Best that for lack of continuity.

I have lost count if the number of teachers my dcs have had since they've started school

The latest change was announced three quarters of the way down a newsletter, some distance behind an apology for a change of a Scripture Union date...

It has adversely affected their education, but teachers seem to change with the wind. I find it very disappointing. But I am now resigned to it, though I wish teachers would think harder before changing jobs mid-term/mid-year.

Oh, and there is no point asking at parents' night, it is completely pointless.

My county is currently advertising 40 primary vacancies ( and that excludes Head/Deputy Heads)

we had this 2 years ago, teacher went on maternity leave then we had a constant stream of supply teachers during year3, she moved up to year 5 and the teacher was pregnant so the same thing happened again. Teaching style's seemed to vary, she loved one teacher then disliked the next one. During all this the head teacher and the deputy head left as well so it was quite a change. It has all settled down now in year 6 thankfully.

DD has the same teacher in yr 6 who she had in yr 4, she's a fab teacher, dd loves her, im guessing she got put in yr 6 as they knew she would be there all year, wouldn't look good having different teachers in yr 6 and i know some parents complained

though I wish teachers would think harder before changing jobs mid-term/mid-year.
Many find it difficult to time their nervous breakdowns to fit in with school holidays!
Teachers appear in the top 3 jobs for occupational stress.

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I knew it would be only a matter of time before I was ticked off for that comment.

Never mind the upset to young children and families and education.

For the record, none of the teachers who have left/changed for my dcs over the years have had "nervous breakdowns".

Its not always that easy to time a pregnancy either

In fact, none if them have left teaching, so not due to tremendous stress.

spanieleyes Are you in commuting distance (I'm doing an hour's commute one way at the moment)? I'd be happy to apply.

ReallyBadParty Most teachers don't just decide on a whim that they are going to leave a position, particularly considering the resignation deadlines. It might be different for supply teachers, but most people I know think very carefully about leaving. The only teacher I know, who has moved mid-year, moved from an absolutely awful school, having had to endure ever-changing policies and initiatives and four headteachers in one year. Everyone else, who 'left' halfway through an academic year, usually went on maternity leave. Not much you can do about that one.

And none for pregnancy either!

Could be the stress in your particular school!

ReallyBadParty Heaven forbid that a teacher should put themselves, their family or their career progression first.

Teachers I know that have left recently part way through the year have been one to care for her sick mother, another to move area as her partner's job had changed and one for promotion, two to have a baby plus two who are off sick long term with stress

Probably all my fault.

I would suggest that if teachers are repeatedly leaving this school part way through the academic year, it is not a happy place to work!

Heaven forfend I should worry about my children's education,

Know it's pointless though, so shall just worry away to myself off this thread.

Sorry, op, you touched a nerve, it's been a few schools over ten years.

But teachers sympathise with you, we worry about education too, of individual children and of children as a whole!! Unfortunately it is only going to get worse. Expensive, experienced teachers are being "encouraged" to leave or are simply not prepared to put up with the endless unneccesary paperwork, targets and bullshit that they have to deal with. So you get inexperienced teachers ( and then around 1/3 of new teachers give up in the first 5 years) and a constant turnover.

Heaven forfend I should worry about my children's education

Teachers are agreeing with you! It's crap that teachers (in several schools you know of alone) are leaving part way through the year. That reflects how unhappy they are.