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Primary education

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Original poster

Job Share classes - disappointed

85 replies

glitterfairy88 · 08/06/2022 15:50

We have just been given our DD's class allocation for reception this year. It's a 60 form intake, so 2 classes.

One of the classes is one full-time teacher and the other is two job shares. DD has been allocated to the job share teachers. I'm not sure how I feel about this to be honest. We had hoped that she would be with the full-time teacher who showed us around the school and who is very experienced.

I've had friends who job share as teachers and they find it hard with teachers being on different pages. I am worried things may get overlooked as a result.

Any positive stories?!

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TakeMeToYourLiar · 08/06/2022 15:52

DS is in reception in a job where class. There’s been no issues for us. Different teachers have taken a lead on different things.

Sailingovertheedge · 08/06/2022 15:57

You’ll probably get a much more enthusiastic less knackered experience! I’ve been full time, and job share and let me tell you - by Friday I was a knackered, snappy version of the Monday me! I wouldn’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing. Y6? Perhaps. But reception - no.

3yellowtulipsinavase · 08/06/2022 15:57

DD has had a job share this year, and I have to say I haven't been very impressed at all (despite being very suportive of job shares in general). She basically has 3 teachers - the two job shares plus another one as cover one day a week for PPA time.

It's been a bit of a flat year for her to be honest, but I don't know how much that is to do with the teachers themselves or the fact that it is a job share. I don't feel either of the teachers know DD anywhere near as well as single class teachers have done in previous years (to the extent they even call her by different names - one calls her by her given name, one by the shortening we expressly asked to be used as her name).

swedex · 08/06/2022 15:59

You get two teachers who in my experience have a better work life balance are not over worked or over stressed! They have two teachers who one may have more drive, experience and passion for teaching art and one who may have more for science!
It's an absolute bonus getting job share teachers I'd see it as a positive.

MiniCooperLover · 08/06/2022 16:00

I wasn't a fan I'm afraid, the two teachers were very very different people. One super strict and one much less so, my DS was very confused by the end of term. Our HT didn't think it worked either as they scraped it after a term. That said, give it a try, let the teachers work it out and hopefully their personalities will compliment each other. It's definitely less of an issue in Reception than say Year4 as we were.

StarlingsInTheRoof · 08/06/2022 16:01

Ds had job share teacher with 4 days and one day split. It worked well, especially as the 1 day teacher was male. I think it is a lot more common for early years teachers to be part time.

3yellowtulipsinavase · 08/06/2022 16:02

The other issue we found was that they would split parents' evening duties, but you would end up speaking to the teacher who didn't teach on DD's reading day. They had left notes, but had never heard DD read, so couldn't answer any of my questions relating to that, which was quite frustrating.

Sailingovertheedge · 08/06/2022 16:03

To be honest, given the gargantuan work load I think lots of teachers do not want to work full time currently. And given the retention crisis in teaching I suspect job shares will be on the up.

PolkaDotMankini · 08/06/2022 16:03

As a child I didn't like having job share teachers and I don't like it as a parent either. It feels disjointed and disruptive. However, the classes are allocated, it's done so it's better to focus on the positives highlighted by PPs.

SeasonFinale · 08/06/2022 16:03

I have experience where it worked well. Also if your DD doesn't like one but likes the other that could be a bonus because she could have had the one she doesn't like full time.

Original poster

glitterfairy88 · 08/06/2022 16:04

Thanks. I am going to ask if there is any scope for changing as her two best friends from nursery have been put in the other class. I suspect not.

OP posts:

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 08/06/2022 16:06

My daughters experience was 50:50. One teacher "got" her, one didn't. This was Yr4. It ended pretty much in school refusal on the disliked teachers days (and on the nicer ones, but she could calm her down). Then Covid hit. During Covid, it was actually a blessing in disguise as one teacher did the home schooling while the other sorted the kids in school, unlike the other classes where the teacher had to do both.

In short... its good as you can get a disliked teacher less, but bad as you can get a liked teacher less. (There was nothing wrong with the disliked teacher, just an anxious child needing reassurance)

RedPlumbob · 08/06/2022 16:06

DD is finishing Y1 in a split class. It’s been great.

And maybe if more schools offered it, they wouldn’t have issues retaining the truly brilliant teachers that are leaving in fucking droves.

JuneOsborne · 08/06/2022 16:06

When this happened with my D's it was fab. Fresh teachers, both as lovely as each other, communicated well with each other, and they had a crossover PPA session, so they were really a team! If it was due to happen again, I'd be quite happy about it.

OPTIMUMMY · 08/06/2022 16:07

My son has had two years where it was job share teachers and they were great, no issues at all, he progressed well and he liked them all. They brought different skills and personalities to the classroom and were very popular with the kids. The teachers involved made it work so I only have had positive experiences with it.
This year however, he has one teacher who he just doesn’t like - he behaves okay but isn’t enjoying school as much. If she were job share it wouldn’t be so bad!

RandomDentist · 08/06/2022 16:08

I was worried when this happened to us, but actually it was great. Both teachers were lovely, very engaged with the kids. Preferred them to this year where we “just” have one teacher to be honest.

GuppytheCat · 08/06/2022 16:12

It worked out very well when mine had this at primary. Nice fresh enthusiastic teacher on Wednesdays!

SarahAndQuack · 08/06/2022 16:13

My DD's class is taught on a job share and it's absolutely brilliant - two sets of expertise for the price of one!

ScootsMcHoy · 08/06/2022 16:16

I bloody love job share classes.

The teachers tend to plan the subjects they bare stronger in and teach them too. There are always more adults in EYFS anyway, it's not like if there was one teacher in the class that would be the only adult so the children do get used to working with different grown ups.

godmum56 · 08/06/2022 16:20

RedPlumbob · 08/06/2022 16:06

DD is finishing Y1 in a split class. It’s been great.

And maybe if more schools offered it, they wouldn’t have issues retaining the truly brilliant teachers that are leaving in fucking droves.

I was going to say something similar only less ummm forthright
If folk want to live in a world where people's need for varying work patterns is supported, then they can't object to being on the receiving end.

Seriously79 · 08/06/2022 16:22

DS had job share teachers and it worked really well.

One was really young, and did mon, ties, weds.

The other was closer to retirement and did thurs & Fri.

When the kids were flagging towards the end of the week, the change of pace worked well.

godmum56 · 08/06/2022 16:24

glitterfairy88 · 08/06/2022 16:04

Thanks. I am going to ask if there is any scope for changing as her two best friends from nursery have been put in the other class. I suspect not.

If I was the head teacher, i wouldn't allow switching on principle...not to allow a child to be with friends and definitely not to avoid the jobshare partnership.

nomistake · 08/06/2022 16:27

My kids were in reception with job share teachers. Never occurred to me to think twice about it, both teachers were lovely and the kids had a great time. It's reception anyway, they are there to learn through play.

student26 · 08/06/2022 16:29

I currently work a job share - it works out we both do 2.5 days each. It absolutely works for us as we are very similar teachers. Same styles of teaching and both on the same page for pretty much everything. Couldn’t have asked for a better job partner. The kids have thrived in class and I think it has worked really well for them. I can understand how it may not work for all. You need to be really understanding and work well together for it to work.

motogirl · 08/06/2022 16:31

Dd found it very hard at first, but she's autistic - she was a bit older though, year 4. Biggest (kind of embarrassing) issue was she would pull the teachers up on any inconsistencies eg blurt out miss ... told us this way or similar.

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