Job Share classes - disappointed

[glitterfairy88]

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?!

It only works if the two teachers are well matched and that's rarely the case. It's very hard on little ones to adjust to different teachers. We've never seen a job share in any of the private schools our kids have been to. Now in the state school DD4 is in there is a job share and it's disastrous. I really don't think it's best practice at all.

My DS has teachers doing a job share and is getting on very well. Not an issue and I think kids can benefit from it, it will bring more ideas, eyes and ears to their learning. It is also quite discriminatory to complain, bearing in mind many teachers are women with young children. Why should they not be allowed to job share?

My DM always tells this story whenever someone is worried about a job share teacher. I had one for when I was in reception (mid 80's so unusual for the time) and it worked out really well. Mainly because I absolutely hated one of them but only had her for 1/2 the week before the one I liked took over. She says that if I had had the one I didnt like full time, she thinks i would have refused to go in at all!

I think there are many benefits for job shares and if they hopefully have different styles of teaching then its more likely that they will suit the entire class rather than just some of the children. I can only see it as a positive!

My maths teachers in y10 were on a share and I remember being pleasantly surprised. They clearly had a good relay system going. I think a lot will depend on how they split. Does one take maths and the other english?

In my experience as a teacher it works well. Everyone is at their best as have more down time and everyone is on their toes as answerable to their partner to get the work done as set out. No procrastination as need to be fully responsible for your share. Also two different personalities so different children will be drawn to a different one and where one might excel at music another might be passionate about PE. Even if one teacher isn't great at least they only have her/ him for part of the time. One friend is doing it and the only disadvantage she finds is that if you are there every day you can spend a few minutes just going back over things you have already covered so that repetition really consolidates stuff. Missing a few days and not having been the one who taught it interferes a bit with that.

One positive is that it can enable each of the teachers to play to their strengths. I know of one jobshare where one teacher was really sporty and the other very arty/creative. And so the class got the benefits of both their strengths/specialisms.

My DC had job share teachers in reception (one part time, the other was the assistant head so office based on her non class days) and in Y2 (one part time mother of young children, the other older and also covered a similar jobshare arrangement in Y4). DC and I were really happy both times tbh - benefited from two great but different teachers in the same year. In reception I think the (brilliant) nursery nurse also provided some continuity which helped. I wouldn't be put off by this.

Don’t worry about the friends bring in the other class. Friendships change every 5 minutes at school, especially in Reception.

DD1 had job share teachers in year 5. DD2 now has job share teachers in reception. Both times it has worked out well. DD1's teachers were on a job share because one was the deputy head and one was doing a masters, so DD got the benefit of two very experienced teachers.

DD2 did find one of her teachers a little unsympathetic and she definitely preferred the other teacher. But if you only have one teacher, you risk being with a teacher you don't get on with for the whole week.

DD had it one year in primary (I think Year 2), was great. Both did the basic skills (maths, literacy etc.) but they were able to timetable the minor subjects according to the teachers' skill sets so they actually got someone who could properly teach geography, RE, PE, art etc. rather than one person trying to be an all-rounder. These two had worked as a team for a number of years and worked well together. One was FT and spent the rest of the week on SLT duties, the other was PT. Obviously it will always be the case that one is stricter and so on, but they both applied the school discipline/rewards policy so it worked out fine.

Definitely agree with this last point. DD had a single teacher in Year 3 the year after the job share, and didn't get on with her at all. But they were stuck together all day every day for a whole year (minus PPA time). If it had been a job share at least there would have been some relief.

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.

Agree 100%

Only ever had good experiences of it and didn’t occur to me not to - I’ve worked in schools and understand why staff would choose PT and I’ve seen it work well as PP said where teachers work to their strengths.

Job share is better... more organised planning as they have to collaborate. More energy and enthusiasm as they are not in every single day.
Variation for the children.
Broader knowledge and experiences from two teachers' lives instead of one.
Different skill sets coming together.

Don't be "that" parent... please!

@supersonicspider 100% agree!

This is so similar to our experience that I think you must be in the same school! This year DS has had a single teacher and it’s worked well too. Advantages and disadvantages to both.

Plus if one isn’t great or doesn’t work well for your child there’s another one

It really depends on the teachers and how well they work together. If they work well and agree on fundamental things then it can be better in some ways- if not though then it's really disruptive and confusing for children.

I have worked as a full-time teacher and a job-share. I was a much better teacher as a job share! Less tired, better prepared because of the extra time. My job-share partners and I have usually had different skills which benefited the class. Eg, I'm not great at Pe and my job-share was fantastic at it whereas she wasn't keen on teaching music which I love.

In primary school the children spend loads of time with each teacher so it's easy to build a relationship with both.

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.

Good point. I wonder how many of the parents who don't like teachers job-sharing work flexibly themselves.

My son had two teachers job sharing in year one. I was concerned, but in the end there were no problems at all, and they were both great.

My 5 year old daughter goes to a school with a 45 pupil intake. Mixed year groups, aside from reception, who are spilt into 2 classes of 22/23. Both reception classes have teachers who job share. It's been absolutely fantastic. All the teachers have different skills. One's very musical and arty, one's very science focused; it's great. They're always upbeat and not obviously suffering from the tiredness that gets you at the end of the week. Both my daughter's teachers know her so well, know her capabilities and how to get her to push herself. She loves them both.

Don't worry about it. It can be a really positive thing.

They are very unlikely to change if you mention the job share as a reason. I think job shares can work brilliantly. You get contrasting areas of expertise which is good. You also get someone who is fresh and keen part way through the week. You are looking at in the wrong way.

Teaching is a female led profession. If we want to keep the best teachers we need to support flexible working. It is a nightmare for headteachers and split classes are usually the only way around things. Don't forget too that in many primary schools leaders and members of SLT also have classes but still need leadership time.

I don't think changing class for this is a good enough reason. In most schools teachers work really hard to make split classes work well.