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?!

I think it's better.

I think it is a lot more common for early years teachers to be part time.

I doubt this.

There are lots of reasons why job shares can be brilliant-my kids have had them and they were great, particularly where they didn’t like one teacher as there was still the other. Teaching needs to offer flexible working to attract good candidates.

Retired infant teacher here, don’t worry at all about the friend thing. New friendships develop every day in reception.
In a school with 2 reception classes there will most likely be “ free flow”, so a lot of mixing up both inside and outdoors. So there is most likely to be at least 4 members of staff for your child to work with over the course of a day. Most reception classes work as a whole year group.
Ive worked in job shares and as long as they get time to plan etc together, it is successful.
Also, bear in mind that however many teachers a class has, there will be another adult to replace them for their paid planning time.
In my experience, there is less disruption due to staff absence in a job share class. For instance, if one of us was ill, the other, if available and willing, worked extra paid days . Therefore ensuring continuity.
I do realise it doesn’t always work, but I’ve tried to reassure you. Hope she enjoys her first year.

My DC had a job share in reception and we had no problems. The teachers were lovely, seemed to work well together, I'd echo what others said about there being a benefit to having two teachers with different skills.

It really depends on the individuals - whether they teach and discipline in a similar way, and whether they're well organised (job shares where either one is disorganised are an absolute nightmare!).

You might find it works brilliantly, you might find it's just not working - the only way to tell is wait and see.

My daughter is just finishing up year 2 which was a job share. It's been brilliant and she's come on leaps and bounds. She gets two brilliant teachers, who both work on Wednesdays. I couldn't be happier with how it's worked.

My own experience of this 35 years ago was very positive and I think back very fondly of Mrs B and Mrs B. They were great teachers who had quite similar styles and looking back on it I think they must have worked hard to make it seemless.

The evidence actually shows that children do better in job share classes. A study was done before the white paper was released regarding the promotion of flexible working in schools. The reason being-
Both teachers have more energy and are fresher as less over-worked.
Each teacher will teach the subjects they are strongest in.
Part time teachers tend to work more proportionally than full time teaches because they have more time to dedicate to the role.
It prepares the children for having differing teachers in secondary school.
If a child doesn't gel with a particular teacher- through no one's fault - it does not affect them as much as if they are in their full time. Each child gets a double chance to have a teacher they really get in with.
Children get used to different teacher styles and get a wide range of methods. Sometimes this means they can get a concept explained one way when they didn't another etc.
There were a whole raft of reasons.

One thing I will say is that parents need to accept that if we do not allow teachers to work more flexibly, then we will lose teachers at an even more rapid rate than we already are. Teachers are leaving in their droves and if parents complain about job shares, then teaches who would have worked part time will simply leave instead. We are already losing so many excellent teachers because the workload, pressure and ridiculous expectations are not compatible with having a life in term time when working full time. Many teachers go part time in order to work normal full time hours- that's how onerous the workload is.
Flexible working needs to be available for all and parents need to accept that schools are no different. Children are resilient and adaptable. Usually when issues have arisen- it is nothing to do with the fact that it is a job share- more to do with parents favouring one teacher or children preferring one teacher or those individual teachers having faults they would have regardless! Good teachers do not have communication issues with colleagues. I'm not saying every job share works- of course it doesn't- but the evidence shows that the vast majority do.

Really positive experience here in reception. DDs two teachers & the HLTA are absolutely fantastic. My DD loves them all. We’ve got a complete split of 2.5 days each. They plan together on Wednesday afternoon while the HLTA oversees the kids (our reception is an EYFS unit and extremely play based). The two teachers are quite different, one is nearing retirement, one is early 30’s, deffo different styles from what I’ve seen (I volunteer to read with groups of the class twice a week) but they are both great & my DD has learnt so much & loves school. DDs fav is the HLTA, they’ve got a lonely bond!

I will add as well that my DD was a very anxious little girl before school. Would happily talk to other children but flatly refused to speak to any adults bar family members. Not even our friends who were a big part of her life.. and she worried about everything. Within the first half term at school, it was like someone flicked a switch & she is now a chatty little girl to everyone ❤️ Still a worrier but much better! Having two teachers hasn’t harmed her at all.

Based on the shit-show that has been this year at my school, id say you're better off with the job share so if one of them goes off long-term sick at least half the week is the class teacher.

Agree with this.

All the job share years have been really positive for my dc.
I'd see it as a real positive.

Re contacting school to see if you can change - I really wouldn't. A lot of thought will have gone into balancing the classes as much as they possibly can, with the information they have available (yes, including conversations with local Nurseries). They are incredibly unlikely to move anyone at this stage (would have to be an exceptional reason) so why make yourself 'that parent' before your little one has even started.

When we had a job shares it was great because we had the only
class not to have a teacher go off sick with stress!

I’m a job share and I think the children are really lucky to have an enthusiastic teacher every day of the week.

Hi this is my first post here. I have been shortlisted for a teaching assistant role and I have to read a book of my choice for a mixed group of year 3s. There will be an interview with the head and some other members of the team followed by a formal chat with some staff members. I am doing my volunteering in the same school for some time. This is my first interview after many long years. Could anyone tell me what to expect in the interview and which book to choose? Thanks

My GS had two job share teachers for a year, it actually worked really well. They both played to their strengths e.g. one keen on art one quite sporty. I wouldn't worry if I was you, wait and see and if there is an issue you can raise it.

We've had a job share class this year. It works really well. It's hasn't been a better or worse experience than having a full time teacher.

It'll be absolutely fine. As people have said, it's 2x the energy, 2x personality etc. Most Reception classes have free-flow play where they can go into the other classroom, so some days our DS spends more time with his mates in other classes than he spends in his own. They only do a few short sessions of learning per day and beyond that it tends to be very play-based.

In terms of the teacher 'lottery' and swapping classes, I'm sure you'll get a teacher in future that the other class will be jealous of. Possibly in a much more crucial year like year 6.

TBH my daughter in Reception talks more about her TA than her teacher; my point being that there are lots of adults around in the class at that stage anyway and I don't think she'd have found it particularly different having another added to the mix! More broadly I think job shares should be supported as much as possible- obviously not to the point of not criticising if they're clearly dysfunctional, but rather than instinctively assuming it's going to be inferior why not see how she gets on? I bet she'll have a ball.

DS is in a job share class at the moment and it's not been a problem at all. It took him about half a term to get used to it, but only because it was different and his reception and year 1 years had already been disrupted by covid, so everything still felt a bit new for him.

The teachers have job shared for years, and it's clear they have a system for what works for them. The way they teach is consistent, so no major changes for the children, and they seem to have the balance right between what they take responsibility for individually, and what they need to do jointly. For example, DS is getting handwriting support, which one teacher has taken responsibility for, but they have clearly discussed it in detail and the other is aware of the plan and can give assistance if needed.

My ds did it one year, he liked one far more than the other , however far better than a teacher he didn't like at all.

My son has job share teachers it has been awful for him plus they have another teacher when they do their work and then you have a supply if one is sick it’s too much. I’ve been assured that his class won’t be having a 2 teachers next year but tbh if they did I would be camping in the office till they sort it out! So a very big no from us!!

DS has job share teachers this year and it's been amazing! Can you meet with the teachers first so they can give you an insight into how it works for them? It can really be a case of 2 heads are better than one!

Quite a few job share teachers at the DC's school. We've never had any complaints about any of them and it's always worked well from mine and the DC's perspective. They've always had a full time TA in the job share classes, so there is some continuity across the week.

Teaching is such a full on profession. I think it's really positive that there are so many opportunities for part time working now. Surely it must help with morale and teacher retention.

DS2 had a job share for Reception. One younger woman with very small kids did 3 days, one much older woman near to retirement did 2 days. They were a total dream team, best teachers he's ever had. Two sets of experience, two skillsets, two approaches, two personalities, something for everyone.
I am a huge supporter of job shares in the workplace anyway, I think there should be far more opportunities to do it so they were preaching to the converted but still, it worked.
And I was much happier he had the double act over the full time teacher (who DS1 had previously and who we loved) covering the other class who was clearly facing burn out.

I think it works quite well in reception classes as the class is rarely taught as a whole group, instead they are in small groups with either a teacher or TA. I found my daughters class more like nursery with various adults moving around, so I don't think that it was confusing having two teachers in any way for them. I wouldn't be quite so keen as she gets older, but reception was good.

My dc have had 3 years of job share teachers between them - all different combos. (Y2 for ds, Y3 and Y4 for dd). All good experiences, lots of advantages to having 2 minds, 2 personalities, 2 sets of ideas , skills and experience.it was particularly handy the year DD could not stand one teacher, at least it was only 2 days a week!