Year 6 job share but both teachers only do Monday-Weds

[Purpleandgreenyarn]

Hello
would like to keep details vague for obvious reasons so please bare with me.
My DS is in yr 6. Always loved school, always thrived in a very clear, positive environment, particularly enjoys creative writing and art.

This year, their new teachers are two ladies who have just come back from mat leave and are on a job share. All very understandable and not a problem. I, wrongly, assumed the job share would be something like Monday-Weds am, and then they swap, and the other one does Weds pm-Friday.
But it isn’t, they both work Monday-Weds. So for Thursdays & Fridays they don’t have an available teacher in the building. Presumably the head, has therefore arranged for four members of the senior management team to teach. They have four lessons a day, so each of these four members of staff have two lessons each. (Hope that makes sense, sorry!)

I wasn’t thrilled about this, as it takes the weekly teacher total up to 6, but thought it would probably only be a short term solution and DS didn’t seem to bat an eyelid so I tried to not show my concern.

Today, on the way to school, DS was really not themselves. His younger sister (also in the school) was chatting away and DS was really quite nasty, we had a chat, and it seems one of the senior members of staff that takes them on a Thursday for two lessons, has been rather harsh with the whole class, but DS felt, the boys in particular. DS recalls a really sad moment last week, where he had his Art work taken from him, held up in front of the class, and told his design is weak and not creative. DS, started to cry when telling me this. I feel like I could cry typing this. He was so humiliated and is so disheartened.
I’ve emailed the head and requested a meeting, no reply so far. Before I do speak to the school, I feel like I could do with another parent or teachers perspective, hence posting here.
I feel both angry and devastated that my child, who has always loved school and has never once been hesitant to walk through the school gates, let alone cry, is having this experience in their final primary school year.

any advice is great fully received

So two separate issues

One being teacher cover
the other being treatment of your son?

but DS felt, the boys in particular. has been treated unfairly

I would not take that as gospel op

Oh absolutely and I’m aware of who my DS is and I’m not a fool.

I suppose it is two separate issues, except I sort of see the incident as a sign that having all these different teachers is obviously not working.

DS hasn’t really been able to bond with anyone so hadn’t told either his Monday-Weds teachers

If what your ds said is accurate, then yes - unpleasant for a teacher to do this.

The job share is not good but the school won’t be happy with it either so they’re either recruiting or have reached a dead end with recruitment and this is a work around.

I don’t see an issue with the 6 teacher count, especially not for children who will be at secondary school next year. I absolutely wouldn’t be happy with the child’s work being held up in class to be criticised. The feedback might be fair but shouldn’t be delivered that way.

The job share arrangement sounds crazy, that’s not how job shares work! I’m struggling to understand why the school approved the two of them working at the same time

That sounds nuts surely they should have come to a better arrangement with the teachers. I'm all for flexible working but it also has to suit the needs of the employer. Senior management also can't guarantee to be available at the same time each week and won't get the same planning time.

Desperation no doubt

Might the teacher been holding to the work as an example of what happens when you spend the lesson messing around and not concentrating?

I think they are two issues but I wouldn’t be happy with either.

Whilst they might be going to high school next year. They have one more year of secure primary teaching. Job at the start and end of week. I’d be absolutely fine with. 6 teachers in one week I really wouldn’t.

I would want an explanation and long term plan for the class from the head.

The plan will be

we are desperately trying to recruit

Explanation?

Teachers are leaving...

I agree - two separate issues.

in year 7 your child will have a lot of different teachers. In some places that run a middle school system he’d already be having a lot of different teachers.

learning to cope with that is one of the steps up in maturity that he’s going to need to take next year. I don’t really see anything wrong as such with hsvibg different teachers for different things in year 6.

the incident with his art I wouldn’t be happy about.

No I don’t think so, not in his favourite subject. Maths, potentially, and if I found that to be true I wouldn’t be happy with him for that, but I don’t believe he would ever misbehave in art. Besides which, the criticism was that his work lacked creativity and looked weak?!

What’s your relationship like with the school / head generally?

How can the school afford to pay 2 teachers LTFT and then also pay for the cover for half the week. It is a bit insane. Do they both teach at the same time in the first half of the week? It doesn’t seem sensible for the school let alone the kids

I think if DS is happy then in theory, having 6 teachers, like you all say, will help them get used to secondary school. DS does also need to get used to the fact that he won’t like every teacher and some teachers will be strict.
I would have liked to be told this was the plan though. I can’t help but shake the feeling that this staff situation wasn’t planned as the other two year 6 classes have just 1 teacher.

Having him say he feels humiliated and cry isn’t acceptable for me.

The head is always pleasant, knows all the names of the children in infants and juniors, which I always find impressive. We see him at carol concerts, and in the hall at parents evening, but I haven’t ever had to email in or speak to him before.

They take it in turns to have teaching and planning time, so both aren’t in the classroom at the same time.
Because of this arrangement though, they have had a school trip postponed already, really doesn’t feel like it’s working for kids or staff

It doesn’t seem like a good use of a job share arrangement. Every one I’ve ever known had a Monday - Wednesday, Wednesday- Friday split.

I don’t imagine the school will be paying extra for cover, if the staff being used are already employed at the school, but it isn’t an efficient use of resource.

I don’t think comparison to secondary works. It’s one thing to get used to different teachers for different subjects; it’s another to get used to different teachers across the course of a week here.

It is possible they are struggling to recruit but tbh most primary schools are fine for recruitment. There’s a national shortage but that’s mostly secondary and mostly STEM subjects. So I doubt it is recruitment. It certainly isn’t a good use of money to have two people doing a job that can be and indeed is supposed to be done by one in any event!

But why two at the beginning of the week surely that is a waste of money?

Have you had a response ?

No I haven’t received a response from him yet, but from all accounts, today wasn’t successful either. The class WhatsApp group is pinging constantly, there was an issue this afternoon involving the same teacher. Several parents want to complain.
I feel for the head but the children shouldn’t have to cope with this.

Thanks for all the input, it’s helped me arrange my thoughts.

That's ridiculous! They never should have paired these teachers up or approved the same 3 days working!