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The staffroom

Whether you're a permanent teacher, supply teacher or student teacher, you'll find others in the same situation on our Staffroom forum.

Can you tell me about this list.

40 replies

BBQWrap · 06/02/2013 19:50

Just testing my name change worked before posting properly...

OP posts:
nothingbyhalves · 21/02/2013 15:03

This list is unreasonable. You can only be obs twice a year. Also you only have to attend 1 after school meeting a week. These are the legal requirements of the work load agreement. Speak to the union.

Lucycat · 22/02/2013 11:22

nothingbyhalves is completely right you cannot be made to stay after school for 3 nights a week - are they paying you? You can contact your Union from home and speak to them.

We are a bolshy lot too in terms of our rights - Grin

Shall we help you form an escape committee?

Feenie · 22/02/2013 11:27

You can only be obs twice a year. Also you only have to attend 1 after school meeting a week. These are the legal requirements of the work load agreement.

Not true any more, I'm afraid - and as I understand it the unions agreed to that.

SmileAndPeopleSmileWithYou · 22/02/2013 11:43

I thought the unions agreed to a compromise with the "action short of strike action" the NUT had?

After reading this I am clinging onto my job!

We are only observed 3 times per year.
We stay once per week for staff meeting (anywhere between 1 - 1.5 hours depending on the agenda).
We hand in Lit and Num weekly planning (evaluated) on a Mon for the previous week.
We hand in subject books at different times to the subject leaders to be moderated.
We can leave whenever we like as long as the children have gone and we get things done (some people work better at home).
We leave school for PPA time (due to lack of space in school to work).
All changes to the school policies/practice are discussed and agreed with teaching staff. Our SMT are very good at what they do and are always reasonable and supportive.

There are many good schools with very good Heads, who have common sense. If you love teaching then please try to find a good school, the profession needs passionate teachers to stay.

Feenie · 22/02/2013 11:49

Instruction 2: Members should not participate in any form of
management-led classroom observation in any school which refuses to
operate a policy of a limit of a total of three observations for all
purposes within a total time of up to three hours per year.

You're right, there this ^ in the workload agreement - that would be only for NUT and NASUWT members working to rule though.

The NUT didn't sign up to the workload agreement at all because it included non-teaching staff taking whole classes, and the whole thing was dropped in Sept 2012 anyway. But the advice on 3 observations/3 hours a year is much the same.

In my school we agreed to not more that 3 hours, meaning that we may have more observations but they would rarely add up to an hour each.

Lucycat · 22/02/2013 16:34

and as for the extra meetings - the NASUWT say this in their action short of strike.

Instruction 10: Members are instructed not to attend any meetings outside school session times which are not within directed time and where there is no published directed time calendar for the academic year which has been agreed with the NASUWT

Feenie · 22/02/2013 16:52

But look at the NAHT's oh-so-helpful advice to its members on that issue:

There is no requirement that a school shall only hold one after school meeting per week nor that any such meeting shall be limited to a 1 hour duration.
Any refusal to attend a meeting or activity, because it was not on the school calendar, may constitute a breach of contract.

Bastards

TwllBach · 22/02/2013 17:10

Can I ask, do all the rules and regulations apply only to state schools? What if they are independent or a foundation school?

Feenie · 22/02/2013 17:12

They can do what they like - as can academies.

Startail · 22/02/2013 17:27

I'm sure some SLTs and HTs are awful by nature, but please remember others are breathing down your necks because Ofsted is breathing down theirs.

Feenie · 22/02/2013 18:02

That is not an excuse for bullying.

missmapp · 22/02/2013 18:07

This sounds like our school;

we are observed 6 times a year, if the result is not good or better, you are re-obsreved until it is.
One of our performance mang targets is that 5 out of 6 obs must be good or better.
we have two meetings a week at least.
books/plans taken in weekly.
regular learning walks with no notice.

This has all come about in the last few years,

it is good to hear, there are some normal schools out there.

Loshad · 23/02/2013 21:05

jeepers chaps, honestly TES has to be your new friend, there are plenty of "nice" normal schools out there.

Startail · 24/02/2013 00:34

Absolutely not an excuse for bullying, but certainly a reason why some SLTs are wandering the corridors and sticking their noses into classrooms more than they once did.

It's their heads on the block if Ofsted make mountains out of mole hills as sadly they do.

Phineyj · 24/02/2013 17:52

I'm sure you can find a better school. Like that Guardian (?) ad says 'Become the most admired person in your department: leave.' This sounds awful and I am Shock at the detailed lesson plans for every lesson thing how on earth could anyone do that? I have only ever done that for observed lessons and to be honest I find lessons go better when I don't plan in that level of detail it leaves a bit of space to respond to the students' needs on that particular day and the adrenalin makes me try harder

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