Special measures; I want out!

[Smoothcaramel]

Help.

This may come out a bit garbled, but essentially since September I have been working as a MPS classroom teacher; before that I was HOD. I moved due to a sudden change of location.

At first things were bananas - I was in a different room every time I taught a class so couldn't establish seating plans or resources, and things were always going missing.

This term I have my 'own' room but different classes to last term which they want to judge me on for performance management. I feel a bit set up to fail really. I don't feel the school knows what it is doing, to be blunt. I have a year 11 gcse class who have not done several key pieces of coursework but they want the focus to be on exam practice. I can't get through everything: it's a nightmare.

I am employed via an agency so could leave tomorrow if I wished.

Would you? I don't know what to do but am so unhappy.

Talk to them first. If no progress, leave.

There's absolutely no one I could talk to.

Have never met the Head, as we have had three different prospective Heads since September! There's no organisation or structure - I could talk to somebody and be reassured but then the next day that could change. I don't feel safe.

I would leave. It must be awful for the kids, but the problems sound whole school, in which case there's very little impact you could have by staying, you can't sort out the fact that there's been 3 head teachers this year for instance. There are people being paid an awful lot of money to make sure the school is being run properly, and it is they who are not doing what they are being paid to do.

Leave - if you are with an agency, tell them and go. Why put yourself through it? I'm relieved for you that you aren't directly employed and obliged to stay!

I can see this from the opposite side, our school (primary) is in special measures. We have loads of new staff. DD1's teacher seems to make up a new rule every week. She claimed their coats needed to be blue or black (she has subsequently backed down after I quoted the uniform code to her) she told another child hats have to be blue (has never been a rule) she has stopped the class from doing PE as not everyone had white ankle socks or tracksuit bottoms (socks has never been enforced before, tracksuit is an optional extra).

It seems to me that she is focussing on the wrong things, but she is cracking down on the behaviour of the naughty boys which is a bonus.

Do you not have a HOD or Head of Key stage you can speak to?

Yes, but none of them know what's happening either.

I will talk to hod at some point today. The only thing keeping me there really is that its five days a week and the scho is just down the road from me.

Leave. It sounds broken and there is nothing you can do to fix it.I worked somewhere chaotic for a term and a half and it was awful.

I'm much happier doing daily supply work now. I've been to some great schools which are brilliantly organised,thus reducing the stress for staff.

I wouldn't stay, the downside of supply is that you don't have a niche, don't get paid in the holidays and don't get a 'voice' in how the school or your section is run.
The upsides are the freedom to leave when you want to.
If they'd given me a one year contract with holiday pay, then I'd feel I should stay, but presumably they didn't. The job is distressing you now, how do you think you will feel in July?

Also, as supply teacher, why are you involved in Peformance Management?
As others have said, get out - you can!

smoothcaramel I have been on long term supply in primary. There has a change in management since January and it's been a nightmare. It's really not worth the hassle, the stress and the headache - no matter how hard we work, it's not good enough. I am lucky - I can leave and I will do next week. The rest of the staff are not so lucky. I echo the others get out.