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Original poster

AIBU leaving school

37 replies

SleepymummyZzz · 09/05/2017 21:09

Just had a very blunt message from the Head saying he wants to see me first thing tomorrow. He wanted to see me after school today but I had left. Apparently I should find him or the Deputy Head and tell them when I'm going home each evening. AIBU to think this unreasonable? Feel like I'm not trusted 😞 I stay late twice a week for staff meeting and club but need to leave by 4 on the other days to pick up my children. Is this fair of him to expect me to do this?

OP posts:
DrMadelineMaxwell · 15/05/2017 20:49

It's not in our contract, but it is in our staff handbook. Our directed time budget is spelled out and it includes staff being expected to remain in school until at least 4pm. And it's pretty standard for every head I've worked for in our county.

YoniFucker · 15/05/2017 20:54

Wow. It's not been the case in any of the schools I've worked in. I think Ive left before 4pm approximately three times, but it's nice to know I can if I need to!

TheFallenMadonna · 15/05/2017 21:19

Contracts only state number of directed hours. The allocation is in the directed time budget, which the head does need to publish every year.

YoniFucker · 15/05/2017 21:20

Wow. It's not been the case in any of the schools I've worked in. I think Ive left before 4pm approximately three times, but it's nice to know I can if I need to!

cansu · 16/05/2017 20:57

Are they not willing to help you find a solution? Could you suggest doing an extra duty or two say at lunchtime to 'pay back' the time or something similar? It seems to be odd behaviour on school's part that they would rather lose good member of staff for sake of a small amount of non contact time. I have had to ask for lee way for child care issues in the past and have always had a good response. I have asked to take it unpaid sometimes and have very rarely been taken up on this. Most heads prefer to keep staff and goodwill by being more generous.

MooPointCowsOpinion · 16/05/2017 21:13

I've never heard of such a policy! What does it matter if you're marking in school or at home? This is nonsense.

goingmadinthecountry · 16/05/2017 21:51

What a whole load of ridiculous rubbish! I've heard of these stupid rules; luckily, our head likes people who do their work well. Does it matter where you do your work, as long as it's done? Don't think anyone could say we don't put the hours in. Get a job in a school with a normal headteacher!

cricketballs · 17/05/2017 04:08

Unless it is directed time then what time you leave is up to you. For example in our policy we are directed to be in school for 10 minutes after the bell. Therefore unless we have a pre-published directed meeting then we are directed to be in school between 8.35 and 3.10.

I am often in my car at 3.11 as I get far more done at home than at school

DrMadelineMaxwell · 17/05/2017 18:39

It may well be directed time. Directed time runs til 4pm in my school - in fact in every school I've been in within our county. I sat down and worked it all out once (before I worked for a headteacher who actually did it properly and specified it at the outset) and 4pm daily (not on a Friday), parents' evenings etc does fullfill our contractual hours.

So not a ridiculous expectation if that's how they want to do it. I couldn't leave that quickly anyway. I prefer to get all my paperwork/marking/planning done at work as I'm much more efficient there.

I would prefer it if the hours you chose to work before school were counted and allowed for some flexibility, as I'm there at least half an hour before other staff.

SarahMused · 17/05/2017 19:02

What kind of school do you teach at? If you are on STPCD, at the start of the year you should be given a directed time budget which will state when you are supposed to be in school. If not, it should be in your contract and if it isn't it is not enforcable.
From your first post it sounds like you could leave at 4pm and pick up your kids on time, is this wrong? Does your head want you to leave? If not it seems counterproductive to have to go through an expensive recruitment process when teachers are hard to get just because of a few minutes at the end of the day when the students have gone home.

lorisparkle · 17/05/2017 19:17

I have worked a couple of different schools and only one was very explicit on directed time. We were expected to be in either 8.30 or 8.45 depending on meetings and could leave at 3.45 on most days, 3.30 on Friday and 4.30 on staff meeting days. I once left early without permission and had a phone call at home that evening to 'remind' me of the rules. I was mortified.

Rachie1986 · 17/05/2017 19:25

How are things now sleepy?

Was the head not willing to compromise? How long have you been there? Any other problems before this?

Hoping you sort it soon x

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