Do I HAVE to go on the residential?

[rainsbows]

Private prep school. I'm the only class teacher with young children so I can't fathom leaving them for a week though the trip involves my class (and another). Do I really have to go or can I request I cover another class whilst another member of staff goes?

You can't quit without first seeing if you have to go. Being jobless isn't wise and is way too overdramatic. There's two teachers for your class and the other doesn't have young children (or crippling anxiety).

Just have a conversation with the other class teacher and or trip organiser. One conversation.

You've only been in the job since September, at least try and make a go of it.

Why would you hand in your notice without even trying to resolve it? This situation is only going to come up again at another school, assuming you are able to get another job having left this one so soon after starting.

I think you should tell your employer about your anxiety illness as it will make life much easier in the long run. However if you really don't want to do that then what about telling your senior manager that you are ttc and so cannot commit to the trip as you may be quite pregnant or slightly pregnant and throwing up etc. They can then make plans accordingly.

OP I think you've been given a really hard time over this.

If you work in a job 0.7 with a mixture of hours, mainly mornings, then how on earth is it ok for your employer to state you must work full time, 24 hours a day, for one week.

Some teachers love residentials, but many don't. Some teachers are single parents who would find it impossible. Some teachers have DHs who can reorganise, or take holiday, but others don't. Unless it's specifically in your contract then simply say no. I've been in the position where I was teaching a year group which traditionally went away on a weeks residential trip, but told my head I simply couldn't do it (2 young children and a husband who worked away for months at a time, literally, living in a place hundreds of miles from family, and with no grandparents alive). For primary teachers it's usually voluntary, and you shouldn't feel pressured to go.

It does come down to what is in your contract, but if it's not specified specifically then just talk to your Head and explain that at this time it's not possible to work over your contracted hours. I'm so sorry it's proving such a difficult time for you.

I think you really need to talk to SLT about this. Residentials aren't normally compulsory and have always been covered by staff who volunteer to do so in schools were I've worked. Just because you're the class teacher it doesn't mean it has to be you, obviously if nobody else wants to go then it could be a problem but until you've had the conversation you can't really judge the situation. If you like the school and are doing well there then resignation seems a but drastic.

I agree that you should try to talk to someone about this. If not the head, then a line manager or member of slt. I think the part time angle should mean that you definitely would not be expected to go away for the whole week - this would never be expected of a pt member of staff at my school. I would suggest a compromise - could you offer to drive and go for 3 of the days then your husband could take a little time off but not a full week?

You absolutely do not have to go. You only have to work your directed time hours and a residential will fall we’ll outside of this. You also cannot be expected to work hours that you are not employed for if you are part time as this would be the equivalent of a full time person being expected to work a weekend or during a holiday.
If you are unsure contact your union for advice.

I agree you shouldn’t have to go if it’s not not possible for you to do so.

But it seems like the bigger issue is that your employer has not been given information about your health that is extremely significant.

I think you need to rectify that because if something were to happen in school that triggered your anxiety in a major way, not only will you not be able to care for the children in your class, your school will not know how to support you.

”You absolutely do not have to go. You only have to work your directed time hours and a residential will fall we’ll outside of this”

Have you seen the OP’s contract then? No particular reason to assume she is under STPCD/Burgundy Book is there?

Op, other than the issue of the trip, do you like your school / head / class / colleagues?

If so, handing in your notice would be such a shame.

Please talk to your headteacher before you make any drastic decisions.

ladyvimes by your reckoning no one should do residentials as it means even full time staff will be working outside their directed time hours. I’ve given up evenings, weekends and school holidays to go on residential trips, as otherwise the children won’t get to go. For people saying it’s an unreasonable expectation on staff, do you expect your children’s schools to offer residentials? If so then people have to run them, and I’m sure that you would think it’s a shame if they suddenly stopped happening because staff wouldn’t go. In teaching we all have to contribute and occasionally go above and beyond what our contract says in order to provide an opportunity for the children. If you teach year 5 or 6 it’s pretty much par for the course if you’re in a prep school.

Cakesprinkles - the argument isn't that no one should do residentials, it's that it should be voluntary, unless the requirements to do one is laid out clearly on your contract, and discussed at interview.

Are you suggesting that no one with any sort of caring responsibilities outside of school (young children, elderly parents, disabled children etc) should be a teacher because they can't do residentials? That's ridiculous and teacher martyrdom at its worst. And suggesting that someone's partner should take a weeks holiday to cover it is bonkers. The financial implications of that, and loss of their own family holiday time are enormous.

Yes, residentials are great for children, and I'm always enormously grateful for teachers volunteering to give up their time, unpaid, to do them but if I thought a teacher was having to pay huge additional childcare costs out of their own pocket, be under enormous stress or forsake family holiday time to take my child on a residential I would be horrified.

Senior leadership in schools need to carefully consider the viability of trips away with the well being and work/life balance of their staff at the heart of decisions they make. It's not all about the children's experiences.

I work 0.7 as 3 half days and 2 mornings. A 5 day 24/7 residential would be way over my contracted hours.

• 3 mornings and 2 full days sorry

Was not discussed at interview

Rainsbows - do you have a copy of your contract? That's the main thing you need to read and check.
It must be hugely stressful.

It does come down to your contract but there may be ways to sort it even if it is in there if you are prepared to do other big jobs in the school year like organising concerts/sports days/day trips or whatever job you know is unpopular in your school.

Are there any other teachers who won't already be doing a residential with their class/year this year who you could ask to cover you?

As this is something that will come up every year could you do some research to see if there is anything similar less far away your class could go to next year?

Were you unaware they did a residential? Or just buried your head in the sand in the hope the problem would go away?

I know anxiety is terrible but you can’t run away from everything. The fact you interviewed and got a job is amazing.

One thing at a time. If you are prepared to resign then why not investigate the alternatives first? Check your contract so you know where you stand. Then speak to your HT about it. One day this will all be a distant memory. I know it doesn't help you now of course.

Was not discussed at interview

You should have brought it up. It’s having a major impact on your life and will affect every job you apply for.

Please speak to your line manager tomorrow - they need to know how to support you in the workplace. They may offer to move you to a class that doesn’t have a residential.

To those suggesting taking your own children on a residential (I know OP isn't), it's been explained to me in some settings, that if you take your own DC you can't be considered to be supervising the other children there too as it's a conflict of interests in an emergency.

Didn't stop our dept taking her kids and partner on the school skiing trip as 'helpers' and getting a hugely subsidised/free skiing trip.

if you work in a job 0.7 with a mixture of hours, mainly mornings, then how on earth is it ok for your employer to state you must work full time, 24 hours a day, for one week

but it's what you do isn't it? I also work mornings only but on Monday I attended a meeting in the afternoon. If you're a professional you have to work beyond your hours. Although I am not saying it doesn't annoy me at times when people try to take advantage.

OP you have said your DH is on call but is he not able to book holiday for that week? Or does he not get a choice about when to take leave? If the latter, I think you've got a good reason not to go. But if he can take a week's leave, then I think that changes the situation.

And suggesting that someone's partner should take a weeks holiday to cover it is bonkers

I disagree. You just have to do it at times. DH has taken leave for me, and vice versa.

Loads of parents take leave/ TOIL to look after their own children.

I don’t want to blow your mind but I know some parents who actually gave up their job for YEARS to look after their own children and accommodate their partners career.

I know, totally crazy isn’t it ? But it honestly happened. No kidding.

A residential is well over everyone's hours though - I don't think that's a compelling argument to avoid it.

Did you know about the residential when you took the job? If you started in September you haven't been there very long. I don't think you can blame the employer for not prising health information out of you that you feel will affect your ability to do your job in relation to the residential. You should have raised anything that was relevant.

Try and speak to them calmly, don't throw as many reasons in to the conversation as you have into this thread and see what happens. But you need to sort this out ASAP, then you can all stop worrying about it.