Lost my job yesterday! 😣

[user1483390742]

I have done 4 consecutive maternity covers in a school i absolutely love. I was told yesterday that there was no position for September for me. I honestly thought the head would keep me on. She was very apologetic, and i know they can't magic up a job that isn't there, but i had convinced myself that they could! I'm so upset!

Sorry to hear that. I guess you'll have to look at other schools now. It sounds like you have plenty of experience, which will help.

Sorry to hear that, OP. However, I am sure that something better will turn up for you soon.

I've just literally been made redundant and it is very upsetting, it feels very personal.

If you love the school, tell the head you'd be happy to do supply for them and if possible (unless you need to work full time) give them an afternoon a week free to volunteer there.

This happend to a friend of mine, she did that, then she took a job as a teaching assistant at the school with an agreement to do another teachers cover for her planning and preparation afternoon and within a year or so someone left and she applied and got the job so definately worth considering, hope you can work something out x

I feel cheated too! I have always gone above and beyond what is expected of a maternity cover, and feel as though i have been slapped in thd face!

There is a TA post being advertised for Sep, but i can't afford to take such a huge pay cut.

I know OP! I feel the exact same!

I only found out on Monday.
Yesterday I decided to not give it any more headspace for now. To try and be positive and not take the situation too personally. (difficult but I’m going to try)
schools are really starting to struggle financially, it’s really not personal!

I don’t think I could stay and volunteer or do supply. That bridge has been burnt for me!
But I think a slightly different situation for you OP, stay on good terms and let them know that you would be interested in any future vacancies.

No way should you step down and take a TA role. Don’t devalue yourself. You’ve worked hard to be where you are - you should be paid what you are worth!

But you havent lost your job though, unlike some of the other pps. Cover is always a temporary contract but the job is someone else's. If you find contracting difficult, and it can be stressful, then you should look for permanent employment.

The only benefit of taking a TA role is that you're there and in touch with them.

My friend did it and gave herself a target of a couple of years and within that time something came up.

It's really hard to know what to do for the best when you really like somewhere but I appreciate it's a huge wage drop - she was able to claim some tax credits. Depends what the job market is like in your area whether you could secure another teaching role or if the teaching assistant role would be "better than nothing"

Halfway house would be to apply for teaching assistant role on a jobshare basis for 2/3 days a week (hoping your jobshare isn't another trained teacher!) then make yourself available for supply on the other days x

Can you look for a permanent position? Now is the time to be looking from what I understand.

Don’t take ta posts. My school is making almost all of them redundant. There’s no job security at all and the pay is dreadful.

Keep looking and good luck.

So sorry this has happened to you OP, but unfortunately maternity cover is maternity cover and when people come back their jobs are theirs again. I would bite the bullet, talk to the HT, say how sorry you are, you really like the school and can they keep an ear out for you with their HT friends about anything suitable. Don't forget the resignation date is not until the end of next month, so there may be a few unexpected resignations, either in your school or in others that will need staffing for September and beyond.

Also pregnant teachers due in the Autumn term are probably hoping to hang on until September/October to start their maternity leave but their circumstances could change leaving an earlier vacancy for the new school year.

Also everyone's personal
Circumstances are different. My friend took a TA role as there was nothing else within a 50 mile radius at the time she was looking.

It very much depends on if you're literally waiting for someone to retire or to get pregnant, it's very very difficult

Hopefully something will come up in your area, I'm currently looking myself so I appreciate it's a worrying and stressful time for you but as people keep saying to me "everything happens for a reason" although not an ideal answer when you're worrying about money and everything else!!

I never understand these posts.

The specifics of your job were for X amount of time

Waterlemon all the ppa posts around me are done by hltas now and not teachers :( I can see in this climate a school would find it hard to justify an ups teacher when everyone else is paying hltas (not correctly in my book - 1 day a week these last 2 years my child is taught by a hlta.)

Scared - yes that’s the way it seems to be going sadly. It’s pretty much the “norm” in many schools now.

However class teachers are not expected to provide any planning for their ppa cover (counterproductive to have to plan so that you can be released to plan). Hltas can only deliver whole class lessons and shouldn’t be planning for them.

Hi Op;
How's things your end?