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

Original poster

Full time HoD with young children

11 replies

tomhazard · 05/05/2018 09:04

Freaking out about what I have agreed to. My HoD is going on Mat leave in September and there is only the 2 of us and I've found myself agreeing to cover her maternity full time for what will effectively be most of the year (I suspect she will return in some capacity around this time next year). It is an arts subject in a private school so academic expectations are high and extra-curricular commitments are significant. I will be a one person department running KS3, GCSE and A-level on my own as well as planning and delivering concerts.

I also have two young children (when I start they will be 3 and almost 6, year 1 and nursery class). DH is dropping one day at work so he can do school pick up/drop off, we have a childminder too for the rest of the days.

Till now I have worked 0.6 and been perfectly happy to just be a teacher - I love teaching and just want to do that. It has allowed me to take an active role in DDs learning at school and be able to do a couple of school pick ups. I also have time to prepare half decent meals and keep on top of house admin.

I'm so worried that I won't be able to manage and I know it's too late to back out - I suppose I'm just looking for reassurance that this is do-able or at least manageable. I took it because I don't have another job and I felt it might be good for my CV ultimately, but I'm losing sleep over it and worried that it'll be bad for my DC. Quite happy to hear 'pull yourself together' type comments!

OP posts:
Rockandrollwithit · 05/05/2018 16:14

It's doable.

I'm an Assistant Head and until recently worked full time with one young child. When I go back to work in Sept after mat leave I will have a 4 year old and an almost 1 year old.

You need to be really good at prioritising. My strategy was always to leave work as early as possible and work when DS was in bed.

Rockandrollwithit · 05/05/2018 16:15

I should add, my DS saw me every day from about 5.30ish until bedtime and the then I only ever worked when he had gone to bed at the weekends too. It's possible but prepare to feel overwhelmed at first.

Original poster
tomhazard · 05/05/2018 16:32

Thanks Rock. I also intend to leave as soon as teaching is done and work after bedtime- I do this on my working days now anyway. I know I will manage really , I'm just suddenly not looking forward to the challenge!

OP posts:
Weareboatsremember · 07/05/2018 22:25

It’ll just take some rebalancing, but I reckon you’ll be fine. I’m head of a core subject in a large secondary, and the marking load particularly for me is a killer, plus I’ve rewritten the whole ks4 curriculum lesson by lesson over the past year and a half, and still spent a bit of time with my family :)
Id do it for the duration of the mat leave, enjoy the extra money, then hand it back at the end of the year. Good luck!

GreenTulips · 07/05/2018 22:29

Well your DH will have time to pick up some of the slack won't he?

ShackUp · 07/05/2018 22:31

I'm in the same position as you OP except state secondary. I used to be HoD but will be doing it again from October. Am a bit worried!

CraftyGin · 08/05/2018 17:56

I’m a HOD and don’t work longer in school than anyone else. I get a couple of lessons for doing my HOD duties (which is fine as these extra tasks tend to be seasonal), and I am happy enough to do a bit of emailing at home.

EvilTwins · 08/05/2018 23:33

I did it. Went back as full time HOD when my DTDs started reception. It's doable, I just had to be really organised. DH couldn't do any drop offs/pick ups because of his job, so I would drop the girls at breakfast club on my way to work and then pick them up on my way home. I did work a lot in the evenings, after the girls were in bed, and on Sundays. The trickiest time of the year was School Production week (was Head of Performing Arts) as I hardly saw them - DH had to book early finishes in advance so he could do the school pick up.

It's managable. I was in a small school so was also Head of 6th Form for a bit, but that really was crazy (went back to just being HOD - both was too hectic)

I joined a choir so that I could have something that was just for me. It was an hour and a half on a Wednesday evening and was bliss - it meant I had one evening in the week where I couldn't work and where DH had to be in charge of bedtime. I recommend something like that to ensure you get some kind of balance - otherwise you'll stop thinking of yourself as anything other than Miiiiiss or Muuuuum.

Original poster
tomhazard · 09/05/2018 10:45

Thanks everyone. Yes my DH will do as much as he can- he already does. Unfortunately he travels abroad for work reasonably regularly so he won't be able to half the workload at these times.
I know I'll find a way of managing - I think it doesn't help that I actually don't like the school and wish I wasn't working there at all, never mind spending most of my weeks there! It's only a year, I'm sure we will all muddle through!

OP posts:
americanlife · 12/05/2018 03:09

It is only a year and it will come and go and you will re appreciate just teaching so much when you get shot of it. I was HOD in an academic school for 3 years and I was delighted to have kids, give it up and just teach-I hate feeling like I always have work to do which I felt as a HOD but not as a teacher.

Icantbelieve · 12/05/2018 22:39

I just missed out on a hod job but gave two young kids and agree, leaving work early and working when kids are in bed. So many teachers say they couldn’t manage full time but actually you can

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