Is it too much?

[everose90]

I started at a new school and I'm struggling.

We have meetings every week until half five, plus another evening where we are expected to stay until 7.

I have 3 free periods a week and a management role (head of year.)

I teach a core subject and see all students every day so I am struggling to keep on top of marking. Is this just how it is, or is it too much?

Yes it is too much but it seems that it is expected of us. I feel your pain!
I work 3 days M-W and spend my 2 days off working all day plus Sundays to keep on top of their demands. To top it all, i was told today that my planning needs to be more detailed...
I have a family and want to spend time with them but i think teaching only suits single people now.
I'm in my 40s and am noticing that all the teachers around me are in their 20s. Have all the older ones left? Probably!

What on earth are you doing till 7 once a week? What are you discussing at all these meetings that can’t be put in an email?

It’s not how it is at my school, nor how it should be.

I may be mistaken but I thought unions said you only legally had to attend one meeting a week. May have changed so don't quote me on that. We have one meeting a week although others crop up from time to time. These are few and far between though and always pointed out it's at our discretion. 5 a week seems excessive. Sorry OP!

It's tough at the top but I'm afraid that's how it is. You will get used to it and manage. If not you can always have a career change but most careers at the level you are used to are very demanding.

Good luck!

Sorry misread how many meetings you have! Expected to stay until 7 seems v v late though. I'd be asking to see my contract so I could check my contracted hours. (Ironically it's probably something stupid like 8 till 4 which no teacher ever does!)

We have one meeting a week which is finished by 5.30pm. If we have a parents’ evening or open evening, we don’t have a meeting that week as well. No one monitors what time we come and go as long as we are there for our teaching contact time and are doing a good job. I love my school.

Gosh that's too much. We done a week,vtwo of you're unlucky of they've had to move something.

Insets are twilight til 5:30 but only once s half term.

Your school sounds crazy. Mine is trying to move to less marking etc and making t&l better instead. Planning and differentiation yes but marking, less.

its tough at the top
Wow! You’re nice.

Is this independent or state? They can’t make you stay till 7 unless that’s what your contract says. Similarly there is no requirement for detailed planning. It’s for you not them. Sounds like a shit place to work.

Work until 7? How do they make you do that?

I'm quite lucky, my school is pretty easy going -or I've just decided to prioritise teaching, all the paper work can wait until I get a spare minute! I don't tend to work my days off but I know there is lots of little crap important bits I don't do.

Completely agree with @Grimble They can't make you stay until 7 unless it's in your contract. Good practice is that meetings last no longer than an hour. If you're in the state sector, I would think being required to stay until 5:30 and 7 on 2 days a week would push you well over directed time of 1295 hours.

Are you in a boarding school?

@Rebecca36 are you a teacher/head teacher? Does your school operate in a similar way to this?

@rebecca36 if you are a senior leader I hope you don't go round spouting that 'its tough at the top' bollocks to your staff. Yes, it is. It's also tough for nqts just starting out. If you are in a senior position why don't you do something about it in your school to make it less hard for everyone rather than brushing it off as that's just how it is for senior staff (with a whiff of an attitude that mainscale staff have it easier. They don't.) Stand up to money grabbing academy trusts if that's the problem. Cut down on after school meetings. One a week is plenty, just focus on a different thing each week. If you have the cash (ha. Who does?) employ more staff to give everyone an extra ppa or at least employ break/lunch time staff so people don't have to do a duty. Change the school marking/homework policy so that there is less to do. It doesn't have to be as tough as you make out.

@everose90 I'm sorry you're finding it so hard. It sounds awfully tiring and really not normal. A head of year job is immense and you should be on more than 3 frees a week for it. Also why does the school expect you to stay until 7 once a week? Is it a boarding school where you need to do an evening duty?

I used to work in a similar school. Also HoY. I was usually in school 7.30-6 and would have meetings most evenings. I had my normal PPA time but was expected to sort my leadership time myself. I would have had to plan and resource that myself and had a rather challenging class. It was nuts.
I handed my notice in in January and left by Easter.