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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

Feel like I've lost sight of what's reasonable

78 replies

howaboutanelbow · 30/01/2019 17:55

I am HOD in a fairly small school and the department is a bit of a mix of HOYs and assistant heads: no one is "just" an English teacher.

I teach 25 hours out of 30 a week. One of these is a scheduled meeting with a graduate teacher; the other is a meeting with my line manager. So really three free hours.

The biggest headache is that I have a tutor group. The kids are perfectly nice but we have things to do in tutor time that are really intricate and detailed, like putting on a play at Christmas time and organising charity events. I also have to interview the kids and record the outcomes of these interviews. It takes loads of time as have to take them out of lessons etc. If they are absent I also need to interview them.

Then I have two exam classes who are both 32 in size. I have both five times a week. Marking takes me forever.

I have two after school events and also meetings until 5 once a week.

I'm exhausted and I feel like I am doing a rubbish job. I've been told off twice today and both were about petty things but I don't know.

Am I being unreasonable here?

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 30/01/2019 19:03

Fucking hell that’s mental. Is it private?

25 hours of teaching a week would mean in my school (and most) teaching every single lesson with no PPA which would be an incredible workload. On top of that being HOD. Then this ridiculous tutor interview thing (can you do them in tutor time while the rest of the group organises the charity stuff?). 3 after school events a week.

Totally unsustainable.

Original poster
howaboutanelbow · 30/01/2019 19:16

I'm so frazzled I can't add up. try again! I teach 20 out of 25, plus one added intervention class so 21 really, and two meetings.

No, it's a state school.

OP posts:
Arkos · 30/01/2019 19:19

I am increasingly convinced that it is becoming impossible for teachers to do what is expected of them in the hours available and no one cares. I work part time and they seem to think I'm just able to do A full time job on less days. Something's got to give

Acopyofacopy · 30/01/2019 19:34

What after school events do you have? Can you get rid of those?

I agree with PP, pupils organise themselves (“lead their own learning”) while you conduct your interviews. Set them their interview questions as homework so that you don’t have to faff around and just record their answers.

Original poster
howaboutanelbow · 30/01/2019 19:45

I can't, as I say the tasks are pretty intricate tbh

OP posts:
Piggywaspushed · 30/01/2019 20:37

Have you raised this with a line manager?

Why have you been told off? that sounds ridiculous!

TBH your time allocation is the same as my HoFs in a huge department (14 staff) : but she isn't a tutor. And she would say she also has too much contact time.

Acopyofacopy · 30/01/2019 20:37

Can you get older students to mentor or help? All of our 6th formers have to help out in the lower school, you need to delegate some of your responsibilities or lower your standards to make things work.

Piggywaspushed · 30/01/2019 20:38

... and it sounds like you are taking the form time tasks too seriously. I was a HoY and tutors NEVER did what I told asked them to do! le alone intricately

These schools that feel the need to have meeting every week need to sort themselves out, too . Nothing more silly than meeting for meeting's sake.

Original poster
howaboutanelbow · 30/01/2019 20:42

Piggy, no I am not. I don't actually give a flying fuck about them but I have got to do them. Do you really think I'd be subjecting myself to this level of stress if no one actually cared? At the start of the year we were all supposed to choose a form animal to represent us (we were orcas) and my orca apparently swam away ... that was in september and it STILL gets brought up.

It's also one of my PM targets and I was told off at break today for interviewing a kid in form time and then got an email with the "minutes of the meeting" on it so it is taken VERY seriously. So don't put this on me please.

OP posts:
Original poster
howaboutanelbow · 30/01/2019 20:43

but i imagine she has a 2nd in dept/ks3 co-ordinator piggy ... i don't.

OP posts:
sakura06 · 30/01/2019 20:50

Every Head of English I've ever worked with has not had a form. The job is too big and too important to not give you time to do it. Can you make a case to your Head to lose the form?

noblegiraffe · 30/01/2019 20:50

my orca apparently swam away

Er what?

If you’re a state school you have 10% protected PPA, but you’re not getting it, or time for your HoD role. Have you talked to your union?

Piggywaspushed · 30/01/2019 20:51

I'm not saying it's right OP : it's not enough time. Yes, she does have a second who she makes do everything

Again, I ask , gently, have you brought this up with a line manager? Including not having key stage coordinators etc?

I don't understand about the orca : what an odd place. Could your animal not be a sloth?!

We do get told off at my school like this too. It's bonkers.

Look for another job?

Original poster
howaboutanelbow · 30/01/2019 20:52

It was a joke Giraffe. The orca was lost. Point is, they still go on about it in a scandalised manner, so can you imagine if I was to turn up without a play to perform or without a speech about the environment or whatever.

OP posts:
Atalune · 30/01/2019 20:54

It sounds like you can’t change what’s on your plate- but you can perhaps make it more manageable

How organzised are you?
How well do you manage your time?

Bullet journal- doesn’t need to be pretty but get focused and gradual and time effective?

Your probably thinking ‘fuck off’ but it works for me.

So what can you get done at 7.30am? What can you blast through?
Does your grad need the full hour? What about 45mins? Do you need to write up your meetings- do it as you go with your laptop.
Ditto your tutor group interviews. Write them up- and have 1/2 action points for them to follow up on. Have it timed. Set a reminder for the deadline for the week before. Give everybody a heads up.
Follow up on action points, assess, plan, do review.

Piggywaspushed · 30/01/2019 20:54

And class sizes are also another issue : why are they so large? Surely as HOD you can influence this?

It really does sound like a shit shower : Enlgish HoDs should be treated well : their department's success is crucial to the school. Unfortunately, SLT frequently bully them into submission instead.

Can you not streamline the marking? What is your policy on this?

Original poster
howaboutanelbow · 30/01/2019 20:57

I'm not thinking "fuck off" but it isn't just a problem relating to the fact that there are only so many hours in the day (and I have young children) but also to the fact that some things can only be done at a certain time. Like tutor interviews can only be done in school in my frees, which means my frees vanish, which means I have to mark 31 essays after school, which means I work all evening planning tomorrow's lessons.

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 30/01/2019 21:01

Like tutor interviews can only be done in school in my frees

They can’t make you do this during PPA. When does everyone else do them?

Atalune · 30/01/2019 21:04

Can the interviews be done before school or in break times?

Original poster
howaboutanelbow · 30/01/2019 21:05

At the moment I have:

Year 11 with exams in the summer. Going to be in over half term with that. 31 books to mark.
Year 10 with an exam in the summer (early entry.) Intervention once a week. Supposed to ring any parents of kids who don't turn up. 31 books to mark.
Year 9 catch up class for an hour after school once a week.
Year 8 G & T group - lovely teacher has taken that for me as she can see I'm sinking but I still have to go to the meetings (it's run by the university.)
Year 7 G & T group and I have to organise presentation to parents.
Year 7 reading group, have to contact parents if they don't show up.
All the usual marking and planning.
Form activities which are as I say intricate and demanding
Form interviews
Attendance meetings with form if they aren't in school
Year 9 options evening
So next week I have:

Monday, no frees, 1 hour intervention
Tuesday, teach 3 lessons, 1 meeting, 1 G & T session, in school till 5 (meeting)
Wednesday 1 free, 1 hour intervention
Thursday, 4 lessons, 1 meeting, in school until 8 (options evening)
Friday, 4 lessons, 1 G & T intervention

My teaching is actually suffering. And my year 11s are being arseholes.

OP posts:
Piggywaspushed · 30/01/2019 21:05

OP, there are things here that YOU can influence as a subject leader/ middle manager : such as marking policy, groupings and class size. Are you having things imposed on you?

I am an English teacher and I do not mark 31 essays all in one go after school for immediate return. Marking is onerous but there are different ways of doing it which are quicker/ smarter/ less frequent.

Have you spoken to your line manager.? Apologies for sounding lieka broken record but you haven't answered this and it's crucial! The TG interview thing is so old school it's ridiculous : you can't be the only member of staff pissed off about this and , yes, you should flag up inapppropriate use of PPA with LM and union. Or leave.

Original poster
howaboutanelbow · 30/01/2019 21:06

in their frees giraffe and yes ... they can, apparently we are given an hour a week in which to do this!

OP posts:
merrybloominchristmas · 30/01/2019 21:09

What on earth are the interviews?

Original poster
howaboutanelbow · 30/01/2019 21:09

Piggy. NO I CANNOT INFLUENCE IT. Sorry for shouting but I really, REALLY resent being told it is my fault.

OP posts:
Piggywaspushed · 30/01/2019 21:09

Just seen early entry WTAF!?

Is your school RI/ special measures?

Early entry is so frowned upon now.

I understand you feel overwhelmed but you can't be marking those books every night.

It sounds a bit like you don't - or can't?- delegate things.

I am v glad I do not work in your school. You are being taken advantage of. Are you a 'how high would you like me to jump?' person?