Ranty thread

[Rantingteacher]

Not happy with my school at the moment and need to vent. Here's my list of things that piss me off:

• SLT with no people management skills
• constantly being told it's worse at other schools when taking head up on invitation to share concerns
• plans to double school size without any consultation with staff or any clear reason other than HT's CV/ego
• nepotistic recruitment into SLT
• being required to take on additional duties on a voluntary basis in order to have a chance to make it onto SLT
• every single change being pitched as an improvement for staff, even though workload has soared (great that I now know where all my directed time goes, but you've actually doubled the number of evening events and playground duties)
• colleague who is matey with the powers that be getting two days off due to dog dying. Wouldn't be surprised if they were paid too.
• indirect discrimination against motherspart-timers

There are better schools out there. I got out of a similar one to what you are describing by taking a risk and moving to supply. I have literally now worked in all local schools and landed on my feet during the second year with an excellent school that I now work at on a permanent part time contract.

The job is getting worse but there are schools where SLT are on side and doing what they can to be supportive. Have a look around at the alternatives.

Thanks for your reply. I don't feel I'm at a stage in life where I can take risks, but I am definitely considering leaving. I think our head would be mortified if anyone told them it doesn't feel like they're on our side. They probably genuinely think they are... Thing is, they see "Well the alternative is that we up your contact hours to the legal maximum" as being on our side, we see it as them shutting us down when we complain about workload. How do I find out what other schools are like? No HT is going to admit they're squeezing every last drop out of their staff, and most staff are polite enough not to bad-mouth the school to interview candidates. Worried I'll just end up in the same situation somewhere else, with the added bonus of not knowing the school or the children.

Sounds like you work where I used to.

There's better schools out there, promise!

Class sizes getting bigger (by the day, actually).
Behaviour getting worse - answering back, open defiance.
Being told it's as bad in all schools.
Being warned that even more cuts are on their way, even though the number of people promoted to management has increased.
Being told poor behaviour is due to boring lessons.
The number of after school meetings has increased.
The number of pointless admin tasks has increased.
Long term staff leaving.
If a student does not like their teacher/ class/ option/ homework task/ where they have been told to sit, then all they need do is get their parent to ring in and they will get what they want.
Timetables are still being changed two weeks into the term.

I mean this is in the kindest possible way, but you might have to gather your strength and take a risk. I have started in a new school this term, having escaped from a school similar to yours. I attended ELEVEN pre-interview visits before submitting a form anywhere (my current school). You have to trust your own judgement as a professional. No, almost no-one is going to slag off the school to an interviewee BUT there’s more meaning in what people don’t say than what they do! My gut instincts and careful probing have served me well and yours will too, if you have faith. Being in a new school sucks due to not knowing anyone/anything, but soon I won’t be new and will be in a good workplace that I picked out very carefully based on past experience. You have that experience too.

Absolutely. I applied for my new school on a bit of a whim, but as soon as I walked in it just felt right.

I'm incredibly lucky. The staffroom is full. Including some SLT who are often in there. People genuinely look out for each other.

Kids are generally fab too. They actually say thank you at end of lessons. Of course there's a few who aren't like that but they're more than made up for by the vast majority of gorgeous kids.

There are good schools out there. Trust your instincts

Trust your instincts, have a look before interview and ask the right questions at interview.
It might also be a wake up call for your school if people start jumping ship, although that might be wishful thinking....