Is this too much responsibility for ups?

[Clarabellawilliamson]

Started at a new school in September, and I'm on ups 3 so I have been given an A level subject to oversee (approx 90 students). It involves coordinating all assessments and exams, plus the practical aspects, coordinating intervention for underperforming students and arranging contact home each week for students that don't attend, populating a revision website, planning a trip and probably lots more stuff that I don't know about until I haven't done it.

I think this is too much to ask just because I'm UPS and should actually be a TLR position or at least come with some time. I am part time, 3 days, and it's just too much- I get a lot of help from the person who was doing it last year (but stepped down) but this just leads to stuff falling through the cracks and I just feel like I'm shit at everything.

What do you have to do if you are UPS3?!

That sounds second or HOD role to me. Do you have a HOD or second? Maybe see what their job description says to see if it’s their role. What subject is it?

Are you the only teacher of that subject? If you are then fair enough it’s your planning and intervention, but if there’s more than you then they should be doing their own contacting home. Do you run all intervention or just plan who does what and when?

The units and assessments should be divided out so everyone does some planning and coordinating I think.

God, I hope my school doesn't get wind of this kind of shenanigans.

It's ridiculous.

To make you feel really great, we have to do nothing for UPS at my place.

That's ridiculously too much. I am also UPS3 (primary), and don't have to do anything extra. I have a TLR for my extra responsibilities (not including my subject leader role).

Thanks everyone, I didn't have to do anything in my last school either (moved after many years this year!) but wasn't sure if I was just lucky before. No head of department but there is a head of faculty and heads of key stage on TLR positions.

What does the head of faculty do on a day to day basis? I’m head of department and I do a lot of what you’ve mentioned, however the bigger departments have it shared out between staff in the department. If you are unsure maybe speak to your union for clarity? It doesn’t need to go any further if they agree it’s acceptable

heads of A Level subjects in my school get an extra £3k or so and some extra time

Would be a TLR in my school. 90 students is massive take-up.

In the schools I've been in, it depends on the subject, department size and where the accountability lines are.

Eg In a subject like sociology then someone may have 90 students at A level, there's two teachers who would do some of those tasks you mention and the overall accountability lies with a head of faculty (who may not be a subject specialist if the faculty is "social science" and they oversee Psychology, Sociology, Health and Social, Politics, Economics)

If there's a head of faculty and key stage leaders with TLRs, then I would say some of what you're doing is reasonable as long as you're not held accountable (because the accountability would lie with the HOF and KS5 leader).

If, however, doing everything you've listed is really unreasonable and especially unreasonable if you're being held accountable for the subject results beyond your own classes.

So lola : an A Level subject in your school wouldn't have a TLR holder?

That’s a TLR: there used to be co-ordinators for these responsibilities.

For UPS, I would expect some sort of target on performance management relating to the whole school strategic plan, or personal development that also aids the school. I’m thinking something like writing a new SOW or feeding back following external examining experience, leading training, mentoring etc. This sounds like a whole TLR to me and I would be pushing back.

And I’ve just seen you’re part time! Dear me, no.

It would depend on the subject and how the department/faculty is organised in my experience piggy. So for a few different examples from different faculties/schools:

1. Main teacher of an A level course did 2/3 of what's on the OP's list for their classes, but not held accountable for the subject outcome. That responsibility was with the Head of Department. No TLR.
2. KS5 coordinator who oversaw English Language, English Literature, Creative Writing and Media. Individual class teachers did some of the tasks in the OP, but the strategic oversight and accountability was with the key stage coordinator. The KS5 coordinator had a TLR but teachers in each A Level area didn't.
3. Small, but popular, subject within a large faculty. One teacher had a smaller TLR than a Key Stage leader in a bigger department.
4. Single teacher subject within a larger faculty. The day to day organisation of the subject was that teacher's job (just like someone teaching KS3/4), they did their own schemes of work, assessments etc as the sole teacher. No TLR with oversight and strategic decisions from a HoF..

The way I see it is theres a difference between responsible for doing things and accountability. Whilst it's not popular, I do think it's reasonable for those of us on UPS to do more than someone on M2/3, but that shouldn't mean being made accountable or taking the piss.

We all get TLRs for running subjects in our school. Sometimes it might be badged as KS5 but generally not. Your example of sociology, or law, or politics all have TLRs. The HoF would just oversee their performance as HoDs.

That's good piggy. It absolutely should have a TLR if there's the accountability for the subject.

I think my school must be stingy on tlrs, we’ve got history, geography, french and German from year 7 to 6 form and there’s a hof for all of it but not individual teachers, so the hof dishes put them tasks to various teachers of each subject but it’s just expected as part of their role. Obviously the hof wouldn’t be able to plan a french assessment as he doesn’t speak the language so it has to be shared out.... I just assumed it was acceptable as it’s planning for your classes.

Whereas I plan all of my departments ks4 assessments and share out ks3 between my staff as I don’t actually teach them. I’m responsible though, but so are the teachers. I plan out the intervention but we all complete it between us.

Thanks everyone. It's difficult because I can see that in different circumstances I would be able to cope with it fine ( I have experience of senior leadership in my previous school pre my own kids). It just feels too much to ask me to do when I teach so little of it - I teach 2/5 lessons for one year 12 class (there are 3) and the same for one year 13 class. There are 6 other teachers. I was doing more but it was swapped early on for more ks3. Maybe now that ucas is out of the way I will have a bit more breathing room. Fingers crossed eh?!

Yes too much responsibility. I'm ups 3 and have a tlr for every additional role. That is hod role. At least you should have time. They are being cf's!

minielise
Yes your school does seem stingy.
Our humanities faculty has:
Head of Faculty (history / geography / RE)
Head of history
Head of geography
Head of RE

I think history and geography have either a second in department/someone leading one of the key stages so essentially a second in department.

OP If you're not teaching the bulk of the a level then they're taking the piss. I can understand someone on UPS who teaches a substantial amount of A Level overseeing things without accountability. What they're suggesting is ridiculous.

I don’t have to do anything for my UPS3. However, I do voluntarily mentor PGCE students.
It definitely sounds like you should have a TLR and time to do all that. Totally unreasonable.

I think I might ask for time. I get two frees a week but I am undertimetabled so I have to do a cover almost every week (I occasionally don't get taken and that third free in the week makes SUCH a difference!) I could ask for that to be protected to give me breathing space.

That's a TLR at our school. I'm UPS2, and have offered to run a revision session after school once a week for Year 11. I also help out with SEN policy within my department, as I worked in the SEN department for years.