Seeking advice from noblegiraffe and any HODs!

[IHeartKingThistle]

Sorry, need advice!

I’m the one who went back to teaching last year - you guys were very helpful then and I’m so pleased I came back.

Anyway, I’m at a small comprehensive. I teach secondary English part-time, as a job share which works brilliantly. We also share the 2nd in Dept job. I love the school but it has its issues.

We’re expecting OFSTED any time and things are, predictably, getting more pressured in school. Lots of resignations this term. We had an external consultant in to meet with a few departments. He met all of us and at the end of the process our HOD was asked to leave. They remain in post until they can find a new job. The consultant also fed back that myself and my job share were very strong and as a result we have been asked to take on the HOD job, initially in an Acting role.

WWYD? There are so many variables. It’s all such a mess. There are things that haven’t been done by current HOD that we didn’t even know about. It wouldn’t be taking the reins, it would be overhauling and implementing the whole shebang. Things need to change now, which is awful as HOD is still in post and not in a good place mentally - we are so fond of them and want to support them. We never had HOD in our sights, never wanted it. But it’s undeniably a great opportunity.

If we take it we want to go in with our eyes wide open. We have talked to the Head, which clarified a lot, and we will do so again soon. So, in conclusion (!), I need advice on

a) what information I need and what to ask
b) whether to take it
c) if we did take it, what to prioritise and how to, essentially, not be shit and make everyone hate us

Any help? Please? It’s such a weird situation.

Sorry that was to @noblegiraffe, x posted!

Hmmm how is their version different to the Head’s?

At the moment you’ve got two different versions of what went on.

You’ve also got a school with a large and unexplained staff turnover.

Does one explain the other?

Oh @Tinnedpeachesandcream that's not fair, we are tying ourselves in knots to not make current HOD feel any worse. We haven't said a word against them and have supported them repeatedly in every conversation we have had. We check in on them every day, every weekend because we are worried about them. We know we're going to have to talk to them but the reason we haven't so far is nothing to do with 'going behind their back' and everything to do with trying to preserve what little dignity they have left.

This is so far from feeling like we're a dream team being parachuted in.

If that's how we felt we'd be in there already. We were offered it three weeks ago.

I'm HOD of English in a small comp, also about to face ofsted, also with a small team of 6.

Honestly I wouldn't touch this with a barge pole. Being middle management is very hard - if you look after your team you are seen as "lovely" by your dept but "useless" by your SLT (see your current HOD, poor thing); if you prioritise data and meeting all SLT targets you are seen as "effective" by SLT but hated by your team, and you have a toxic situation on your hands.

Striking the balance is very difficult and I'm only now getting the dept to a happy medium after three painful (for me) years.

In this case, what puts me off is:

1. Job sharing (one of you will become the scapegoat when - not if - something isn't 100% perfect, and you'll lose the trust and good relationship you currently have with her). I can't see how you can split the responsibilities fairly - HOD really is a one person role.

1. They haven't clarified the money!! As HOD of English is such a high profile, double weighted, role it should be paid on the leadership scale.

1. They haven't clarified the % of non contact time. I get 50% timetable and it's still nowhere near enough.

1. It's acting - so they can drop you like a stone when someone cheaper / more full time comes along. Then you'll have to be managed by the new person which is ironically the position your current HOD is in now.

Good luck OP, sounds very difficult.

I do think tinned was going a bit overboard on the tough speaking there!

However, I do think the head has you over a barrel as you have seen what happens to 'failures' or 'shirkers' and so now he(?) does think he is parachuting in two 'how high would you like us to jump' types? Sadly, this has become the blueprint for middle leadership in schools over the last 15 years or so, I'd say. If you are that type of leader (and many are, and that's fine in lots of ways) then you will most likely be fine, once your old HOD is gone to pastures new. But I do think it will be lots of pressure on you and your colleague.

I got flattered into a shit job once (for different reasons but also to do with internal politics). I hated it and wish I had stood firm. Although I no longer do that role, the long term implications for my career satisfaction have been huge.

@noblegiraffe I honestly don't know and I'm hating this. I would rather put everyone in one meeting and hash it all out but that's not how these things work I guess. I hate second-guessing what's happening.

The fact you haven’t discussed this with the HoD and this has been going on for three weeks is the definition of ‘going behind their back’. You’re essentially deciding whether to take their job. You can’t be friends with someone whilst all this is going on-you either need to support them wholeheartedly as friends or do what you think is best for your career, and take on the promotion. However you feel about it, to them it will feel that they have been sacked for you and your job share to take over. But you can’t be the one to comfort them, does that make sense? The person who I was demoted in place of tried to be my friend. He had gone behind my back in similar circumstances. I was courteous but never ever trusted him again and left the following year.

@wherehavealltheflowersgone has lots of excellent points. Particularly in regard to trickiness of job sharing-people being played off against one another and it being temporary. Leaves you very vulnerable.

I didn’t mean to sound mean, I just worry from your posts that you see yourselves as being able to ‘fix’ this mess. And it’s very unlikely that you’ll be able to-you won’t be able to pick your line manager, the historic problems will remain and English has so much pressure and so much riding on it.

@wherehavealltheflowersgone thank you, that's helpful. We're classroom teachers and we love that but those skills are just not the same skills needed to manage a Department. The fact that you wouldn't take it is very telling.

But what happens if we don't? Do we just watch it all fall apart?

@Tinnedpeachesandcream it's OK. I would be horrified if anyone in school thought of us that way but of course they might, and I hadn't thought of that.

We don't know if we can do it. We know what the kids need, but there's so much other stuff. We have absolutely no idea what to do.

@Piggywaspushed thank you. This is the thing as well - our role at the moment is great for us in terms of job satisfaction and we weren't looking for a change. This could jeopardise all of that...

I’ve had absolutely no sleep with a poorly child up all night so have zero tact today-sorry!

I am probably a bit paranoid/cynical because of my own personal experiences, but they are being played out in schools everywhere.

It’s very clear that your intentions are honourable-you want to do the right thing by the kids/your colleagues/etc but unfortunately in this situation there is no outcome where you can stay friends with everyone.

Also if you’ve never been HOD before and you both have young children I wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole.

Best of luck with a horrible decision to have to make but try not to let it consume half term. Switch off for the week and try not to think about it.

This sounds like a toxic situation, and no I would not even think of taking on the role.
My other concern is that this must be pretty identifiable, a second in English dept jobshare. I hope your HOD isn't on mums net - I would not like to find out about this on a forum. Not being nasty, but just a concern?

@Tinnedpeachesandcream thank you. I hope your DC gets better soon

It seems that you don’t want to take it, you know it will be awful, but the only thing pushing you in that direction is that the new HOD might be bad.

So you’ve got a known awful versus a potential awful.

A betting person would stay where you are.

@noideaatallreally I very much doubt it will be seen but I see what you mean.

Current HOD won't be surprised that we've been asked - they have already said they think that's what the Head wants. I guess it's about how we handle it now.

Should I get the thread taken down?

But what happens if we don't? Do we just watch it all fall apart?*
*
Honestly SLT won't let English fall apart. It's worth too much in terms of the school's ranking and league tables.

Sounds to me like you'd be interested in the role at some point - so wait to find a permanent, non job sharing, well remunerated role for yourself, where you can dictate your terms a bit. Good HODs of core subjects are like gold dust and schools will normally bend over backwards to accommodate any requests to make it work for YOU.

If you REALLY want to try it now, go in with your eyes open and your armour on. To be effective you WILL end up upsetting people as you'll have to change things and people just don't like change. Also, be absolutely black and white about how you'll share responsibility with your job share. I can't see how to do it fairly tbh as the demands on KS4 are all consuming.

What will happen when you and the job share disagree? Who gets final say? Or will you compromise on something that suits neither of you?

Bear in mind that the current HOD will likely go off long term sick within a few weeks so you'll have to organise her cover effectively from day one.

These are the kind of questions you will be asked by SLT - and will then have to ask your team:

1. Why did x y and z underperform in their mocks / final exams? What are you doing about it? How do you know that strategy will work?

1. How does the current curriculum meet the demands of the new Ofsted framework? How are you going to ensure it does?

1. Why do teacher a and teacher b do this thing? Can you make them stop?

1. Why does this group of students (PP maybe) underperform? What are you doing about it and how do you know it will work?

1. Why do your team teach that text / set that HW / teach in that style? How can they do it better / more effectively?

1. Why are you not monitoring all of the above on a weekly, recorded basis?

And that's with a decent line manager ..,!

I don't really understand the angst. Surely as seconds in command you are the obvious choice to be offered acting HoD role. You are probably the only people who can take on the role without making your former HoD feel any worse, because you are the natural successors and therefore taking it on in an acting capacity is about not allowing the dept to be without leadership and a response to a situation not of your making, which I would clearly explain to former dept lead. I would take it on an acting basis with the understanding that it is exploratory on both sides, as obviously a jobshare leadership role may turn out not to work as well as hoped.

Anyone else who takes it is imo much more a slap in the face to former HoD, as they are being "parachuted in" to do a better job, whereas you are stepping up to handle a situation you didn't cause.

Just to echo the part time issue. What if the other person decides it's not for her, not necessarily now but in 6weeks/months time? I don't think you can take this on unless you are willing to go FT if she backs out.