The Nineteenth Republic - DfE guidance issued August Bank Holiday Weekend!

[StaffAssociationRepresentative]

You are most welcome to this school staff support thread to get us through stressful times. It is meant for school staff only – a sort of room of requirement. Baiters, haters, goaders and bashers can jog on somewhere else.

If you are NOT staff and just have a general education query please start your own thread.

You can play here if you are a member of one the following groups-

-ABBA - anti bashers and baiting association
-SWAB - school workers against bashers
-SWOT - school workers opposing teacherbashers
-STARS - schoolworkers together against ranting + slurs

Do not give ‘The Every twat for Themselves mob’ the staffroom password as a number of them are operating in an alternative reality.

No DfE muppets allowed

Other requirements for staff room entry include the ability to find the staff room, the ability to find a clean mug in the staff room, knowledge of the photocopier codes, and the ability to sniff out where the toffee vodka is hidden.

If you are fed up with cakes and biscuits there is now a cheeseboard on offer

If you come with a stick to goad us then that is not allowed in the staffroom. Close the door quietly on your way out

Well he will hate me even more. Have emailed explaining politely that ppa needs to be set on my timetable and all periods other than that and those teaching need to be blanked out to avoid confusion. I’ve said technically I’ll owe him 40 mins form time but I generally pay that back by attending more than 40% of meetings and obviously I’ll be in for inset on Tuesday despite it being an unpaid day.

I’m sick of skirting around it with this guy. If he thinks I’m a grabby pita so be it. Eventually maybe everyone will accept that yes I am a pita so stop fucking with me.

This was all very polite but holding my ground. Hate having to battle but they leave you with no choice.

TheHoneyBadger

Sometimes you have to escalate these things to get them to do their job properly.

We had to take it to the head in the end.

Years ago I was seconded to a role which was technically in another school one day a week and it had to be Friday. Everyone knew this.
Somehow, I had double year 11 on Friday morning on my timetable and they would not shift it. I ended up being given Thursday 1 and 2 free instead, which was a) useless and b) often used for cover. By Christmas, my secondment employer had lost their mind with it all - I ended up being blank on Thursday morning but having to teach until 5.30 on Friday. It was shit.

That is so annoying. I do think our contracts here in Scotland are a bit better, though you still have to be watchful.
I'm off to sit and watch some tv with child (with bit of a cough) and monitor how many he does and for how long. It's like that count the kicks app I had when I was pregnant with him.
Tomorrow is the first day of "masks in corridors" so it should be interesting. I certainly won't be objecting if they keep them on once they come in!

Couple of years ago I was given a really bad timetable - they had completely ignored what I’d asked for and I was basically in all the time (I’m 0.7). While I was typing my complaint to the head, my Apple Watch started flashing because it thought I was having a heart attack ‘your pulse is ridiculously high yet you are sedentary’.

It really amused me when Clav said she thought I was a union rep as I don’t seem to be the nervous type. I absolutely am the nervous type. I hate confrontation and have anxiety around authority.

Which is why being part time is shit because you have to kick up a fuss.

My worst timetable ever was in a school where behaviour was shit and SLT useless. To put that in context, during the ofsted inspection, they were all out on patrol and came if summoned. A student in my form was asked in the pupil panel bit if today was like normal days, and she said no. When asked what was different, she told them!
Anyway - we had a 6 period day with two period 4s which overlapped. This meant we also had two lunchtimes. Somehow I was timetabled for both p4s - one with y7 and one with y13. Not only did this mean I had two classes for 20 minutes at the same time, I also didn't get a lunch break. So she'd kept me free p2 (9.45!) for my lunch. She then created period 7 out of nowhere which further added to the chaos. The union had to get involved.

It was the bit at the end where the DfE promised more guidance to universities before the beginning of the term that got me.

My first thought was 'wait - there's another Bank Holiday?'

Weren't they promising Trafalgar Day in October?
But we are one of the last unis to go back so either they will all have closed before we start or (here's hoping) we'll learn from their mistakes.
And heaven help Manchester, Leicester etc with local lockdown AND students.

@noblegiraffe

What did you say on the angry thread to get a post deleted?

Oh I suggested that Miles add that teachers compare classrooms to gas chambers to her list. Guess it was deleted because that post was deleted?

I'm sorry to hear about everyone's rubbish timetabling... (I do our school's timetable and do treat part-timers properly! It is possible, you just need to timetable in a sensible order and not try to shoehorn them in right at the end...)
Sometimes I think there ought to be a qualification/basic standard in timetabling, so that people have to know the basics before they're let loose! It has such implications on daily life for both students and staff all year, quality of learning, wellbeing - and yet any random person can be given the job, and there's often no real training/chance to discuss things with another more experienced timetabler elsewhere etc.. And the bad ones give the rest of us a bad name!

@noblegiraffe

Oh I suggested that Miles add that teachers compare classrooms to gas chambers to her list. Guess it was deleted because that post was deleted?

Ahh, that makes sense! I like that list.

I had a timetable one year where I taught p1&2, then was blank (so not employed or paid by the school) p3&4 then taught p5. My (young, childless, male, less experienced than me) hod asked what I would be doing during that blank time, with the implication I would be doing some SoW rewriting or practical planning for him. I laughed in his face and told him if the school insisted on this timetable I’d be eating cake at our local shopping centre or doing a long list off jobs at home, but there were no circumstances where I would remain on the school site. He was surprised I didn’t want to stay at school for three hours.

@noblegiraffe

Couple of years ago I was given a really bad timetable - they had completely ignored what I’d asked for and I was basically in all the time (I’m 0.7). While I was typing my complaint to the head, my Apple Watch started flashing because it thought I was having a heart attack ‘your pulse is ridiculously high yet you are sedentary’.

It really amused me when Clav said she thought I was a union rep as I don’t seem to be the nervous type. I absolutely am the nervous type. I hate confrontation and have anxiety around authority.

Which is why being part time is shit because you have to kick up a fuss.

Thank you Noble. Helps to know it’s not just me. My heart was going mental after sending the last email. I feel like I need to copy and paste it to someone I trust to check it wasn’t rude before I get a gaslighting reply.

I grabbed the dog and speed walked round our usual route trying to use up the adrenaline.

I’m another who people assume is really confident and comfortable speaking up when in fact I’m really anxious about things like this. Since I joined this school it has been one thing after another of attempts to steam role me into doing things that I shouldn’t be being asked to do and on a few occasions I’ve had to hold my ground despite bullying and coercion. I’m really hoping this is the last time because it makes me feel physically sick having to do it.

When I complained about having 3 hours of unpaid trapped time in a row on my timetable the head said I should be grateful as it was in a ‘useable chunk’. But you can’t take your kid out of the childminder in the middle of the day then put them back. Given that I went part time to spend more time with my kid, it rather missed the point.

And thank you Carrie and others. I find you get no sympathy or understanding from full time colleagues because they all think you’re taking the piss somehow as a part timer and ignore the fact they earn more than double than me.

I’m really hoping this is the last time because it makes me feel physically sick having to do it.

I tend to find it’s men doing it to women too.

@noblegiraffe

When I complained about having 3 hours of unpaid trapped time in a row on my timetable the head said I should be grateful as it was in a ‘useable chunk’. But you can’t take your kid out of the childminder in the middle of the day then put them back. Given that I went part time to spend more time with my kid, it rather missed the point.

Exactly. People are generally part time for a reason not just to be a handy spare body on your timetabling jigsaw.

I decided to take a few days off from weight loss plan yesterday because fasting and daytime drinking don’t mix. Now having a large whisky and soda This dude literally never answers my email but felt compelled to do so on a Saturday this time. Tosser.

I’ve totally outed myself if anyone is lurking from my school but frankly fuck them too if they don’t think teachers should have employers follow their pay and conditions terms. What happened to solidarity whilst I was on my career break (aka breakdown lol)

Sometimes I think there ought to be a qualification/basic standard in timetabling, so that people have to know the basics before they're let loose!

So so much this!

We replaced our (probably autistic) but so logical and great thinking person with a bloke who openly admits he "has no maths skills or logic". Literally the worst person for the job but got it by default when made DH.

I don't say "that's my day off" I say things like "that's an unpaid day".
The point of it being unpaid needs hammering home, I find.

I'm actually laughing at Craftygin and "paranoia the destroyer"
Do you think she's been working on that for a while?

@MrsHamlet

I might get myself a badge made and make it my catchphrase

@Hercwasonaroll

Sometimes I think there ought to be a qualification/basic standard in timetabling, so that people have to know the basics before they're let loose!

So so much this!

We replaced our (probably autistic) but so logical and great thinking person with a bloke who openly admits he "has no maths skills or logic". Literally the worst person for the job but got it by default when made DH.

Yes. Or at least be made to sign they’ve read and comprehended the burgundy book (apologies to mat teachers whose employers don’t have to follow it).

I even said, apologies perhaps timetabling part time staff is more complicated. So.going.to.hate.me.