THE FIFIETH REPUBLIC!

[StaffRepFeistyClub]

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rule that sounds like a lot to pack into any week, let alone a week that's supposed to be nice and about getting used to being back at school. I think the teenagers would struggle with that, and you're having to do it with your little ones. Poor things.

We're having to tidy classrooms, do displays (all LSAs in all week to facilitate this) and having a week of pshe and art when they're back (even though I reckon most of children want it to be normal again and need the routine).

So much extra pressure and work for this special week they will struggle with.

Anyone else got plans for what they're doing with y11 in terms of grading and assessment? I'm dreading the SLT line being "wait for the exam board stuff at Easter". It's too late by then.

urgh! Next email says how we're all free on Monday period 2 so we'll meet then instead of after school. Except I'm not employed then or after school on this week of the fortnight cycle. It will never sink in will it? There's just this assumption that you're available outside of your working hours to go into school - and this is after the preceding conversation begging for it to be recognised I'm not full time.

I give up. I think my option is to just ignore and not turn up to these things or accept being expected to do tons of unpaid time.

We have a meeting tomorrow night for subject leaders to discuss it. It was decided by SLT last week though.

Herc - Remote learning attendance has dropped massively since the date for full school reopening was announced. Numbers in the classroom have been steady though despite the fact that very few are the children of genuine keyworkers.

I am studiously ignoring the tired displays in my classroom. They can remain tired until Easter. We normally change them every half term but strangely I am lacking the motivation for it. I did change them in the Christmas holidays. Thankfully my HT hasn't mentioned it - they are too busy thinking of annoying paper exercises to inflict on us and finding reasons to carry out formal lesson observations ASAP.

Honey you need to reply politely but shortly pointing out that you are not "free" then.

I give up. I think my option is to just ignore and not turn up to these things or accept being expected to do tons of unpaid time

I think I’d be tempted to have a standard email that you bang out to any arrangements that are outside your working hours.

And maybe one that you can send preemptively if arrangements are going to be made.

It’s so frustrating that your hours aren’t being remembered and that should change, but if it’s not going to, having a ready to go email might help stop you feeling so stressed.

Just a “Reminder that my working hours are..” type thing.

Rule - you're not alone with the diktat to assess. I will be welcoming mine back with a nice, cosy raft of pointless tests. So much for well-being. I have voiced my concerns but it fell on deaf ears. I think the children need a couple of normal weeks to settle back in to the routine of school, which would enable me to assess them informally based on their class work, but SLT disagree.

Honey I'd just email and say I won't be at the meeting so please make minutes available.

I'm 0.7 and miss loads of meetings because of my timetable.

Sorry I've not posted for a while - loads going on. Just had to share 2 words with you all though ...
OFSTED TOMORROW

what??!!!

Bloody Hellfire.

Just feels like I'm the mean petty one pointing out I'm not employed in those hours but ffs. I can already foresee the next issue will be the end of term inset day. I did my 2 days inset in September which is my contractual obligation, I came in on an unpaid day to do one of them so no I won't be there for the March one. If you're full time they're all on days where you would be teaching - if you're part time they can require you to go in for days when you're not actually paid so you're giving up a day rather than just doing inset instead of teaching.

School (business manager) policy is that they want part timers to prioritise the September start of year inset days but somehow this never gets filtered down to HODs so they get all arsy when they discover that no you won't be there.

I'm so tired of this. I hear what you're saying about standard email responses etc but when you know it's someone you just had a conversation with re: your contract and working hours and they still send you the pressure email it does feel like a total piss take. There's frequently this attitude that you're taking the piss somehow by attending less than them whilst blissfully ignoring that they get paid more than double what you do.

You can only point it out so many times before you feel like Scrooge for not wanting to continually work for free.

crackle WTF, good luck and may Chris be with you.

@noblegiraffe

Honey I'd just email and say I won't be at the meeting so please make minutes available.

I'm 0.7 and miss loads of meetings because of my timetable.

I've sent an email saying please send me details of what you discuss full stop. Done with it.

It's the equivalent of me saying let's have a meeting on Sunday morning but they'll never see it that way.

Honey If you say that you're not attending the meeting, what will happen?

My HOD would just say 'ok, thanks for letting me know'. There's no assumption that I'd go in for a meeting when I'm not working.

Crackle Wow you win.

Are they observing lessons? Can you kick them out and claim technical difficulties?

they still send you the pressure email it does feel like a total piss take

Hang on - was the email to you personally? I thought you it was to the whole dept?

Crackle oh my goodness!! Is it remote? Can you ask them why Michael Wilshaw is such a dick?

But why even say, 'we're all free' at x point when she knows I'm only free because I'm not paid? I've tried subtle, I've tried more clear, nothing works so I've got to just stick up those boundaries and hold to them and not be guilted into into ignoring them.

They're on full time salaries Noble - they must be able to see the difference between 35k and 14k surely?

Good grief crackle. Just when you think things can't get any worse!!

The whole department includes the male slt people who OF COURSE wouldn't be expected to attend - just us women who should do all the work even when not being paid. Sorry I will stop moaning at some point.

if you're part time they can require you to go in for days when you're not actually paid so you're giving up a day rather than just doing inset instead of teaching.

I went through this at length with the union as a part timer some years ago. It’s a common myth that you have to do pro rata insets and must do eg 2/5 if you are 0.2. You should ONLY do the insets that fall on your normal working days and cannot be instructed to attend any on your days off as you could quite easily have another job on those days. You can be invited in and should be offered remuneration if you agree. If you work Thursdays and Fridays and all INSETs were on a Friday, you would do all of them. If they were on a Monday, you would do none, so it’s in the interests of SLT to spread them out. It’s more complicated if you work parts of days, due to trapped time though.

Are older ones def back in the 15th in Wales? I'm back in Monday, but my dc are in school in Wales and I've lost track.

Ds got into to high school. There was no question, as it's just our local hs. Little concerned that there have been no virtual open eve or anything- or that anyone local has anything good to say about the school.

But: is he better going to a school he can walk to, where he already knows about 60 other kids? Or a religious school where he knows no one? Or a big high performing school by himself on a long bus ride where, if he misses his bus/ wants to do after school stuff he can't cos dh and I work too far away? I've been teaching 20 years. This should have been a lot easier to work out!

Sorry, that should read ‘2/5 if you are 0.4’.

Honey

Which bit are you most angry about? The attending meetings? The HoD forgetting your hours? Or is it part of your wider frustrations with the school?