The Fifty-first republic - twice weekly tests and wear masks at all time till Easter

[StaffRepFeistyClub]

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.

Do not give the staffroom password to others just in case it attracts the wrong sort

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 booze is stashed - Thirsty Tuesdays, Fizz Fridays now in operation. Do not sit on the chairs and wear a mask.

This is becoming an issue for me. People don't reply to bloody emails - sometimes for days. I don't want to hassle because 'mental health', but REPLY TO YOUR EMAILS I CAN'T MAKE DECISIONS WITHOUT YOUR INPUT.
This. I need a decision. It's well above my pay grade because it involves spending thousands of pounds on something that isn't really anything to do with me. But everyone is ignoring my emails.
I get that - in the light of their workload - it's a minor thing... but it's a big time consuming job for me and I need a go/no go.

"I think overtime we have under invested in early years as a nation"

Fuck. Ing. Hell!

No shit Sherlock. Summer school won't though help mate.

Honey, that all sounds v valid; you have been treated unfairly.

Herdy I can understand your worry. But they should have discussed anything that's your issue with you first, so this is surely and up to speed meeting?

(Honey, you'll understand this, although I realise it's a bit different from the experience of teaching staff):

I'm a little annoyed that have discovered today I'm expected to work nearly 7 hours extra next week - on top of my usual 19. So that's about 35% more time.

Yes I'll get TOIL, yes it's because of the pig's ear next week will be due to DfE mickey mouse plans, yes I appreciate we all need that 'can do' attitude, but I do not appreciate no one asking me if that was OK.

To be fair, the only person who might have thought about my being part time is my boss, and she's got a lot going on personally at the moment.

Sorry am probably moaning to the wrong people on here, obvs I know you teachers do loads more than contracted hours.

Yeah but we’re paid more, Jan

Support staff get roped into this sort of shit so that teachers can ‘concentrate on teaching’ which is nice for us but crap for you.

Looking for a bit of advice.

I'm NQT+1 and been on 1 year contracts at the same school for the last two years. I've got a few reasons to think they may not need someone full time in my role next year.

There's been a flurry of jobs come out locally recently, and I've applied to a few, and just been offered an interview at a school for next Monday (seems a mad day to run interviews but anyway). On the one hand, given a staggered start, my absence on Monday shouldn't cause any issues at my current school BUT I feel like it's likely to go down like a sack of cold sick with my SLT if I ask for the first day back off to attend an interview.

Obviously, I need to go to the interview, as I can't afford to not have a job in September- but how would people approach this? And would you email your HoD or head directly?

I line manage the library. It really irks me that the wonderful hard working do anything for anyone librarian is constantly expected to do more "for the kids". She is not paid to do more for the kids. Stop making her feel like she should!!!!

@RuleWithAWoodenFoot

particularly in these lockdown times of not being able to find someone for a quick chat

This is becoming an issue for me. People don't reply to bloody emails - sometimes for days. I don't want to hassle because 'mental health', but REPLY TO YOUR EMAILS I CAN'T MAKE DECISIONS WITHOUT YOUR INPUT.

I know that they are sending emails to their mates in school, so it's not a lack of time.

Grr.

I’d get it if I’d missed something - but no one discussed it with me. Even if we were in school they wouldn’t have discussed it with me. I talked to the child’s LSA yesterday as well and she didn’t say a word. People not answering emails = twatty and making things deliberately difficult. Shutting out a staff member deliberately - that’s not ok whatsoever. And this seems to be a theme in some line managers although I don’t actually have a line manager.

Sorry you’re also feeling crap Honey.

Go for it Sansa!

Sansa I’d email your HOD and say you’ve got an interview and you appreciate it’s short notice but which forms do you need to fill out to request absence?

Just matter of fact. Schools are used to stuff like this.

Congrats sansa
In normal times we have a form which gets signed by the line manager, and then I'd go to see the head with it rather than it being handed in in a pile. So I would follow the protocol for normal - if that means emailing HOD first to "ask" for the time off, do that first, and then email the head and say what you've said here...that you're very happy at the school but...

@noblegiraffe

Sansa I’d email your HOD and say you’ve got an interview and you appreciate it’s short notice but which forms do you need to fill out to request absence?

Just matter of fact. Schools are used to stuff like this.

Thank you- I will do. It's a bit tricky as HoD is currently split between two people (another reason to leave, really)- one of them knows I am looking as I asked him to be my second reference.

I will email them both and do absence forms when I'm in school tomorrow.

It sounds like it’s above your pay grade/not your problem Herdy rather than not valuing your input.

Ok, I have emailed HoDs- I will fill in the relevant form tomorrow. My line manager is supposed to sign it, but hopefully there will be a way around that. I'm not sure if the head is on site tomorrow, but if he's not I will scan it and email it or discuss it with the SLT lead in tomorrow.

In some ways, it's actually the least inconvenient day for me to have off that week- Tuesday would probably be much worse, but I just feel asking for that Monday off is not going to go down well!

Herdy it really does sound like a safeguarding issue or something that can't be discussed with you. But of course we're all paranoid!

There's never a truly convenient time. I've given up trying to make medical appointments fit - no one ever thanks you so I'm afraid I take them as they come now.

Regarding Ofsted (I hope it's going well for you crackle and for carrie's DH) I have been through 4 inspections (one while 8 months pregnant) and been observed in all of them. Apparently I'm an Ofsted magnet.
💐 to you honey and I hope your HOD sorts their shot out.
💐 for herdy too - I hate being left out of those conversations. I always assume it's because I'm the teacher bitch from hell!
In fact, 💐 for everyone, we all deserve some!

Hobnobs I had three inspections in my pgce year - both schools and uni department were done, schools were proper old style five day inspections and I was observed in all three (well, my host teachers were observed observing me!). I’ve lost count how many I’ve been through since. It was always good teaching in a lab with an extra lock on the door because no one (other than dept colleagues) could just wander in without at least knocking on the door

What is going on in Medway? Why are a third of schools closed there? Why is attendance much lower than the average? Medway was one of the areas hit by the new variant before Christmas.

schoolsweek.co.uk/data-reveals-huge-variation-in-spring-term-school-attendance-across-england/

Ooh... I know last week a whole Welsh authority shut its schools.

Hmm interesting re Medway.

Kevan sounding more and more sensible:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-56251365

Although am not sure what he means by teachers needing to teach differently from how they've every taught before??

I think it's just a turn of phrase but it doesn't sound very complimentary!!!

Although am not sure what he means by teachers needing to teach differently from how they've every taught before

Sounds like a meaningless sound bite to me.