The Fifty-fourth Republic - Easter holidays anyone?

[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 non-staff as it attracts the wrong sort of crowd.

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 do wear a mask

Yep - I say, right I'm going to quickly tell you how x is doing etc straight off as I'm conscious of how little time we have... I then whizz through that and ask if they have any questions or concerns. Generally grades, (on track, below etc and contextualise, calm things down etc) then a personal touch about the student and encouragement then any q's. Most great on point aware of time, occasional long waffly out there ignoring the clock ticking down but what can you do?

I like the ones where the kid is there with them and I can address a lot directly to them and get them to say if they agree they could eg. put a bit more effort in without breaking a sweat etc.

Had one earlier where the girl had clearly been crying just went into huge reassure positivity mode and focussed on them. Had another whose dad wants me to help them pass their nationality test I actually do love parents evening.

Year 11 sorry that wasn't clear.

Apparently ofqual have said this somewhere.... I cannot find it anywhere

Ofqual didn't say exactly that. They said that they were allowing schools to set their own assessments so that students could receive as much learning as possible. Their vision is not 'stop teaching at Easter and do a load of exams'.

It isn't surprising but my schol have literally turned these TAGs into a veeeery long period of exams. Proper timetables and everything.

I have just been given my third placement, another KS2 mainstream, which means I will have had:

KS2 mainstream
KS2 SEN
KS2 mainstream

I thought I needed at least one KS1 placement? I am on a SEN route and want to work in SEN. I don't feel like a naice village primary Y6 is going to help me there. Would appreciate any thoughts, I have emailed my alliance.

Ah OK thanks Piggy. Do you have a link to what they did say? Forewarned is forearmed and I think I may have a battle.

Am I the only one plagued by parents who seem to have a sixth sense for when I'm really busy and it's a really bad time to call/turn up? I've done two parents evenings online. The first one they called again and again and again and I didn't even have time to message saying stop and explained after why I couldn't answer their call. This time they called and called and managed to find a chance to message saying - middle of parents evening can't talk. So then my dad decides to come round and bang on the front door that is all of 3m away from where I'm doing my online appointments Luckily I was in a minute gap because it set the dog off barking, ds coming downstairs etc.

I don't hear from them every when it's convenient - it seems to always have to be at the worst possible time. Have messaged saying sorry if I was a bit snappy with dad but as I explained I was in the middle of a parents evening and I can't have doors knocking etc.

Just venting here because I can't vent at them but ffs - trying to keep the dog calm and the boy in his room is enough without my parents banging on the door when I've told them I can't be disturbed.

There are pros and cons to living close to one's family.

13 - no advice but no that doesn't seem very balanced placement wise.

Not really herc . It's implied and it is in their great big response to consultation document.

Our seem to be going on 21 May : but they have to because of our rollover timetable.

Aargh, first world prob, but am about to take part in a live audience event forR4 and don't get the technical details and there's NO way of contacting them!!

(It's a Fair Cop, should anyone be interested!)

Cheers piggy. I was under the impression that May half term would be fine. Makes a difference re other stuff/promises people made. If I have these classes til June I have been royally fucked over.

I don't want my year 11 and 13 til June. They seem to think they're leaving at may half term, but staff haven't been told anything (don't you just live it when the inform kids about things before they inform staff?). I have 3 exam classes, am doing a ton of stuff towards setting and marking their assessments, I can't do that AND still teach them AND mark every other year's summer exams AND write reports for everyone.

I almost cried in class today. Someone had to come and rescue me for half an hour.

Behaviour is beyond anything I've ever experienced, I have no idea how to deal with it.

Sorry to hear that rule

So sorry rule. I forget if you're primary or secondary?

Doesn't help you but behaviour isn't great where I am. Not awful awful and kids who know me are fine. But corridor kids I challenge have an air of rudeness that was never there before. No boundaries and too long unoccupied hasn't helped these kids.

I've noticed I'm a lot more relaxed with my own children in terms of expectations. Going easy on them because of lockdown. Multiply that effect and suddenly we have teens unable to cope with the new societal "rules".

Thanks @TheHoneyBadger Gosh that sounds annoying. My parents like to call when I am in school or at my children's bedtime, but they are 90 mins away, so don't have the risk of them turning up so much!

Dds high school told us weeks ago that as the deadline for compliling all evidence towards their final grade was 22nd june, that's the date they would be leaving after.

I'm sorry rule you've got a difficult class anyway this year, haven't you? Lockdown won't have helped any of them. I hope things get better for you soon. I have no suggestions though. Just similar to each September, keep reinforcing your expectations. It's really, really difficult without the resources to put proper behaviour systems in place and/or staff to support the children who are struggling (most of yours I think?)

Yeah, a challenging class anyway, but today was absurd. I mean, the right things have been carried out as consequences, and I've got support to get the 'issues' out tomorrow, but aaaagh. Today 6 children were just awful - think making noises (loud groans, screams, squeals etc), the whole time. I don't have the adults to deal with it in class. It's autism basically, so these children are probably really anxious, but they all bounce off each other. It's like dominoes.

I'm not going to have any of them in class tomorrow, it's not fair on the others. So much for bubbles. Fuck it.

Yes when they're local they can just override you not answering their call and turn up on the fucking doorstep

I actually went non contact for a while with my family because they had literally no respect for my boundaries and it was toxic imo for my little family of ds and I. As a result they are a million times better than they were but just, as biased and sad as this sounds, kind of incapable of considering anyone else and adjusting to that consideration? Very off topic for the thread but I feel more like parent than child especially having said a firm no in the past and let them back in gradually. It kind of is like dealing with children but children with whom you are very entwined and can't entirely ignore their shortcomings because they had such a direct effect on your development?

Meh. Lovely slot with my, quite possibly favourite student ever who also happens to be my 'Bobette' - found myself offering anytime, anyhow to help her get back on track and achieve what she's capable of. It's very biased of me but I love her! Tons of issues and difficult for many staff but I find her so open and honest and 'this is me' that I just love her.

Today 6 children were just awful - think making noises (loud groans, screams, squeals etc), the whole time

I feel your pain. This sounds like the year 8 group I see once a fortnight who make me feel like a trainee or supply teacher. Literally the behaviour is so ridiculous and basic, but with so many individuals at that level that I just despair of getting them shut up, sat down and started. This is mainstream but honestly half of that class displays behaviours and maturity levels that just do not fit at all with mainstream year 8. My partner teacher with that group who sees them more is a fan of 'bollocking' or 'losing it' - that is so not my style. I need to find a strategy.

I think year 8 are a lot lot less mature than normal. Lockdown has got them both ways, not a full year 7 and they aren't old enough to deal with remote learning etc properly independently. They're also maturing emotionally but alone. Wheras year 9 seem more grown up than ever. The chasm between the two year groups is wide!

(bar the classic year 9 silly boys who have not matured since year 6)

💐 for Rule.

I'm working with children with outstanding behaviour at the moment. The whole school is like that.

I really appreciate it. Really appreciate it.

It makes me realise just how incredibly stressful and exhausting poor behaviour is to deal with.

It's just draining.

It had to happen.

I finally have some completed NEA.

Our Y11/13 are provisionally leaving at May half term. Need them to leave then to be honest because we will have a load of jobs that we are pushing back to Summer 2 because of all the work around TAGs.

We're still calling ours CAGs, because it's not as if one teacher decides their grade....

We had May half term provisional date until this curve ball from SLT re end of June. Now they're saying the DfE said it. Going on a Google again....

Anecdata says most schools ending May half term. I wouldn't be sending my kids in after that date unless they had assessments still. Our CAGs have to be submitted to SLT by May half term. I don't want them after.