The Forty Fifth Republic - Can I get a hair appointment before the summer term starts?

[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

It's just completely unfair.

Do you get to see before submission? Or only after?

(OK I may have stay away () from this thread for the next four months as the parent of a Y11.....)

I was last year jan. I feel your pain. Rest easy : yours is not at my school!

Before herc. But I did think we were meant to give grades using the spectacularly useful grade descriptors.

You're not allowed to stay away, Jan. I'm barring the exit and buying you another drink.

That's awful piggy. Truly crap for anyone on a borderline. If you've got evidence of the higher grade they should get the higher grade!!!

Nooooo Jan

I had similar last year Piggy, I didn't find out what grades my kids got till results day.

Gosh, but Gavin said he trusted teachers!

Little did he know that SLT don't.

Our data guy is married to our EO. They had a child in year 11 last year.

I am glad I wasn't on this thread last year when I had a Y11! It was stressful enough without inside info. Sending gin and solidarity Jan!

I'm also relieved to be primary at the moment - my head is spinning from all the different hoops you're all having to jump through!

Two of our SLT have year 11s this year!

I think a lot of schools are openly sulking about their not being 'robust' exams and so have basically reintroduced them: hang student stress, teacher stress, and spirally workloads.

In hindsight, year 11 did have it easy last year.

One of ours does. One had a year 13 last year.

Apart from anything else surely it should be based on last years grade not a 'similar cohort'. There is no similar cohort re: lockdowns, remote learning etc OTHER than last years which were notably more generous than usual weren't they?

God-I feel for you lot in secondary and those with Y11/13s.

My own kids were Y 11/13 last year and once schools closed, basically did absolutely nothing from March till September then were given their predicted grades! Despite the brief (though v stressful!) grade shitstorm for y13, they are so grateful to not be in this year’s cohort.

The person from the board is making a big deal about grades needing to backed up with robust evidence from things like examiners in the team, use of the grade descriptors, exemplar materials.

use of the grade descriptors

It was higher than a 6 - oh yes and the descriptor of a 6 is? Yeah, pretty circular.

It would work for history so long as we used our exam boards descriptors not the crap that came out recently.

MrsH what person from the board?

Didn't ofqual say similar grade profile to 17/18/19?

Our SLT have notoriously small groups (PE). This isn't helping.

I genuinely once moderated some coursework where the teacher had written helpful things like "Bob is a lovely boy and deserves 15/15" which was about as
much use as those grade descriptors..

The A level paper made available by Edexcel for schools to use is a heap of shit! It has been put together by the work experience guy called Gavin. I do a far better job on my own using exampro (actually far better just doing my own stuff in general )

Slight subject change sorry, but can I ask what kind of clothes you all wear to work in summer?

As my PGCE was cut short, I haven’t actually been in the classroom during summer term yet.

Bonus points if they work for middle-aged, short, chubby, big-boobed folk?! My winter wardrobe has been very much dresses + thick tights + blazer, the blazer being part of the “fake it til you make it”, look like you know what you’re doing thing. I hate my arms on show and also prefer not to draw attention to my boobs. Comfy and not too hot is key, we have some classrooms which are already fairly sweltering as they are above the hot water pipes

No good saying 'similar grade profile to 17/18/19 when the subjects didn't exit in two or all of those years... and when it did, the cohort was entirely different.

Primary here. In summer I wear dresses, cardigans and birkenstocks. We don't have much of a dress code beyond no jeans. I wear dresses that are below the knee, and three quarter sleeve cotton cardis.

@RuleWithAWoodenFoot

Primary here. In summer I wear dresses, cardigans and birkenstocks. We don't have much of a dress code beyond no jeans. I wear dresses that are below the knee, and three quarter sleeve cotton cardis.

Thank you. Do you go bare leg? I’m not sure I’m brave enough for that, which is why I’m currently pondering summer trousers of some kind!