The Sixty Third Republic - as we glide into staycations the DfE whip up anti-school media storm

[StaffRepFeistyClub]

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That's rubbish piggy.

We try not to split classes unless it's absolutely unavoidable. I've got one split class next year, because their actual teacher only works 3 days and they get 4 lessons a week, so I've got one lesson a week with a year 10 class. I'll probably then take that class properly for year 11, as their other teacher is planning to retire at the end of next year (that's when her son leaves sixth form, so it makes sense). The only other split classes I ever have are sixth form but those are split into Pure and Applied so it doesn't really feel like a split class, as I have responsibility for a whole section. I would hate to have lots of split classes, it's really rubbish.

Yes, we always split A level : that's standard .

Split classes are a fact of life at my school, as we are split across two sites that are a 10 minute drive from one another. We do all we can to reduce “travels”, so that means splits. Every year some departments get luckier than others. Our department had a car crash of a timetable a couple of years back. This year is fine for us, but one of the core departments with more part time staff has ended up with a lot of split classes. It’s not great, but our timetablers really have done their best within the parameters the HODs gave them.

You have my sympathy Piggy. I’ve been teaching split classes this academic year at GCSE and it’s a hassle. As someone who has usually taught at least one split class per year, my advice is to find a way to teach different topics and have separate exercise books. Trying to pass back and forth one lesson at a time is a nightmare. Did that once as an NQT for a term. Never again!

We have split classes. I only teach 2 groups this year that are solely ‘mine’ out of 9

I had loads of split classes this year - 4 with a complete slacker as someone else said. Been a bit of a nightmare. Next year we're hoping not to have them. I've peaked at sims and from the looks of what has been put on my timetable so far I have a shit ton of year 7s. Have year 6 done sats this year primary colleagues?

I only have one year 8 group - far prefer the year 8 content than the year 7. Timetable still may completely change and I have really weird gaps so far that better not turn into a load of trapped time.

I don't mind split classes when the person I'm sharing with works equally hard and has similar expectations, but hate sharing a split class when the person I share with is disorganised, does the bare minimum, has low expectations of work and behaviour.

Not a problem with split classes for me😂 (as with DH)

Oh yes, we have had them for year madame. I am well seasoned in it. It is just annoying me as I fell like I am backfill/job-sharing with about 5 staff.

We aren't allowed separate exercise books, annoyingly.

Split classes at my school and it isn’t the fault of part timers because we get given shit timetables rather than full days/decent blocks of time off. I haven’t seen my timetable yet and am dreading finding out how much unpaid trapped time I have. One year it was 8 hours a fortnight. They also try to pull shit like having you teach P1 and P5, or timetabling you with a day with just one lesson, say P3, then still giving you a tutor period on that day.

Yeah, not the fault of pters at all but we just have so many more now! We used to have one; we now have 8.

No trapped time for ours (unless they want it : we have one who used to request it!)

Two particular colleagues seem very good at playing hard ball. TLRs, full time allowance ; work 2 days. Have A Level...

We also have an SLT and two HOYs 'teaching' in the dept, so that causes issues too

All our splits are caused by A level and having 3 of us with TLRs outside the dept. That's before you add the PTers into the mix.
I don't object to splits per se... we are allowed different books which helps. I do object to sharing with people who don't mark their books/ are always late/ etc so when students are quizzed from on high, it lands equally on the doer and the not-doer.
I share two a levels classes with the same person, and we're convinced that it's to reduce complaints. We're doers and kids used to complain incessantly about the other teachers in the pairings not marking etc. Now the not-doers are together so the kids don't know any better!

They couldn't get away with giving us trapped time. Not sure why it's different.

I had to get the union involved over my timetable at one point.

The burgundy book is shit for part timers though, particularly ones who don't have full days off. It only says that they should try to avoid trapped time.

I think your rules are very open to interpretation anyway - all the additional hours that you can be asked to do.
No one in Scotland works a 35 hour week, it's always more, but because that is what our contact says you can at least use it to say no to some requests because it all should in theory be doable in 35 hours!

I have trapped time and a stupid imbalance of really long days and then days where I only have 2 lessons with trapped time in between. I've emailed timetabler. It's always a bloody battle.

A colleague doing 4 days over 5 has one lesson on a Friday!

I've seen my class list (not my timetable) for my new school and they apparently split classes as standard (science, so possibly so you teach 'out of specialism' less). I have 12 classes, all KS4, all split, all mixed ability except the y11s.

If I'd known this I might not have accepted the job, hopefully it'll be fine...

A colleague doing 4 days over 5 has one lesson on a Friday

Please tell me it’s not last period.

That does sound tough frlfrl mixed ability up to year 11 is tricky.

I’ve got my timetable for my new school. On the whole I’m pretty pleased. A few split classes but the people I’m spilt with are very good. If anything they’ve been lumbered with me, not the other way round

Last day over and done with!

I had 3 cards from students and the messages made me all teary.

Weve got cases at dc school now 2 so its spread.

Also re behaviour do you think this is impulsivity or just investigation to get a reaction.
The dc play after school in a wooded area and it's a mix of primary ages. The parents cant see in due to.leaves.
Recently dc2 got punched twice in the back and today another parent talked about a kid previously telling others to pull trousers down etc.
So we were disagreeing over whether that kid is impulsive. I thought not as they controlled themself at school and when in sight of others. But still think its immaturity and they will grow out of it.

While clearly I'm not in the UK, in my school I've only ever heard of one split class, and it wasn't a part-timer issue, so I'm not sure why it's a thing in there UK, as it was in my last UK school. It's true that the number of part-timers can reach a tipping point when it all gets difficult. Only family leave teachers can require PT. Also, if a teacher is not on family leave, going PT is a one-way street; you can't require an increase in your hours if your circumstances change, though you can ask.

The contract is far more prescriptive too, everything has to fit in 38 hours per week, which includes meetings, lunch, recess, lesson and non-contacts. It doesn't mean management don't try it on though.[hmm}

One good thing for part-timers is that those on four or three-day fractions have to be given whole days, not part. The other side of this is you get less choice about the classes you teach. I bargained for Monday being a day I must teach and gave up on any other conditions. It meant I got more paid days off because of public holidays.

How can you have a part time teacher teach 3 days and not have split classes? Our KS4 classes, for example, have maths 4 days a week, so you couldn't have a part time teacher on 3 full days teach KS4 without a split.

We didn't have the problem , indeed , when they had 5 or even 6 lessons a fortnight. The problem arose when we went to 8, created split classes, therefore standards did not actually rise because curriculum and communication became chaotic...

Lots of split classes at my school. Next year all year 7 classes ( english) are split 2 or 3 ways. I am down for 3 of them. My daughter starts year 7 in September so waiting to see if I get her.
Not been on here for a while. Rolled from tags, to assessments for all classes, to reports. Then slt dropped 2 weeks of book looks and learning walks on us starting this week. Utterly clueless to the mood of the staff.

Sounds fun flump.