Anyone else feeling slightly nervous about the Christmas term?

[PumpkinPie2016]

I'll begin by saying I do love my school. We have a genuinely decent SLT, kids are good on the whole and I like my colleagues. I am assistant head of a core faculty and will become head of faculty at Christmas.

Last half term was honestly the hardest first half term I have ever done (seems it was for a lot of people looking at twitter). We had a lot of staff absence in our department for various reasons- totally not the colleagues faults but it means sorting cover etc. Then there is the pressure around Y11 and 13 for the upcoming exams. Our 11s started GCSE in Y9 so all of the course has been disrupted for them. 13s have never sat an external exam and had a disrupted Y12. Gap groups need to be focused on. The list is endless

I know everyone is in the same boat and I apologise for moaning but I am a slightly dreading the run up to Christmas if it's anything like last term was

Someone tell me that it isn't just me (words of wisdom also welcome )

It’s not just you! We have OFSTED looming, too. We are on our knees.

OMG dogs I think if Ofsted were looming, I'd actually go over the edge!

Not just you. Ofsted due. Kids crazy. Gaps galore

Sorry you are also due Ofsted monkey.

The gaps are worrying - for all years but especially 11/13. It just feels like an insurmountable task

I need to make some sort of plan with my TLR holders but when we also have issues with cover etc. It feels like fire fighting.

Not just you either.
I've been looking at options outside of teaching for September and haven't felt this way in a long time.

There really was something about last half term wasn’t there? I don’t know if it’s just the result of the last 18 months hitting everything full whack or that absolutely every school seems to now be due Ofsted, but that was a bloody hard term.

My only breather now is that Ofsted visited us the week before half term. And we did well. I’ve spent half this week asleep. Now to deal with the inevitable aftermath, because however well you do, somethings never right...

I am. I'm going back to a OFSTED expecting school after time off with covid. I'm still not great. I am solely responsible for year 6 results and they haven't had a full year since year 3. Some of them still need phonics and about a third can't recognise what a half is. I gave my accurate sats predictions to slt and they gave me back "aspirational" targets- for which read "fucking ludicrous".

Concerned about 2 things:

Staff absence making school feel unsafe - same as it did in the Xmas term 2020.

Me getting covid just before Xmas holidays, meaning I don't get to go on my skiing holiday.

Sorry to hear that @LolaSmiles twitter is sadly full of teachers who are looking to leave the profession

There really was something about the last half term! I think it's staff absence that made it so hard for me and I think the next half term will be similar.

@phlebasconsidered I think you have hit the nail on the head as well about responsibility for results when kids haven't had a normal school year for 2 years!

We're also due OFSTED any day now! The chances of them arriving on a day we actually have all (or anything close to it) our full staff team in are pretty slim.... so that will be stressful!
It's going to be a long term I think!!

Yes I’m really worried after last haft term,
The exam year pressure is awful added to that I have so many students who are struggling to cope so I’m finding pastoral issues really draining.
I was falling apart before the half term holiday and I don’t feel refreshed enough after 1 week off. The run up to Christmas is always tough but this year it’s going to be even worse.