Do your SLT have regular WFH days?

[GinJeanie]

Out of interest, I just wondered if this was a thing in other schools? It seems to have caught on in our school...

Bloody hell. That’s definitely not a thing in my school. Some of us have had WFH days due to Covid isolations but it’s definitely not a normal part of how we work. Most of us teach every day and covering lunch duties and gate duties is tough enough already without people being off site for WFH days.

I think it would seed resentment within SLT too, as some SLT roles just can’t be done from home. I’d be a bit pissed off if the SLT with less pupil-facing portfolios (data, finance, training etc) were WFH leaving those of us with the responsibility for safeguarding, behaviour, and key stages on site picking up their duties and doing all of the on-the-ground stuff. We already do a disproportionate share of the “fire fighting” as part of our roles and get a lot less uninterrupted time for planning and paperwork during the day. I’m not complaining about that as it’s part of my job, but I’d be annoyed if the others weren’t doing a fair share of corridor walks, duties, on-call periods and day-to-day crisis management because they were sat at home catching up on their paperwork and emails.

Not at our school or DH’s

None of ours teach - DHT and AHT used to a few years ago bit that's not happening any more. We're in a special school. All now taking regular WFH days it seems. Just being nosey really as have been middle leadership and in my school for over 15 years and don't have a clue what happens elsewhere...

Our SLT can take their management time at home, just as staff can take their PPA time at home too. Often they don't choose to as they might need to be in school to carry out their roles but, if they wanted or needed to be at home, they could.

@spanieleyes - maybe that's what's going on then. I just wondered as it's relatively new and only been since the pandemic.

We were the same, PPA and management time used to be taken in school, during COVID we moved to taking both at home and discovered we could all get much more done there so have continued!

OK, thanks - good to know

Yes

No one in my school is allowed to take non contact time off site.

No. When I was SLT in my old school, we used to have one day off site together a year. Used to sit and work in local Costa.

No, all our senior team are in school every day, unless they are ill or at an external meeting. I am about to move onto the senior team and will also be in every day.

I wouldn't want to leave my team with no senior.

I’m actually a bit shocked that this is becoming a thing in some schools. I think I’d be pretty annoyed if I was a member of staff there. Your job as a member of SLT is so much about being available to staff and students and around in school. Personally, I think any member of SLT who judges their impact by the amount of paperwork they can get done and emails they can send has missed the point of what they are there for. I think SLT often benefit from a bit less time sat at a screen.

Perhaps it's different in primary. Our SLT get half a day a week management time, ( there are two of them) so there is always one in school, plus the Head and often the Exec head. Usually they stay in school but if they have a big data report or something labour intensive, they might work from home. The rest of the time they are definitely available for staff and pupils😁

That’s a good point. I think I see this through the lens of a secondary school.

It also depends on your specific role and the structure of the leadership team. Some statutory work is very difficult to complete within the school environment and yet requires hours of dedicated time and has formal deadlines.

@Newrumpus - I completely understand that - it's bad enough as a pastoral middle leader needing to be there to provide support during the day and simultaneously teach. There's no way any teacher or middle leader would be able to concentrate on a big project whilst on the school premises.
Do SLT complete lots of their paperwork evenings and weekends too? Obviously teaching staff/middle leaders are expected to put in many hours when not in the classroom and this isn't available during the school day in quite the same way. Have considered an SLT role in the past but am uncertain what the workload is like and on balance I think it's probably worse...

I work harder in my current role than I ever have previously. Evenings, weekends and school holidays. I do teach a fair bit too.

My last HT was always coming in late and his car was missing from his parking space a lot during the day. He seemed to have n awful lot of meetings to attend off site - funny how lots of them were first thing in the morning and lasted till after lunch. Not a chance - he was giving himself permission to wfh.

The SLT in charge of timetabling wfh for several weeks in June and July so he 'didn't get disturbed' doing his very important work. Which he messed up. Every year. Then dumped it onto the HODs to sort out.

In fact, on an average day I would say at least two of our ever expanding SLT were 'off site'. Which was great for them - no fights to break up, corridors to patrol, shouty parents to deal with. It put a lot more pressure on the less well paid.

The HT did not teach. The deputies on paper taught a very nominal amount - but often had their lessons covered - especially if there was a HLTA or a supply in with a 'free' going spare. The rest of the SLT had very reduced tts - and were allowed to reject classes they didn't like the look of on the draft tt.

@Newrumpus - blimey, that sounds hardcore, particularly if you're in the classroom too. None of our SLT teach and from what I can gather that's pretty unusual. AHT and DH used to do some teaching under the old Headteacher we had. You've confirmed my suspicions that I'm going to stay where I am 😱 Hoping to reduce my hours in the future by going p/t not increase them!

I'm primary but am Head of school, DSL, SENCO and teach! I am in school pretty much every day but there are some jobs that you just can't do with constant interruptions, trying to complete a 30 page paediatric referral or 23 page EHCP application with a steady procession of knocks on the door is just impossible and takes three times as long. So they are usually completed at weekends or holidays. But I can't do everything out of school hours so, every now and again, i have a " work in peace day" . It's the only way I can survive!

My SLT (primary)have 1 full day a week out of the classroom (which I think is too much). They take the afternoon WFH. Staff can't WFH in our PPA time.

Lots of class teachers are a bit annoyed by this. Schools run best when there is a very strong sense of 'We're all in this together!' Hard to feel like that when SLT are taking perks.

spaniel

Isn't dealing with those "interruptions" part of your job?

I used to get 'interrupted' when I was doing the million and one non teaching tasks I had to do. Sadly, I was not allowed to wfh - well I was, but the rest of the working popuation would call these times 'evenings' 'weekends' and 'holidays'.

This is why my day in school started at 7am. The only time of the day when I would be left in peace. I also didn't have a PA fielding phone calls, or acting as a gatekeeper to ensure I was able to sit in my office getting on with work with no interruptions. I was also on a third of the salary of my HT.

When the consequences of missing a deadline are that someone potentially loses their job as a chunk of required funding isn’t allocated, it makes dealing with the interruption at that moment seem foolish.

There may well be schools were senior staff take advantage and use flexible arrangements not available to the wider staff. There are also occasions where it is rational and proportionate to prioritise tasks that cannot be efficiently completed within school for the benefit of the whole school community.

Our HT is almost invisible the last year, COVID has given her an excuse to stop doing so many things that other schools seem to be able to manage. Highlight for me was office staff working from home beyond lockdown even though they work in an office behind a glass screen. Phone never seems to get answered anymore.