New classroom requirements

[MrsGHarris]

I'm a new teacher starting in a new classroom.
When I saw the room in the summer it had been stripped. The previous teacher took everything - display boards are stripped of backing paper, no storage in the classroom, no table for me to put my laptop, laminated pouches, no whiteboard rubber! Let alone any colouring pens or pencils for the children

When I spoke to my Year Lead her response was a shrug whilst telling me her budget is limited and any orders now won't be in until Oct anyway!!
The other teacher in my Year group buys his own colouring pens, pots etc.

I feel like I'm being forced to spend on basic requirements.
Is this normal?

Sounds awful! You should have been left with at least the basics! No desk? Really taking the piss...
Also, your boards should have been backed for you or at least discussed with you...

I think boards being stripped in normal. It is normal to go in during the holidays and get boards started- Twitter is currently full of people posting pictures of their labours.

A completely empty classroom might be better than one that's been left full of junk. I've inherited cupboards that there wasn't any room left in before- that is a lot of work to sort out.

I'd be expecting to buy a few bits and bobs- but not essentials like pencils and board pens. Is there a stationery cupboard you haven't found yet? Sometimes it is guarded by the office staff!

Personally, I ask for boards to be stripped and I'd rather have empty cupboards. However, I've left loads of resources and stuff in my old classroom for my colleague and she's giving me loads of her stuff. She's moving to Year 1 while I'm moving to Year 3...we're basically swapping.
Check with your Year leader. There should be backing paper around. Ours is kept in the Art room, altbough I've got my own stuff as well. I'd also check what the deal is with pencils and pots. There should be stuff around and it should have been ordered for you. I have my Year group's supplies in my classroom cupboard at the moment but will distribute them to my team at the start of the year.
No, the idea is not that you buy everything yourself. That's ridiculous.

Thank you for your reassuring words. I shall go a-hunting in art cupboard etc once school opens in August.

It depends how big a school you are but I would speak to the people who hold the purse strings - the office or SMT - not other teachers, even if those teachers are more senior than you. I joined a new school where the UPS teachers were paying for all sorts out of their own pockets. The SBO didn't even blink when I told her I'd be putting receipts in. Sometimes school staff go on about lack of budgets not actually having asked. No member of SMT is going to actually tell you you need to buy felt tip pens or backing paper for your class if you ask them directly.

Maybe the old teacher took all the pencils, pots etc because they'd paid for them out of their own pocket. I know I would.

I think it's normal to need to cover your display boards. I used to do mine with fabric so it could stay up permanently.

No way should you be buying basic stationery out of your own pocket. If this is expected, I'd be sending a note home the first day, asking for donations and I'd tell management I was doing it. I bet some supplies or a budget would appear pretty quick then!

Absolutely normal in all the schools I’ve taught in…if you’re lucky you get some rickety bits of old furniture. Re the boards the rules in the schools I’ve worked at have always been they must be completely stripped before the Summer and re backed ready to go by new teacher by 9am on inset first day back, so everyone does it in the holidays. Charity shops and IKEA are your friends .

Is this primary or secondary?

Do pupils bring their own pencil cases?

The no laptop table etc is bizarre. The boards are understandable.