I like the private school I’m working in for many reasons (smaller classes, attractive environment, more creative freedom, longer holidays) but there are some core problems that I think will make me really unhappy in the long run:
•I’m a Year 1 teacher but there is no daily phonics teaching in place by my head of Year (in fact she has always made her TA teach phonics because she’s never had training so doesn’t do it) and no particular scheme available for any of us to use.
•No budget for CPD
•There are no assessments in place so it’s hard to track progress.
• SPAG is not taught in a systematic way- just random lessons here and there.
•There is no pay progression. Once you hit 40K, that’s it forever, even if you take on more responsibility.
•Budget allocation for the school year is £10 per child, per year. Leaving me with only £200 for the whole year. Out of this, I have to buy all art resources, xmas card bits, Mother’s Day things etc. All of us teachers have now run out of money and that’s it for the rest of the year.
•The iPads are old fashioned, there’s only about 3 per class of 20 children and the 6 computers are so slow to start that there’s no point.
•There’s a forest school but no one has has forest school training so we don’t get as much out of it as we could.
• Colleagues constantly use my resources - often without asking so when I go to use them they’re gone. It’s either a communal stock cupboard or it isn’t but I feel I’m being taken for a ride.
•we all spend our own money on resources because there is so little in our budgets. Despite the school taking very large fees from parents.
•If children are rude, badly behaved or for example tearing their work up and refusing to work, we are not allowed to give sanctions and are encouraged to feel sorry for the child.
•There is no allocation of who does what within Year 1 teams so most of the planning/ resourcing falls to whoever can be bothered -causing stress to those holding the bulk of the responsibility for no extra pay.
•The Head doesn’t spend any time in the Pre-Prep and doesn’t seem to value the staff.
•The few schemes of work we have don’t make complete sense unless you’ve received the training and no one has.
I’m pretty unimpressed with the lack of ambition, rigour and investment in the school and the skills of its staff.
I need to start looking elsewhere don’t I?
Where do I start with tackling the above!?