Is every school so dreadfully lastminute.com?

[Elendel]

My last 3 schools have been like this. I don't jump schools (I was at my last one for 5+ years) but I have been in my current place 6 months and I want to leave because of just how disorganised everything is.

Communication is either non-existent or at practically no notice.

I am in a managing position, akin to a HoF I guess. I get an invitation for a meeting I am meant to lead halfway through my last period. I get notice of behaviour management changes the morning we're meant to implement it. Class changes that are meant to happen now are still being discussed. I am meant to be observing and coaching people but I have no idea who, probably wont until the actual week of working with them. The calendar changes at no notice and I get put on cover weekly at, again, maybe half an hour's notice on a bad day because of "emergencies".

Is every school utter chaos like this? My last place was like that, so was the school before. Or is it that my role is just popular in schools that absolutely don't have their shit together?

We're not a failing school either...

My school is exactly this at the moment. Staff leaving left, right and centre, huge decisions being made in the space of a few minutes' conversation.

We used to be 'outstanding' but that feels like a very distant memory now...

Unfortunately when you are down to a skeleton staff, this is what happens. Even the most organised places are finding the workload so high that they are just playing wack-a- mole. Absence in my school is high, money is tight so cover avoided at all costs and cover is difficult to get anyway. Everyone, from support staff to management, are overloaded and doing more work with way less staff than we had a few years ago. SEN needs are so high, parents really demanding and the pressure from above relentless. It feels like day to day survival at the moment. Even when advance plans are put in place they have to be changed at the last minute. Schools are sinking. It is very sad.

Also disorganised here due to too many responsibilities for too few staff. It's like spinning plates just when some are spinning well another one falls!

Definitely recognise some of this! Fortunately my school is somewhat sane in terms of not doing policy changes in the middle of a term.

YY to last minute meetings, often without the timing having been fully thought through and also changes to events with relatively short notice.

Certainly cover is usually last minute in all schools, if you know by 8am on the day then that's generally a good day. I think this is due to staff shortages and high staff absence- there's a lot of illness going around at the moment, and it's hard to get supply locally.

We also have rooming changes with minimal notice at the moment, because we don't actually have enough labs to teach all our science lessons in. Which is a major PITA, and some of my SEN students find it very difficult to cope with!

@Postapocalypticcowgirl id be a little suspicious re: supply difficulties. I’m semi retired and using supply to supplement my pension. I don’t take morning call, only pre poked and this hasn’t been a problem. This year I’m getting very little as schools seem to be winging it and hoping instead of planning ahead - to save money I presume. I’m sure it’s then meaning that staff are being asked to cover because they ‘can’t get supply’.

I use YouTube https://youtube.com/@STARPOEMSWORLD?si=4l4mqtMCQssMFOBc if I'm stuck for a few minutes. Here's their Halloween one

Inoffensive fun poems. Hope this helps!