Timetabling issues

[MintBee]

My new HOD has done the timetabling for next year. I am a business teacher who has got the best KS4 and 5 results in the whole school. I also teach some KS3 computer science but not a specialist by any means. At my school we teach BTECs so a mixture of coursework and exams for business studies. I originally went for the HOD job but was unsuccessful when I got my interview feedback my deputy headteacher told me they wanted someone to run the department who had more experience of teaching computer science and IT because last year grades were not great.

My new HOD has mainly been teaching comuter science and IT in their career and has done some business studies in the past. I have seen my timetable and I have been given 7 computer science classes for KS3 and less business studies KS4 and 5 classes compared to this year. Inparticular have been given a lot of Y9 classes which I have never taught before and is usually taught by a specialist as it is so close to GCSE. Plus I only teach Y7 and share one Y8 class currently.

I have also seen my HODs timetable who has timetabled themselves to have no KS4 or 5 computing or IT classes, they only to have 3 computer science KS3 lessons. They have timetabled themselves to teach more business studies KS4 and 5 than me. They have timetabled themselves to have coursework units and no exam. They have also timetabled themselves to have a PGCE student three periods over two weeks who is training to be a business studies teacher.

This makes no sense to me nor the rest of my department. I have a strong suspicion they are trying to have an easier life because a lot of the business studies classes they have chosen are coursework units.

Does this make sense to anyone else?

take it to the HOD and ask for equality in the timetable. Or take it to SLT. Unfortunately some HODs are selfish when it comes to timetable.

I suggest highlighting the swaps when you speak to them.

e.g should be a like for like period swap
P2 Monday swap year 9 for year 11 for example

I really am not being funny. How old are you and are you being managed out? Sorry I am very cynical of massive changes to you specialist subject.. set you up to fail and supported by SLT?

As a senior leader who has line managed a number of BTEC subjects, I must say I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone fight to want to teach more BTEC coursework units. I haven’t personally taught BTEC, but teachers from all sorts of departments have always told me that BTEC coursework units are the worst thing to teach from a workload perspective. I’ve certainly never heard anyone describe it as an easier life.

Having said that, it does sound odd. If you aren’t teaching KS4 and 5 computing and IT and neither is the new HOD then where have those lessons gone?

I’d be inclined to query this with SLT and see what they say. We don’t allow HODs to dictate the timetable unchecked. As others have said, some HODs timetable really selfishly if they are given free rein and that’s not fair.

Be very careful. This is very similar to what happened to me but in a new school. I was completely set up to fail from day 1 and it didn’t end well and in fact ended my career. I wound definitely take it up with SLT ASAP.

Does your HoD actually manage the timetable though?
In our school, we have a resourcing manager who does the timetabling for the entire school. It’s a mammoth task that usually begins as early as February and finalised around the first week in July when we have usually recruited to replace leavers.

The HoD’s have minimal input; students are allocated their classes based on their mid year assessments. Teachers are aligned based on their specialisms vs the amount of directed time each teacher is required to have.

That’s the OPs issue. They are not being aligned based on their specialism and skills. It sounds like the HOD has given themselves an easy life without considering the OPs strengths and experience. I’ve never worked anywhere where the person in charge of timetabling has any say over who teaches which classes and subjects, that’s always down to the HOD or SLT.

They need to raise this issue with SLT.
My last post seems that the HoD’s don’t have much input into this. They do and don’t.
Class allocations are based on mid year assessments, any recommendations for movement are identified by teacher and the HoD approves them.