Ofsted

[Karolfe]

So since going back to work after having my little girl I have been working two days a week which I have been finding a lot anyway managing the workload and then coming home to care for my daughter and look after the house. But last week ofsted came into my school and it was during the days I don’t work so I missed it. I feel like I should have made more effort to go in but I couldn’t actually get the child care. However when I went in to school I was called for a meeting with a member of SLT and she basically said I should have come in regardless of anything else and said having a child isn’t an excuse, she said it was noticed I wasn’t there and people weren’t happy about this. In future I should make the effort to come in when ofsted are there and said when I’m in school I should be giving 100% and when at home this is my time making out as if I wasn’t doing enough basically.

Just wondered if you think this is fair? I just took it on the chin and apologised for this but spoke to a friend and she flipped and said this was out of order? Not sure what to think?

let me know what you think

thank you

This is bang out of order. I'd be mentioning this to a union rep. Your days off are your days off. End of story. If they haven't got enough staff to manage when ofsted are in, then they have a personnel issue, which isn't your job to fix. You are paid for 2 days, you did your two days. I'd have told them that to come in on a day off for ofsted would be double time.

You should not be expected to be in on your days off. So many SLT members and Headteachers think that the teachers should put the job before, all else. It's just so out of order that you are made to feel bad for simply having your day off!

I’m a HT and I wouldn’t expect teachers who are part time to come in on their days off. Teachers have generally requested a flexible working pattern because of their commitments outside of work and may not necessarily be available to work. I mean it would be appreciated if they did come in, but I think it is totally inappropriate for SLT to question this.

This is totally unacceptable. Do you lead a subject which was picked for a deep dive? That's the only reason I can understand why they may have been pissed off you couldn't come in, as it meant one of them had to lead the talks on something they perhaps don't feel overly comfortable with/knowledgeable on. Otherwise what were they expecting you to do on that day? Your lessons were covered by your job share, surely?

Even if your subject was picked for a deep dive, it's out of your control that it fell on your day off. They can ask if you're available, to come in for overtime to be part of it, but they cannot expect you to be there. Ofsted give one day's notice. That's often not enough time to arrange childcare and they should be understanding of that.

If you have sole lead of a subject area, working only 2 days a week, that's on them if they didn't think ahead to buddy you up with a member of SLT who could have become more clued up on the subject and what it looks like in school in the (likely) eventually you would be unavailable to come in when Ofsted came calling.

You have done nothing wrong and their attitude is disgusting. I would consider getting your union involved.

I would definitely contact your union. It was a non-working day and you could not get childcare. I would even think that there must be something in employment law that stipulates that they cannot demand you come in given your child caring responsibilities, especially at such short notice.
This is one of the things that is a danger within education I feel, when senior leadership lose their sense of moral compass. Their job is to act appropriately in managing the downward pressure and they have a duty to look after staff well-being.

I remember as a trainee teacher my mentor once told me that I couldn't go to the toilet in the morning (teaching Early Years), so between 8am-12pm I didn't. I felt like it was a nail in the coffin really in regards to my own welfare and sense of what is reasonable. My teaching auntie was scandalised.

That’s appalling. You had absolutely nothing to apologise for. What you do on your non-contracted days is absolutely none of their business. You could perfectly legitimately work a second job on those days, and many pt teachers do.

No this is absolutely unacceptable behaviour from the HT. I would be tempted to put in a grievance, so I'd definitely contact your Union for advice. At the very least you need to document what she has said to you, incase she pulls any other funny business. I'd also insist on another person being present (e.g. Union rep), if she calls you in for a meeting again. I'm not sure I'd want to work for a headteacher like this. What do you teach and how easily could you find another job? I know you're part-time and it can seem difficult to get a new job as not many jobs are advertised as part-time, but ime schools are happy to negotiate this at interview, particularly in the current recruitment and crisis. I've been successful negotiating part-time positions with TLRs, that have only been advertised as full time, because to be blunt, beggars cannot be choosers.

This.

In education the term 'goodwill' has a whole different definition!

Many headteachers seem to think that employment law is some sort of opt-in, opt-out kind of a thing.

When it suits them, they quote employermeny law, when it doesn't suit them employment law doesn't exist.

Some heads should spend a month being site-manager on a building site. They'd last about 4 minutes before everybody downed tools, told them to fuck off and left the site.

What @Hateam said, yes. Education is like its own wee world. I hope you’re in a Union, op. If you’re not, join one immediately. Schools are full of women who have gone through the tough process of returning after having a baby. They should remember what it was like and try to support you, not criticise you for not being some kind of machine. And expecting anyone to come in or their day off is just nonsense. Out of what? Team spirit? Maybe if you were working for a family business.