New Timetable and I want to cry!!!

[Batshitdoesntfallfarfromthetree]

timetables out today for september and I have mainly lower set class (I'm in secondary). Going though the class lists there are a lot of notorious names in my classes. Other teachers in my department seem to be given exclusively top set classes and year 11 classes. I find this very unfair. How are you ever meant to develop skills as a teacher if half your lesson time is spent dealing with behaviour issues which it will be. We dont have a particularly affective behaviour system and its all detentions assigned by the classroom teacher so I'll be spending most of my breaks and after school in detentions. I'll also be having to raise my voice continuously which I hate doing. It leaves me feeling utterly drained. I've spoken to my head of department and they have given me one top set class to shut me up but thats it. I want to be able to teach, actually teach, and not just deal with behaviour management and quite frankly most of the students in lower sets are disinterested in my subject but have to take it so I'm fighting a losing battle straight of the blocks. I'm guessing my story isnt unusual that the best classes are cherry picked for the teachers who are mates with the Head of Department but has anyone been able to do anything about it.

That is really unfair. I’d be setting up alerts on TES jobs immediately

Strat looking on the TES in September and if things do not improve take a risk and go at Christmas and get a contract via an agency.

Just to encourage you, but really bottom sets are where the expertise is required. I understand what you're saying but top sets don't need expert teachers. I know on a personal level it matters that you can improve Jimmy from an 8 to a 9, but that 9 isn't life changing for Jimmy. It is life changing for Sandra to move from a 3 to a 4. You might look at those kids and think it's not possible - but ultimately those are the children who need the focus and where our energy needs to go - even if they don't want it, we have to try and make them want it.

Potentially there's a reason you've been given those particular sets.

I feel for you op.
What does it say to us, as a society that many teachers are feeling this way.
I appreciate you and every other person who decides to become a teacher.
Thank you

I know this to be true. But as the person who always gets the "hard to reach" because "you're the best with them", I'd really like my colleagues to up their games so I can teach some nice bright kids for once.

Agreed absolutely!!! And I do think these groups need to be strategically shared...

Thank you .... it's nice to be appreciated for once

That's exactly how I feel. I have good relationships with kids in the lower sets in fact I quite like the cheeky ones. I've decided to stop the after school activities I run (Head of Department nit happy) but Ive said I'm going to need as much time as possible for after school detentions!

So I spoke with my HOD today and said how can I guarantee some top sets on my timetable next year. She's given me some feeback about wanting strong teachers etc which I've said I'd take on board although its utter BS as its never been an issue in previous schools I've worked in which have been higher attaining than my current school. Spoke to union they've said they cant do anything. Tes alerts set up.Its Its also not a. oincidence that the teachers who have exclusively year 11 and top sets are HODs best mate c

I'm a union rep and we can't interfere in those choices unless it is clearly grievance territory.

I've just seen the groupings and one colleague has top set in both 10 and 11 again.

I'm sorry your timetable has upset you.

I think the key here isn't so much the classes themselves but the fact that the spread of classes across the department is unfair. I had a HoD like this once, she took all the top set gcse groups and A-level for herself and a couple of SLT who taught in our team and gave everyone else the KS3 and bottom sets.

Needless to say, it did nothing for morale and people were always leaving in droves. I left eventually!

I am now a HoD and make sure I timetable fairly. In fact, I have given myself the most bottom sets out of us all next year. I have bottom set Y7 and two bottom set Y11s. Apart from that I do teach two triple Physics groups as I am one of only 2 Physics specialists but even then, one of those is the 'lower' group of targets between 3 and 6.

I'd start looking elsewhere!

This was my timetable in my final year of teaching, It was awful and didn’t finish the first term. Definitely start looking elsewhere!

I do think this sounds like an example of HoD being unfair BUT it can also sometimes be down to the timetable... We have a good centralised behaviour system and our HoD always tries to give even distribution of classes to staff whilst also maintaining the best interests of the students. We do however have one particularly difficult class within a difficult year and I asked to have them next year (as an experienced TLR holder who was blocked on that year group, the HoD isn't on that year). We put that onto our combing chart but the timetabler hasn't been able to facilitate it despite us repeatedly sending it back on timetable adjustment requests.