Directed hours - when can u say NO!

[Uggcoo]

I work full time and start at 7am and finish at 6pm. Nothing unusual there . I never take lunch or breaks and eat at desk . One rule I have always set myself is I NEVER WORK OUTSIDE THESE HOURS. I feel if I cannot get the job done in 11 hours, then tough. HT has piled so much on us over the last 3yrs as we are expecting Ofsted. Now personally I don't care about the big O. I have worked thru 5 Ofsteds in past 20 odd yrs and whatever grade we get it never seems to change my role. I have seen everything from a fail to outstanding. I think personally it seems to affect SLT the most. Do u agree?
My main question is I never seem to get everything done. Yet colleagues who do a much shorter day and never work at home don't seem too concerned. They just say we work our directed hours and she cannot ask any move from us. I am 63 and due to retire in three years. Am I beating myself up over nothing?

Teachers in maintained schools aren’t expected to just work their directed hours. They are expected to work their directed hours plus “such reasonable additional hours as may be necessary to enable the effective discharge of the teacher’s professional duties”

Obviously the key word is “reasonable” and people will have different views on what is reasonable!

If your colleagues are able to fulfil all their responsibilities within directed time, good for them, but if they are not able to do so, they should be prepared to work some additional hours if necessary. I think, however, that it would be very difficult to suggest that it would be reasonable to expect someone to work an 11 hour day.

More generally, I agree with you that Ofsted affects SLT the most - and in particular the headteacher.

It’s interesting, and depressing, to read that the headteacher has piled on additional work because you are expecting Ofsted. My daughter’s only experience is very different. The head told all staff that he was expecting an Ofsted visit in the next few months, but that they should not worry about it or do anything different, because they were doing everything right and there was no need to do anything more.

Ofsted came, sat in on one of my daughter’s lessons, had a chat with her during break, and seemed genuinely interested in what she was saying. She said the whole experience was remarkably stress-free and the headteacher’s approach was obviously a big part of that.

Are you primary or secondary? What are you not completing during that long working day? What can school be putting in place to ensure you aren't having to do so much?

I do 8-4.30/5 at school each day and barely anything at home, sometimes a bit of marking in front of the TV.

I think that it depends on your role @hotlipshoulihan32 . I'm in school at 7.10 and work solidly bar a 20 minute lunch until 6.15 in school and I don't get everything done so I have to work in the evening and for part of the weekend. I'm SENCO - with 10 hours a week non contact to do that in- and SLT and have a support base class that I teach and am planning that from scratch as it's a class that's only recently been formed. I also have other responsibilities. I'm 58 and I cannot imagine doing this until I am 63 let alone 65 or 68. Currently investigating taking my pension soon and topping it up with supply or a minimum wage job if I can get one Our mortgage is paid and I am exhausted and have no time for my family let alone myself. I really like the children I teach and do my best for them but it's becoming not enough of a reason to continue.