Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Another headteacheer bites the dust
After 17 years as a headteacher, Richard Arrowsmith is retiring early, fed up with the endless initiatives of a government that refuses to listen to those who work in schools
Tuesday August 8, 2006
The Guardian
The early retirement of a secondary school head is not really national news. Even when he has had 17 years' experience of headship in two schools, and a total of 34 years in seven schools. But I am just too fed up with too many things. The problems of excessive bureaucracy, ridiculous deadlines and unconvincing consultation processes keep duplicating with each new initiative and, more seriously, the ongoing conflicts between educational ideals and political ideals show no sign of abating. Heads are asked to do far too much where the interest of the child is not the primary motive.
It seems to me that most major planks of policy introduced during my 17 years as a headteacher in two comprehensives have run into problems that were foreseen by us in schools.
How many people remember John Patten having to apologise for the national curriculum being too prescriptive? It was unsustainable, and everybody except the politicians knew that. There was another apology for the fiasco of Charles Clarke's first schools budget, though none for the disgraceful way in which languages were dropped at GCSE level two years ago. We know Clarke was taken completely by surprise by the massive fall in numbers taking languages that followed. Yet he was probably the only person - apart from those in the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) - to have this reaction.
A civil servant once spoke to me of the "unintended outcomes" of policy. Unintended they may be, but unforeseeable they are not.
Political agendas
We have had successive governments with big political agendas. "Parental choice" is being driven through the system, not because it improves schools, but because it attracts votes and is felt to be "a good thing". Everyone knows that the exercise of choice by one person can limit the choice of another.
Everyone in schools also knows that parental choice means that, ultimately, successful curriculum continuity from key stage 2 to key stage 3 cannot be achieved. If we had started out by asking how we can improve continuity between primary and secondary, we would quickly have identified parental choice as one of the biggest obstacles to progress. So which is more important: the political ideal of parental choice or the educational ideal of curriculum continuity?
If I had not already decided to call it a day this summer at the age of 57, I would have done so when it was announced recently that £15,000 is going to local authorities to appoint advisers to help parents choose schools, in case they cannot understand league tables and Ofsted reports. The idea that these sources of information capture the spirit and essence of schools is laughable.
I could probably think of 15,000 better ways of spending that money - but no one would be listening.
Similarly with "raising standards". No one can argue with the idea that we want every child to do as well as possible. But teachers know that a heavy emphasis on improved performance for all will not lead to uniform progress. Secondary schools are seeing an influx of young people who have been "boosted" and intervened with ad nauseam. The very vehicle that was meant to be their salvation - the curriculum - has been identified by them as the source of their disaffection and failure.
If we had started with the question "how can we use a big injection of fresh money to improve the standards of all children?", we might now be in a different place. Instead, it became a political imperative to meet targets set for specific age groups at specific times, thus dividing children into those who did and those who didn't make the grade.
End of term
At the end of my 101st term, I find that I am less concerned with my legacy than the prime minister is in his third. Experience has taught me many things. Rapid and radical change can occur only when everyone is on board and believes the gains will outweigh the losses. This has not been achieved in schools.
You cannot issue edicts and expect other people to pick up and run with ideas that are barely formed and only rough in outline. You are bound to get the proverbial camel instead of the racehorse.
It is obvious that the prime minister's personal agenda for education is very forceful and supersedes all else. Governments cannot work like this. No wonder the DfES has an appalling reputation among teachers for poor planning, poor communication and even worse implementation.
Headteachers would not have been among the many people who were surprised by John Reid's recent revelations about the ineptitude of the Home Office. They would have smiled quietly about accusations of "shocking inefficiency" levelled at ministers and civil servants.
Serious problems
Left hands that do not communicate with right, and personnel who constantly move on from key jobs pose serious problems for schools. We would have given anything to hear Alan Johnson go into the DfES and say the same thing, for it would be equally true. Alas, the face changes (again), but the message remains the same: reform must go on. We must accelerate the pace of "radical change" and standards need to rise even faster, with more and more demanding targets.
If this is to be the way forward, the DfES does not need heads like me. They need a more compliant, less challenging group of heads who will think only within the parameters they are allowed.
There are many things I feel strongly about. The fraudulent use of the term "value-added" is one. To me, the value a school adds to a child is difficult to measure and is found in exciting experiences, opportunities to take responsibility and residential visits. It is certainly nothing to do with the small statistical variations between dubious sets of data predictions.
I hate the over-emphasis on data and targets, which has misled everyone, including the DfES and Ofsted, into forming judgments about schools that are not valid. The real issues affecting achievement are often things that cannot be measured. I am a person who is not motivated by targets, and a lot of children are not, but the prime minister is guilty of the very criticism he levels at us by insisting on one-size-fits-all systems of judgment.
It angers me that the role of Ofsted is to measure the comparability between schools instead of celebrating the diversity between them. The use of Ofsted to police the government's flavours of the month is dreadful.
I am frustrated by huge inequalities in school funding while the same expectations of all are set. I am irritated beyond words at opportunities missed by totally unrealistic deadlines. I deplore the political rhetoric about making it easy for schools to manage poor behaviour while, beneath the surface, there are constant attempts to make exclusion harder and harder.
It is offensive that we should be berated about our work-life balance when we have so little control over the tons of work coming across the desk. It is a government blithely unaware of the contradictions that run through most of its policies that gives schools and authorities such huge problems.
My farewell is not a bitter one. I have enjoyed all my seven schools, and many notable achievements have been recorded for individual students and teachers.
It is clear that the gap between the rhetoric and the reality is not closing, however, and I do not want to reach the point where the frustrations outweigh the pleasures. For the future benefit of education, I hope the DfES can find ways of being in touch with its critical friends. We may oppose aspects of their policies and thinking, but that experience and foresight really can be of value.
· Richard Arrowsmith was head of The Grove school in Market Drayton, Shropshire
education.guardian.co.uk/egweekly/story/0,,1838983,00.html
Tuesday August 8, 2006
The Guardian
The early retirement of a secondary school head is not really national news. Even when he has had 17 years' experience of headship in two schools, and a total of 34 years in seven schools. But I am just too fed up with too many things. The problems of excessive bureaucracy, ridiculous deadlines and unconvincing consultation processes keep duplicating with each new initiative and, more seriously, the ongoing conflicts between educational ideals and political ideals show no sign of abating. Heads are asked to do far too much where the interest of the child is not the primary motive.
It seems to me that most major planks of policy introduced during my 17 years as a headteacher in two comprehensives have run into problems that were foreseen by us in schools.
How many people remember John Patten having to apologise for the national curriculum being too prescriptive? It was unsustainable, and everybody except the politicians knew that. There was another apology for the fiasco of Charles Clarke's first schools budget, though none for the disgraceful way in which languages were dropped at GCSE level two years ago. We know Clarke was taken completely by surprise by the massive fall in numbers taking languages that followed. Yet he was probably the only person - apart from those in the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) - to have this reaction.
A civil servant once spoke to me of the "unintended outcomes" of policy. Unintended they may be, but unforeseeable they are not.
Political agendas
We have had successive governments with big political agendas. "Parental choice" is being driven through the system, not because it improves schools, but because it attracts votes and is felt to be "a good thing". Everyone knows that the exercise of choice by one person can limit the choice of another.
Everyone in schools also knows that parental choice means that, ultimately, successful curriculum continuity from key stage 2 to key stage 3 cannot be achieved. If we had started out by asking how we can improve continuity between primary and secondary, we would quickly have identified parental choice as one of the biggest obstacles to progress. So which is more important: the political ideal of parental choice or the educational ideal of curriculum continuity?
If I had not already decided to call it a day this summer at the age of 57, I would have done so when it was announced recently that £15,000 is going to local authorities to appoint advisers to help parents choose schools, in case they cannot understand league tables and Ofsted reports. The idea that these sources of information capture the spirit and essence of schools is laughable.
I could probably think of 15,000 better ways of spending that money - but no one would be listening.
Similarly with "raising standards". No one can argue with the idea that we want every child to do as well as possible. But teachers know that a heavy emphasis on improved performance for all will not lead to uniform progress. Secondary schools are seeing an influx of young people who have been "boosted" and intervened with ad nauseam. The very vehicle that was meant to be their salvation - the curriculum - has been identified by them as the source of their disaffection and failure.
If we had started with the question "how can we use a big injection of fresh money to improve the standards of all children?", we might now be in a different place. Instead, it became a political imperative to meet targets set for specific age groups at specific times, thus dividing children into those who did and those who didn't make the grade.
End of term
At the end of my 101st term, I find that I am less concerned with my legacy than the prime minister is in his third. Experience has taught me many things. Rapid and radical change can occur only when everyone is on board and believes the gains will outweigh the losses. This has not been achieved in schools.
You cannot issue edicts and expect other people to pick up and run with ideas that are barely formed and only rough in outline. You are bound to get the proverbial camel instead of the racehorse.
It is obvious that the prime minister's personal agenda for education is very forceful and supersedes all else. Governments cannot work like this. No wonder the DfES has an appalling reputation among teachers for poor planning, poor communication and even worse implementation.
Headteachers would not have been among the many people who were surprised by John Reid's recent revelations about the ineptitude of the Home Office. They would have smiled quietly about accusations of "shocking inefficiency" levelled at ministers and civil servants.
Serious problems
Left hands that do not communicate with right, and personnel who constantly move on from key jobs pose serious problems for schools. We would have given anything to hear Alan Johnson go into the DfES and say the same thing, for it would be equally true. Alas, the face changes (again), but the message remains the same: reform must go on. We must accelerate the pace of "radical change" and standards need to rise even faster, with more and more demanding targets.
If this is to be the way forward, the DfES does not need heads like me. They need a more compliant, less challenging group of heads who will think only within the parameters they are allowed.
There are many things I feel strongly about. The fraudulent use of the term "value-added" is one. To me, the value a school adds to a child is difficult to measure and is found in exciting experiences, opportunities to take responsibility and residential visits. It is certainly nothing to do with the small statistical variations between dubious sets of data predictions.
I hate the over-emphasis on data and targets, which has misled everyone, including the DfES and Ofsted, into forming judgments about schools that are not valid. The real issues affecting achievement are often things that cannot be measured. I am a person who is not motivated by targets, and a lot of children are not, but the prime minister is guilty of the very criticism he levels at us by insisting on one-size-fits-all systems of judgment.
It angers me that the role of Ofsted is to measure the comparability between schools instead of celebrating the diversity between them. The use of Ofsted to police the government's flavours of the month is dreadful.
I am frustrated by huge inequalities in school funding while the same expectations of all are set. I am irritated beyond words at opportunities missed by totally unrealistic deadlines. I deplore the political rhetoric about making it easy for schools to manage poor behaviour while, beneath the surface, there are constant attempts to make exclusion harder and harder.
It is offensive that we should be berated about our work-life balance when we have so little control over the tons of work coming across the desk. It is a government blithely unaware of the contradictions that run through most of its policies that gives schools and authorities such huge problems.
My farewell is not a bitter one. I have enjoyed all my seven schools, and many notable achievements have been recorded for individual students and teachers.
It is clear that the gap between the rhetoric and the reality is not closing, however, and I do not want to reach the point where the frustrations outweigh the pleasures. For the future benefit of education, I hope the DfES can find ways of being in touch with its critical friends. We may oppose aspects of their policies and thinking, but that experience and foresight really can be of value.
· Richard Arrowsmith was head of The Grove school in Market Drayton, Shropshire
education.guardian.co.uk/egweekly/story/0,,1838983,00.html
Friday, March 28, 2008
Stress forces teachers to quit
29 February 2000
BBC News
More than half of England's teachers expect to leave the profession within a decade because of stress, bureaucracy and heavy workloads, according to a survey.
Figures show that 53% of teachers and lecturers in primary, secondary and university education do not expect to be teaching in 10 years' time.
This includes more than a third of the youngest teachers and lecturers - those aged up to 34 - who expect to quit, despite only relatively recently embarking on their careers.
In the ICM telephone poll, published on Tuesday in The Guardian newspaper, heavy workload was cited as the biggest issue for teachers who said they wanted to leave. This was followed by bureaucracy and stress.
Teachers feel pressured by too much paperwork
The findings were no surprise to the teaching unions, which renewed their call on the government to cut teachers' workloads.
Doug McAvoy, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: "For the children's sake, we hope teachers won't leave the profession.
"But it is a measure of how far the government has ignored teachers' concerns that so many wish to do so."
Nigel de Gruchy, General Secretary of the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers, said: "More and more teachers will quit unless the government acts to reduce workload with a contract protecting staff from unlimited hours and ever-increasing demands."
Shadow Education Secretary Theresa May said: "This government is overloading teachers with bureaucracy and has failed to deliver on its promises of more money.
"Little wonder teachers are disillusioned and threatening to quit."
Pay reforms
But a spokeswoman for Department for Education said teacher recruitment was healthy in primary schools and improving in the secondary sector, where there were shortages in some subjects.
Numbers leaving the profession early had remained steady over a number of years at 2% to 3%, and 30,000 newly-qualified teachers were joining every year.
She also pointed to government pay reforms which would give many of those responding to the poll the prospect of higher salaries.
Performance-related pay was "geared at retaining teachers who have been working in the profession for up to 10 years", she said.
"Previously, they would have found their careers capped. Now they will be able to apply for higher pay and career opportunities."
Separate interviews with parents for the survey suggested the vast majority were supportive of teachers, with 93% of primary school teachers and 89% of secondary school teachers seen as competent or highly competent.
Helpline
Just over nine out of 10 parents with children in state schools said they were happy with the quality of education on offer.
In inner city schools the positive response rose to 96%.
Nearly seven out of 10 parents said they thought the Education Secretary, David Blunkett, was doing a "very or fairly good" job.
On homework, nearly one in five said children should start as young as four, and more than half said seven-year-olds should be doing up to 30 minutes a night.
A spokesman for Teacherline, the telephone helpline for teachers launched in October, said the service had already received 5,000 calls.
"A lot of teachers talk about workload and stress, a lot of teachers talk about Ofsted inspections, and problems with relationships with colleagues."
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/660906.stm
BBC News
More than half of England's teachers expect to leave the profession within a decade because of stress, bureaucracy and heavy workloads, according to a survey.
Figures show that 53% of teachers and lecturers in primary, secondary and university education do not expect to be teaching in 10 years' time.
This includes more than a third of the youngest teachers and lecturers - those aged up to 34 - who expect to quit, despite only relatively recently embarking on their careers.
In the ICM telephone poll, published on Tuesday in The Guardian newspaper, heavy workload was cited as the biggest issue for teachers who said they wanted to leave. This was followed by bureaucracy and stress.
Teachers feel pressured by too much paperwork
The findings were no surprise to the teaching unions, which renewed their call on the government to cut teachers' workloads.
Doug McAvoy, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: "For the children's sake, we hope teachers won't leave the profession.
"But it is a measure of how far the government has ignored teachers' concerns that so many wish to do so."
Nigel de Gruchy, General Secretary of the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers, said: "More and more teachers will quit unless the government acts to reduce workload with a contract protecting staff from unlimited hours and ever-increasing demands."
Shadow Education Secretary Theresa May said: "This government is overloading teachers with bureaucracy and has failed to deliver on its promises of more money.
"Little wonder teachers are disillusioned and threatening to quit."
Pay reforms
But a spokeswoman for Department for Education said teacher recruitment was healthy in primary schools and improving in the secondary sector, where there were shortages in some subjects.
Numbers leaving the profession early had remained steady over a number of years at 2% to 3%, and 30,000 newly-qualified teachers were joining every year.
She also pointed to government pay reforms which would give many of those responding to the poll the prospect of higher salaries.
Performance-related pay was "geared at retaining teachers who have been working in the profession for up to 10 years", she said.
"Previously, they would have found their careers capped. Now they will be able to apply for higher pay and career opportunities."
Separate interviews with parents for the survey suggested the vast majority were supportive of teachers, with 93% of primary school teachers and 89% of secondary school teachers seen as competent or highly competent.
Helpline
Just over nine out of 10 parents with children in state schools said they were happy with the quality of education on offer.
In inner city schools the positive response rose to 96%.
Nearly seven out of 10 parents said they thought the Education Secretary, David Blunkett, was doing a "very or fairly good" job.
On homework, nearly one in five said children should start as young as four, and more than half said seven-year-olds should be doing up to 30 minutes a night.
A spokesman for Teacherline, the telephone helpline for teachers launched in October, said the service had already received 5,000 calls.
"A lot of teachers talk about workload and stress, a lot of teachers talk about Ofsted inspections, and problems with relationships with colleagues."
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/660906.stm
Racism in England
Today, my boyfriend was (once again) victim of a racism attack. He is Indian and the kindest hearted person I have ever met. We are planning to get engaged really soon and I feel really lucky to have him by my side. I just don’t understand what is going on with people here in Hatfield, and I want to believe that this only happens in here, due to the clash of a decrepit society with the local students.
This morning I left for my job in Stevenage and I requested my boyfriend to make a copy of a key that I needed.
He entered on one local shop, and asked how much it would cost to make a simple key. The person behind the counter said that it would be £3 something. My boyfriend was intrigued, since one of his friends paid much less for a same kind of key. Because he thought he was being deceived, he mentioned the fact – politely! And God knows how my boyfriend is, he is a non-violent person, really nice heart, the best! And it is not because he is my boyfriend…Anyway, confronted with the fact that he was probably charging more than he should, the person that works in that shoe-fixing-key-making place started shouting at my boyfriend, telling him that if he wasn’t happy he could always go to Welwyn Garden City and that actually he was not going to serve him anymore, adding to a “great finale” a most outrageous “Fu** Off”.
My boyfriend was literally kicked out of the store.This afternoon, after I came back from work, we passed in front of that local shop mainly because I decided that I wanted to name and shame that bast***. I took a good look at the guy who discriminated my boyfriend, he saw us and I made sure he saw us good, because I was watching him as well.
And this was not the first time he had problems… He was once attacked. One other day, we were walking from his place to mine when these guys in a black car approached and threw an egg at him. Luckily it only broke on the floor, so it didn’t stain any clothes… But I was with him, and that attack had terrible effects on me. I lost all the respect for the English society… After all, the so-called hooligans are hooligans everywhere, anywhere…
(crazyveggie.wordpress.com/2007/01/09/racism-in-england-again)
This morning I left for my job in Stevenage and I requested my boyfriend to make a copy of a key that I needed.
He entered on one local shop, and asked how much it would cost to make a simple key. The person behind the counter said that it would be £3 something. My boyfriend was intrigued, since one of his friends paid much less for a same kind of key. Because he thought he was being deceived, he mentioned the fact – politely! And God knows how my boyfriend is, he is a non-violent person, really nice heart, the best! And it is not because he is my boyfriend…Anyway, confronted with the fact that he was probably charging more than he should, the person that works in that shoe-fixing-key-making place started shouting at my boyfriend, telling him that if he wasn’t happy he could always go to Welwyn Garden City and that actually he was not going to serve him anymore, adding to a “great finale” a most outrageous “Fu** Off”.
My boyfriend was literally kicked out of the store.This afternoon, after I came back from work, we passed in front of that local shop mainly because I decided that I wanted to name and shame that bast***. I took a good look at the guy who discriminated my boyfriend, he saw us and I made sure he saw us good, because I was watching him as well.
And this was not the first time he had problems… He was once attacked. One other day, we were walking from his place to mine when these guys in a black car approached and threw an egg at him. Luckily it only broke on the floor, so it didn’t stain any clothes… But I was with him, and that attack had terrible effects on me. I lost all the respect for the English society… After all, the so-called hooligans are hooligans everywhere, anywhere…
(crazyveggie.wordpress.com/2007/01/09/racism-in-england-again)
Quitting Teaching
BBC News
16 April 2000
This was eight years ago. You can see how things have not improved much. Teacher salaries are still low, especially when you compare teacher wages in England to other careers. Discipline in British schools is not important, but trivial things that make the school look good, not make students learn, are very important to schools. This is what it is like to teach in England.
Andrew Riddles has been a secondary school history teacher for six years. Here he explains why he is walking away from the profession to start a new career.
Last week, a very nice man offered me a job.
Not a high ranking job, not a head of department role, not a post with huge responsibilities.
In fact I am now to be termed a "junior". To be exact I will be a junior HTML hand-coder, one of these new media careers of which we read so much.
It is more grandiose than it sounds, but considering that I am entering this new career with no qualifications or experience I was surprised to be offered a salary which is pretty much the same as the salary I earn now.
And this is after six years in the teaching profession.
With shares options, bonuses, health care and free soft drinks, I will be better off on my first day in my new career than after dedicating most of my 20s to being a secondary school teacher.
'I am leaving for myself'
I used to have a dream that when I eventually left teaching I would make a grand gesture to some final professional insult during a staff meeting.
But now the decision time has come it is nothing so complex, nor heroic. I am leaving for myself and nothing more or better than that.
I cannot pretend that the new earning potential is not a major reason for leaving teaching.
But along with the increasing penury if I stayed in the teaching profession, I could have also looked forward to an increased workload, which can make unacceptable demands on teachers' personal time.
Persecution
Nor can I hope to understand the way in which we treat children.
Childhood is meant to be in some way precious and we believe that children need to be protected, whilst having instilled in them a sense of right and wrong and a intellectual basis for their futures.
Why is it, then, that I have to tell students - good, hard-working students who are under a huge amount of school-based and external pressure - to go home to change their black socks for white ones to conform to school uniform rules? What do they gain from that?
An appalling number of students I have taught have escaped persecution or war in other countries. Several I know have seen their parents die, violently or otherwise.
I can no longer send such children home in disgrace to change their socks.
Moral conscience
This is just one example. The list of ludicrous and bafflingly irrelevant orders I issue to intelligent young people on a daily basis is beyond the number I would expect to come out with whilst chairing a moderately lengthy game of "Simon says".
We continually tell children how to behave and how essentially "childish" they are, and then we tell them that they have to take the examinations which determine what they will do for the rest of their lives.
Failure is unacceptable. As time has passed I have moved from feeling uneasy with this to feeling morally opposed to it.
And so off I go, into a new career where the workload is probably just as heavy, but where I hope I will not be bullied and will not have to bully anyone else into working.
I hope to be able do my job, and just my job, not spending more time on pointless admin tasks than on my designated role.
I will be paid properly. And best of all, I will be respected.
(news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/713413.stm)
16 April 2000
This was eight years ago. You can see how things have not improved much. Teacher salaries are still low, especially when you compare teacher wages in England to other careers. Discipline in British schools is not important, but trivial things that make the school look good, not make students learn, are very important to schools. This is what it is like to teach in England.
Andrew Riddles has been a secondary school history teacher for six years. Here he explains why he is walking away from the profession to start a new career.
Last week, a very nice man offered me a job.
Not a high ranking job, not a head of department role, not a post with huge responsibilities.
In fact I am now to be termed a "junior". To be exact I will be a junior HTML hand-coder, one of these new media careers of which we read so much.
It is more grandiose than it sounds, but considering that I am entering this new career with no qualifications or experience I was surprised to be offered a salary which is pretty much the same as the salary I earn now.
And this is after six years in the teaching profession.
With shares options, bonuses, health care and free soft drinks, I will be better off on my first day in my new career than after dedicating most of my 20s to being a secondary school teacher.
'I am leaving for myself'
I used to have a dream that when I eventually left teaching I would make a grand gesture to some final professional insult during a staff meeting.
But now the decision time has come it is nothing so complex, nor heroic. I am leaving for myself and nothing more or better than that.
I cannot pretend that the new earning potential is not a major reason for leaving teaching.
But along with the increasing penury if I stayed in the teaching profession, I could have also looked forward to an increased workload, which can make unacceptable demands on teachers' personal time.
Persecution
Nor can I hope to understand the way in which we treat children.
Childhood is meant to be in some way precious and we believe that children need to be protected, whilst having instilled in them a sense of right and wrong and a intellectual basis for their futures.
Why is it, then, that I have to tell students - good, hard-working students who are under a huge amount of school-based and external pressure - to go home to change their black socks for white ones to conform to school uniform rules? What do they gain from that?
An appalling number of students I have taught have escaped persecution or war in other countries. Several I know have seen their parents die, violently or otherwise.
I can no longer send such children home in disgrace to change their socks.
Moral conscience
This is just one example. The list of ludicrous and bafflingly irrelevant orders I issue to intelligent young people on a daily basis is beyond the number I would expect to come out with whilst chairing a moderately lengthy game of "Simon says".
We continually tell children how to behave and how essentially "childish" they are, and then we tell them that they have to take the examinations which determine what they will do for the rest of their lives.
Failure is unacceptable. As time has passed I have moved from feeling uneasy with this to feeling morally opposed to it.
And so off I go, into a new career where the workload is probably just as heavy, but where I hope I will not be bullied and will not have to bully anyone else into working.
I hope to be able do my job, and just my job, not spending more time on pointless admin tasks than on my designated role.
I will be paid properly. And best of all, I will be respected.
(news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/713413.stm)
What is it like teaching in Britain
This post is about discipline in British or English schools and about what behaviour is like and about how teachers feel
Teachers for the most part no longer want to be teachers. The losses to the teaching profession are huge, it is now seen as the ultimate backup plan to graduates. Teachers are overworked pittifully paid and treated like crap. Why on earth would they want to extend that for a couple of grand a year as a head. instead of looking to increase upper level promotion we should be considering ways in which to make teaching a viable profession again.
To do this we would ned to reqork the ridiculous curriculums and exam structure. As with anything else in englad failures are legislated for making the whole mess even more confusing than it was before. And ultimately less workable.
gmabarrett in losing our heads
These 'younger professionals', these 'bright new trainees' tend to be people who've failed to get off the the ground in their first choice of career and have turned to teaching as the last chance saloon before the scrapheap.
Teaching is a crap job and teachers are too busy trying to just survive or find a way out to plot their route to 'the top'.
alvanoto in losing our heads
I was a Damn! good teacher at an inner city london high school, where few fear to tread, except NQT�s, who had no other option and viewed their pennace as a rapid stepping stone,( similar to the motives of many poor US army reservists seeking to finance College). I ditched it all because of the daily hypocracy I was bombarded with , the blantanat lies we told each other with a straight face, while flagrantly distorting results to look good ( meet targets). And I won�t even get into the subliminal coaching at SATS and GCSE ( read here Cloze exercises a 10 year old could effortlessly do). I was tired of the endless inane meetings line managers and heads timetabled, discussions that led to no-where because either we were tacitly discouraged from talking openly about policies and intiatives whose failure was breathtaking but were, nontheless, manically pursued by managers, or we had to play a game of hubristic monopoly. If that wasn�t enough, we were subjected to the seemingly inexaustable parade before us of expert educators ( failed comedians) regailing us with their wit during the regular inset days, trotting out the same hackneyed vacious cliches and forcing us to participate in silly americo-psychological games, more appropriate for the kindegarden, which were pointless and humiliating.
So why should one move onto management, when it means that one�s voice is even more muzzled when dealing with he many complex issues schools face. What kind of a person would want to enter manangement, be satisfied with themeselves at the prospect that numerous policy intiatives, (which they police with the reward of extra points or the threat of a performance review ), are simply different forms of windowdressing and serve to mask the real problems?
Why become part of the heirarchy that sends out non-managerial teachers to enact dictates with the same deluded
ferevour of a General Haig?�
Just one example: A school which shall remain nameless, but serves as the beacon of �Inclusion�, enrolled many seriously autistic and downsyndrone students.
Ministers, deputy ministers, etc. etc, during the weekly assembly came and went with a stagering frequency, praising the Head and management for successfully implemnting their policy.
Problem was those in the trenches had no training in how to deal with these students. More sadly, how to teache them maximise their potential . I had five in a class of 28!
In short they were dumped in the bottom sets of classes, leashed to teacher�s assistant who likewise had no formal and even informal training to be able to teach them.
So, what could I do but shamefully supply them with a pen or pencil to doodle with, while I furtively tried to teach the others in the bottom set. I was forced to act in an unethical way with these students. when i raised the absurdity of the situation, I was bluntly told o do the best I could.
I duly resigned and have no thoughts teaching again.
Teaching involves an ethical basis and it seemed to me that the cost of entering management jettison this core.
A cost too high for me.
lapot in losing our heads
Yep I am one of these weak teachers, I feel like I have no control of the majority of my classes. My year 10s came in today sat down and chatted taking absolutely no notice of me. I tried to settle them and start the lesson but they laughed at me and started to complain that they have 'done this already.' They went on and on eventually I put the classroom rules on the smartboard and told them to copy them down in silence. They started to copy them but wouldn't shut up. In the end I just sat at my desk to be honest I really didn't know what to do with them. In another class yesterday I was called a horrible name I told the offender to leave the classroom and go to where my pt mentor was. She refused so I had to escort her out to the corridor, the rest of the class at this point became very disruptive. Anyway afterwards my pt gave me into trouble for the way I handled it and asked 'have you actually tried being nice to them?' He also asked why are you picking on her when it is clear that the rest of the class are just as bad. Anyway at the end of lunch the offending pupil arrived at my classroom with a half baked excuse that she was actually calling herself the name and she was sorry. I had been crying so I just told her to go. Today I tackled my mentor over what consequence this pupil was going to face. He said that he had spoken to her and she had given him the same excuse and he had told her to just go and talk to me about it. Hence her arrival with her her apology. He also said that compared to the subsequent disruption in my class when I was dealing with this pupil, the name she called me 'paled into insignificance.' 'You're the teacher shes a child what would be gained from taking this further.' Anyway I went and spoke to another teacher of this class and observed him teaching the class today. The class were much better with him. His techniques were similar to mine but really when he told them to do something they did it, with me they just argue.
I'm crying at the moment feel so hopeless the problems I have just ranted about are just a small percentage of all of them. It doesn't help that the school I teach in does blame teachers for pupil misbehaviour. I have tried different things, making sure my lessons are interesting, using the school's (crap) discipline system as consistently as possible, praise, awards, notes in homework diaries for parents etc etc but nothing works.
"Jane the stressed" in So bad at behaviour management I want to quit
Get out of the school you are in. Your mental health is more important than having to go through hell on a daily basis. All these books on behaviour management - sorry but they don't work. It comes from experience and nothing but time will get you this!
Teaching is a horrible demoralising job. I would even go so far as to say get out of it while you are young and can afford to walk away. It really is not worth it and unless you can get into a good school where kids actually want to learn you will be up against it I am afraid. Sorry to sound so doomy - this is my truth, take it as you will.
"bananasplit" in So bad at behaviour management I want to quit.
Just had a really awful afternoon. Straight after lunch I had year 9 set 3. There are usually five or six in this class who are really hard to handle and I tend to dread having them. Today however I was in a really good mood because I was on a behaviour for learning course last week and was looking forward to using some of my newly gained techniques with them.
However the class had other ideas and the usual suspects were even worse than usual. All my newly learnt techniques went flying out the window and for the first time I felt that I was in no way in control of the class.
The next class I had my year 10's who I usually enjoy teaching. Today though I turned rund to find a note on the board saying "Are you pregnant miss?" (which obviously I'm not!).
Anyway upshot was that after school I ended up in tears with my head of department and I now feel really embarassed. It was really no worth crying about. This is a second career for me and I thought I would be mature enough to be able to cope with bad behaviour etc..
Anyway I just wanted to know if others have been brought to tears infront of staff?
moonberry in "Why did I start to cry?"
Is anyone else the same.. i feel so tired all the time... i am going up to bed at 8.30 to read a book and go to sleep... i am up again at 6.00!
my lessons have really taken a slump... i am getting to the point where i am getting the kids to do presentations on the topics we should be covering... I know i really am not being fair to them but i just have no energy in me to plan amazing lessons and battle with them all the time. At least this way they are quiet!
I just feel that i just need to chill for a week at Christmas and then once refreshed can plan some stunning lessons... All i can think about is how tired i am. I have never been like this before i have always been very concientious and organised but even my house looks a mess.... just dont feel like i am coping at all well... mentor is off sick as well (and next to useless) and i am setting her work!!!!!
Munchkin77 in "I feel so drained and feel like i am losing teh will to live!"
My Year 10's have been driving me insane since the start of term. I finally had enough today and walked out twenty mins before the end. My second in department was supportive, but now I'm worried that it's going to look bad tomorrow when my head of department comes back. Feel really stressed. Don't want to go in tomorrow at all.
Also one of the kids went to the toilet after I left and caught me crying in the corrider. What to do?!
pamela2612 in "WALKED OUT"
I feel that I am in some way being set up to fail my NQT year. This term, my first, I have had 2 satisfactory obs and 2 goods (although one made it very clear that it was only just good!). I am due two more before Christmas. Problem is classroom management and for my last observation the teacher was very critical of my relationship with the students. Even asked them for comments which were then included on the form. This, by the way, was for an AS class and I don't feel terribly secure about the knowledge I have of the subject either. I was told that although I have already passed my first term, I will not be passing next term unless I sort this out. I have spent most of the weekend in tears, thoroughly dreading the next three weeks as I feel watched constantly and, I have to say, a bit bullied by this.
I know I'm rambling - the tears are flowing as I type, and I'm not really sure what I'm asking for. Advice? Support? I just feel so desperately miserable.
Mrs Never Ready in "demoralised NQT"
I'm an NQT who sailed through the PGCE. I am at a good, supportive primary school but after four weeks I have been signed off with anxiety. Symptoms began in the second week of the job. My performance in the job was good (children settled and good relations built, good first observation, visitor to classroom organised, trip organised, etc.), but physical symptoms set in - not sleeping, crying, being sick, numbness. Saw GP who prescribed anti-anxiety/depression medication and has signed me off for two weeks (taking me until half term). School are being incredibly supportive and saying to take as long as I need and that health comes first. However, it's called into question for me whether I should pursue the job at the cost of my health. I was a TA before training with no health problems and, despite lower pay, job satisfaction.
Anyone else in a similar situation and what are you planning to do?
McCall in "Any NQTs signed off/in similar position?"
I've got all of these symptoms too and know that a doctor would sign me off. I'm sticking it out at school though as I hate to let people down, even at the cost of my own health (and nobody else could make sense of my planning anyhow!). Colleagues say it gets easier with time but I'm really not coping or keeping up, let alone enjoying it and inspiring the class. It's all well and good trying to keep going to complete the induction, as everyone says I should, but I'm sure that I'm not being an effective teacher and the children, the school and my fellow teachers there deserve very much better. My decision is made.
Just re-read my post and it sounds as though I'd decided to stay in position, come whatever. That's not the case! I'm sticking at it in the short term rather than being signed off but I have now set the resignation ball in motion.
whoatetheflakes in "Any NQTs signed off/in similar position?"
Help, I have had the worst day possible and as the title of my post suggests I have no job to look forward to after the holidays.
Here's the thing:
I am an NQT and in Spetember I was visiting schools with my CV's. One school that I went to offered me a job on the spot, that of co-ordinating Extended Schools with the option of a maternity cover after Christmas. As jobs are scare here in NI, I decided to take it. The principal told me that the maternity cover was in a difficult class, an MLD/SEN unit. Being up for a challenge, I decided to go for it and the arrangement was that I spent every Tuesday in the class to gain experience.
Anyway, due to the teacher being sick I have been in this class teaching for the last few days. After a week I feel that I have been through hell. Today I got shouted at by a pupil and had a ruler thrown at me. There was a physical fight and one other child went so mental that he actually tried to tear the skin off his face and poke his eyes with a sharp pencil. One child sits constantly making gun noises at me (which as you can imagine is a tad unnerving). There is another child who actually goes into some sort of fit and rocks back and forth all the time whilst screaming. It really is like a mad house in there. This is only the tip of the iceberg really and it is the SAME THING EVERYDAY.
These are primary school children by the way.
To cut a long story short I was taking to the Vice principal today (HT is now long term sick) and I told him that I can't work in this kind of an environment. He agreed that it is madness to consider putting an NQT in this kind of a job. My situation now is that I have NO WORK after Christmas. I am 28, have a mortgage and bills and I am so panicing. Day from hell, any words of encouragement please? All I have done today is cry:(
lottie3d in "Day from hell and now I have NO JOB after Christmas"
(sorry, this is going to be one those 'feel sorry for me' threads)
Had a rubbish day and I feel useless. My class are lovely (i teach year 4) but they are really starting to get to me.
Behaviour isn't a major issue (just a few that try their luck now and then) but they just don't seem to be learning anything.
Today I had so many blank faces looking at me, either because they weren't listening or they were just confused.
I know it's the time of year and they've had enough but I just want to push them that bit more.
They are becoming really lazy in their work and sometimes they just don't even try.
I'm fed up with giving work back that isn't to their best ability.
I've really got to push them this year because there is still a huge chunk of them at level 2 in maths and writing - which is really getting me down.
What can I do to put a bit of life back in them? (and me!)
captain oats in "Fed up and useless"
Teachers for the most part no longer want to be teachers. The losses to the teaching profession are huge, it is now seen as the ultimate backup plan to graduates. Teachers are overworked pittifully paid and treated like crap. Why on earth would they want to extend that for a couple of grand a year as a head. instead of looking to increase upper level promotion we should be considering ways in which to make teaching a viable profession again.
To do this we would ned to reqork the ridiculous curriculums and exam structure. As with anything else in englad failures are legislated for making the whole mess even more confusing than it was before. And ultimately less workable.
gmabarrett in losing our heads
These 'younger professionals', these 'bright new trainees' tend to be people who've failed to get off the the ground in their first choice of career and have turned to teaching as the last chance saloon before the scrapheap.
Teaching is a crap job and teachers are too busy trying to just survive or find a way out to plot their route to 'the top'.
alvanoto in losing our heads
I was a Damn! good teacher at an inner city london high school, where few fear to tread, except NQT�s, who had no other option and viewed their pennace as a rapid stepping stone,( similar to the motives of many poor US army reservists seeking to finance College). I ditched it all because of the daily hypocracy I was bombarded with , the blantanat lies we told each other with a straight face, while flagrantly distorting results to look good ( meet targets). And I won�t even get into the subliminal coaching at SATS and GCSE ( read here Cloze exercises a 10 year old could effortlessly do). I was tired of the endless inane meetings line managers and heads timetabled, discussions that led to no-where because either we were tacitly discouraged from talking openly about policies and intiatives whose failure was breathtaking but were, nontheless, manically pursued by managers, or we had to play a game of hubristic monopoly. If that wasn�t enough, we were subjected to the seemingly inexaustable parade before us of expert educators ( failed comedians) regailing us with their wit during the regular inset days, trotting out the same hackneyed vacious cliches and forcing us to participate in silly americo-psychological games, more appropriate for the kindegarden, which were pointless and humiliating.
So why should one move onto management, when it means that one�s voice is even more muzzled when dealing with he many complex issues schools face. What kind of a person would want to enter manangement, be satisfied with themeselves at the prospect that numerous policy intiatives, (which they police with the reward of extra points or the threat of a performance review ), are simply different forms of windowdressing and serve to mask the real problems?
Why become part of the heirarchy that sends out non-managerial teachers to enact dictates with the same deluded
ferevour of a General Haig?�
Just one example: A school which shall remain nameless, but serves as the beacon of �Inclusion�, enrolled many seriously autistic and downsyndrone students.
Ministers, deputy ministers, etc. etc, during the weekly assembly came and went with a stagering frequency, praising the Head and management for successfully implemnting their policy.
Problem was those in the trenches had no training in how to deal with these students. More sadly, how to teache them maximise their potential . I had five in a class of 28!
In short they were dumped in the bottom sets of classes, leashed to teacher�s assistant who likewise had no formal and even informal training to be able to teach them.
So, what could I do but shamefully supply them with a pen or pencil to doodle with, while I furtively tried to teach the others in the bottom set. I was forced to act in an unethical way with these students. when i raised the absurdity of the situation, I was bluntly told o do the best I could.
I duly resigned and have no thoughts teaching again.
Teaching involves an ethical basis and it seemed to me that the cost of entering management jettison this core.
A cost too high for me.
lapot in losing our heads
Yep I am one of these weak teachers, I feel like I have no control of the majority of my classes. My year 10s came in today sat down and chatted taking absolutely no notice of me. I tried to settle them and start the lesson but they laughed at me and started to complain that they have 'done this already.' They went on and on eventually I put the classroom rules on the smartboard and told them to copy them down in silence. They started to copy them but wouldn't shut up. In the end I just sat at my desk to be honest I really didn't know what to do with them. In another class yesterday I was called a horrible name I told the offender to leave the classroom and go to where my pt mentor was. She refused so I had to escort her out to the corridor, the rest of the class at this point became very disruptive. Anyway afterwards my pt gave me into trouble for the way I handled it and asked 'have you actually tried being nice to them?' He also asked why are you picking on her when it is clear that the rest of the class are just as bad. Anyway at the end of lunch the offending pupil arrived at my classroom with a half baked excuse that she was actually calling herself the name and she was sorry. I had been crying so I just told her to go. Today I tackled my mentor over what consequence this pupil was going to face. He said that he had spoken to her and she had given him the same excuse and he had told her to just go and talk to me about it. Hence her arrival with her her apology. He also said that compared to the subsequent disruption in my class when I was dealing with this pupil, the name she called me 'paled into insignificance.' 'You're the teacher shes a child what would be gained from taking this further.' Anyway I went and spoke to another teacher of this class and observed him teaching the class today. The class were much better with him. His techniques were similar to mine but really when he told them to do something they did it, with me they just argue.
I'm crying at the moment feel so hopeless the problems I have just ranted about are just a small percentage of all of them. It doesn't help that the school I teach in does blame teachers for pupil misbehaviour. I have tried different things, making sure my lessons are interesting, using the school's (crap) discipline system as consistently as possible, praise, awards, notes in homework diaries for parents etc etc but nothing works.
"Jane the stressed" in So bad at behaviour management I want to quit
Get out of the school you are in. Your mental health is more important than having to go through hell on a daily basis. All these books on behaviour management - sorry but they don't work. It comes from experience and nothing but time will get you this!
Teaching is a horrible demoralising job. I would even go so far as to say get out of it while you are young and can afford to walk away. It really is not worth it and unless you can get into a good school where kids actually want to learn you will be up against it I am afraid. Sorry to sound so doomy - this is my truth, take it as you will.
"bananasplit" in So bad at behaviour management I want to quit.
Just had a really awful afternoon. Straight after lunch I had year 9 set 3. There are usually five or six in this class who are really hard to handle and I tend to dread having them. Today however I was in a really good mood because I was on a behaviour for learning course last week and was looking forward to using some of my newly gained techniques with them.
However the class had other ideas and the usual suspects were even worse than usual. All my newly learnt techniques went flying out the window and for the first time I felt that I was in no way in control of the class.
The next class I had my year 10's who I usually enjoy teaching. Today though I turned rund to find a note on the board saying "Are you pregnant miss?" (which obviously I'm not!).
Anyway upshot was that after school I ended up in tears with my head of department and I now feel really embarassed. It was really no worth crying about. This is a second career for me and I thought I would be mature enough to be able to cope with bad behaviour etc..
Anyway I just wanted to know if others have been brought to tears infront of staff?
moonberry in "Why did I start to cry?"
Is anyone else the same.. i feel so tired all the time... i am going up to bed at 8.30 to read a book and go to sleep... i am up again at 6.00!
my lessons have really taken a slump... i am getting to the point where i am getting the kids to do presentations on the topics we should be covering... I know i really am not being fair to them but i just have no energy in me to plan amazing lessons and battle with them all the time. At least this way they are quiet!
I just feel that i just need to chill for a week at Christmas and then once refreshed can plan some stunning lessons... All i can think about is how tired i am. I have never been like this before i have always been very concientious and organised but even my house looks a mess.... just dont feel like i am coping at all well... mentor is off sick as well (and next to useless) and i am setting her work!!!!!
Munchkin77 in "I feel so drained and feel like i am losing teh will to live!"
My Year 10's have been driving me insane since the start of term. I finally had enough today and walked out twenty mins before the end. My second in department was supportive, but now I'm worried that it's going to look bad tomorrow when my head of department comes back. Feel really stressed. Don't want to go in tomorrow at all.
Also one of the kids went to the toilet after I left and caught me crying in the corrider. What to do?!
pamela2612 in "WALKED OUT"
I feel that I am in some way being set up to fail my NQT year. This term, my first, I have had 2 satisfactory obs and 2 goods (although one made it very clear that it was only just good!). I am due two more before Christmas. Problem is classroom management and for my last observation the teacher was very critical of my relationship with the students. Even asked them for comments which were then included on the form. This, by the way, was for an AS class and I don't feel terribly secure about the knowledge I have of the subject either. I was told that although I have already passed my first term, I will not be passing next term unless I sort this out. I have spent most of the weekend in tears, thoroughly dreading the next three weeks as I feel watched constantly and, I have to say, a bit bullied by this.
I know I'm rambling - the tears are flowing as I type, and I'm not really sure what I'm asking for. Advice? Support? I just feel so desperately miserable.
Mrs Never Ready in "demoralised NQT"
I'm an NQT who sailed through the PGCE. I am at a good, supportive primary school but after four weeks I have been signed off with anxiety. Symptoms began in the second week of the job. My performance in the job was good (children settled and good relations built, good first observation, visitor to classroom organised, trip organised, etc.), but physical symptoms set in - not sleeping, crying, being sick, numbness. Saw GP who prescribed anti-anxiety/depression medication and has signed me off for two weeks (taking me until half term). School are being incredibly supportive and saying to take as long as I need and that health comes first. However, it's called into question for me whether I should pursue the job at the cost of my health. I was a TA before training with no health problems and, despite lower pay, job satisfaction.
Anyone else in a similar situation and what are you planning to do?
McCall in "Any NQTs signed off/in similar position?"
I've got all of these symptoms too and know that a doctor would sign me off. I'm sticking it out at school though as I hate to let people down, even at the cost of my own health (and nobody else could make sense of my planning anyhow!). Colleagues say it gets easier with time but I'm really not coping or keeping up, let alone enjoying it and inspiring the class. It's all well and good trying to keep going to complete the induction, as everyone says I should, but I'm sure that I'm not being an effective teacher and the children, the school and my fellow teachers there deserve very much better. My decision is made.
Just re-read my post and it sounds as though I'd decided to stay in position, come whatever. That's not the case! I'm sticking at it in the short term rather than being signed off but I have now set the resignation ball in motion.
whoatetheflakes in "Any NQTs signed off/in similar position?"
Help, I have had the worst day possible and as the title of my post suggests I have no job to look forward to after the holidays.
Here's the thing:
I am an NQT and in Spetember I was visiting schools with my CV's. One school that I went to offered me a job on the spot, that of co-ordinating Extended Schools with the option of a maternity cover after Christmas. As jobs are scare here in NI, I decided to take it. The principal told me that the maternity cover was in a difficult class, an MLD/SEN unit. Being up for a challenge, I decided to go for it and the arrangement was that I spent every Tuesday in the class to gain experience.
Anyway, due to the teacher being sick I have been in this class teaching for the last few days. After a week I feel that I have been through hell. Today I got shouted at by a pupil and had a ruler thrown at me. There was a physical fight and one other child went so mental that he actually tried to tear the skin off his face and poke his eyes with a sharp pencil. One child sits constantly making gun noises at me (which as you can imagine is a tad unnerving). There is another child who actually goes into some sort of fit and rocks back and forth all the time whilst screaming. It really is like a mad house in there. This is only the tip of the iceberg really and it is the SAME THING EVERYDAY.
These are primary school children by the way.
To cut a long story short I was taking to the Vice principal today (HT is now long term sick) and I told him that I can't work in this kind of an environment. He agreed that it is madness to consider putting an NQT in this kind of a job. My situation now is that I have NO WORK after Christmas. I am 28, have a mortgage and bills and I am so panicing. Day from hell, any words of encouragement please? All I have done today is cry:(
lottie3d in "Day from hell and now I have NO JOB after Christmas"
(sorry, this is going to be one those 'feel sorry for me' threads)
Had a rubbish day and I feel useless. My class are lovely (i teach year 4) but they are really starting to get to me.
Behaviour isn't a major issue (just a few that try their luck now and then) but they just don't seem to be learning anything.
Today I had so many blank faces looking at me, either because they weren't listening or they were just confused.
I know it's the time of year and they've had enough but I just want to push them that bit more.
They are becoming really lazy in their work and sometimes they just don't even try.
I'm fed up with giving work back that isn't to their best ability.
I've really got to push them this year because there is still a huge chunk of them at level 2 in maths and writing - which is really getting me down.
What can I do to put a bit of life back in them? (and me!)
captain oats in "Fed up and useless"
Discipline in British Schools
TES hosts an Internet forum specifically for the teaching community. Here, teachers can talk about issues related to their job, their subject or their opinions. The following are titles and links to threads created in the TES forums. These might give you good insight into what teaching in England is like and what discipline in British or English schools are like. Click on each title to link to the original thread.
Help - everything's overwhelming me!
Help Nightmare year 8 class!
Behaviour managment - help!!
Starting to feel exhausted!!!!
I hate my class!
Assaulted, seriously had enough - dreading next lesson
behaviour: at wit's end.
how can i continue after this?
throwing the towel in
I just want to leave
I don't want to quit but i feel awful...
NQT thinking of quitting
End of my tether
TEACHER SUICIDES
PGCE student taking over nightmare year 10 class
Don't want to go in Year 6 on Thurs
6th formers turned against me nitemare
Head caught talking about me
Is this behaviour normal????
Its always my fault!
Pupils turning up to their lessons 'drugged' up...
Kids Bullying Teachers - Does it happen?
Year 4 tantrums
Stress due to bad behaviour and lack of support
Exploitation of some overseas teachers
Exploiting Overseas Trained Teachers
Questions that illustrate the mess our education system has become
Schools don't fail Children, Parents Do...
anyone still up? I have to deal with this situation in the morning...
Child not responding and getting angry! any suggestions of how to deal with this?
Primary "gang" behaviour
Anyone got any good tips for dealing with noisy, silly Year 9 classes!
Help - everything's overwhelming me!
Help Nightmare year 8 class!
Behaviour managment - help!!
Starting to feel exhausted!!!!
I hate my class!
Assaulted, seriously had enough - dreading next lesson
behaviour: at wit's end.
how can i continue after this?
throwing the towel in
I just want to leave
I don't want to quit but i feel awful...
NQT thinking of quitting
End of my tether
TEACHER SUICIDES
PGCE student taking over nightmare year 10 class
Don't want to go in Year 6 on Thurs
6th formers turned against me nitemare
Head caught talking about me
Is this behaviour normal????
Its always my fault!
Pupils turning up to their lessons 'drugged' up...
Kids Bullying Teachers - Does it happen?
Year 4 tantrums
Stress due to bad behaviour and lack of support
Exploitation of some overseas teachers
Exploiting Overseas Trained Teachers
Questions that illustrate the mess our education system has become
Schools don't fail Children, Parents Do...
anyone still up? I have to deal with this situation in the morning...
Child not responding and getting angry! any suggestions of how to deal with this?
Primary "gang" behaviour
Anyone got any good tips for dealing with noisy, silly Year 9 classes!
Thursday, March 27, 2008
What is it like to be a foreign teacher in England?
This post includes comments made by overseas and British teachers. Read here for what discipline in England is like.
Today was yet another awful day. What a surprise. I keep thinking that I really want to quit and just come home. Every time I think about coming home it is like a weight has been lifted off of me. Do I just miss the familiarity of home and the support of my friends and family, or is this job really not worth it? I honestly can't decide and it is excruciating going over it again and again in my head.
Some of the kids I teach are downright mean. They say and do things just to try and get a reaction out of me and I am so confused as to what to do. I had another lesson evaluation today and of course it went to shit. The kids were out of control and I couldn't do anything to stop them. The person watching this lesson is my "professional mentor" and she tried to be really supportive which was nice of her. She tried to point out the positives of which there weren't many. But when she talked about what was wrong with the lesson, she didn't offer any practical advice. I can point out a million things that I am doing wrong, but I have no idea how to set it right. We spent like an hour and a half after school talking about it and she decided that I wasn't getting enough support from my department. So she brought in a senior teacher from my department and the three of us discussed things I could do, but we never reached any decisions. I kept on trying to hammer down specifics, but the other two would just go off on tangents saying you could try this, or sometimes this works, or how about that....the only real consensus that was made was that there is no answer.
So I am back at square one and feel like shit. Is it me? Am I just such a shit teacher that I can't possibly succeed and should just give up? Or is it just my environment? What can I do to get more support? I ask for help, I literally cry for help, and I still end up more confused than ever.
I am at a loss and I just don't know what to do. Should I just give up and come home?
Anonymous
Hello, I FEEL LIKE RUBBISH TEACHING HERE!!I'm a music teacher and not to sound like egotistical or anything...have had more training from the U.S. than they do here. I have been here 4 years and temped in sh** schools because other schools were afraid of how long I'd stay or taking on an "overseas teacher". I was consistently blamed for the kids' bad behaviour, given horrible classes and felt ganged up on by staff repeatedly. I worked my a** off and learned of stuff to improve on from my references to other employers. I am a very good teacher, but its like they took their vengance out me when the references came up...do I really deserve that? Its a nightmare trying to get qualified teacher's status..when I've already spent 5 1/2 years on a degree. Teaching in England has frustrated me completely and the references I got are unfair and biased and frankly ruined my career. But what can I do about it, I have no rights!! This is all why, for the last year I've been doing an office job instead of teaching! i never thought it would come to this...
rosy1912 in 'feel like a second class citizen?'
I have come to England from Australia last September. The comprehensive school that I am at, the kids are totally out-of-control and I been off sick because of this. I want to teach not to discipline all the time. It doesn't look good, its not working. I dont know what to do. I have applied to TES for independant schools as I feel all comprehensive schools will have the same lack of respect and bad behaviour-but i feel this is useless as I am getting letter after letter saying they have appointed someone else-also this is only my second year out and I dont have QTS(another problem)-however,I do have a 10 year visa. The ofsteds are all the same and my school is CONSIDERED A GOOD SCHOOL!-goodness knows what a bad school would be like! In TES i have applied for 27 jobs and not one interview! I have only got a couple of months to do anything. After that I will have to book airplane-We are a family of 4.
artbot in 'I am going home......'
A very dear friend of mine is currently going through hell because of peer colleagues. The head apparently is throwing in with them, by prosecuting a frivolous complaint. The poor fellow is off work because of this, possibly could end up dead because he can't handle the amount of stress that this is causing. All because he sought help elsewhere when no one at the school - head or governors - paid attention to his complaints. Yet the complaints of the main colleague who bullied and harrassed him is being taken seriously. His record at the school is above reproach - several years he was at that school, through many an inspection (4, I think) where he was rated good or better. Yet that all seems to count for nothing when a manipulative junior colleague manages to wrap the head teacher around his little finger. She (the head) had a duty of care that she ignored. Hopefully my friend will be able to prove this shortly!
Forgot to mention - my friend is foreign born. Living here for over 10 years, though. He had already resigned his position due to the bullying at the school and was going to teach in another country for a while. He loved teaching here, though, and had had no plans to go until the bullying intensified. I wonder if this is an appeasement process for the bullying teacher, that the head feels that since the teacher is going and going out of the country, this action can be taken with impugnity as it may not affect the man's chances? My friend thinks that she doesn't realise that records follow, even if not intentionally so or deliberately so.Sorry - I'm so angry for him. It's truly an injustice to destroy a good teacher's career, using his foreign-ness as a cover for this action. Stepping down from the podium now....
oldster in 'feel like a second class citizen?'
Expect nothing. To acknowledge his contribution, skills and care for his students would be to acknowledge him as a human being. Obviously, as they are doing this to him in the first place, they don't recognise his basic humanity, never mind the wonderful things that make him a unique individual and, as you say, good teacher. My husband had to do something similar in his last school when administration told him that "doing a paddy" was acceptable language for him to have to tolerate amongst staff (as an Irishman), administration did not apologise for treating him as an overseas trained teacher despite his being trained in Northern Ireland and holding superior qualifications to his HOD, his HOD walked into his classes and berated him in front of students on points of methodology and so forth. In the end, he applied for another job before the HOD could get overly creative (particularly since this HOD was a union rep and therefore knew the ins and outs of the system). My husband took down all of his display materials, his demonstrations and his tools that he had brought in to supplement that of the department's as they were lacking certain basic equipment.No one said anything except the technician...who later resigned himself in disgust.
moroba in 'feel like a second class citizen?'
After one term in England I am tired of being treated badly by the staff at my school. I am annoyed that my 10 years experience does not make me 'qualified' to teach in this country. I am furious that my classes consist entirely of bottom sets of Year 9s and 10s, while English NQT's are given A level classes. Mostly, I am amazed that I am blamed for the behaviour of students in my class. It seems that, in this country, kids are not responsible for their own actions. Sorry if this sounds negative, but I really feel that this school system needs to look at what overseas teachers can contribute instead of seeing them as a liability. If asked (which will never happen) I could share my experiences with a more progressive approach to teaching and learning, comment on the benefits of teaching groups that are truly mixed ability, compare curriculum, exams and assessment models. Why do the English believe that this is the best school system in the world?
scout finch in 'feel like a second class citizen?'
I was recruited from Australia and went to Manchester.
I registered with two agencies who promised me more Primary work than I could handle.
I made sure they understood that I wasn't wealthy, had committments at home and would go to London if my chances would be better. No, they were very clear about the LOADS of available positions, day to day, short term and long term. It would be up to me to decide.
Well, I was stupid enough to tell them I had a car and so they used me to fill classes, miles away from home, that no one else would go to.
Also, I told them what grades I'd teach and they offered me only those I didn't want.
It was blackmail. If you don't take what is offered then you don't get calls.
What really p...ed me off was that they continued to advertise on their websites that lots of work was available.
I see others on these boards saying there isn't much work. Take care to save your pennies, as the lean times are still to come.
Toomanycountries in Agency Lies
Welcome to England.And of course, none of this is ever said to anyone's face. Oh no-o-o-o. Only ever, ever behind someone's back, preferrably after being disgustingly pleasant to the individual in front of all concerned in order to make the shallow, backstabbing character assassination all the more delicious once the subject has absented the room or moved out of earshot. Better yet if the individual concerned is close enough to only hear parts of the conversation so the gossipers can grow suddenly silent at key intervals, giggle and look guilty. Perpetual insecurity, emotional immaturity, vindictiveness and manipulation are cultural hallmarks along with a self-satsifying smug arrogance based upon purposeful ignorance that is a source of actual pride in the company of others...intelligence, talent, enthusiasm and a genuine desire to learn are to be shunned at all cost, particularly when evidenced in foreigners. A sense of humour based upon actual joy, as opposed to a satiric, biting wit, is also to be frowned upon.You wouldn't want these bitter individuals on your side, hollybridge. They clam up when actually confronted face to face, only daring to be so nasty when annonymous or amongst friends; they are the epitome of the passive-agressive personality. And you're right. They don't like their problems solved because they'd have nothing to whinge about, then.Although I have met exceptions to the rule. There are some genuinely wonderful people, here. Most that I have encountered have travelled and lived elsewhere for extended periods of time, which may or may not have had something to do with it.I'll be moving on soon, I think, though. I think it's a poor match of personality and culture.
moroba 'Sidebar about this forum'
I'm also from the US - taught there for 6 years at the high school level. I find the behaviour of the students (and some of the staff) here shocking. I really hate the 'pass the buck' system of discipline at my school (may be different elsewhere, I only have experience in one UK school). If a kid disrupts or causes problems I have to hand it off to the HOY or HOD which to me feels like I have no power - the kids know I personally can't do anything to them. After a problem has been passed on it can take a week for anything to be done. I thought we learned in teaching school (or child psychology) that discipline needs to be administered shortly after the 'crime' for it to be effective. I have students who are booked into detentions until NEXT half term for things they've done this term! The detentions mean nothing to them and most of them cannot remember what they did to get the detention - useless. In the states (2 different schools) teachers contact parents directly and all naughty kids are dealt with by the same person (the VP of discipline). As it is at my school here, a kid can disrupt all his/her classes in a day but see a different person for each disruption - HOY, HOD, other senior management.... it's nuts and it doesn't work.Any other experiences out there?
lyle8855 in 'Student behaviour/SMT support'
The UK school system is significantly different than almost any other system in the world, particularly compared to North American systems. Over 3 years I have found the basic skills of students to be significantly lower, due to the fact there is no need to 'pass' anything, they are simply passed on. Several of my year 11 students currently at a 12 year old reading/writing age are strong examples of this. The behaviour is significantly worse here than to any school I have taught at in Canada. Those who say it is similar and there are bad schools/students in both countries are diluting themselves into believing something that is simply not true.
Now that said, I wouldn't trade my experience here for anything. I have been in a special measures school (came out in December) and it is particularly difficult. I am now confident that I could teacher anywhere successfully. If you are mentally strong, and expecting a massive change you should be okay but I won't lie to you, my wife and I are 2 of the only OTT's to last as long as 3 years in our school. Most wash out in the first 3-4 months (we lost 4 before Christmas last year!). It is an experience well worth trying although most of the horror stories you have heard are probably true.
Good luck, k
kforde in Are UK kids/teaching situations really as bad as people say?
I enjoy learning and thoroughly enjoy teaching. I absolutely love working with the kids here, even if some of their behaviour would never be tolerated in other systems in which I have taught. That's the fault of the system, not the kids. Even the racism I get at times is due to ignorance rather than genuine hostility, and often a direct response aimed at educating the individual concerned is usually enough. I've only had one or two genuinely nasty kids with which to work.The staff, on the other hand, is another thing all together. Senior staff have actually been quite good to me, though hideous to my N. Irish husband. They have recognised my skills, experience and professionalism, even as I have had to jump through the statutory hoops to get qualified. Many of the assumptions made about OTT by the system are downright racism and ignorant; again, that's the system and the people who designed it, not the poor folk who have to work with it. I do find it amusing, though, the way the system appears to assume methodology used here is inherently superior to everywhere else, particularly on matters where its patently obvious to everyone involved but the politicians and a handful of theorists that the methodology is failing miserably as opposed to that used everywhere else.Middle management and fellow colleagues generally have been nothing short of hostile, insecure, vindictive and downright racist. Current school is a bit of an exception. Staff outside my subject area are wonderful to work and talk with. Most of the staff in my department are less than accepting, although one particular staff member is democratically horrible to all staff so I can't really say that it's because I'm foreign. In other schools I worked in, fellow staff made fun of my accent, constantly correcting the way I said "schedule", I got sent to the head for not "knowing my place" by suggesting ways of improving grammar teaching at a department meeting when feedback was requested (later proved right by an outside consultant initially brought in to prove I didn't know what I was talking about...was told to keep my mouth shut despite being right because my fellow staff members were too insecure to handle the truth). I got classes taken away from me during training because the students remarked to the HOD about my depth of subject knowledge and how I made learning fun. It took three months for staff to even acknowledge my existence beyond the barest pleasantries while NQTs and PGCSE students from England were given the warmest of welcomes.Probably won't stay in the system. I can accept immaturity and insecurity among teenagers; it's their job after all to push boundaries and find who they are. I don't have the same patience and understanding with staff, who are supposed to have grown up and become trained professionals.
moroba in 'feel like a second class citizen?'
In my first job here I was bullying, degraded, put down in front of students and made to feel like scum by my HOD. He was upset that he didn't get a say in my employment (I was interviewed and offered a position on the spot by the head teacher). He was of the attitude that if students aren't writing, they aren't learning. He would waltz into my lessons and berate me in front of students if he felt they hadn't written enough in their books. He would give them (and in turn, me) detentions for spurious reasons. He would sit in the staffroom and boast of how he had already gotten rid of 6 teachers, and did anyone want him to help out in their department.I lasted 2 terms there. The kids were a challenge, but I could handle them, they're kids. It was the lack of support from management I couldn't handle. Some of the staff were lovely, very supportive and offered to back me up should I make a complaint. Others made racist and sexist comments and laid bets on when I would leave (I lasted longest of all the Australian teachers employed - their were 4 of us).My current school is a world away. The Head and managers are brilliant. Very supportive of me and are very open to innovations and ways of teaching they haven't seen before. I will eventually have to go through the OTTP to get QTS, but I'm not being rushed (and am being paid decently, as it's not an LEA school). My only bugbear now is book marking. What an absolute waste of time. 98% of the kids don't look at the comments and don't want you to write in their books how they can improve. It completely does my head in.I will be going home in a few years, certainly before I have school age children. I will not inflict a system where exam results are everything on my children. Also, I would die if I had to work here for another 30 years. I really would.
ladelley in 'feel like a second class citizen?'
I have similar experience with the UK system. It wasn't until I became HOD I was able to reslove any problem myself and kids started to relise not to mess with me. In NZ you deal with the problem first, contact parents, run detention, place them in the school detention doing your work! Then if that fails the HOD or HoY steps in to help you and not take over. Unless you as the teacher are seen by the kid as resolving the issue the class room behaviour is very hard to change. But I suppose my biggest issue with the system in my UK school is the paper work require for this disruptive kid.This is just the situation at my UK school, school policy states teachers can't contact parents directly with out permission. Who would have thought! I'll be happy to get my NZ kids back but I prefer the UK pay.
VC_kiwi in 'Student behaviour/SMT support'
I am a Canadian who taught in the UK last year… Most of the secondary schools that would take a flyer on an OTT (Overseas Trained Teacher) are schools in rougher areas, or with a rougher reputation that puts British teachers off from applying.Behaviour in schools is also VERY different from behaviour seen in North American schools. Even at rough schools, the worst I have had to face in Canada is students skipping (bunking in England), or students swearing at me. In English schools if that is all you have to face at quite a few schools then you are doing extremely well! At my school in the UK, I knew five teachers who left in the first four months due to student behaviour and effort. Salaries are also lower, although starting salaries are higher than over here. However, if you have no experience, you get paid on the OTT scale, which is thousands of pounds less than what a British trained teacher makes. You would need to go through TQS (Teacher Qualification Service) to become certified to teach in Britain, and which also enables you to register with the GTC (General Teacher Council).Your initial OTT evaluation of documents is made by NARIC (do a websearch or follow the links on this site) and costs money. For an in-depth analysis of your transcripts and degrees, it is more money, and is done after the initial application.Students in Britian do a GTP or PGCE entry, or else do a Teacher degree at a Teacher Training uni or college. GTP is Graduate Training Program and is aimed at attracting people from other industries into education; for example, I worked with a GTP student who worked in computers in London for 20 years, made his loot, and was ready for a change. The PGCE is Post Graduate Course in Education for those who received a degree in a subject and then decided to teach in that subject. It is similar to a post degree professional program. Anyways, if you are looking to teach, big cities and supply agencies (given your lack of experience) are better than trying on your own. Me, I had 12 years experience overseas and in Canada at a variety of levels and subjects. I managed to find my own position after my wife received a job offer in another industry to work in England. In the end we enjoyed our time, but the expense of living in England caused us to rethink our plan of staying long term and we moved home. (a dilapidated row house (a line of 20) with a tiny front yard and no furnishings, usually no cabinets, closets etc, would have set us back $250,000 Cdn even without furniture, appliances and cabinets. A regular house such as you would buy here for $300,000 is over $1,000,000 in England, at least in the south where we lived.Hope this helps - don't give up, just be aware! You will also need a work permit unless you apply on the holiday makers visa or have right of abode through parents or grandparents (but not great-grandparents).
shadocg in 'frustrated and wondering'
I don't think I prepared myself for just how hard it would be. Today was brutal. The kids were totally out of control and I am at a loss as to how to handle it. I spent half of my weekend planning (Sunday I went to Guildford to try and do something touristy) and I feel totally behind and unprepared.
It is so hard to explain unless you are experiencing it. I know nothing about the school system and I am just trying to survive day-to-day. Which I am totally failing to do. There are other new teachers who are having a rough time, but everyone kind of flinches when they learn that I am a first year teacher and I am from Canada. Kind of like a double whammy.
I feel unbelieveably homesick and totally isolated. This is definitely the hardest thing I've ever had to do. And that includes 4 years of Engineering. At least then I had some control over the outcome - study hard, learn the material, pass the exams. If only this was so simple. That is half of the problem - if I knew what to do to make it better than I'd do it!
Sometimes I wonder if I have made a big mistake. I have left all of my family and friends, a good job, my apartment that I loved, my cats and all of my posessions to feel totally useless, frustrated and exasperated. It is so tempting to haul ass back home and forget I ever heard of Ash Manor. But I know that if I don't give it a fair chance than I'll regret it. So I keep telling myself anyway.
On a brighter note, I went on a historical walking tour of Guildford yesterday and I got to see a castle and church that were first built around 1050ish. Pretty amazing. I'll post some pictures whenever I get a chance.
Back to planning lessons that I won't be able to complete for a bunch of kids that don't give a shit. Yaaaay me.
Anonymous
scout finch - don't waste any time putting any documentation together to show what you can bring to education here - as nobody will ever ask for it.A Kiwi teacher that was here for two years, brought all kinds of resources with her. She was scoffed at by the 'long term teachers' in her department, told it wouldn't work etc. She left prior to Christmas. Guess what - they're now starting to use some of her things - singing the praises of the materials/resources and taking full credit for it!While she was here, they treated her like shit
bandh in 'feel like a second class citizen?'
That is what it is like to be a teacher in England. It does not matter where you came from, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, America (United States), Canada or anywhere else.
Today was yet another awful day. What a surprise. I keep thinking that I really want to quit and just come home. Every time I think about coming home it is like a weight has been lifted off of me. Do I just miss the familiarity of home and the support of my friends and family, or is this job really not worth it? I honestly can't decide and it is excruciating going over it again and again in my head.
Some of the kids I teach are downright mean. They say and do things just to try and get a reaction out of me and I am so confused as to what to do. I had another lesson evaluation today and of course it went to shit. The kids were out of control and I couldn't do anything to stop them. The person watching this lesson is my "professional mentor" and she tried to be really supportive which was nice of her. She tried to point out the positives of which there weren't many. But when she talked about what was wrong with the lesson, she didn't offer any practical advice. I can point out a million things that I am doing wrong, but I have no idea how to set it right. We spent like an hour and a half after school talking about it and she decided that I wasn't getting enough support from my department. So she brought in a senior teacher from my department and the three of us discussed things I could do, but we never reached any decisions. I kept on trying to hammer down specifics, but the other two would just go off on tangents saying you could try this, or sometimes this works, or how about that....the only real consensus that was made was that there is no answer.
So I am back at square one and feel like shit. Is it me? Am I just such a shit teacher that I can't possibly succeed and should just give up? Or is it just my environment? What can I do to get more support? I ask for help, I literally cry for help, and I still end up more confused than ever.
I am at a loss and I just don't know what to do. Should I just give up and come home?
Anonymous
Hello, I FEEL LIKE RUBBISH TEACHING HERE!!I'm a music teacher and not to sound like egotistical or anything...have had more training from the U.S. than they do here. I have been here 4 years and temped in sh** schools because other schools were afraid of how long I'd stay or taking on an "overseas teacher". I was consistently blamed for the kids' bad behaviour, given horrible classes and felt ganged up on by staff repeatedly. I worked my a** off and learned of stuff to improve on from my references to other employers. I am a very good teacher, but its like they took their vengance out me when the references came up...do I really deserve that? Its a nightmare trying to get qualified teacher's status..when I've already spent 5 1/2 years on a degree. Teaching in England has frustrated me completely and the references I got are unfair and biased and frankly ruined my career. But what can I do about it, I have no rights!! This is all why, for the last year I've been doing an office job instead of teaching! i never thought it would come to this...
rosy1912 in 'feel like a second class citizen?'
I have come to England from Australia last September. The comprehensive school that I am at, the kids are totally out-of-control and I been off sick because of this. I want to teach not to discipline all the time. It doesn't look good, its not working. I dont know what to do. I have applied to TES for independant schools as I feel all comprehensive schools will have the same lack of respect and bad behaviour-but i feel this is useless as I am getting letter after letter saying they have appointed someone else-also this is only my second year out and I dont have QTS(another problem)-however,I do have a 10 year visa. The ofsteds are all the same and my school is CONSIDERED A GOOD SCHOOL!-goodness knows what a bad school would be like! In TES i have applied for 27 jobs and not one interview! I have only got a couple of months to do anything. After that I will have to book airplane-We are a family of 4.
artbot in 'I am going home......'
A very dear friend of mine is currently going through hell because of peer colleagues. The head apparently is throwing in with them, by prosecuting a frivolous complaint. The poor fellow is off work because of this, possibly could end up dead because he can't handle the amount of stress that this is causing. All because he sought help elsewhere when no one at the school - head or governors - paid attention to his complaints. Yet the complaints of the main colleague who bullied and harrassed him is being taken seriously. His record at the school is above reproach - several years he was at that school, through many an inspection (4, I think) where he was rated good or better. Yet that all seems to count for nothing when a manipulative junior colleague manages to wrap the head teacher around his little finger. She (the head) had a duty of care that she ignored. Hopefully my friend will be able to prove this shortly!
Forgot to mention - my friend is foreign born. Living here for over 10 years, though. He had already resigned his position due to the bullying at the school and was going to teach in another country for a while. He loved teaching here, though, and had had no plans to go until the bullying intensified. I wonder if this is an appeasement process for the bullying teacher, that the head feels that since the teacher is going and going out of the country, this action can be taken with impugnity as it may not affect the man's chances? My friend thinks that she doesn't realise that records follow, even if not intentionally so or deliberately so.Sorry - I'm so angry for him. It's truly an injustice to destroy a good teacher's career, using his foreign-ness as a cover for this action. Stepping down from the podium now....
oldster in 'feel like a second class citizen?'
Expect nothing. To acknowledge his contribution, skills and care for his students would be to acknowledge him as a human being. Obviously, as they are doing this to him in the first place, they don't recognise his basic humanity, never mind the wonderful things that make him a unique individual and, as you say, good teacher. My husband had to do something similar in his last school when administration told him that "doing a paddy" was acceptable language for him to have to tolerate amongst staff (as an Irishman), administration did not apologise for treating him as an overseas trained teacher despite his being trained in Northern Ireland and holding superior qualifications to his HOD, his HOD walked into his classes and berated him in front of students on points of methodology and so forth. In the end, he applied for another job before the HOD could get overly creative (particularly since this HOD was a union rep and therefore knew the ins and outs of the system). My husband took down all of his display materials, his demonstrations and his tools that he had brought in to supplement that of the department's as they were lacking certain basic equipment.No one said anything except the technician...who later resigned himself in disgust.
moroba in 'feel like a second class citizen?'
After one term in England I am tired of being treated badly by the staff at my school. I am annoyed that my 10 years experience does not make me 'qualified' to teach in this country. I am furious that my classes consist entirely of bottom sets of Year 9s and 10s, while English NQT's are given A level classes. Mostly, I am amazed that I am blamed for the behaviour of students in my class. It seems that, in this country, kids are not responsible for their own actions. Sorry if this sounds negative, but I really feel that this school system needs to look at what overseas teachers can contribute instead of seeing them as a liability. If asked (which will never happen) I could share my experiences with a more progressive approach to teaching and learning, comment on the benefits of teaching groups that are truly mixed ability, compare curriculum, exams and assessment models. Why do the English believe that this is the best school system in the world?
scout finch in 'feel like a second class citizen?'
I was recruited from Australia and went to Manchester.
I registered with two agencies who promised me more Primary work than I could handle.
I made sure they understood that I wasn't wealthy, had committments at home and would go to London if my chances would be better. No, they were very clear about the LOADS of available positions, day to day, short term and long term. It would be up to me to decide.
Well, I was stupid enough to tell them I had a car and so they used me to fill classes, miles away from home, that no one else would go to.
Also, I told them what grades I'd teach and they offered me only those I didn't want.
It was blackmail. If you don't take what is offered then you don't get calls.
What really p...ed me off was that they continued to advertise on their websites that lots of work was available.
I see others on these boards saying there isn't much work. Take care to save your pennies, as the lean times are still to come.
Toomanycountries in Agency Lies
Welcome to England.And of course, none of this is ever said to anyone's face. Oh no-o-o-o. Only ever, ever behind someone's back, preferrably after being disgustingly pleasant to the individual in front of all concerned in order to make the shallow, backstabbing character assassination all the more delicious once the subject has absented the room or moved out of earshot. Better yet if the individual concerned is close enough to only hear parts of the conversation so the gossipers can grow suddenly silent at key intervals, giggle and look guilty. Perpetual insecurity, emotional immaturity, vindictiveness and manipulation are cultural hallmarks along with a self-satsifying smug arrogance based upon purposeful ignorance that is a source of actual pride in the company of others...intelligence, talent, enthusiasm and a genuine desire to learn are to be shunned at all cost, particularly when evidenced in foreigners. A sense of humour based upon actual joy, as opposed to a satiric, biting wit, is also to be frowned upon.You wouldn't want these bitter individuals on your side, hollybridge. They clam up when actually confronted face to face, only daring to be so nasty when annonymous or amongst friends; they are the epitome of the passive-agressive personality. And you're right. They don't like their problems solved because they'd have nothing to whinge about, then.Although I have met exceptions to the rule. There are some genuinely wonderful people, here. Most that I have encountered have travelled and lived elsewhere for extended periods of time, which may or may not have had something to do with it.I'll be moving on soon, I think, though. I think it's a poor match of personality and culture.
moroba 'Sidebar about this forum'
I'm also from the US - taught there for 6 years at the high school level. I find the behaviour of the students (and some of the staff) here shocking. I really hate the 'pass the buck' system of discipline at my school (may be different elsewhere, I only have experience in one UK school). If a kid disrupts or causes problems I have to hand it off to the HOY or HOD which to me feels like I have no power - the kids know I personally can't do anything to them. After a problem has been passed on it can take a week for anything to be done. I thought we learned in teaching school (or child psychology) that discipline needs to be administered shortly after the 'crime' for it to be effective. I have students who are booked into detentions until NEXT half term for things they've done this term! The detentions mean nothing to them and most of them cannot remember what they did to get the detention - useless. In the states (2 different schools) teachers contact parents directly and all naughty kids are dealt with by the same person (the VP of discipline). As it is at my school here, a kid can disrupt all his/her classes in a day but see a different person for each disruption - HOY, HOD, other senior management.... it's nuts and it doesn't work.Any other experiences out there?
lyle8855 in 'Student behaviour/SMT support'
The UK school system is significantly different than almost any other system in the world, particularly compared to North American systems. Over 3 years I have found the basic skills of students to be significantly lower, due to the fact there is no need to 'pass' anything, they are simply passed on. Several of my year 11 students currently at a 12 year old reading/writing age are strong examples of this. The behaviour is significantly worse here than to any school I have taught at in Canada. Those who say it is similar and there are bad schools/students in both countries are diluting themselves into believing something that is simply not true.
Now that said, I wouldn't trade my experience here for anything. I have been in a special measures school (came out in December) and it is particularly difficult. I am now confident that I could teacher anywhere successfully. If you are mentally strong, and expecting a massive change you should be okay but I won't lie to you, my wife and I are 2 of the only OTT's to last as long as 3 years in our school. Most wash out in the first 3-4 months (we lost 4 before Christmas last year!). It is an experience well worth trying although most of the horror stories you have heard are probably true.
Good luck, k
kforde in Are UK kids/teaching situations really as bad as people say?
I enjoy learning and thoroughly enjoy teaching. I absolutely love working with the kids here, even if some of their behaviour would never be tolerated in other systems in which I have taught. That's the fault of the system, not the kids. Even the racism I get at times is due to ignorance rather than genuine hostility, and often a direct response aimed at educating the individual concerned is usually enough. I've only had one or two genuinely nasty kids with which to work.The staff, on the other hand, is another thing all together. Senior staff have actually been quite good to me, though hideous to my N. Irish husband. They have recognised my skills, experience and professionalism, even as I have had to jump through the statutory hoops to get qualified. Many of the assumptions made about OTT by the system are downright racism and ignorant; again, that's the system and the people who designed it, not the poor folk who have to work with it. I do find it amusing, though, the way the system appears to assume methodology used here is inherently superior to everywhere else, particularly on matters where its patently obvious to everyone involved but the politicians and a handful of theorists that the methodology is failing miserably as opposed to that used everywhere else.Middle management and fellow colleagues generally have been nothing short of hostile, insecure, vindictive and downright racist. Current school is a bit of an exception. Staff outside my subject area are wonderful to work and talk with. Most of the staff in my department are less than accepting, although one particular staff member is democratically horrible to all staff so I can't really say that it's because I'm foreign. In other schools I worked in, fellow staff made fun of my accent, constantly correcting the way I said "schedule", I got sent to the head for not "knowing my place" by suggesting ways of improving grammar teaching at a department meeting when feedback was requested (later proved right by an outside consultant initially brought in to prove I didn't know what I was talking about...was told to keep my mouth shut despite being right because my fellow staff members were too insecure to handle the truth). I got classes taken away from me during training because the students remarked to the HOD about my depth of subject knowledge and how I made learning fun. It took three months for staff to even acknowledge my existence beyond the barest pleasantries while NQTs and PGCSE students from England were given the warmest of welcomes.Probably won't stay in the system. I can accept immaturity and insecurity among teenagers; it's their job after all to push boundaries and find who they are. I don't have the same patience and understanding with staff, who are supposed to have grown up and become trained professionals.
moroba in 'feel like a second class citizen?'
In my first job here I was bullying, degraded, put down in front of students and made to feel like scum by my HOD. He was upset that he didn't get a say in my employment (I was interviewed and offered a position on the spot by the head teacher). He was of the attitude that if students aren't writing, they aren't learning. He would waltz into my lessons and berate me in front of students if he felt they hadn't written enough in their books. He would give them (and in turn, me) detentions for spurious reasons. He would sit in the staffroom and boast of how he had already gotten rid of 6 teachers, and did anyone want him to help out in their department.I lasted 2 terms there. The kids were a challenge, but I could handle them, they're kids. It was the lack of support from management I couldn't handle. Some of the staff were lovely, very supportive and offered to back me up should I make a complaint. Others made racist and sexist comments and laid bets on when I would leave (I lasted longest of all the Australian teachers employed - their were 4 of us).My current school is a world away. The Head and managers are brilliant. Very supportive of me and are very open to innovations and ways of teaching they haven't seen before. I will eventually have to go through the OTTP to get QTS, but I'm not being rushed (and am being paid decently, as it's not an LEA school). My only bugbear now is book marking. What an absolute waste of time. 98% of the kids don't look at the comments and don't want you to write in their books how they can improve. It completely does my head in.I will be going home in a few years, certainly before I have school age children. I will not inflict a system where exam results are everything on my children. Also, I would die if I had to work here for another 30 years. I really would.
ladelley in 'feel like a second class citizen?'
I have similar experience with the UK system. It wasn't until I became HOD I was able to reslove any problem myself and kids started to relise not to mess with me. In NZ you deal with the problem first, contact parents, run detention, place them in the school detention doing your work! Then if that fails the HOD or HoY steps in to help you and not take over. Unless you as the teacher are seen by the kid as resolving the issue the class room behaviour is very hard to change. But I suppose my biggest issue with the system in my UK school is the paper work require for this disruptive kid.This is just the situation at my UK school, school policy states teachers can't contact parents directly with out permission. Who would have thought! I'll be happy to get my NZ kids back but I prefer the UK pay.
VC_kiwi in 'Student behaviour/SMT support'
I am a Canadian who taught in the UK last year… Most of the secondary schools that would take a flyer on an OTT (Overseas Trained Teacher) are schools in rougher areas, or with a rougher reputation that puts British teachers off from applying.Behaviour in schools is also VERY different from behaviour seen in North American schools. Even at rough schools, the worst I have had to face in Canada is students skipping (bunking in England), or students swearing at me. In English schools if that is all you have to face at quite a few schools then you are doing extremely well! At my school in the UK, I knew five teachers who left in the first four months due to student behaviour and effort. Salaries are also lower, although starting salaries are higher than over here. However, if you have no experience, you get paid on the OTT scale, which is thousands of pounds less than what a British trained teacher makes. You would need to go through TQS (Teacher Qualification Service) to become certified to teach in Britain, and which also enables you to register with the GTC (General Teacher Council).Your initial OTT evaluation of documents is made by NARIC (do a websearch or follow the links on this site) and costs money. For an in-depth analysis of your transcripts and degrees, it is more money, and is done after the initial application.Students in Britian do a GTP or PGCE entry, or else do a Teacher degree at a Teacher Training uni or college. GTP is Graduate Training Program and is aimed at attracting people from other industries into education; for example, I worked with a GTP student who worked in computers in London for 20 years, made his loot, and was ready for a change. The PGCE is Post Graduate Course in Education for those who received a degree in a subject and then decided to teach in that subject. It is similar to a post degree professional program. Anyways, if you are looking to teach, big cities and supply agencies (given your lack of experience) are better than trying on your own. Me, I had 12 years experience overseas and in Canada at a variety of levels and subjects. I managed to find my own position after my wife received a job offer in another industry to work in England. In the end we enjoyed our time, but the expense of living in England caused us to rethink our plan of staying long term and we moved home. (a dilapidated row house (a line of 20) with a tiny front yard and no furnishings, usually no cabinets, closets etc, would have set us back $250,000 Cdn even without furniture, appliances and cabinets. A regular house such as you would buy here for $300,000 is over $1,000,000 in England, at least in the south where we lived.Hope this helps - don't give up, just be aware! You will also need a work permit unless you apply on the holiday makers visa or have right of abode through parents or grandparents (but not great-grandparents).
shadocg in 'frustrated and wondering'
I don't think I prepared myself for just how hard it would be. Today was brutal. The kids were totally out of control and I am at a loss as to how to handle it. I spent half of my weekend planning (Sunday I went to Guildford to try and do something touristy) and I feel totally behind and unprepared.
It is so hard to explain unless you are experiencing it. I know nothing about the school system and I am just trying to survive day-to-day. Which I am totally failing to do. There are other new teachers who are having a rough time, but everyone kind of flinches when they learn that I am a first year teacher and I am from Canada. Kind of like a double whammy.
I feel unbelieveably homesick and totally isolated. This is definitely the hardest thing I've ever had to do. And that includes 4 years of Engineering. At least then I had some control over the outcome - study hard, learn the material, pass the exams. If only this was so simple. That is half of the problem - if I knew what to do to make it better than I'd do it!
Sometimes I wonder if I have made a big mistake. I have left all of my family and friends, a good job, my apartment that I loved, my cats and all of my posessions to feel totally useless, frustrated and exasperated. It is so tempting to haul ass back home and forget I ever heard of Ash Manor. But I know that if I don't give it a fair chance than I'll regret it. So I keep telling myself anyway.
On a brighter note, I went on a historical walking tour of Guildford yesterday and I got to see a castle and church that were first built around 1050ish. Pretty amazing. I'll post some pictures whenever I get a chance.
Back to planning lessons that I won't be able to complete for a bunch of kids that don't give a shit. Yaaaay me.
Anonymous
scout finch - don't waste any time putting any documentation together to show what you can bring to education here - as nobody will ever ask for it.A Kiwi teacher that was here for two years, brought all kinds of resources with her. She was scoffed at by the 'long term teachers' in her department, told it wouldn't work etc. She left prior to Christmas. Guess what - they're now starting to use some of her things - singing the praises of the materials/resources and taking full credit for it!While she was here, they treated her like shit
bandh in 'feel like a second class citizen?'
[Sorry if this sounds negative, but I really feel that this school system needs to look at what overseas teachers can contribute instead of seeing them as a liability.]Welcome to the world of the overseass trained teacher in the UK. The hint of anything outside the usual tick-box sends all the insecures into a manic panic! I am a well qualified OTT with a proven track record in education in 2 countries yet I could only stick less than 2 years in this system. I opted out because of the treatment metered out to OTTs - from the staffroom to OFSTED (who wanted to splash UNQUALIFIED onto the report - imagine explaining that to parents?) The attitude of some colleagues bordered on bullying & racism . . . opt out if you can
dee7 in 'feel like a second class citizen?'
I read this with interest because it rings bells. Over fifty per cent of all UK teachers are also deemed "unqualified" ( FE trained teachers) and its been a bone of contention since 1989.And its 1989 that is the crucial date.Teaching in Britain hasnt always been like this. After the second world war we did have a world beating education system - kids were responsible for their own actions, teaching was not done by numbers, students were excluded for poor behaviour, exam results were not doctored by teachers desperate to meet " targets". ALL teachers who were trained and/or experienced were "qualified" - honest! All that changed in the mid 1980's ( started in 1985), now I would agree with you - its total cr*p and getting worse if it is in fact possible to get worse.I too have thought of packing my bags and leaving but the trouble is, the UK teacher simply isnt good enough in reputation to go anywhere else now. I am a good teacher but I know that the Birtish education system is so bad no one would give me any merit which is a pity.
barriesmart in 'feel like a second class citizen?'
To all who care, I am another OTT who has worked in the UK for the past 3 years. My wife and I were originally with an agency (who never mentioned the necessity of QTS), but decided to sign on with our school after 2 years after being offered head of department positions. Now here is what I don't understand, why is a QTS required when we have both proven ourselves time and time again to not only the SLT, but also to OFSTED and HMI through countless inspections. Until last week we were a special measures school in very real threat of closure. Now if we can both teach in a school like that, and successfully I might add, haven't we done our part to prove we are capable. I can understand the reasoning behind it, I genuinely can, however in practice the entire process is horribly flawed. As far as I am aware the UK is the only country that will hire you, let you teach with overseas qualifications, establish yourself in a school and community, and then after 4 years say sorry you aren't actually qualified to work in our country, start jumping through those hoops. If the QTS process was really designed to weed out bad teachers and set a standard for satisfactory educators it would be a requirement for ALL OTT (not only commonwealth, but an arguement for another time!) teachers to go through the process during their first year teaching in this country. Although if that became the requirement there would be a significant drop in any OTT's coming over, and I suppose the view point is that it is better to have enough "unqualified" teachers for 4 years than a desparate lack of "qualified" teachers every year.I don't really expect any replies, particularly since there is already a glut of QTS complaints, but I feel better for voicing some frustrations. So to all who take the time to read thank you.Cheers,
kforde in 'More QTS Complaining'
And as I expected, it did not go well. Although I am proud of myself for not crying while I was in the meeting! A small victory for me. Basically, I met with them to officially resign. Of course, they were not pleasant.
When I first got there, the head said, "well what do you have to say for yourself" which I was not expecting. I said that I was here to officially resign effective immediately. He then accused me of telling my agency that I did not have any mentors at my school, which just isn't true. I told him that I informed the agency that I was assigned mentors and that they just didn't support me enough. Everything I said was twisted and thrown back in my face to make me look the fool. I was told that "this is not over" as I am in breach of contract and this is a legal matter. They also said that both the school and agency will be contacting my Canadian references to tell them how unprofessional I have been.
After about 2 min into the meeting, I realized that they weren't listening to me and I knew I was not going to get my point across, so I just shut up, shrugged my shoulders and let them talk. The whole situation was so intimidating that I just couldn't get my wits about me to try and tell my side of the story. And everything I tried to say was twisted and thrown back at me as if I am to blame for everything. Granted, I am the one who is leaving without giving notice, but this did not happen over night. The meeting lasted about 20 minutes at which point the Head said, "obviously this is getting us no where and you just want us to let you off easy so you can escape." I just got up and walked out of the room. And that's it.
I have no idea what will happen from here on in, but I am at the point that I don't care. I am so relieved that I don't need to go back there anymore and I just want to close this chapter on my life and forget that I ever set foot in that school.
Anonymous
No it is not that bad.
It is much, much worse.
Just look in the headlines for the amount of gun related crime and the number of yufs stabbed and or shot in the last week.
A friend visited a hospital because of a suspected heart attack. On A&E that night there were 3 separate stabbings involving young teenagers and 3 kids (around 13-14) who had been severely injured in a drink-related road accident.
If your intended school is in Hampstead or somewhere nice, it is probably but have no illusions.
smirk in Are UK kids/teaching situations really as bad as people say?
There are crap schools everywhere. If you've seen one you've seen them all. I've taught in them in both Canada and England.
The difficulty with teaching in the Uk is that the shortages of teachers are in the crap schools (largely) and places where you can't afford to live. The nice jobs are taken by teachers with QTS and the leftovers are for OTT's. Also, if you are not familiar with the area you will not know (until you get there) what kind of school it is likely to be.
canadashirleyblue in Are UK kids/teaching situations really as bad as people say?
The last posting is absolutely true.
If you start walking north or east from Liverpool Street station in the City of London- one of the wealthiest areas of the planet- you soon walk into various parts of the East End. The degree of ghettoisation is amazing. It is impossible to tell from a map what a place is like and where the unofficial boundaries between poor and well-off areas are.
Even places like Brighton, Scarborough et al. are now full of homless druggies living in hotels. Very sad.
Gun and knife related violence has never been more common. Prisons have never been more full of young people. The suicide rate among young males in prison is shameful.
Drugs are a big part of teenage life in the UK, even among rich kids. Cannabis has had a profound effect on behaviour in the last few years, and has even caused an increase in the number of teenagers seeking help for severe depression or other psychiatric problems.
Then there is also the question of teenage pregnancies, which are at an all time high. Binge drinking, obesity and smoking... OK, issues in other countries as well, but in the league tables for pregnancy the UK leads the way!
It is now even higher than Ireland!
canadashirleyblue in Are UK kids/teaching situations really as bad as people say?
HiI have had some messages of support and follow-up from users of the TES site, and thought I would advise what happened to me after my QTS debacle of 2006. Some users may remember I was teaching quite happily in a borough school until a serious and debilitating condition reared its head. I went on extended sick leave, during this time having physio to try and fix my personal condition. Things suddenly came to a head for me personally, when my specialist advised I would require costly surgery. The very day I was admitted to hospital, I received a call from my head to advise there was something that needed to be discussed and I should come into school immediately.
Fearing the worst, I declined and said 'If its my job you're taking, you might as well spare me the agony until next week. I am sitting here on the eve of surgery already nerved up and cannot address your request right now'.No sooner had I come out of surgery than my husband tentatively bought in a letter to my hospital bed, for me to open. It was an official letter from my school's borough, advising that as I was an OTT and had exceeded the '4 year rule' (a rule I had never even heard about until this point), my employment woulld come to a conclusion with immediate effect.Suffering from the effects of major surgery, I was beset with the fact that I was being ousted, based on some rule I had never heard of. I'd already been teaching in the UK for 9 years, and had been at this school for at least 5 years!
Upon leaving hospital, I went into overdrive and started pursuing as best I could all the information I could find on this ruling, including signing up to the TES website. In not so many words, since I was an OTT, I was told by some unhelpful souls at various departments including my own borough, that I should have known about this ruling. 'Surely, you have coffee and chats with fellow Antipodeans'? Er well, actually no. My school comprised a full complement of British teachers. I was the token Antipodean.. Perhaps that was integral to my downfall in the state system.
It was never about having to engage in the qualification conversion, most of the terminology for which I have since put to the back of my mind. It was all about NOT KNOWING. Knowing could have made a real difference to my teaching career. I could willingly have engaged in the appropriate courses through the auspices of my borough before it was too late. Instead, my borough, the board of governors and everyone else decided to place their hands in the sand and only when a case presented itself in the borough, did department heads start to roll and a full cull of OTTs exceeding the 4 year rule take place. I am a casualty of this system.
However, there is no point in crying over spilt milk. I have since gone on to teach on a supply basis and granted, whilst I won't ever be able to take a borough contract again, strangely I could accept a term placing..., Work that one out. The system is so crazy, that I could theoretically return to my old school, on term supply, yet when I was terminated last year, I was made to feel I had less right to be in my classroom, than my less-qualified classroom assistant!Perhaps the most amazing part about all this QTS, is the EU constitution which allows for teachers from newer entrant countries such as the Czech Republic, Poland, Latvia and so on, to teach here and not have to comply with the same rulings accorded to OTTs from countries such as Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. English is my mother tongue. English is not the mother tongue of a Czech trained teacher of Czech natgionality....
I rest my case.
However, although I'm not on some sort of crusade, here, it would be very helpful if things were more transparent.Judging by this site and this forum, there are plenty of confused teachers out there. Not all of us go home after a 2 year working holiday. Some of us are here for an extended period and have indefinite leave to remain. It seems it is this cross-section of people who have been caught in ther crossfire, perhaps even those who extend their working holiday to skilled worker status and hope to stay on. Be careful, you can't exceed the 4-year rule.Things will come about circle, they always do. Britain will be screaming for teachers again one day, just as they did in the late 90s, when I arrived.Good luck to all OTTs, and apologies again, as usual for the verbosity of this new message.
Mel Chanel in 'OUTCOME OF QTS - IT'S RIDICULOUS - THE MEL CHANEL STORY'
"Hey there everyone.. Im considering coming over to the U.K. to teach in September"
Oh for goodness sake!The UK is full of brats who don't want to learn. Exams are dumbed down to inflate pass rates. Papers are leaked or at least hinted at to ensure passes...
Plagiarism generally goes undetected; agencies abound who will write your coursework...and it's all 'research'.
If you're over 45 you won't even get a job as you'll be too highly paid.Therefore the ONLY reason young teachers are employed is because...they are young. Nothing to do with actual ability.
That tells you everything about the teaching profession.Stay away from the UK - unless you plan to set up a school for asylum seekers and then you'll probably get a grant to pay for their taxis to lessons.
(You may think the above is a rant but asylum seekers get taxis to sign on the dole (see www.bbc.co.uk) and also Welsh lecturers get a grant to research the effects of...beer)UK is long gone - stay out!!!!
David in 'Teacher Recruitment Agencies'
I have found as a teacher in two countries, that overall the way behaviour is dealt with in the UK is rather alarming. I taught for 8 years in the US (US citizen), in three different counties, in two states - very diverse areas. In all areas, it did depend on how the head teacher handled things, but also in all areas there were clear, defined, cut and dried codes of conduct. Here, there seems to be nothing. What I also found was the way teachers talked to pupils here and in the US was quite different. In the US, we're taught to praise or condemn the behaviour, not the child. "Good boy" and "Good girl" are almost illegal. Yet here it's commonly used. Praise was more obvious in US schools - "I like the way..." kind of thing, which I use here. But there are a lot of commands I've heard given, a lot of sarcasm (not in a fun way, I mean) used without even a "please" from the teacher. We have an occasional US-trained supply teacher and she rarely has behaviour problems, I think because she speaks to them so pleasantly, yet firmly. Tells them what is expected rather than what not to do. I've been in two primary schools in the UK, in two different areas - very different areas (albeit similar SES areas, different type of clientele). Mind, this is primary school! When I taught in secondary, I was appalled by the behaviour here. Teachers weren't allowed to contact parents - all had to go through the HoY, and if s/he fell down on the job, so to speak, the teacher was left looking like a fool. That's only 1 school's experience, however, so it may be that that was an exception. As for support, I can't say I wasn't supported in the secondary, but it was ineffective. I had no sanctions besides detentions, which don't really work. In primary, I've had good support, but that is because I demanded it. I kept records and submitted things in writing. If I hadn't, the head might have just left me as she left others in my school.Just my tuppence worth!
slieber24 in 'Student behaviour/SMT support'
Having observed this time and again (I'm a widely travelled one, btw), may I please apologise on behalf of the British people for the actions of those who have caused you to form such a low opinion. (hangs head in shame)
RogerRabbitX in 'Sidebar about this forum'
That is what it is like to be a teacher in England. It does not matter where you came from, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, America (United States), Canada or anywhere else.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Teacher's Salary/Wage and Cost of Living in England
The disastrous impact of school disciplinary processes upon the individual accused was highlighted here a few weeks ago, and struck a chord with many users of the TES website. In response to this, TES reader E.A. Francis explains how you can protect yourself against such harmful claims. Source: TES
Established and experienced teachers are being forced out of their chosen vocation, through what they have described as malicious and fabricated allegations against them by their colleagues.
So what can you do to help yourself?
Here is a check list to help you to protect yourself:
1. Have you got every single accusation in writing? If not, the procedure must not continue.
2. Do you still have to work with your accuser? If so, why is this being allowed?
3. Contact your union. If they are unhelpful, call an Employment Solicitor. Ensure you are talking to a solicitor who specialises in Employment Law. You can telephone around and ask the receptionists in Law Firms. They may even be able to recommend a local EL solicitor, should they not specialise themselves.
"Do not discuss this with any member of staff, no matter how friendly you are with them. Moral cowardice kicks in because people will be frightened of their own careers and will not want to be seen supporting you."
Do not be afraid of doing this. If you know these allegations are unfounded, do something immediately. Do not wait around to get more and more ill. A solicitor has the potential and the understanding to reassure you within your first free-of-charge half an hour.
4. If your union is helpful, still call a solicitor for the same reasons. Unions have their limitations, Employment Law lawyers do not. It is a possibility that your union representative wants a quick conclusion. This usually means a quiet resignation. The first meeting with a solicitor is free of charge. Should you appoint a solicitor, you will receive an estimation of costs. Most will be around £500-£800, providing things do not get complicated. It will be the best £500 you have ever spent.
5. It will doubtless get to the point of organising a Compromise Agreement and your solicitor will negotiate a lump sum of ‘hush’ money way over the amount of their bill. The most valuable input they will have is to ensure every stage of the process is being carried out lawfully. They are also able to link your situation with breaches in Acts of Parliament or the school’s own policy document.
6. Do you have a copy of the school’s grievance and disciplinary procedure? If not, do not proceed until you do. When you have this procedure, ensure it is being followed to the letter throughout the entire process because it probably will not be. Show this to your solicitor.
7. Do not discuss this with any member of staff, no matter how friendly you are with them. Moral cowardice kicks in because people will be frightened of their own careers and will not want to be seen supporting you. This is not wrong, it is human nature. If they are brave and support you, they may be ‘warned off’ doing so. You will feel isolated and alone, but if you know this is going to happen, you are better prepared for it.
8. Do you have someone to attend the first meeting with you? You can take either your union representative or a colleague. Some people may not even be in a union, but do not worry. Join one straight away; they will not help you, but you but you can at least copy all of your letters to them. The union may have a hardship fund to help you with legal costs, even if you have only just joined.
"Take your own minutes, preferably taken by your companion, and make notes yourself. Pass these on, with the minutes from HR or SMT, to your union and solicitor. Trust me, they will differ."
9. Request the form and fill it in. Be careful who you select, should you need a colleague to attend the meetings. You may have to ask a number of them, as they could say no. What you must bear in mind is that they now know what you are being put through, so they must understand that confidentiality is paramount. This need not be leaked at all. There will be witnesses and they may be biased against you, so if it is becomes common knowledge around the school, ensure it is not because of you. If you have not found a companion, do not attend any interview until you do.
10. Do not be afraid to refuse to answer a question put to you; neither should you worry about being unable to answer a question. You may be asked about something you cannot recall. Fine, say so. If you are unsure of a question, make notes to your companion. If you are still unsure, do not answer the question.
11. Take your own minutes, preferably taken by your companion, and make notes yourself. Pass these on, with the minutes from HR or SMT, to your union and solicitor. Trust me, they will differ. Subtle changes in emphasis could mean the difference between you sounding frustrated and you sounding aggressive. Benign words or questions you have asked may be conveniently altered. For example, you could ask who supported the ‘aggrieved’ within the school. The investigators could ask you who suspect. You offer a few names as thoughts. The people may then be told you claimed they were supportive and how do they feel about that? Emphasis changed, another person aggrieved. Do not accept the minutes until you agree with them. Then and only then, sign them.
12. You will receive a copy of the grievance report and its findings. Ensure you agree with the accounts of your meetings. If you consider any part of the first report to be biased against you, allow your solicitor to write a letter to the school and refuse to continue in the process until you feel you are being reported on fairly and without bias.
13. If a hearing is decided upon, ensure the reasons for this hearing are set in writing and are just. If you haven’t already, visit your doctor, because by this time you will not be able to eat, sleep or function normally, and listen to their advice.
"Stop worrying about future employers, your reputation, what others are thinking and, more importantly, stop any feelings of guilt. There is life after that school."
14. If you are suspended prior to the hearing, do not accept that you are unable to collect your property. Remember, this is staff against staff. If you have not committed an act of abuse towards anyone then why are you still there in the first place? If you are suspended, contact your solicitor immediately and question the legalities of the suspension. If you are advised by your doctor to remain away from work at any point during the procedure, take that advice. Listen to your doctor. Do not struggle in because you fear the worst if you do not attend work. The worst has happened anyway.
15. Do not resign before the hearing; you may be advised by SMT to do just that. Don’t, unless you are negotiating a Compromise Agreement you are happy with, via your solicitor.
16. Do not be fobbed off with a promise of payment to the end of the term if you resign immediately. You may be tempted by the promise of an excellent reference and pay to the end of term. Do not accept it.
17. If you do not agree with the outcome of the hearing, appeal against the decision. You should have fourteen days in which to do this. Talk to your solicitor. If the appeal is upheld, revisit your doctor and seek their advice.
18. If you honestly believe you have been set up in any way, shape or form, submit a grievance against your school. Your solicitor will help you do this. Send it to the person responsible for all school governors within the LEA. If you send it to the school, the Head Teacher will doubtless open it.
19. Sit back, take your doctor’s advice and leave everything up to your solicitor. By this time, their solicitor will be negotiating with yours. Wait for an outcome and trust your solicitor to get a fair result.
20. If your solicitor suggests a tribunal, listen to them. Do not roll over and play dead. The more people act in this way, the less confident SMTs will be about using this system to get shot of you.
Stop worrying about future employers, your reputation, what others are thinking and, more importantly, stop any feelings of guilt. Concentrate on getting emotionally strong again and regaining your health. There is life after that school.
In order to continue raising awareness, people have to share accounts. Once the problems are widely recognised, current policy has more chance of being evaluatated and positive change can be affected carefully but definitely.
"It will mean the difference between you saying, "They broke me and you lost my job due to having to resign and then my career went" and you saying "They tried to break me and the outcome of the Compromise Agreement was negotiated on my terms. I then had a break and got another job"."
The most important factor is to not get so ill that you lose your ability and your will to fight against what you believe is corruption. If you search your heart and still find what has happened to you to be unfounded in any shape or form, stand up and refuse to accept this miscarriage of justice. You will leave the school, but how you leave will determine your recovery.
It will mean the difference between you saying, “They broke me and you lost my job due to having to resign and then my career went” and you saying “They tried to break me and the outcome of the Compromise Agreement was negotiated on my terms. I then had a break and got another job.”
I would like to highlight support systems already available for those suffering at this time.
www.bullyonline.org
This website offers support, advice and guidance and makes you appreciate that you are simply one out of thousands.
www.acas.org.uk
For excellent broad advice including mediation (waiting lists are long for mediation).
www.adviceguide.org.uk/what_you_need_to_know_dealing_with_grievances.doc
Here you can download valuable information from the CAB.
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/care4teachers/#detail
Here, you can sign a petition requesting a fairer deal from Head Teachers.
www.TeacherStress.co.uk
www.ruined-damaged-destroyed@hotmail.co.uk
Email address for those who need to let off steam or link with others by email, to form a self-help group. If there is any advice we can offer, we will. (We do know our limitations and will refer you to appropriate sites if your problem is complicated). Simply having an empathic ear can be enough for some and a life saver for others.
Established and experienced teachers are being forced out of their chosen vocation, through what they have described as malicious and fabricated allegations against them by their colleagues.
So what can you do to help yourself?
Here is a check list to help you to protect yourself:
1. Have you got every single accusation in writing? If not, the procedure must not continue.
2. Do you still have to work with your accuser? If so, why is this being allowed?
3. Contact your union. If they are unhelpful, call an Employment Solicitor. Ensure you are talking to a solicitor who specialises in Employment Law. You can telephone around and ask the receptionists in Law Firms. They may even be able to recommend a local EL solicitor, should they not specialise themselves.
"Do not discuss this with any member of staff, no matter how friendly you are with them. Moral cowardice kicks in because people will be frightened of their own careers and will not want to be seen supporting you."
Do not be afraid of doing this. If you know these allegations are unfounded, do something immediately. Do not wait around to get more and more ill. A solicitor has the potential and the understanding to reassure you within your first free-of-charge half an hour.
4. If your union is helpful, still call a solicitor for the same reasons. Unions have their limitations, Employment Law lawyers do not. It is a possibility that your union representative wants a quick conclusion. This usually means a quiet resignation. The first meeting with a solicitor is free of charge. Should you appoint a solicitor, you will receive an estimation of costs. Most will be around £500-£800, providing things do not get complicated. It will be the best £500 you have ever spent.
5. It will doubtless get to the point of organising a Compromise Agreement and your solicitor will negotiate a lump sum of ‘hush’ money way over the amount of their bill. The most valuable input they will have is to ensure every stage of the process is being carried out lawfully. They are also able to link your situation with breaches in Acts of Parliament or the school’s own policy document.
6. Do you have a copy of the school’s grievance and disciplinary procedure? If not, do not proceed until you do. When you have this procedure, ensure it is being followed to the letter throughout the entire process because it probably will not be. Show this to your solicitor.
7. Do not discuss this with any member of staff, no matter how friendly you are with them. Moral cowardice kicks in because people will be frightened of their own careers and will not want to be seen supporting you. This is not wrong, it is human nature. If they are brave and support you, they may be ‘warned off’ doing so. You will feel isolated and alone, but if you know this is going to happen, you are better prepared for it.
8. Do you have someone to attend the first meeting with you? You can take either your union representative or a colleague. Some people may not even be in a union, but do not worry. Join one straight away; they will not help you, but you but you can at least copy all of your letters to them. The union may have a hardship fund to help you with legal costs, even if you have only just joined.
"Take your own minutes, preferably taken by your companion, and make notes yourself. Pass these on, with the minutes from HR or SMT, to your union and solicitor. Trust me, they will differ."
9. Request the form and fill it in. Be careful who you select, should you need a colleague to attend the meetings. You may have to ask a number of them, as they could say no. What you must bear in mind is that they now know what you are being put through, so they must understand that confidentiality is paramount. This need not be leaked at all. There will be witnesses and they may be biased against you, so if it is becomes common knowledge around the school, ensure it is not because of you. If you have not found a companion, do not attend any interview until you do.
10. Do not be afraid to refuse to answer a question put to you; neither should you worry about being unable to answer a question. You may be asked about something you cannot recall. Fine, say so. If you are unsure of a question, make notes to your companion. If you are still unsure, do not answer the question.
11. Take your own minutes, preferably taken by your companion, and make notes yourself. Pass these on, with the minutes from HR or SMT, to your union and solicitor. Trust me, they will differ. Subtle changes in emphasis could mean the difference between you sounding frustrated and you sounding aggressive. Benign words or questions you have asked may be conveniently altered. For example, you could ask who supported the ‘aggrieved’ within the school. The investigators could ask you who suspect. You offer a few names as thoughts. The people may then be told you claimed they were supportive and how do they feel about that? Emphasis changed, another person aggrieved. Do not accept the minutes until you agree with them. Then and only then, sign them.
12. You will receive a copy of the grievance report and its findings. Ensure you agree with the accounts of your meetings. If you consider any part of the first report to be biased against you, allow your solicitor to write a letter to the school and refuse to continue in the process until you feel you are being reported on fairly and without bias.
13. If a hearing is decided upon, ensure the reasons for this hearing are set in writing and are just. If you haven’t already, visit your doctor, because by this time you will not be able to eat, sleep or function normally, and listen to their advice.
"Stop worrying about future employers, your reputation, what others are thinking and, more importantly, stop any feelings of guilt. There is life after that school."
14. If you are suspended prior to the hearing, do not accept that you are unable to collect your property. Remember, this is staff against staff. If you have not committed an act of abuse towards anyone then why are you still there in the first place? If you are suspended, contact your solicitor immediately and question the legalities of the suspension. If you are advised by your doctor to remain away from work at any point during the procedure, take that advice. Listen to your doctor. Do not struggle in because you fear the worst if you do not attend work. The worst has happened anyway.
15. Do not resign before the hearing; you may be advised by SMT to do just that. Don’t, unless you are negotiating a Compromise Agreement you are happy with, via your solicitor.
16. Do not be fobbed off with a promise of payment to the end of the term if you resign immediately. You may be tempted by the promise of an excellent reference and pay to the end of term. Do not accept it.
17. If you do not agree with the outcome of the hearing, appeal against the decision. You should have fourteen days in which to do this. Talk to your solicitor. If the appeal is upheld, revisit your doctor and seek their advice.
18. If you honestly believe you have been set up in any way, shape or form, submit a grievance against your school. Your solicitor will help you do this. Send it to the person responsible for all school governors within the LEA. If you send it to the school, the Head Teacher will doubtless open it.
19. Sit back, take your doctor’s advice and leave everything up to your solicitor. By this time, their solicitor will be negotiating with yours. Wait for an outcome and trust your solicitor to get a fair result.
20. If your solicitor suggests a tribunal, listen to them. Do not roll over and play dead. The more people act in this way, the less confident SMTs will be about using this system to get shot of you.
Stop worrying about future employers, your reputation, what others are thinking and, more importantly, stop any feelings of guilt. Concentrate on getting emotionally strong again and regaining your health. There is life after that school.
In order to continue raising awareness, people have to share accounts. Once the problems are widely recognised, current policy has more chance of being evaluatated and positive change can be affected carefully but definitely.
"It will mean the difference between you saying, "They broke me and you lost my job due to having to resign and then my career went" and you saying "They tried to break me and the outcome of the Compromise Agreement was negotiated on my terms. I then had a break and got another job"."
The most important factor is to not get so ill that you lose your ability and your will to fight against what you believe is corruption. If you search your heart and still find what has happened to you to be unfounded in any shape or form, stand up and refuse to accept this miscarriage of justice. You will leave the school, but how you leave will determine your recovery.
It will mean the difference between you saying, “They broke me and you lost my job due to having to resign and then my career went” and you saying “They tried to break me and the outcome of the Compromise Agreement was negotiated on my terms. I then had a break and got another job.”
I would like to highlight support systems already available for those suffering at this time.
www.bullyonline.org
This website offers support, advice and guidance and makes you appreciate that you are simply one out of thousands.
www.acas.org.uk
For excellent broad advice including mediation (waiting lists are long for mediation).
www.adviceguide.org.uk/what_you_need_to_know_dealing_with_grievances.doc
Here you can download valuable information from the CAB.
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/care4teachers/#detail
Here, you can sign a petition requesting a fairer deal from Head Teachers.
www.TeacherStress.co.uk
www.ruined-damaged-destroyed@hotmail.co.uk
Email address for those who need to let off steam or link with others by email, to form a self-help group. If there is any advice we can offer, we will. (We do know our limitations and will refer you to appropriate sites if your problem is complicated). Simply having an empathic ear can be enough for some and a life saver for others.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Teacher's Salary/Wage and Cost of Living in England
Teacher's salaries and wages for unqualified teachers (i.e. teachers without QTS) in the United Kingdom
http://teachinengland.blogspot.com/2008/02/teaching-in-englandthe-uk-teachers.html
This is a blog about teaching in the UK.
http://teachinengland.blogspot.com/2008/02/teaching-in-englandthe-uk-teachers.html
This is a blog about teaching in the UK.
Students tell teachers to fuck off in England
There’s a lot of advice out there on discipline:
“Set out your expectations.”
“Don’t smile until Christmas”
“Don’t use sarcasm”
“Establish clear routines.”
“Keep the students occupied” (Is this the same way as France was occupied from 1939-44?)
A lot of it is good. Some of it is dire. But most of it won’t get you past the front gate of your challenging (i.e. badly run) comprehensive because most of it is based on two false assumptions:
Assumption No 1: Students will acknowledge your instructions and can, with enough effort and attention, be made to obey them.
Assumption No 2: Once you have the class understanding how they are meant to behave you have dealt with the problem.
These assumptions are made because those adopting them believe that discipline is an organisational problem. This is illustrated by the use of terms such as “behaviour management” and “classroom management.” Missing from this is the realities of the contemporary classroom. You could come up with a system of identifying and punishing all crimes and misdemeanours, you can establish all your expectations and rules with the class perfectly, but you still have to face the “Fuck-Off” factor. This occurs at the point where a child in a classroom in which the teacher has established control realises that they are unable to do whatever they like and have a great danger of having to learn. They cannot play with their mobile phones. They cannot continue the conversation/football game/wrestling match/unfinished bullying from break. They cannot play on their PSP. They cannot just put their head down and have a nap. They cannot be the centre of attention for everything they say. They are confronted with the replacement of their social world with the academic world, a world they don’t control.
And they tell the teacher to “Fuck off”.
Or they do something equivalent. They walk out of the classroom to play with their friends in the corridor. They do everything necessary to stop teaching or to get sent out. They call the teacher “pathetic” or “sad” (or “smelly” or “bad breath” or “gay”). Simply put they refuse to be a part of the learning classroom.
It’s what happens here that makes the real difference between schools. If you get good enough at classroom management, have the back up, and don’t try anything too different in your lessons you can get round almost every sort of behaviour in every school, up until the point where the Fuck-Off Factor comes into play. Advice on discipline assumes a classroom can become a place where learning takes place. It doesn’t take account of the fact that some children cannot tolerate a classroom where learning takes place. This isn’t a case of the natural disposition of the child, this is the deeply entrenched belief that they are the most important person in the universe, that learning is unimportant, and any failure to appreciate those two facts (which are acknowledged for 90% of their school day) is a form of malicious bullying.
What should happen is this: The child is made to leave the school and never return. No other public service allows users of the service to abusively decline the service and stop others making use of it without consequence. Doctors don’t treat people who are hitting them. The police can arrest people that abuse or obstruct them as they carry out their duties. Abusive customers are asked to leave shops, buses and bars.
Yet somehow, in the one place that does the most to set future expectations about how to behave the emphasis is on keeping them receiving the same service at the same outlet they’ve just rejected. What does happen about these kids follows this spectrum:
At best:
They are excluded for a short length of time.
Their parents are contacted.
They are told off by a more senior member of staff.
At worst:
They swap classes (“it was a personality clash”).
Nothing.
Nothing is done about the student and the teacher is blamed for their poor relationships with the student.
You don’t understand modern teaching until you acknowledge the fact that teachers are told to fuck off and many, many times at many, many schools absolutely nothing happens.
Apologists for this state of affairs love to make excuses for the students. If students don’t like their situation then, of course, they behave badly. If you do believe this (and I know some people who read this do) then I have a challenge for you. Every time you are in a situation you don’t like during the next two weeks, just tell the nearest authority figure (or failing that the most responsible person in he room) to fuck off. Whether it’s a traffic warden, a shop assistant, a taxi-driver, your spouse, your children, your mother, your boss, a policeman, a bouncer, a bar man, an air steward, a magistrate, a high court judge, an OFSTED inspector, a council official, whoever they are, tell them to fuck off. If you can do that for two weeks without wrecking your life and possibly ending up in prison, then I will consider the possibility that the students who do that for five years of permanent education are just the victims of unfortunate circumstances behaving in a perfectly reasonable way.
Any takers?
oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/07
Scenes from the battleground teaching blog about teaching in the UK (United Kingdom).
Related posts:
Behaviour
teachinengland.blogspot.com/2007/12/in-england-teachers-are-attacked-every.html
“Set out your expectations.”
“Don’t smile until Christmas”
“Don’t use sarcasm”
“Establish clear routines.”
“Keep the students occupied” (Is this the same way as France was occupied from 1939-44?)
A lot of it is good. Some of it is dire. But most of it won’t get you past the front gate of your challenging (i.e. badly run) comprehensive because most of it is based on two false assumptions:
Assumption No 1: Students will acknowledge your instructions and can, with enough effort and attention, be made to obey them.
Assumption No 2: Once you have the class understanding how they are meant to behave you have dealt with the problem.
These assumptions are made because those adopting them believe that discipline is an organisational problem. This is illustrated by the use of terms such as “behaviour management” and “classroom management.” Missing from this is the realities of the contemporary classroom. You could come up with a system of identifying and punishing all crimes and misdemeanours, you can establish all your expectations and rules with the class perfectly, but you still have to face the “Fuck-Off” factor. This occurs at the point where a child in a classroom in which the teacher has established control realises that they are unable to do whatever they like and have a great danger of having to learn. They cannot play with their mobile phones. They cannot continue the conversation/football game/wrestling match/unfinished bullying from break. They cannot play on their PSP. They cannot just put their head down and have a nap. They cannot be the centre of attention for everything they say. They are confronted with the replacement of their social world with the academic world, a world they don’t control.
And they tell the teacher to “Fuck off”.
Or they do something equivalent. They walk out of the classroom to play with their friends in the corridor. They do everything necessary to stop teaching or to get sent out. They call the teacher “pathetic” or “sad” (or “smelly” or “bad breath” or “gay”). Simply put they refuse to be a part of the learning classroom.
It’s what happens here that makes the real difference between schools. If you get good enough at classroom management, have the back up, and don’t try anything too different in your lessons you can get round almost every sort of behaviour in every school, up until the point where the Fuck-Off Factor comes into play. Advice on discipline assumes a classroom can become a place where learning takes place. It doesn’t take account of the fact that some children cannot tolerate a classroom where learning takes place. This isn’t a case of the natural disposition of the child, this is the deeply entrenched belief that they are the most important person in the universe, that learning is unimportant, and any failure to appreciate those two facts (which are acknowledged for 90% of their school day) is a form of malicious bullying.
What should happen is this: The child is made to leave the school and never return. No other public service allows users of the service to abusively decline the service and stop others making use of it without consequence. Doctors don’t treat people who are hitting them. The police can arrest people that abuse or obstruct them as they carry out their duties. Abusive customers are asked to leave shops, buses and bars.
Yet somehow, in the one place that does the most to set future expectations about how to behave the emphasis is on keeping them receiving the same service at the same outlet they’ve just rejected. What does happen about these kids follows this spectrum:
At best:
They are excluded for a short length of time.
Their parents are contacted.
They are told off by a more senior member of staff.
At worst:
They swap classes (“it was a personality clash”).
Nothing.
Nothing is done about the student and the teacher is blamed for their poor relationships with the student.
You don’t understand modern teaching until you acknowledge the fact that teachers are told to fuck off and many, many times at many, many schools absolutely nothing happens.
Apologists for this state of affairs love to make excuses for the students. If students don’t like their situation then, of course, they behave badly. If you do believe this (and I know some people who read this do) then I have a challenge for you. Every time you are in a situation you don’t like during the next two weeks, just tell the nearest authority figure (or failing that the most responsible person in he room) to fuck off. Whether it’s a traffic warden, a shop assistant, a taxi-driver, your spouse, your children, your mother, your boss, a policeman, a bouncer, a bar man, an air steward, a magistrate, a high court judge, an OFSTED inspector, a council official, whoever they are, tell them to fuck off. If you can do that for two weeks without wrecking your life and possibly ending up in prison, then I will consider the possibility that the students who do that for five years of permanent education are just the victims of unfortunate circumstances behaving in a perfectly reasonable way.
Any takers?
oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/07
Scenes from the battleground teaching blog about teaching in the UK (United Kingdom).
Related posts:
Behaviour
teachinengland.blogspot.com/2007/12/in-england-teachers-are-attacked-every.html
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Teaching in England/the UK - Teacher's Salaries for Unqualified Teachers
This post deals with the salary and wage you get teaching in England/the UK.
You will not have QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) if you come from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, America or anywhere else outside of Europe. You are considered unqualified. You will be paid on the unqualified pay scale.
You cannot gain QTS before you come to England. You cannot gain QTS when you arrive in England. You can only be eligible to take a QTS training course once you are hired by a school, or if you take the teacher's training course again. Do not think anyone will care about your qualifications. They count for nothing.
The pay scale for unqualified teachers is divided into four zones. Distance from London determines what zone you are in. The zones are "inner London", "outer London", "London fringe", and "the rest of England and Wales". Inner London is central London. Outer London is the area surrounding central London. London fringe are the towns outside London like Essex and Sussex. The rest of England and Wales is the rest of England and Wales.
Remember, everything costs double in England. If McDonalds costs $4.00 in Australia, it costs 4 pounds in England. If the McDonalds worker makes 7 dollars in Australia, she'll make 7 pounds in England. She makes twice as much in England, but you, the teacher, will not make twice as much money. You will make the same or less money, but all of your expenses will double. Don't think that twenty thousand pounds equals forty thousand dollars. Living off twenty thousand pounds in England is like living off twenty thousand dollars in Australia.
In other words, teachers don't make shit in England. See for yourself.
Pay scale/salary for unqualified teachers living in England and Wales.
01 year experience - 13,483 pounds
02 years experience - 14,112 pounds
03 years experience - 14,505 pounds
04 years experience - 15,352 pounds
05 years experience - 16,035 pounds
06 years experience - 16,879 pounds
07 years experience - 17,342 pounds
08 years experience - 18,710 pounds
09 years experience - 20,302 pounds
10 years experience - 21,690 pounds
Pay scale/salary for unqualified teachers living in Inner London.
01 year experience - 17,090 pounds
02 years experience - 17,690 pounds
03 years experience - 18,290 pounds
04 years experience - 18,899 pounds
05 years experience - 19,620 pounds
06 years experience - 20,237 pounds
07 years experience - 20,759 pounds
08 years experience - 22,164 pounds
09 years experience - 23,689 pounds
10 years experience - 25,001 pounds
Pay scale/salary for unqualified teachers living in Outer London.
01 year experience - 15,879 pounds
02 years experience - 16,610 pounds
03 years experience - 17,220 pounds
04 years experience - 17,809 pounds
05 years experience - 18,220 pounds
06 years experience - 18,900 pounds
07 years experience - 19,500 pounds
08 years experience - 20,919 pounds
09 years experience - 22,589 pounds
10 years experience - 23,789 pounds
Pay scale/salary for unqualified teachers living in the fringe of London.
01 year experience - 14,470 pounds
02 years experience - 15,080 pounds
03 years experience - 15,680 pounds
04 years experience - 16,390 pounds
05 years experience - 16,990 pounds
06 years experience - 17,624 pounds
07 years experience - 18,139 pounds
08 years experience - 19,598 pounds
09 years experience - 21,109 pounds
10 years experience - 22,401 pounds
You will not have QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) if you come from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, America or anywhere else outside of Europe. You are considered unqualified. You will be paid on the unqualified pay scale.
You cannot gain QTS before you come to England. You cannot gain QTS when you arrive in England. You can only be eligible to take a QTS training course once you are hired by a school, or if you take the teacher's training course again. Do not think anyone will care about your qualifications. They count for nothing.
The pay scale for unqualified teachers is divided into four zones. Distance from London determines what zone you are in. The zones are "inner London", "outer London", "London fringe", and "the rest of England and Wales". Inner London is central London. Outer London is the area surrounding central London. London fringe are the towns outside London like Essex and Sussex. The rest of England and Wales is the rest of England and Wales.
Remember, everything costs double in England. If McDonalds costs $4.00 in Australia, it costs 4 pounds in England. If the McDonalds worker makes 7 dollars in Australia, she'll make 7 pounds in England. She makes twice as much in England, but you, the teacher, will not make twice as much money. You will make the same or less money, but all of your expenses will double. Don't think that twenty thousand pounds equals forty thousand dollars. Living off twenty thousand pounds in England is like living off twenty thousand dollars in Australia.
In other words, teachers don't make shit in England. See for yourself.
Pay scale/salary for unqualified teachers living in England and Wales.
01 year experience - 13,483 pounds
02 years experience - 14,112 pounds
03 years experience - 14,505 pounds
04 years experience - 15,352 pounds
05 years experience - 16,035 pounds
06 years experience - 16,879 pounds
07 years experience - 17,342 pounds
08 years experience - 18,710 pounds
09 years experience - 20,302 pounds
10 years experience - 21,690 pounds
Pay scale/salary for unqualified teachers living in Inner London.
01 year experience - 17,090 pounds
02 years experience - 17,690 pounds
03 years experience - 18,290 pounds
04 years experience - 18,899 pounds
05 years experience - 19,620 pounds
06 years experience - 20,237 pounds
07 years experience - 20,759 pounds
08 years experience - 22,164 pounds
09 years experience - 23,689 pounds
10 years experience - 25,001 pounds
Pay scale/salary for unqualified teachers living in Outer London.
01 year experience - 15,879 pounds
02 years experience - 16,610 pounds
03 years experience - 17,220 pounds
04 years experience - 17,809 pounds
05 years experience - 18,220 pounds
06 years experience - 18,900 pounds
07 years experience - 19,500 pounds
08 years experience - 20,919 pounds
09 years experience - 22,589 pounds
10 years experience - 23,789 pounds
Pay scale/salary for unqualified teachers living in the fringe of London.
01 year experience - 14,470 pounds
02 years experience - 15,080 pounds
03 years experience - 15,680 pounds
04 years experience - 16,390 pounds
05 years experience - 16,990 pounds
06 years experience - 17,624 pounds
07 years experience - 18,139 pounds
08 years experience - 19,598 pounds
09 years experience - 21,109 pounds
10 years experience - 22,401 pounds
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Discipline in British Schools
The Two Discipline Systems
http://infet.co.uk/blog/index.php/a/index.php/2007/11/24/t
No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other.
Luke 16:13
Doublethink means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them . . . To tell deliberate lies while genuinely believing in them, to forget any fact that has become inconvenient, and then, when it becomes necessary again, to draw it back from oblivion for just so long as it is needed, to deny the existence of objective reality and all the while to take account of the reality which one denies — all this is indispensably necessary. Even in using the word doublethink it is necessary to exercise doublethink. For by using the word one admits that one is tampering with reality; by a fresh act of doublethink one erases this knowledge; and so on indefinitely, with the lie always one leap ahead of the truth.
Orwell (1948)
In my experience schools have a split personality where behaviour management is concerned. There are two discipline systems. There is a theoretical one, that appears in the Staff Handbook and anywhere a school governor, a job applicant or an OFSTED inspector might get to read it, and there is the one that actually exists in the day to day running of the school.
The theoretical system will usually follow the following pattern to some degree:
Some offences are to be automatically punished with a detention which parents will be informed of the day before. These may include having a phone on in school, dropping litter, turning up late to lessons. Similarly, certain items (phones, chewing gum, excessive jewellery) will be subject to confiscation.
It is assumed that all teachers can and will set detentions according to the rules and all students will do them.
Form tutors will be expected to ensure their tutor groups all have the correct equipment and uniform.
In the event of a persistent problem, such as failure to attend detentions or repeated disruption of lessons, year heads and other middle managers will be involved.
Serious incidents, such as verbal abuse of staff, will be referred to SMT for exclusion, or similarly serious measure. In extreme cases students will be permanently excluded.
The actual system is usually more like this:
Most offences will be subject to at least one warning. Students will expect a chance to put prohibited items away in their bags and will not expect to be punished as long as they do this. Even in schools where phones are banned outright several students will use them in a lesson and will not expect to be punished when caught as long as they then put them away.
Detentions are seen as discretionary for staff and optional for students. Staff will try as far as possible to keep students in at lunchtime or break or just give short after school detentions without a day’s notice. Teachers who set proper detentions simply because rules are broken may be subject to criticism by management as well as harassment by students. A large part of the student body will be effectively detention-immune. Frequent truants and students with awkward parents are extremely unlikely to have to attend detentions.
Students will turn up repeatedly without the correct equipment or uniform. Form tutors will either tolerate this as they simply do not have the time to enforce all these rules or alternatively the students will simply skip registration in the morning.
Year heads and middle managers will be completely overwhelmed and unable to chase up all persistent offenders. The best of them will communicate to staff just what they are actually able to do to support them. The worst will ignore requests, make promises they can’t keep or blame the teachers involved for the problem they are reporting.
SMT will ignore referrals unless you corner them. The vast majority of serious incidents will end up with year heads (which is a large part of the reason why year heads are always overwhelmed). The two most likely consequences of verbally abusing a teacher are a) nothing and b) a telling off. Exclusions will be saved for ludicrously serious offences, setting fires, bringing in weapons, thumping teachers in the face. Permanent exclusions simply will virtually never happen. SMT will talk about the lack of permanent exclusions as if it was a good thing.
Of course maintaining two contradictory systems at once is difficult. How does a headteacher tell somebody about the theoretical system in their job interview and the real system once they’ve got the job without seeming insincere or delusional? How do SMT follow two masters, the theoretical discipline system and the actual discipline system? The answer is that it takes a certain amount of “doublethink”. Usually this is done by considering the theoretical system to be a genuine system but one that bad, unprofessional teachers have to use due to their poor relationships with the children and weak behaviour management skills. The actual system, by contrast, is much more lenient because able teachers are so liked by students that they barely have to enforce the rules and therefore this much more casual approach will work. Once this philosophy is accepted it soon becomes clear that every teacher enforcing the rules rigorously, or worse, expecting school managers to support them with enforcing the rules, is incompetent and unable to relate to children. Children can only be found to have broken the rules due to inadequate teaching. Enforcing the rules is simply a symptom of being bad at behaviour management. It becomes more acceptable to complain to management that students have upset you than to report that they cannot be stopped from breaking the rules. Euphemisms help with the process of doublethink. Allowing misbehaviour becomes “strategic ignoring”, inconsistency over the rules becomes “flexibility” and appeasement becomes “building relationships”.
I suspect practising doublethink in this way may be bad for one’s psychological health. Long serving members of SMT can become completely detached from reality. As well as the delusions that the teaching staff are to blame for everything and that anybody who reports a problem might also have caused it, some members of SMT even begin to imagine that they are actually making a positive difference to the lives of the students in their schools.
References:
Orwell, George, Nineteen Eighty-Four, 1948
written by oldandrew
tags: discipline british schools teaching in the united kingdom uk
http://infet.co.uk/blog/index.php/a/index.php/2007/11/24/t
No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other.
Luke 16:13
Doublethink means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them . . . To tell deliberate lies while genuinely believing in them, to forget any fact that has become inconvenient, and then, when it becomes necessary again, to draw it back from oblivion for just so long as it is needed, to deny the existence of objective reality and all the while to take account of the reality which one denies — all this is indispensably necessary. Even in using the word doublethink it is necessary to exercise doublethink. For by using the word one admits that one is tampering with reality; by a fresh act of doublethink one erases this knowledge; and so on indefinitely, with the lie always one leap ahead of the truth.
Orwell (1948)
In my experience schools have a split personality where behaviour management is concerned. There are two discipline systems. There is a theoretical one, that appears in the Staff Handbook and anywhere a school governor, a job applicant or an OFSTED inspector might get to read it, and there is the one that actually exists in the day to day running of the school.
The theoretical system will usually follow the following pattern to some degree:
Some offences are to be automatically punished with a detention which parents will be informed of the day before. These may include having a phone on in school, dropping litter, turning up late to lessons. Similarly, certain items (phones, chewing gum, excessive jewellery) will be subject to confiscation.
It is assumed that all teachers can and will set detentions according to the rules and all students will do them.
Form tutors will be expected to ensure their tutor groups all have the correct equipment and uniform.
In the event of a persistent problem, such as failure to attend detentions or repeated disruption of lessons, year heads and other middle managers will be involved.
Serious incidents, such as verbal abuse of staff, will be referred to SMT for exclusion, or similarly serious measure. In extreme cases students will be permanently excluded.
The actual system is usually more like this:
Most offences will be subject to at least one warning. Students will expect a chance to put prohibited items away in their bags and will not expect to be punished as long as they do this. Even in schools where phones are banned outright several students will use them in a lesson and will not expect to be punished when caught as long as they then put them away.
Detentions are seen as discretionary for staff and optional for students. Staff will try as far as possible to keep students in at lunchtime or break or just give short after school detentions without a day’s notice. Teachers who set proper detentions simply because rules are broken may be subject to criticism by management as well as harassment by students. A large part of the student body will be effectively detention-immune. Frequent truants and students with awkward parents are extremely unlikely to have to attend detentions.
Students will turn up repeatedly without the correct equipment or uniform. Form tutors will either tolerate this as they simply do not have the time to enforce all these rules or alternatively the students will simply skip registration in the morning.
Year heads and middle managers will be completely overwhelmed and unable to chase up all persistent offenders. The best of them will communicate to staff just what they are actually able to do to support them. The worst will ignore requests, make promises they can’t keep or blame the teachers involved for the problem they are reporting.
SMT will ignore referrals unless you corner them. The vast majority of serious incidents will end up with year heads (which is a large part of the reason why year heads are always overwhelmed). The two most likely consequences of verbally abusing a teacher are a) nothing and b) a telling off. Exclusions will be saved for ludicrously serious offences, setting fires, bringing in weapons, thumping teachers in the face. Permanent exclusions simply will virtually never happen. SMT will talk about the lack of permanent exclusions as if it was a good thing.
Of course maintaining two contradictory systems at once is difficult. How does a headteacher tell somebody about the theoretical system in their job interview and the real system once they’ve got the job without seeming insincere or delusional? How do SMT follow two masters, the theoretical discipline system and the actual discipline system? The answer is that it takes a certain amount of “doublethink”. Usually this is done by considering the theoretical system to be a genuine system but one that bad, unprofessional teachers have to use due to their poor relationships with the children and weak behaviour management skills. The actual system, by contrast, is much more lenient because able teachers are so liked by students that they barely have to enforce the rules and therefore this much more casual approach will work. Once this philosophy is accepted it soon becomes clear that every teacher enforcing the rules rigorously, or worse, expecting school managers to support them with enforcing the rules, is incompetent and unable to relate to children. Children can only be found to have broken the rules due to inadequate teaching. Enforcing the rules is simply a symptom of being bad at behaviour management. It becomes more acceptable to complain to management that students have upset you than to report that they cannot be stopped from breaking the rules. Euphemisms help with the process of doublethink. Allowing misbehaviour becomes “strategic ignoring”, inconsistency over the rules becomes “flexibility” and appeasement becomes “building relationships”.
I suspect practising doublethink in this way may be bad for one’s psychological health. Long serving members of SMT can become completely detached from reality. As well as the delusions that the teaching staff are to blame for everything and that anybody who reports a problem might also have caused it, some members of SMT even begin to imagine that they are actually making a positive difference to the lives of the students in their schools.
References:
Orwell, George, Nineteen Eighty-Four, 1948
written by oldandrew
tags: discipline british schools teaching in the united kingdom uk
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) is part of the educational system in England. More on this in the future
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Index
Everything you need to know about teaching in the UK. Click on the following links to learn more
The students control the classrooms
Theinmates run the asylum
Teachers are routinely falsely accused of physical and sexual abuse
Schools give teachers bad references
Differences between British and American Schools
In England...
There is no such thing as a high school diploma... EVERYONE graduates
The students finish high school after grade 10 (i.e. year 11)
Every school has 12 Principal Skinners
Video showing what students are like in England.
In England...
There is no such thing as a high school diploma... EVERYONE graduates
The students finish high school after grade 10 (i.e. year 11)
Every school has 12 Principal Skinners
Video showing what students are like in England.
How Foreign Teachers feel about teaching in England
In England, teachers feel like rubbish
Kiwi teachers would rather chew off their own legs than teach in England
In England, teachers feel like rubbish
Kiwi teachers would rather chew off their own legs than teach in England
How British Teachers feel about Teaching in England
In England...
Teachers are miserable
They go on stress leave
They want to quit teaching
They kill themselves
In England...
Teachers are miserable
They go on stress leave
They want to quit teaching
They kill themselves
Working environment
In England...
The students control the classrooms
Theinmates run the asylum
Teachers are routinely falsely accused of physical and sexual abuse
Schools give teachers bad references
Bullying
Information about bullying in British schools by British teachers and school management against other teachers and staff.
In England, teachers are bullied by school managers
In England, schools treat staff like cattle
In England, teachers are punished for doing their job
In England, teachers commit suicide
How to fight bullying from schools
Information about bullying in British schools by British teachers and school management against other teachers and staff.
In England, teachers are bullied by school managers
In England, schools treat staff like cattle
In England, teachers are punished for doing their job
In England, teachers commit suicide
How to fight bullying from schools
Credential recognition
QTS - Qualified Teacher Status
Why "unqualified" teachers are allowed to teach
What happens when you get QTS
QTS - Assessment Only Route
QTS - Qualified Teacher Status
Why "unqualified" teachers are allowed to teach
What happens when you get QTS
QTS - Assessment Only Route
Low Standards
In England, teachers are untrained and unqualified
In England, teachers are untrained and unqualified II
In England, students lack basic math and literacy skills
In England, every school manipulates test scores
In England, teachers are untrained and unqualified
In England, teachers are untrained and unqualified II
In England, students lack basic math and literacy skills
In England, every school manipulates test scores
School Management
In England, headteachers bully teachers
In England, teachers think school managers are full of shit
In England, schools give bad references
In England, headteachers bully teachers
In England, teachers think school managers are full of shit
In England, schools give bad references
Student behaviour
“Are students in England that bad?” The good news is that the answer is no, students in England are not that bad. The bad news is that they are much worst.
What do British teachers think about behaviour in British schools
Scenes from the Battleground - A Teaching Blog
“Are students in England that bad?” The good news is that the answer is no, students in England are not that bad. The bad news is that they are much worst.
What do British teachers think about behaviour in British schools
Scenes from the Battleground - A Teaching Blog
Saturday, December 15, 2007
In England, teachers are attacked every day
Attacks on teachers 'every day'
A teacher suffers a violent attack almost every school day in England, official government figures suggest.
There were 221 attacks on teachers last year alone, and 1,128 between 2000 and 2006, information revealed by the Liberal Democrats shows.
The figures show the number of injuries caused by violent attacks increased by a fifth over the same period.
Lib Dem education spokeswoman Sarah Teather, who obtained the figures, said such attacks led to fear in schools.
She said: "These chilling figures reveal the shocking levels of violence in schools.
"Some teachers are in tears every day"
A London teacher
"Every few years a particularly tragic case makes the news, but the hidden story is that a teacher in England falls victim to a serious assault every single working day.
"As with patients who attack staff in A&E, pupils and parents have to be made to understand that the law applies inside the school gates just the same as outside.
"Violent attacks against teachers are completely unacceptable and must be prosecuted.
Time off work
She said the impact of such incidents spreads much further than just the victim's suffering.
"It damages the atmosphere of the entire school and creates a culture of fear," she said.
Ms Teather obtained the information after tabling a question to junior minister in the Department of Work and Pensions Anne McGuire.
"Violent attacks against teachers are completely unacceptable and must be prosecuted"
Sarah Teather
She asked how many serious injuries caused to school teachers by physical attacks had been reported to the Health and Safety Executive yearly between1999-2000 and 2005-6.
The number of injuries resulting in the victim needing three or more days work rose by 29%.
'Strong action'
Most attacks were reported in Preston, Rotherham and South Derbyshire where five injuries to teachers were logged last year.
Bradford, Ealing and Purbeck local authorities followed closely with four.
A spokeswoman for the National Union of Teachers said any attack was "completely unacceptable", but that they were relatively rare.
"It's particularly galling when the attacks are being carried out by parents because they are the ones who should be helping with discipline and good behaviour among children," she added.
Sentencing guidelines now make it a more serious offence to assault those working in the public sector, such as school staff
DFES
General Secretary of the NASUWT Chris Keates said her union had been raising the issue of violence against teachers for many years.
"We need to take strong action where there's serious violence against teachers."
But she warned there was a need to keep the issue in perspective as most teachers said the biggest challenge they faced was low level disruption in class.
A spokeswoman for the Department for Education and Skills said violence against members of school staff would not be tolerated.
"We fully back schools taking tough action to remove or prosecute anyone - whether parent or pupil - who is behaving in an aggressive way," she said.
"Sentencing guidelines now make it a more serious offence to assault those working in the public sector, such as school staff."
Chief executive of Teacher Support Network Patrick Nash said violent attacks can have a devastating impact.
"Many of the teachers experiencing violence told us that they have suffered severe stress, anxiety and a fear of going to school.
"In some extreme cases, this has led to long-term sickness absence and even ill-health retirement."
Your comments
I will never teach in a state school again
Adam, UK
I'm still getting treatment for injuries received 5 years ago when I was attacked by 2 pupils known to me at the school I then worked in. As it was about 200 feet outside the school grounds the school, board and LEA declined to take my side or support me. It's time people accepted that some children are beyond any help from schools and teachers, we should not be doing the work of social workers and psychiatrists. The fact is some, a minority, of children are too damaged or poorly socialised to cope in a school environment. We should not be the ones to pick up the pieces, take the blame for parental failure and risk our health for the errors of others. I will never teach in a state school again, it's too dangerous and I know I will not be supported by the school, the board or the LEA.
Adam, UK
A cousin trained to be a teacher and was accepted to be a teacher in Nigeria. She enjoyed it so much as the children were keen and eager to learn. Upon her return, after two years, she took up a teaching position at a comprehensive school. After less than two terms she resigned as she had no desire to try to teach pupils who were insulting and disruptive with no desire to learn. With no effective disciplinary sanctions to support her she felt she was wasting her time. I agree with her action but I would also call for less bureaucratic measures in dealing with such pupils.
Jim, UK
My partner works as a teacher and has had her wallet stolen, has been threatened, has had chairs thrown at her and drugs dealt in her classroom. What I can't understand is that these cases which ordinarily in normal society would be a police matter, particularly violent assault, internally there is an enormous push for them to be dealt with as 'internal matters'. Don't people want to know what is going on in their schools or are they happier pretending these things don't really go on?
John Staveley, UK
I am an American, but I taught in a rather rough primary school in the southeast for three years. My wife and I now teach in a Brazilian private school now.
Although we are both fully qualified, we have no plans to return to education in Britain due to the lack of respect for educators and mountains of government schemes and paperwork.
The abuse is due mainly to the misguided policy of stripping teachers and schools of any power to discipline and giving the pupil and parents the power to call the shots instead. All school discipline these days is pretty much a paper tiger.
Bill Cleveland, Brazil
Teachers are not given training to deal with these pupils
Kevina, UK
Problems of violence also occur due to a lack of training of staff. SEN students are expected to learn in mainstream. However teachers are not given training to deal with these pupils who often have behaviour difficulties. In our case inappropriate physical handling of our son by a teacher caused our SEN son to lash back. I agree teachers should not have to tolerate violent behaviour from pupils. However, I also strongly believe the actions of staff need to be looked at closer as some children (both SEN and NT students) are also victims of violence and abuse from staff who not trained adequately to deal with behaviour difficulties of students expected to attend mainstream.
Kevina, UK
My daughter, a teacher in the state sector, has been subjected to several dreadful verbal assaults of an obscene nature in the past few months without any serious action being taken against those responsible. My wife gave up teaching in the state sector for the private sector and has noted the marked difference in standards between the two.
The teaching unions should back their members in taking out some test cases in court to publicise the daily assaults, and shame the educational establishment into providing real backing for teachers.
Don, England
As I am a PCV driver I have the pleasure delivering and collecting school pupils, I find these young children to behave like animals, they create trouble as soon as they come out the school gates, and the onus is on the bus driver. We have just had the first very light snow fall in the midlands for the start of 2007 and immediately what they do is throw ice balls at the school bus as it leaves the stop BUT LAST WEEK a snowball was armed with grit and stones which hit one of my colleagues in the eye and almost blinded him, the last I heard was his eye sight was just returning but he is very bloodshot and due to this assault he is still off work sick.
Trevor, UK
Attacks on teachers 'every day', 02/01/2007. Retrieved on 12/16/2007.
A teacher suffers a violent attack almost every school day in England, official government figures suggest.
There were 221 attacks on teachers last year alone, and 1,128 between 2000 and 2006, information revealed by the Liberal Democrats shows.
The figures show the number of injuries caused by violent attacks increased by a fifth over the same period.
Lib Dem education spokeswoman Sarah Teather, who obtained the figures, said such attacks led to fear in schools.
She said: "These chilling figures reveal the shocking levels of violence in schools.
"Some teachers are in tears every day"
A London teacher
"Every few years a particularly tragic case makes the news, but the hidden story is that a teacher in England falls victim to a serious assault every single working day.
"As with patients who attack staff in A&E, pupils and parents have to be made to understand that the law applies inside the school gates just the same as outside.
"Violent attacks against teachers are completely unacceptable and must be prosecuted.
Time off work
She said the impact of such incidents spreads much further than just the victim's suffering.
"It damages the atmosphere of the entire school and creates a culture of fear," she said.
Ms Teather obtained the information after tabling a question to junior minister in the Department of Work and Pensions Anne McGuire.
"Violent attacks against teachers are completely unacceptable and must be prosecuted"
Sarah Teather
She asked how many serious injuries caused to school teachers by physical attacks had been reported to the Health and Safety Executive yearly between1999-2000 and 2005-6.
The number of injuries resulting in the victim needing three or more days work rose by 29%.
'Strong action'
Most attacks were reported in Preston, Rotherham and South Derbyshire where five injuries to teachers were logged last year.
Bradford, Ealing and Purbeck local authorities followed closely with four.
A spokeswoman for the National Union of Teachers said any attack was "completely unacceptable", but that they were relatively rare.
"It's particularly galling when the attacks are being carried out by parents because they are the ones who should be helping with discipline and good behaviour among children," she added.
Sentencing guidelines now make it a more serious offence to assault those working in the public sector, such as school staff
DFES
General Secretary of the NASUWT Chris Keates said her union had been raising the issue of violence against teachers for many years.
"We need to take strong action where there's serious violence against teachers."
But she warned there was a need to keep the issue in perspective as most teachers said the biggest challenge they faced was low level disruption in class.
A spokeswoman for the Department for Education and Skills said violence against members of school staff would not be tolerated.
"We fully back schools taking tough action to remove or prosecute anyone - whether parent or pupil - who is behaving in an aggressive way," she said.
"Sentencing guidelines now make it a more serious offence to assault those working in the public sector, such as school staff."
Chief executive of Teacher Support Network Patrick Nash said violent attacks can have a devastating impact.
"Many of the teachers experiencing violence told us that they have suffered severe stress, anxiety and a fear of going to school.
"In some extreme cases, this has led to long-term sickness absence and even ill-health retirement."
Your comments
I will never teach in a state school again
Adam, UK
I'm still getting treatment for injuries received 5 years ago when I was attacked by 2 pupils known to me at the school I then worked in. As it was about 200 feet outside the school grounds the school, board and LEA declined to take my side or support me. It's time people accepted that some children are beyond any help from schools and teachers, we should not be doing the work of social workers and psychiatrists. The fact is some, a minority, of children are too damaged or poorly socialised to cope in a school environment. We should not be the ones to pick up the pieces, take the blame for parental failure and risk our health for the errors of others. I will never teach in a state school again, it's too dangerous and I know I will not be supported by the school, the board or the LEA.
Adam, UK
A cousin trained to be a teacher and was accepted to be a teacher in Nigeria. She enjoyed it so much as the children were keen and eager to learn. Upon her return, after two years, she took up a teaching position at a comprehensive school. After less than two terms she resigned as she had no desire to try to teach pupils who were insulting and disruptive with no desire to learn. With no effective disciplinary sanctions to support her she felt she was wasting her time. I agree with her action but I would also call for less bureaucratic measures in dealing with such pupils.
Jim, UK
My partner works as a teacher and has had her wallet stolen, has been threatened, has had chairs thrown at her and drugs dealt in her classroom. What I can't understand is that these cases which ordinarily in normal society would be a police matter, particularly violent assault, internally there is an enormous push for them to be dealt with as 'internal matters'. Don't people want to know what is going on in their schools or are they happier pretending these things don't really go on?
John Staveley, UK
I am an American, but I taught in a rather rough primary school in the southeast for three years. My wife and I now teach in a Brazilian private school now.
Although we are both fully qualified, we have no plans to return to education in Britain due to the lack of respect for educators and mountains of government schemes and paperwork.
The abuse is due mainly to the misguided policy of stripping teachers and schools of any power to discipline and giving the pupil and parents the power to call the shots instead. All school discipline these days is pretty much a paper tiger.
Bill Cleveland, Brazil
Teachers are not given training to deal with these pupils
Kevina, UK
Problems of violence also occur due to a lack of training of staff. SEN students are expected to learn in mainstream. However teachers are not given training to deal with these pupils who often have behaviour difficulties. In our case inappropriate physical handling of our son by a teacher caused our SEN son to lash back. I agree teachers should not have to tolerate violent behaviour from pupils. However, I also strongly believe the actions of staff need to be looked at closer as some children (both SEN and NT students) are also victims of violence and abuse from staff who not trained adequately to deal with behaviour difficulties of students expected to attend mainstream.
Kevina, UK
My daughter, a teacher in the state sector, has been subjected to several dreadful verbal assaults of an obscene nature in the past few months without any serious action being taken against those responsible. My wife gave up teaching in the state sector for the private sector and has noted the marked difference in standards between the two.
The teaching unions should back their members in taking out some test cases in court to publicise the daily assaults, and shame the educational establishment into providing real backing for teachers.
Don, England
As I am a PCV driver I have the pleasure delivering and collecting school pupils, I find these young children to behave like animals, they create trouble as soon as they come out the school gates, and the onus is on the bus driver. We have just had the first very light snow fall in the midlands for the start of 2007 and immediately what they do is throw ice balls at the school bus as it leaves the stop BUT LAST WEEK a snowball was armed with grit and stones which hit one of my colleagues in the eye and almost blinded him, the last I heard was his eye sight was just returning but he is very bloodshot and due to this assault he is still off work sick.
Trevor, UK
Attacks on teachers 'every day', 02/01/2007. Retrieved on 12/16/2007.
In England, schools are like "war-zones"
'My school is like a war-zone'
Teaching at schools in deprived London boroughs is like working in a war-zone, says one disillusioned young teacher.
The 25-year-old, who does not wish to be named for fear of losing his job, says he has been threatened with a range of weapons and kicked and punched for real.
"As soon as you walk through the school doors - you have absolutely no idea what will happen - it's like a war-zone.
"There's extreme cases of bullying - some teachers are in tears every day.
"It comes to the stage where the curriculum doesn't even come into it. I am satisfied just if I get the kids to be nice to one another."
He turned round and told me to go and get a bullet proof vest - that he would be back
He continued: "In my first year I was threatened with a knife.
"A boy had one in his pocket and he went to grab it - another teacher had to restrain him."
"Eventually the boy was excluded," he explains.
Most recently, when he and another teacher were helping with an after-school event, they had to remove a group of youngsters who had climbed over a fence.
"A few of the pupils had tried to get in without tickets and so we told them to get out. They wouldn't so I had to physically remove them.
"I picked one of them up and threw him out and he turned round and told me to go and get a bullet proof vest - that he would be back."
He says he and his colleagues take this sort of threat with a pinch of salt but one day the person making the threat might just follow through.
That day armed police arrived from a nearby police station and the group ran off.
'Difficult backgrounds'
Unlike the teaching unions, our teacher says these sort of incidents are a daily occurrence in most inner London schools.
"We have to fill in so many statements and reports. We spend most of the time babysitting rather than teaching.
"I am 25 and when I went into teaching I didn't think my days would be spent making sure pupils didn't injure themselves or others.
"I thought I would be teaching. Really I am a cross between a social worker and some kind of policeman.
"I know a lot of the children have really difficult backgrounds and some of them don't go home to parents at all but there is a big difference between what people think teachers are doing and what they actually do."
Once in a blue moon you get a sense of achievement - when you get through to someone
He says there is a police officer attached to the school in the deprived London borough in which he works.
But even so, many incidents go unpunished or children escape with three-day exclusions rather than something more permanent.
"I don't think that we, as teachers, are equipped with the powers to deal with what goes on.
"I feel senior management don't use their powers to support us."
He cites the case of a teacher who was spat at on numerous occasions.
Committed
"The pupil's mother was called in, but the pupil got away with a slap on the wrists."
So what makes him turn up at the school gates every morning?
"Once in a blue moon you get a sense of achievement - when you get through to someone.
"But that's in an emotional sense not an educational one.
"That makes you feel good."
"I have good relationships with some of the children - like my form group - I love them to bits.
"I don't want to let them down."
'My school is like a war-zone', 02/01/2007. Retrieved on 12/16/2007.
Teaching at schools in deprived London boroughs is like working in a war-zone, says one disillusioned young teacher.
The 25-year-old, who does not wish to be named for fear of losing his job, says he has been threatened with a range of weapons and kicked and punched for real.
"As soon as you walk through the school doors - you have absolutely no idea what will happen - it's like a war-zone.
"There's extreme cases of bullying - some teachers are in tears every day.
"It comes to the stage where the curriculum doesn't even come into it. I am satisfied just if I get the kids to be nice to one another."
He turned round and told me to go and get a bullet proof vest - that he would be back
He continued: "In my first year I was threatened with a knife.
"A boy had one in his pocket and he went to grab it - another teacher had to restrain him."
"Eventually the boy was excluded," he explains.
Most recently, when he and another teacher were helping with an after-school event, they had to remove a group of youngsters who had climbed over a fence.
"A few of the pupils had tried to get in without tickets and so we told them to get out. They wouldn't so I had to physically remove them.
"I picked one of them up and threw him out and he turned round and told me to go and get a bullet proof vest - that he would be back."
He says he and his colleagues take this sort of threat with a pinch of salt but one day the person making the threat might just follow through.
That day armed police arrived from a nearby police station and the group ran off.
'Difficult backgrounds'
Unlike the teaching unions, our teacher says these sort of incidents are a daily occurrence in most inner London schools.
"We have to fill in so many statements and reports. We spend most of the time babysitting rather than teaching.
"I am 25 and when I went into teaching I didn't think my days would be spent making sure pupils didn't injure themselves or others.
"I thought I would be teaching. Really I am a cross between a social worker and some kind of policeman.
"I know a lot of the children have really difficult backgrounds and some of them don't go home to parents at all but there is a big difference between what people think teachers are doing and what they actually do."
Once in a blue moon you get a sense of achievement - when you get through to someone
He says there is a police officer attached to the school in the deprived London borough in which he works.
But even so, many incidents go unpunished or children escape with three-day exclusions rather than something more permanent.
"I don't think that we, as teachers, are equipped with the powers to deal with what goes on.
"I feel senior management don't use their powers to support us."
He cites the case of a teacher who was spat at on numerous occasions.
Committed
"The pupil's mother was called in, but the pupil got away with a slap on the wrists."
So what makes him turn up at the school gates every morning?
"Once in a blue moon you get a sense of achievement - when you get through to someone.
"But that's in an emotional sense not an educational one.
"That makes you feel good."
"I have good relationships with some of the children - like my form group - I love them to bits.
"I don't want to let them down."
'My school is like a war-zone', 02/01/2007. Retrieved on 12/16/2007.
In England, Parents have to buy the school to give their kids an education
'My son needs this school. So I had to buy it'
The mother of a severely dyslexic teenager was so upset when his independent school faced closure because of financial difficulties that she bought it herself.
Annabel Goodman, 35, lost faith in the state system after sending her 13-year-old son Jacob to nine different schools, but eventually settled him at The New Elizabethan School in Hartlebury, Worcs, which has just 19 pupils.
With smaller classes and supportive teachers Jacob, who has the reading capacity of an eight-year-old, flourished.
But a few months after he joined it the school announced it was in financial trouble. Desperate not to send her son back into the "wasteland" of the state system, Mrs Goodman decided to buy the school herself.
Now she juggles her position of principal with her career as a barrister.
Yesterday she said: "Staff in the state sector were totally under-resourced, and although they tried very hard to deal with Jacob's special needs, they were simply unable to do so.
"When I first came to see this school it was like finding an oasis in the wasteland of all the other schools I had seen.
"The teachers are incredibly supportive and the children here — who all have various needs — are all very accepting. They don't just tolerate difference, but actually celebrate it. That is such a refreshing thing which I had never come across before." She said her other son, Reuben, nine, was happy at a state school but that the state system cannot cope with children with special needs.
She added: "Even if you shout loudly you are very unlikely to get what your child needs. And if you do finally get it, your child may well be married with kids by that point.
"Jacob is very dyslexic. He is really very bright — he's got a much higher than average intelligence — but his reading, writing and spelling are that of about an eight-year-old."
Set in eight acres of grounds, the school caters for just 19 pupils, aged from four to 16.
Mrs Goodman, from Hartlebury, bought the school's leasehold at the start of term for an undisclosed sum, and is relying on donations to keep it afloat.
She said: "I put some money in myself and have secured funding from some very supportive backers.
"The school has charity status and is very well supported by alumni — it has been here since 1600.
"We are hoping to hold lots of fundraising events and the other parents are really supportive.
"Like me, they have trawled through the system and if this school did not continue they would have nowhere to send their children."
She added: "Jacob has settled into this school really fantastically well.
"However, he is embarrassed about my involvement — like any 13-year-old boy would be.
"But I think he is secretly quite proud of me".
Britten, Nick. "'My son needs this school. So I had to buy it' ", 01/30/2007. Retrieved on 12/16/2007.
The mother of a severely dyslexic teenager was so upset when his independent school faced closure because of financial difficulties that she bought it herself.
Annabel Goodman, 35, lost faith in the state system after sending her 13-year-old son Jacob to nine different schools, but eventually settled him at The New Elizabethan School in Hartlebury, Worcs, which has just 19 pupils.
With smaller classes and supportive teachers Jacob, who has the reading capacity of an eight-year-old, flourished.
But a few months after he joined it the school announced it was in financial trouble. Desperate not to send her son back into the "wasteland" of the state system, Mrs Goodman decided to buy the school herself.
Now she juggles her position of principal with her career as a barrister.
Yesterday she said: "Staff in the state sector were totally under-resourced, and although they tried very hard to deal with Jacob's special needs, they were simply unable to do so.
"When I first came to see this school it was like finding an oasis in the wasteland of all the other schools I had seen.
"The teachers are incredibly supportive and the children here — who all have various needs — are all very accepting. They don't just tolerate difference, but actually celebrate it. That is such a refreshing thing which I had never come across before." She said her other son, Reuben, nine, was happy at a state school but that the state system cannot cope with children with special needs.
She added: "Even if you shout loudly you are very unlikely to get what your child needs. And if you do finally get it, your child may well be married with kids by that point.
"Jacob is very dyslexic. He is really very bright — he's got a much higher than average intelligence — but his reading, writing and spelling are that of about an eight-year-old."
Set in eight acres of grounds, the school caters for just 19 pupils, aged from four to 16.
Mrs Goodman, from Hartlebury, bought the school's leasehold at the start of term for an undisclosed sum, and is relying on donations to keep it afloat.
She said: "I put some money in myself and have secured funding from some very supportive backers.
"The school has charity status and is very well supported by alumni — it has been here since 1600.
"We are hoping to hold lots of fundraising events and the other parents are really supportive.
"Like me, they have trawled through the system and if this school did not continue they would have nowhere to send their children."
She added: "Jacob has settled into this school really fantastically well.
"However, he is embarrassed about my involvement — like any 13-year-old boy would be.
"But I think he is secretly quite proud of me".
Britten, Nick. "'My son needs this school. So I had to buy it' ", 01/30/2007. Retrieved on 12/16/2007.
In England, students are punished for fighting for regular teachers
Pupils suspended over walking out
Eleven pupils have been suspended from a school after they walked out saying there were too many supply teachers.
There have been protests at Berryhill Sports College and High School in Stoke-on-Trent on Monday and Tuesday, with dozens said to be involved.
Chairman of the governors, Terry Crowe, said the 11 pupils, who are aged about 15, were told to stay away for two weeks.
"Parents who have taken part with the children are irresponsible," he said.
Police were called during a protest on Monday, a spokesman for the school in Bucknall said.
"I won't be bullied by children or parents"
Terry Crowe
Chair of governors
Head teacher Ruth Poppleton said pupils were getting a good education.
"I think some pupils quite rightly are concerned we are having some supply teachers in school.
"I think it shows some pupils are worried about the quality of their education."
One of those to have been excluded, Nikita Bailey, told the BBC that about 60 pupils were involved in Monday's demonstration.
She said: "All the students are just getting to the point where they don't want supply teachers any more.
"They just want a proper education with proper teachers and everyone's just getting sick of it, so we just walked out to get heard really.
"The teachers and the head teacher won't listen to us and we thought we would get heard if we walked out."
Issues resolved
One parent who was outside the school on Tuesday, Mandy Moore, said: "I believe the children have a right (to protest). Nobody seems to be listening."
The school said those who have been excluded were the protagonists and some issues had been resolved.
Mr Crowe said staff had said there had been complaints over school uniforms and body piercing.
The school said it could not give specific reasons why pupils had been excluded but it was not aware of an issue to do with uniforms.
Mr Crowe said: "I've been the chairman of governors for 20 years and I won't be bullied by children or parents to do things I don't think are compatible with what the school is about.
"Staff have got a hard enough job these days without parents egging them on. It's not good for school discipline."
"The vast majority of students enjoyed a normal school day"
Mark Ranford
Deputy head
The school said it was available to listen to the views of parents and students.
Deputy head Mark Ranford said: "A small number of pupils engaged in an unacceptable demonstration against school rules at the school gate.
"Four representative pupils were invited into the school and discussed with senior staff ways of resolving their issues.
"Several students then returned to lessons as normal. The vast majority of students enjoyed a normal school day."
The school said a meeting had been arranged with the chair of governors later this week to allow further dialogue between students, parents and senior staff.
The city council said it was concerned about the situation but the issue of school discipline was a matter for the head teacher and the governors.
"Pupils suspended over walking out", 01/23/2007. Retrieved on 12/15/2007.
Eleven pupils have been suspended from a school after they walked out saying there were too many supply teachers.
There have been protests at Berryhill Sports College and High School in Stoke-on-Trent on Monday and Tuesday, with dozens said to be involved.
Chairman of the governors, Terry Crowe, said the 11 pupils, who are aged about 15, were told to stay away for two weeks.
"Parents who have taken part with the children are irresponsible," he said.
Police were called during a protest on Monday, a spokesman for the school in Bucknall said.
"I won't be bullied by children or parents"
Terry Crowe
Chair of governors
Head teacher Ruth Poppleton said pupils were getting a good education.
"I think some pupils quite rightly are concerned we are having some supply teachers in school.
"I think it shows some pupils are worried about the quality of their education."
One of those to have been excluded, Nikita Bailey, told the BBC that about 60 pupils were involved in Monday's demonstration.
She said: "All the students are just getting to the point where they don't want supply teachers any more.
"They just want a proper education with proper teachers and everyone's just getting sick of it, so we just walked out to get heard really.
"The teachers and the head teacher won't listen to us and we thought we would get heard if we walked out."
Issues resolved
One parent who was outside the school on Tuesday, Mandy Moore, said: "I believe the children have a right (to protest). Nobody seems to be listening."
The school said those who have been excluded were the protagonists and some issues had been resolved.
Mr Crowe said staff had said there had been complaints over school uniforms and body piercing.
The school said it could not give specific reasons why pupils had been excluded but it was not aware of an issue to do with uniforms.
Mr Crowe said: "I've been the chairman of governors for 20 years and I won't be bullied by children or parents to do things I don't think are compatible with what the school is about.
"Staff have got a hard enough job these days without parents egging them on. It's not good for school discipline."
"The vast majority of students enjoyed a normal school day"
Mark Ranford
Deputy head
The school said it was available to listen to the views of parents and students.
Deputy head Mark Ranford said: "A small number of pupils engaged in an unacceptable demonstration against school rules at the school gate.
"Four representative pupils were invited into the school and discussed with senior staff ways of resolving their issues.
"Several students then returned to lessons as normal. The vast majority of students enjoyed a normal school day."
The school said a meeting had been arranged with the chair of governors later this week to allow further dialogue between students, parents and senior staff.
The city council said it was concerned about the situation but the issue of school discipline was a matter for the head teacher and the governors.
"Pupils suspended over walking out", 01/23/2007. Retrieved on 12/15/2007.
In England, 15 year olds are Europe's heaviest drinkers and smokers
Crackdown urged on youth drinking
Tougher methods of teaching children about alcohol and tobacco are among measures needed to combat the rise in consumption, an advisory panel says.
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) calls for controls such as raising duty on alcohol and increasing the legal smoking age from 16 to 18.
British 15-year-olds are among Europe's heaviest users of alcohol and tobacco.
A proposal by the panel for a new lower drink-drive limit for young adults was immediately ruled out by ministers.
Between a fifth and a quarter of 15-year-olds are regular smokers, half drink alcohol at least once a week and nearly a quarter have used illegal drugs in the past month, the panel said.
Among the measures it recommends are to ban alcohol advertising on TV and to prevent brewers sponsoring sports and music events.
And while it said that children should be given drugs advice, many people took up drugs or increased usage in their late teens and early 20s, and they should also be targeted.
Having reviewed research from across the world, the committee of doctors and scientists concluded that the success of school-based schemes was "slight or non-existent" and could even be "counter-productive".
REALITY CHECK
Tougher methods of teaching children about alcohol and tobacco are among measures needed to combat the rise in consumption, an advisory panel says.
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) calls for controls such as raising duty on alcohol and increasing the legal smoking age from 16 to 18.
British 15-year-olds are among Europe's heaviest users of alcohol and tobacco.
A proposal by the panel for a new lower drink-drive limit for young adults was immediately ruled out by ministers.
Between a fifth and a quarter of 15-year-olds are regular smokers, half drink alcohol at least once a week and nearly a quarter have used illegal drugs in the past month, the panel said.
Among the measures it recommends are to ban alcohol advertising on TV and to prevent brewers sponsoring sports and music events.
And while it said that children should be given drugs advice, many people took up drugs or increased usage in their late teens and early 20s, and they should also be targeted.
Having reviewed research from across the world, the committee of doctors and scientists concluded that the success of school-based schemes was "slight or non-existent" and could even be "counter-productive".
REALITY CHECK
- Smokers die 10 years younger than non-smokers, on average
- The addiction is the cause of 29% of all UK cancer deaths
- Cigarettes have killed about 6m people in the last 50 years
- Alcohol misuse leads to up to 22,000 deaths a year
- Drink plays a role in about third of domestic violence cases
- The NHS spends up to £1.7bn a year on alcohol misuse cases
Sources: Cancer Research UK, Prime Minister's Strategy Unit
Its chairman, Dr Laurence Gruer, said urgent action was needed to deal with alcohol use.
"We've seen over the last 10 to 12 years, particularly among young women, our consumption of alcohol has virtually doubled.
"We are also seeing across the whole of the UK a dramatic rise in the amount of cirrhosis of the liver that's caused by chronic drinking and we are now the fastest growing country in Europe in terms of alcoholic cirrhosis"
A government spokesman said measures were already being taken to combat smoking and drinking among young people.
"We are working with the industry to reduce underage sales of alcohol"
Government spokesman
Smoking rates among children aged 11-15 had reduced to 9% in 2005, and consultation was already being done on raising the legal age to purchase tobacco from 16 to 18.
"We are preventing the sale of alcohol to children by cracking down on irresponsible retailers and working with the industry to reduce underage sales of alcohol," the spokesman added.
The 100-page report included other recommendations including:
- a ban on alcohol advertising on TV and at most cinemas
- forcing shopkeepers to demand proof of age and greater use of under-age test purchases
- stopping the use of drug testing and sniffer dogs in schools
- The report said excess drinking caused the most widespread problems and suggested cutting the alcohol limit for drivers under 25 to reduce accidents.
"The government has no plans to change the drink-drive blood alcohol limit from 80mg for young drivers or anyone else"
Stephen Ladyman
Transport minister
This would amount to reducing the legal limit from 80 to 50 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood for motorists aged 17 to 25.
But Transport Minister Stephen Ladyman said there were no planned changes "for young drivers or anyone else".
Ministers are likely to consider the council's latest proposals carefully, BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw says.
The council is an influential body and ministers acted on one of its previous recommendations by re-classifying cannabis.
In response to the report, the Tobacco Manufacturers' Association said it backed moves preventing young people accessing tobacco, but it was up to the government to decide at what age the threshold should be.
A spokesman for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said cutting the drink-drive limit to 50mg for all age groups would save 65 lives and 230 serious injuries a year on British roads.
"Crackdown urged on youth drinking", 09/14/2006. Retrieved on 12/15/2007
In England, teenager sex attackers roam freely
Teenage sex attacker walks free
A teenage sex attacker was spared jail despite confessing to raping a 12-year-old girl while he had a knife.
The boy, who cannot be named, was given a two-year supervision order for raping the girl in Winton, Salford. He was 14 at the time of the attack.
He will also be electronically tagged and be subject to a curfew between 2000 BST and 0700 BST for three months.
The girl's mother described the sentence passed by Judge Jeffrey Lewis as "absolutely disgraceful".
Yesterday when I had to go home and tell her [the sentence] it was the hardest thing I have ever had to say
Victim's mother
The boy, now 15, will also have to sign the sex offenders' register for two years, following Thursday's hearing.
Greater Manchester Police said the boy had threatened the girl with a knife before raping her.
But Judge Lewis, sitting at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court, decided that, although the teenager had intimidated the girl with the knife, he had not used it during the rape.
The court heard the victim had been out playing with friends when the attack happened in an alleyway near a shop on 18 January.
The boy was arrested the following day and later charged with rape. He pleaded guilty on 22 June.
'Minutes away'
Speaking to the BBC on Friday, the victim's mother said she had considered moving her family after the incident.
"It's hard for me to let her out on the streets knowing it happened two minutes away from my doorstep with someone she knew," said the woman, who cannot be identified.
"I think its absolutely disgraceful.
"He is tagged for three months, allowed out until seven or eight o'clock at night - he raped her at tea time."
"Yesterday when I had to go home and tell her [the sentence] it was the hardest thing I have ever had to say."
"Teenage sex attacker walks free", 08/04/2006. Retrieved on 12/15/2007.
A teenage sex attacker was spared jail despite confessing to raping a 12-year-old girl while he had a knife.
The boy, who cannot be named, was given a two-year supervision order for raping the girl in Winton, Salford. He was 14 at the time of the attack.
He will also be electronically tagged and be subject to a curfew between 2000 BST and 0700 BST for three months.
The girl's mother described the sentence passed by Judge Jeffrey Lewis as "absolutely disgraceful".
Yesterday when I had to go home and tell her [the sentence] it was the hardest thing I have ever had to say
Victim's mother
The boy, now 15, will also have to sign the sex offenders' register for two years, following Thursday's hearing.
Greater Manchester Police said the boy had threatened the girl with a knife before raping her.
But Judge Lewis, sitting at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court, decided that, although the teenager had intimidated the girl with the knife, he had not used it during the rape.
The court heard the victim had been out playing with friends when the attack happened in an alleyway near a shop on 18 January.
The boy was arrested the following day and later charged with rape. He pleaded guilty on 22 June.
'Minutes away'
Speaking to the BBC on Friday, the victim's mother said she had considered moving her family after the incident.
"It's hard for me to let her out on the streets knowing it happened two minutes away from my doorstep with someone she knew," said the woman, who cannot be identified.
"I think its absolutely disgraceful.
"He is tagged for three months, allowed out until seven or eight o'clock at night - he raped her at tea time."
"Yesterday when I had to go home and tell her [the sentence] it was the hardest thing I have ever had to say."
"Teenage sex attacker walks free", 08/04/2006. Retrieved on 12/15/2007.
In England, students do not learn about right and wrong
Schools told it's no longer necessary to teach right from wrong
SCHOOLS would no longer be required to teach children the difference between right and wrong under plans to revise the core aims of the National Curriculum.
Instead, under a new wording that reflects a world of relative rather than absolute values, teachers would be asked to encourage pupils to develop “secure values and beliefs”.
The draft also purges references to promoting leadership skills and deletes the requirement to teach children about Britain’s cultural heritage.
Ministers have asked for the curriculum’s aims to be slimmed down to give schools more flexibility in the way they teach pupils aged 11 to 14.
Ken Boston, the chief executive of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), set out the proposed new aims in a letter to Ruth Kelly, when she was the Education Secretary.
The present aims for Stage 3 pupils state: “The school curriculum should pass on enduring values. It should develop principles for distinguishing between right and wrong.”
The QCA’s proposals will see these phrases replaced to simply say that pupils should “have secure values and beliefs”.
The existing aims state that the curriculum should develop children’s “ability to relate to others and work for the common good”. The proposed changes would remove all references to “the common good”.
The requirement to teach Britain’s “cultural heritage” will also be removed. The present version states: “The school curriculum should contribute to the development of pupils’ sense of identity through knowledge and understanding of the spiritual, moral, social and cultural heritages of Britain’s diverse society.”
The proposals say that individuals should be helped to “understand different cultures and traditions and have a strong sense of their own place in the world”.
References to developing leadership in pupils have also been removed. One of the present aims is to give pupils “the opportunity to become creative, innovative, enterprising and capable of leadership”. This is due to be replaced by the aim of ensuring that pupils “are enterprising”.
Professor Alan Smithers, of the University of Buckingham’s centre for education and employment research, said: “The idea that they think it is appropriate to dispense with right and wrong is a bit alarming.”
Teachers’ leaders said that they did not need to be told to teach children to distinguish between right and wrong.
A spokeswoman for the National Union of Teachers said: “Teachers always resented being told that one of the aims of the school was to teach the difference between right and wrong. That is inherent in the way teachers operate. Removing it from the National Curriculum will make no difference.”
But she insisted that it was important for children to understand about their cultural heritage. “To remove that requirement can undermine children’s feelings of security in the country where they are living,” she said.
A spokesman for the QCA said: “The proposed new wording of the curriculum aims is a draft which will be consulted on formally next year as part of the ongoing review of Key Stage 3. One aim of the review is that there should be more flexibility and personalisation that focuses on practical advice for teachers.
“The new wording states clearly that young people should become ‘responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to society’. It also identifies the need for young people who challenge injustice, are committed to human rights and strive to live peaceably with others.”
IN A QUANDARY
In citizenship classes, teachers ask pupils to discuss issues such as whether it is ever right to pass on information received in confidence and situations such as what they would do if they saw someone writing graffiti on a bus; heard friends talking about stealing; found a wallet full of cash; or saw people fighting
The current wording states that the curriculum should pass on enduring values, develop pupils’ ability to relate to others and to work for the common good and help them “to become creative, innovative, enterprising and capable of leadership”
The proposed changes remove references to “the common good”. Teachers should simply ensure that pupils have secure values and beliefs and a strong sense of their place in the world. Rather than develop leadership skills, the pupils should be enterprising
Charter, David. "Schools told it's no longer necessary to teach right from wrong", 07/31/2006. Retrieved on 12/15/2007.
SCHOOLS would no longer be required to teach children the difference between right and wrong under plans to revise the core aims of the National Curriculum.
Instead, under a new wording that reflects a world of relative rather than absolute values, teachers would be asked to encourage pupils to develop “secure values and beliefs”.
The draft also purges references to promoting leadership skills and deletes the requirement to teach children about Britain’s cultural heritage.
Ministers have asked for the curriculum’s aims to be slimmed down to give schools more flexibility in the way they teach pupils aged 11 to 14.
Ken Boston, the chief executive of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), set out the proposed new aims in a letter to Ruth Kelly, when she was the Education Secretary.
The present aims for Stage 3 pupils state: “The school curriculum should pass on enduring values. It should develop principles for distinguishing between right and wrong.”
The QCA’s proposals will see these phrases replaced to simply say that pupils should “have secure values and beliefs”.
The existing aims state that the curriculum should develop children’s “ability to relate to others and work for the common good”. The proposed changes would remove all references to “the common good”.
The requirement to teach Britain’s “cultural heritage” will also be removed. The present version states: “The school curriculum should contribute to the development of pupils’ sense of identity through knowledge and understanding of the spiritual, moral, social and cultural heritages of Britain’s diverse society.”
The proposals say that individuals should be helped to “understand different cultures and traditions and have a strong sense of their own place in the world”.
References to developing leadership in pupils have also been removed. One of the present aims is to give pupils “the opportunity to become creative, innovative, enterprising and capable of leadership”. This is due to be replaced by the aim of ensuring that pupils “are enterprising”.
Professor Alan Smithers, of the University of Buckingham’s centre for education and employment research, said: “The idea that they think it is appropriate to dispense with right and wrong is a bit alarming.”
Teachers’ leaders said that they did not need to be told to teach children to distinguish between right and wrong.
A spokeswoman for the National Union of Teachers said: “Teachers always resented being told that one of the aims of the school was to teach the difference between right and wrong. That is inherent in the way teachers operate. Removing it from the National Curriculum will make no difference.”
But she insisted that it was important for children to understand about their cultural heritage. “To remove that requirement can undermine children’s feelings of security in the country where they are living,” she said.
A spokesman for the QCA said: “The proposed new wording of the curriculum aims is a draft which will be consulted on formally next year as part of the ongoing review of Key Stage 3. One aim of the review is that there should be more flexibility and personalisation that focuses on practical advice for teachers.
“The new wording states clearly that young people should become ‘responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to society’. It also identifies the need for young people who challenge injustice, are committed to human rights and strive to live peaceably with others.”
IN A QUANDARY
In citizenship classes, teachers ask pupils to discuss issues such as whether it is ever right to pass on information received in confidence and situations such as what they would do if they saw someone writing graffiti on a bus; heard friends talking about stealing; found a wallet full of cash; or saw people fighting
The current wording states that the curriculum should pass on enduring values, develop pupils’ ability to relate to others and to work for the common good and help them “to become creative, innovative, enterprising and capable of leadership”
The proposed changes remove references to “the common good”. Teachers should simply ensure that pupils have secure values and beliefs and a strong sense of their place in the world. Rather than develop leadership skills, the pupils should be enterprising
Charter, David. "Schools told it's no longer necessary to teach right from wrong", 07/31/2006. Retrieved on 12/15/2007.
In England, half of all school leavers are unfit to get a job
CBI says education still failing
The UK education system is continuing to fail business, Sir Digby Jones, the outgoing head of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), has alleged.
Speaking ahead of standing down from his position next month, Sir Digby said half of all school leavers were still unfit to enter the job market.
He told the BBC's Working Lunch show that the government should have done more to resolve the problem.
But Sir Digby praised Labour's achievements in running the economy.
He also said the UK was leading the way in meeting the challenges of globalisation and the growing strength of developing economies led by China.
'Fabulous business climate'
Describing the period since he took up the top job at the CBI in 2000, he said the UK's continuing economic stability, low interest rates, low unemployment and low inflation had created a "fabulous situation for business to operate in".
"We are doing all the globalisation stuff better than the US, France, Japan and Germany...but in the skills base there is a real missed opportunity"
Sir Digby Jones
But the skills shortage of British workers remained a serious problem, he said.
"When I arrived in the job in 2000...I could not believe...that one in five of the adult population of the UK couldn't read, write and count like an 11-year-old," he said.
"And then the following summer I get told that half the children taking their GCSEs didn't get a C or above in English or Maths.
"In other words, basically they were unfit to go out and get a job.
He said that the situation had not improved in the six years since.
'Asian century'
While much of the problem was general complacency in UK society, Sir Digby added that "government could have done a lot more, got on the case more quickly".
Although he recognised that the UK now has the most literate 10-year-olds in Europe, he said this achievement needed to extend through to secondary education.
"We are doing all the globalisation stuff better than the UK, France, Japan and Germany...but in the skills base there is a real missed opportunity."
Sir Digby added that "the 21st Century belongs to Asia", and that for UK workers to improve their job security in the world economy, they needed to improve their skills base.
BBC news, "CBI says education still failing", 07/05/2007. Retrieved on 12/15/2007.
The UK education system is continuing to fail business, Sir Digby Jones, the outgoing head of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), has alleged.
Speaking ahead of standing down from his position next month, Sir Digby said half of all school leavers were still unfit to enter the job market.
He told the BBC's Working Lunch show that the government should have done more to resolve the problem.
But Sir Digby praised Labour's achievements in running the economy.
He also said the UK was leading the way in meeting the challenges of globalisation and the growing strength of developing economies led by China.
'Fabulous business climate'
Describing the period since he took up the top job at the CBI in 2000, he said the UK's continuing economic stability, low interest rates, low unemployment and low inflation had created a "fabulous situation for business to operate in".
"We are doing all the globalisation stuff better than the US, France, Japan and Germany...but in the skills base there is a real missed opportunity"
Sir Digby Jones
But the skills shortage of British workers remained a serious problem, he said.
"When I arrived in the job in 2000...I could not believe...that one in five of the adult population of the UK couldn't read, write and count like an 11-year-old," he said.
"And then the following summer I get told that half the children taking their GCSEs didn't get a C or above in English or Maths.
"In other words, basically they were unfit to go out and get a job.
He said that the situation had not improved in the six years since.
'Asian century'
While much of the problem was general complacency in UK society, Sir Digby added that "government could have done a lot more, got on the case more quickly".
Although he recognised that the UK now has the most literate 10-year-olds in Europe, he said this achievement needed to extend through to secondary education.
"We are doing all the globalisation stuff better than the UK, France, Japan and Germany...but in the skills base there is a real missed opportunity."
Sir Digby added that "the 21st Century belongs to Asia", and that for UK workers to improve their job security in the world economy, they needed to improve their skills base.
BBC news, "CBI says education still failing", 07/05/2007. Retrieved on 12/15/2007.
In England, teachers are miserable
Just had a really awful afternoon. Straight after lunch I had year 9 set 3. There are usually five or six in this class who are really hard to handle and I tend to dread having them. Today however I was in a really good mood because I was on a behaviour for learning course last week and was looking forward to using some of my newly gained techniques with them.
However the class had other ideas and the usual suspects were even worse than usual. All my newly learnt techniques went flying out the window and for the first time I felt that I was in no way in control of the class.
The next class I had my year 10's who I usually enjoy teaching. Today though I turned rund to find a note on the board saying "Are you pregnant miss?" (which obviously I'm not!).
Anyway upshot was that after school I ended up in tears with my head of department and I now feel really embarassed. It was really no worth crying about. This is a second career for me and I thought I would be mature enough to be able to cope with bad behaviour etc..
Anyway I just wanted to know if others have been brought to tears infront of staff?
moonberry in "Why did I start to cry?"
Is anyone else the same.. i feel so tired all the time... i am going up to bed at 8.30 to read a book and go to sleep... i am up again at 6.00!
my lessons have really taken a slump... i am getting to the point where i am getting the kids to do presentations on the topics we should be covering... I know i really am not being fair to them but i just have no energy in me to plan amazing lessons and battle with them all the time. At least this way they are quiet!
I just feel that i just need to chill for a week at Christmas and then once refreshed can plan some stunning lessons... All i can think about is how tired i am. I have never been like this before i have always been very concientious and organised but even my house looks a mess.... just dont feel like i am coping at all well... mentor is off sick as well (and next to useless) and i am setting her work!!!!!
Munchkin77 in "I feel so drained and feel like i am losing teh will to live!"
My Year 10's have been driving me insane since the start of term. I finally had enough today and walked out twenty mins before the end. My second in department was supportive, but now I'm worried that it's going to look bad tomorrow when my head of department comes back. Feel really stressed. Don't want to go in tomorrow at all.
Also one of the kids went to the toilet after I left and caught me crying in the corrider. What to do?!
pamela2612 in "WALKED OUT"
I feel that I am in some way being set up to fail my NQT year. This term, my first, I have had 2 satisfactory obs and 2 goods (although one made it very clear that it was only just good!). I am due two more before Christmas. Problem is classroom management and for my last observation the teacher was very critical of my relationship with the students. Even asked them for comments which were then included on the form. This, by the way, was for an AS class and I don't feel terribly secure about the knowledge I have of the subject either. I was told that although I have already passed my first term, I will not be passing next term unless I sort this out. I have spent most of the weekend in tears, thoroughly dreading the next three weeks as I feel watched constantly and, I have to say, a bit bullied by this.
I know I'm rambling - the tears are flowing as I type, and I'm not really sure what I'm asking for. Advice? Support? I just feel so desperately miserable.
Mrs Never Ready in "demoralised NQT"
I'm an NQT who sailed through the PGCE. I am at a good, supportive primary school but after four weeks I have been signed off with anxiety. Symptoms began in the second week of the job. My performance in the job was good (children settled and good relations built, good first observation, visitor to classroom organised, trip organised, etc.), but physical symptoms set in - not sleeping, crying, being sick, numbness. Saw GP who prescribed anti-anxiety/depression medication and has signed me off for two weeks (taking me until half term). School are being incredibly supportive and saying to take as long as I need and that health comes first. However, it's called into question for me whether I should pursue the job at the cost of my health. I was a TA before training with no health problems and, despite lower pay, job satisfaction.
Anyone else in a similar situation and what are you planning to do?
McCall in "Any NQTs signed off/in similar position?"
I've got all of these symptoms too and know that a doctor would sign me off. I'm sticking it out at school though as I hate to let people down, even at the cost of my own health (and nobody else could make sense of my planning anyhow!). Colleagues say it gets easier with time but I'm really not coping or keeping up, let alone enjoying it and inspiring the class. It's all well and good trying to keep going to complete the induction, as everyone says I should, but I'm sure that I'm not being an effective teacher and the children, the school and my fellow teachers there deserve very much better. My decision is made.
Just re-read my post and it sounds as though I'd decided to stay in position, come whatever. That's not the case! I'm sticking at it in the short term rather than being signed off but I have now set the resignation ball in motion.
whoatetheflakes in "Any NQTs signed off/in similar position?"
Help, I have had the worst day possible and as the title of my post suggests I have no job to look forward to after the holidays.
Here's the thing:
I am an NQT and in Spetember I was visiting schools with my CV's. One school that I went to offered me a job on the spot, that of co-ordinating Extended Schools with the option of a maternity cover after Christmas. As jobs are scare here in NI, I decided to take it. The principal told me that the maternity cover was in a difficult class, an MLD/SEN unit. Being up for a challenge, I decided to go for it and the arrangement was that I spent every Tuesday in the class to gain experience.
Anyway, due to the teacher being sick I have been in this class teaching for the last few days. After a week I feel that I have been through hell. Today I got shouted at by a pupil and had a ruler thrown at me. There was a physical fight and one other child went so mental that he actually tried to tear the skin off his face and poke his eyes with a sharp pencil. One child sits constantly making gun noises at me (which as you can imagine is a tad unnerving). There is another child who actually goes into some sort of fit and rocks back and forth all the time whilst screaming. It really is like a mad house in there. This is only the tip of the iceberg really and it is the SAME THING EVERYDAY.
These are primary school children by the way.
To cut a long story short I was taking to the Vice principal today (HT is now long term sick) and I told him that I can't work in this kind of an environment. He agreed that it is madness to consider putting an NQT in this kind of a job. My situation now is that I have NO WORK after Christmas. I am 28, have a mortgage and bills and I am so panicing. Day from hell, any words of encouragement please? All I have done today is cry:(
lottie3d in "Day from hell and now I have NO JOB after Christmas"
(sorry, this is going to be one those 'feel sorry for me' threads)
Had a rubbish day and I feel useless. My class are lovely (i teach year 4) but they are really starting to get to me.
Behaviour isn't a major issue (just a few that try their luck now and then) but they just don't seem to be learning anything.
Today I had so many blank faces looking at me, either because they weren't listening or they were just confused.
I know it's the time of year and they've had enough but I just want to push them that bit more.
They are becoming really lazy in their work and sometimes they just don't even try.
I'm fed up with giving work back that isn't to their best ability.
I've really got to push them this year because there is still a huge chunk of them at level 2 in maths and writing - which is really getting me down.
What can I do to put a bit of life back in them? (and me!)
captain oats in "Fed up and useless"
However the class had other ideas and the usual suspects were even worse than usual. All my newly learnt techniques went flying out the window and for the first time I felt that I was in no way in control of the class.
The next class I had my year 10's who I usually enjoy teaching. Today though I turned rund to find a note on the board saying "Are you pregnant miss?" (which obviously I'm not!).
Anyway upshot was that after school I ended up in tears with my head of department and I now feel really embarassed. It was really no worth crying about. This is a second career for me and I thought I would be mature enough to be able to cope with bad behaviour etc..
Anyway I just wanted to know if others have been brought to tears infront of staff?
moonberry in "Why did I start to cry?"
Is anyone else the same.. i feel so tired all the time... i am going up to bed at 8.30 to read a book and go to sleep... i am up again at 6.00!
my lessons have really taken a slump... i am getting to the point where i am getting the kids to do presentations on the topics we should be covering... I know i really am not being fair to them but i just have no energy in me to plan amazing lessons and battle with them all the time. At least this way they are quiet!
I just feel that i just need to chill for a week at Christmas and then once refreshed can plan some stunning lessons... All i can think about is how tired i am. I have never been like this before i have always been very concientious and organised but even my house looks a mess.... just dont feel like i am coping at all well... mentor is off sick as well (and next to useless) and i am setting her work!!!!!
Munchkin77 in "I feel so drained and feel like i am losing teh will to live!"
My Year 10's have been driving me insane since the start of term. I finally had enough today and walked out twenty mins before the end. My second in department was supportive, but now I'm worried that it's going to look bad tomorrow when my head of department comes back. Feel really stressed. Don't want to go in tomorrow at all.
Also one of the kids went to the toilet after I left and caught me crying in the corrider. What to do?!
pamela2612 in "WALKED OUT"
I feel that I am in some way being set up to fail my NQT year. This term, my first, I have had 2 satisfactory obs and 2 goods (although one made it very clear that it was only just good!). I am due two more before Christmas. Problem is classroom management and for my last observation the teacher was very critical of my relationship with the students. Even asked them for comments which were then included on the form. This, by the way, was for an AS class and I don't feel terribly secure about the knowledge I have of the subject either. I was told that although I have already passed my first term, I will not be passing next term unless I sort this out. I have spent most of the weekend in tears, thoroughly dreading the next three weeks as I feel watched constantly and, I have to say, a bit bullied by this.
I know I'm rambling - the tears are flowing as I type, and I'm not really sure what I'm asking for. Advice? Support? I just feel so desperately miserable.
Mrs Never Ready in "demoralised NQT"
I'm an NQT who sailed through the PGCE. I am at a good, supportive primary school but after four weeks I have been signed off with anxiety. Symptoms began in the second week of the job. My performance in the job was good (children settled and good relations built, good first observation, visitor to classroom organised, trip organised, etc.), but physical symptoms set in - not sleeping, crying, being sick, numbness. Saw GP who prescribed anti-anxiety/depression medication and has signed me off for two weeks (taking me until half term). School are being incredibly supportive and saying to take as long as I need and that health comes first. However, it's called into question for me whether I should pursue the job at the cost of my health. I was a TA before training with no health problems and, despite lower pay, job satisfaction.
Anyone else in a similar situation and what are you planning to do?
McCall in "Any NQTs signed off/in similar position?"
I've got all of these symptoms too and know that a doctor would sign me off. I'm sticking it out at school though as I hate to let people down, even at the cost of my own health (and nobody else could make sense of my planning anyhow!). Colleagues say it gets easier with time but I'm really not coping or keeping up, let alone enjoying it and inspiring the class. It's all well and good trying to keep going to complete the induction, as everyone says I should, but I'm sure that I'm not being an effective teacher and the children, the school and my fellow teachers there deserve very much better. My decision is made.
Just re-read my post and it sounds as though I'd decided to stay in position, come whatever. That's not the case! I'm sticking at it in the short term rather than being signed off but I have now set the resignation ball in motion.
whoatetheflakes in "Any NQTs signed off/in similar position?"
Help, I have had the worst day possible and as the title of my post suggests I have no job to look forward to after the holidays.
Here's the thing:
I am an NQT and in Spetember I was visiting schools with my CV's. One school that I went to offered me a job on the spot, that of co-ordinating Extended Schools with the option of a maternity cover after Christmas. As jobs are scare here in NI, I decided to take it. The principal told me that the maternity cover was in a difficult class, an MLD/SEN unit. Being up for a challenge, I decided to go for it and the arrangement was that I spent every Tuesday in the class to gain experience.
Anyway, due to the teacher being sick I have been in this class teaching for the last few days. After a week I feel that I have been through hell. Today I got shouted at by a pupil and had a ruler thrown at me. There was a physical fight and one other child went so mental that he actually tried to tear the skin off his face and poke his eyes with a sharp pencil. One child sits constantly making gun noises at me (which as you can imagine is a tad unnerving). There is another child who actually goes into some sort of fit and rocks back and forth all the time whilst screaming. It really is like a mad house in there. This is only the tip of the iceberg really and it is the SAME THING EVERYDAY.
These are primary school children by the way.
To cut a long story short I was taking to the Vice principal today (HT is now long term sick) and I told him that I can't work in this kind of an environment. He agreed that it is madness to consider putting an NQT in this kind of a job. My situation now is that I have NO WORK after Christmas. I am 28, have a mortgage and bills and I am so panicing. Day from hell, any words of encouragement please? All I have done today is cry:(
lottie3d in "Day from hell and now I have NO JOB after Christmas"
(sorry, this is going to be one those 'feel sorry for me' threads)
Had a rubbish day and I feel useless. My class are lovely (i teach year 4) but they are really starting to get to me.
Behaviour isn't a major issue (just a few that try their luck now and then) but they just don't seem to be learning anything.
Today I had so many blank faces looking at me, either because they weren't listening or they were just confused.
I know it's the time of year and they've had enough but I just want to push them that bit more.
They are becoming really lazy in their work and sometimes they just don't even try.
I'm fed up with giving work back that isn't to their best ability.
I've really got to push them this year because there is still a huge chunk of them at level 2 in maths and writing - which is really getting me down.
What can I do to put a bit of life back in them? (and me!)
captain oats in "Fed up and useless"
In England, teachers go on stress leave
i am currently extremely stressed out due to being 'bullied' and constantly being told that i'm unsatisfactory if Ofsted was here by the Head and Mentor.'ve been trying my level best to do everthing (planning, displays, assessment etc) but there is ALWAYS something negative for them to say. i feel less motivated, on a Sunday i spend all day 'crying' because i don't want to go school. i'm an NQT and because i loved teaching i'm still there. But i can't take it anymore i just want to leave!! do you think it will be hard for me to find a job elsewhere?...
thanks for all your replies. i'm on stress leave at the moment since last week because i just couldn't take it any longer. i know you might think that this was the easy option but believe me it wasn't. i've been going in since October thinking it'll get better but its got worse. they've extended my first term which i'm really unhappy about because i've done everthing that i could. i just can't see the Head or the Mentor thinking postive about me!! i have about 5 hours sleep every night and i'm constantly thinking about school which has made my social and family life crap!
03150579 in "NQT- hate my first term! want to quit. please help"
i'm on stress leave at the moment, seriously this school is making me cry all the time. even though their are teachers who feel that i'm good i just don't know for how long i can cope? i feel the best option is to ask for a early release? it'll make my life more colourful. but, at the same time i want to teach but not at this school. just don't know how to get out of this school and find a new job with the crap reference that i'll end up getting
03150579 in "NQT- hate my first term! want to quit. please help"
thanks for all your replies. i'm on stress leave at the moment since last week because i just couldn't take it any longer. i know you might think that this was the easy option but believe me it wasn't. i've been going in since October thinking it'll get better but its got worse. they've extended my first term which i'm really unhappy about because i've done everthing that i could. i just can't see the Head or the Mentor thinking postive about me!! i have about 5 hours sleep every night and i'm constantly thinking about school which has made my social and family life crap!
03150579 in "NQT- hate my first term! want to quit. please help"
i'm on stress leave at the moment, seriously this school is making me cry all the time. even though their are teachers who feel that i'm good i just don't know for how long i can cope? i feel the best option is to ask for a early release? it'll make my life more colourful. but, at the same time i want to teach but not at this school. just don't know how to get out of this school and find a new job with the crap reference that i'll end up getting
03150579 in "NQT- hate my first term! want to quit. please help"
In England, the inmates run the asylum
Spying in the classroom? I’d give it 10 out of 10
How would you react if your child came home and said that a lesson had been wasted by a persistent 14-year-old who had absented himself from his own lessons and intruded into your child’s classroom? Let’s say a supply teacher was in charge and that when this boy had snatched up a handful of pupil reports and refused to hand them back, the teacher had grabbed his wrist and retrieved the papers.
Thank goodness for that: order restored, you’d think. But then the deputy head arrived, armed with a sheaf of paper. Without any acknowledgement of my presence – for I was that supply teacher – she gave each of the pupils a sheet and asked them to write independent accounts of what had happened. At the mention of my having touched the boy there was a gasp of mock horror from the class, a piece of tomfoolery that she failed to challenge. She would, she said, see me later.
I pointed out that any adult who tolerated such behaviour condoned it. She said that she would have to bring the matter to the attention of the supply-teaching agency. I told the agency that were I sent again to that school I would take a box of matches with me and save the world a deal of trouble: it was a school which I had known while head of a neighbouring school.
Supply teachers are visitors entitled to respect and support so that they can work effectively. Often they don’t get that, as the case of Angela Mason shows. She is arraigned before the General Teaching Council accused of unacceptable professional conduct. Her crime was covertly filming the defiant and destructive chaos she saw in 18 schools, which was then broadcast on television.
Two important questions need to be asked over and over again until there are straight answers. First, what has happened to the so-called teaching profession when a government poodle, the General Teaching Council, is sitting in judgment on someone who is revealing crucial information about what happens in schools and the misbehaviour of pupils?
Far more importantly, where on earth is the moral justification for compelling attendance at state schools when learning is impossible? The first question that any parent should ask a head teacher is, can you assure me that my child will not be left unsupervised with children who steal, bully, lie, cheat or seek ways to frustrate teaching and learning? Mrs Mason brought to our attention the ease with which disaffected pupils can now so easily disrupt schools.
Like prisons, schools are now places where the inmates are obliged to keep company with others whom they might prefer to avoid. Parents need to know about these things.
Peter Inson is a former head teacher of a state school
Inson, Peter. "Spying in the classroom? I’d give it 10 out of 10". 04/26/2007. Retrieved on 12/15/2007.
How would you react if your child came home and said that a lesson had been wasted by a persistent 14-year-old who had absented himself from his own lessons and intruded into your child’s classroom? Let’s say a supply teacher was in charge and that when this boy had snatched up a handful of pupil reports and refused to hand them back, the teacher had grabbed his wrist and retrieved the papers.
Thank goodness for that: order restored, you’d think. But then the deputy head arrived, armed with a sheaf of paper. Without any acknowledgement of my presence – for I was that supply teacher – she gave each of the pupils a sheet and asked them to write independent accounts of what had happened. At the mention of my having touched the boy there was a gasp of mock horror from the class, a piece of tomfoolery that she failed to challenge. She would, she said, see me later.
I pointed out that any adult who tolerated such behaviour condoned it. She said that she would have to bring the matter to the attention of the supply-teaching agency. I told the agency that were I sent again to that school I would take a box of matches with me and save the world a deal of trouble: it was a school which I had known while head of a neighbouring school.
Supply teachers are visitors entitled to respect and support so that they can work effectively. Often they don’t get that, as the case of Angela Mason shows. She is arraigned before the General Teaching Council accused of unacceptable professional conduct. Her crime was covertly filming the defiant and destructive chaos she saw in 18 schools, which was then broadcast on television.
Two important questions need to be asked over and over again until there are straight answers. First, what has happened to the so-called teaching profession when a government poodle, the General Teaching Council, is sitting in judgment on someone who is revealing crucial information about what happens in schools and the misbehaviour of pupils?
Far more importantly, where on earth is the moral justification for compelling attendance at state schools when learning is impossible? The first question that any parent should ask a head teacher is, can you assure me that my child will not be left unsupervised with children who steal, bully, lie, cheat or seek ways to frustrate teaching and learning? Mrs Mason brought to our attention the ease with which disaffected pupils can now so easily disrupt schools.
Like prisons, schools are now places where the inmates are obliged to keep company with others whom they might prefer to avoid. Parents need to know about these things.
Peter Inson is a former head teacher of a state school
Inson, Peter. "Spying in the classroom? I’d give it 10 out of 10". 04/26/2007. Retrieved on 12/15/2007.
In England, teachers routinely are falsely accused of physical and sexual abuse
False claims 'fuelled by lawyers'
Parents are making unfounded complaints about their children's schools in the hope of making money in out-of-court settlements, head teachers claim.
The National Association of Head Teachers said no-win-no-fee lawyers encouraged a wave of false allegations against schools and their staff.
Many parents knew a claim for less than £12,000 would often be settled out-of-court by education authorities.
The NAHT called for justice, saying reputations were being wrongly damaged.
Parents know that if they put in a claim for anything up to £12,000 and it will never go to court
Head teacher Dame Mary MacDonald
A report being presented to the NAHT annual conference in Bournemouth this weekend suggests that "most teachers and heads have faced false allegations at some point in their careers".
"The official view that these events are extremely rare is not borne out by the available evidence," the union said.
NAHT general secretary Mick Brookes said firms offering no-win-no-fee arrangements exacerbated the problem.
"Parents, at times, don't hesitate to go there," said Mr Brookes.
"It gives the green light to people to do this."
Fear of reprisals
Dame Mary MacDonald, a head teacher who has herself been the subject of a malicious allegation, said parents often made complaints hoping for an out-of-court settlement.
She said she had heard of cases where insurance companies advised local education authorities to settle claims that might go over £12,000.
"Parents know this, they know that if they put in a claim for anything up to £12,000 and it will never go to court."
One head, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisals against her staff, said a complaint about a PE teacher at her school was settled out-of-court, without her knowledge.
The complaint was made by the mother of a 13-year-old girl who needed hospital treatment after she hurt her ankle while jumping off a trampoline.
Tougher deterrents
When the head followed up the allegation, that the teacher had not acted with due care and attention, she found the education authority had agreed to settle out-of-court, without informing her.
"This has caused enormous problems for my staff - the girl now says to other pupils 'Don't do that, you might hurt yourself'," said the head.
"It knocks the confidence out of staff."
The NAHT is concerned that the names of accused teachers and head teachers is often released to the media, while the names of alleged victims is protected.
The union said, while the safety of children was its primary concern, too many teachers and heads were suffering the shame of unfounded allegations.
Small number
Mr Brookes said: "We have clear evidence that lives are being damaged and careers ruined by a failure by the law to adequately protect people who are innocent of accusations levelled against them."
Dame Mary, 56, said that, before she retired, she wanted to see malicious allegations punished.
"I make no apology for that because I've seen it destroy some excellent colleagues' reputations and their family lives.
"No teacher who has been falsely accused of physical or sexual abuse should ever have to sit and look at that pupil again.
"And parents should be taken to court."
The Department for Education and Skills said it was "keenly aware" of the devastating effects of false allegations.
But a spokesman said the number of allegations made each year was "very small" as a proportion of the number of children and staff in schools.
Katherine Sellgren, "False claims 'fuelled by lawyers'", 05/04/2007. Retrieved on 12/15/2007
Parents are making unfounded complaints about their children's schools in the hope of making money in out-of-court settlements, head teachers claim.
The National Association of Head Teachers said no-win-no-fee lawyers encouraged a wave of false allegations against schools and their staff.
Many parents knew a claim for less than £12,000 would often be settled out-of-court by education authorities.
The NAHT called for justice, saying reputations were being wrongly damaged.
Parents know that if they put in a claim for anything up to £12,000 and it will never go to court
Head teacher Dame Mary MacDonald
A report being presented to the NAHT annual conference in Bournemouth this weekend suggests that "most teachers and heads have faced false allegations at some point in their careers".
"The official view that these events are extremely rare is not borne out by the available evidence," the union said.
NAHT general secretary Mick Brookes said firms offering no-win-no-fee arrangements exacerbated the problem.
"Parents, at times, don't hesitate to go there," said Mr Brookes.
"It gives the green light to people to do this."
Fear of reprisals
Dame Mary MacDonald, a head teacher who has herself been the subject of a malicious allegation, said parents often made complaints hoping for an out-of-court settlement.
She said she had heard of cases where insurance companies advised local education authorities to settle claims that might go over £12,000.
"Parents know this, they know that if they put in a claim for anything up to £12,000 and it will never go to court."
One head, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisals against her staff, said a complaint about a PE teacher at her school was settled out-of-court, without her knowledge.
The complaint was made by the mother of a 13-year-old girl who needed hospital treatment after she hurt her ankle while jumping off a trampoline.
Tougher deterrents
When the head followed up the allegation, that the teacher had not acted with due care and attention, she found the education authority had agreed to settle out-of-court, without informing her.
"This has caused enormous problems for my staff - the girl now says to other pupils 'Don't do that, you might hurt yourself'," said the head.
"It knocks the confidence out of staff."
The NAHT is concerned that the names of accused teachers and head teachers is often released to the media, while the names of alleged victims is protected.
The union said, while the safety of children was its primary concern, too many teachers and heads were suffering the shame of unfounded allegations.
Small number
Mr Brookes said: "We have clear evidence that lives are being damaged and careers ruined by a failure by the law to adequately protect people who are innocent of accusations levelled against them."
Dame Mary, 56, said that, before she retired, she wanted to see malicious allegations punished.
"I make no apology for that because I've seen it destroy some excellent colleagues' reputations and their family lives.
"No teacher who has been falsely accused of physical or sexual abuse should ever have to sit and look at that pupil again.
"And parents should be taken to court."
The Department for Education and Skills said it was "keenly aware" of the devastating effects of false allegations.
But a spokesman said the number of allegations made each year was "very small" as a proportion of the number of children and staff in schools.
Katherine Sellgren, "False claims 'fuelled by lawyers'", 05/04/2007. Retrieved on 12/15/2007
In England, teachers are untrained and unqualified
Schoolchildren are taught by untrained 'teaching instructors'
Thousands of graduates without teaching qualifications are working as supply teachers in schools.
The graduates, who do not have qualified teacher status and who have often received no training, are being taken on by agencies to provide cover for up to 12 months at a time.
Called "teaching instructors", so that schools are legally able to employ them, they are placed in charge of classes, plan and set work in key subjects and have responsibility for pupils' behaviour.
At Select Education, Britain's largest supply agency, one in five of the "teachers" they employ are unqualified graduates who are expected to take on full classroom responsibilities. Advertisements for other agencies invite applications from "both qualified teachers and experienced teaching instructors" to fill supply teacher jobs in London, Manchester, Leicester, Leeds, Wakefield and Bradford.
The extent to which graduates are being used to fill often long-term gaps left by a shortage of teachers has shocked teacher unions and parent organisations. Supply cover jobs of four to six months at a time are not unusual, often in important curriculum areas such as maths and science.
Tough inner city schools, in particular, have to rely on supply teachers, exacerbating the problem of high staff turnover that was pinpointed by Ofsted, the inspection body for schools in England, as a major barrier to school improvement.
Margaret Morrissey, the spokesman for the Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations, said: "This has got to stop. Every parent will see the advantage of having an expert in a particular subject working alongside a teacher but they should be as well as, and not instead of. We do not expect an education system, which is being funded by billions of pounds of taxpayers' money, where our children are being taught by 'pseudo teachers' or classroom assistants."
The supply teaching market has increased over the past 10 years because of teacher shortages and the number of staff on stress-related sick leave. Recent government reforms that allow classroom assistants and cover supervisors to stand in when teachers have guaranteed time away from class for planning and marking has also increased demand. It was estimated that £383 million was spent by schools on supply teachers in 2004/05.
Official figures show that the number of teaching instructors in schools without qualified teaching status has soared from 1,500 in 1997 to 6,800 in 2006, although this includes teachers from overseas.
The National Union of Teachers blamed the Government's reforms for creating a situation where "a whole range of unqualified people" could now teach classes.
"Ministers changed the rules so that it is no longer necessary to have professional training," a spokesman said. "The floodgates have opened and we have classroom assistants, cover supervisors and teaching instructors acting as supply teachers for long periods. Parents presume that the person in front of the class is a teacher. That is no longer always the truth."
There is no compulsory training that graduates must complete before working as supply teachers. As long as they have the relevant degree, provide references and a satisfactory Criminal Records Bureau report, and pass an interview, they can teach. Unqualified graduates are paid about £100 a day by agencies, compared with about £140 a day for those with qualified-teacher status.
John Dunn, an education adviser for the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, said: "The school system will have to acknowledge this trend. It is almost impossible to recruit full-time, qualified teaching staff."
Julie Henry and Rachel Barrett, "Schoolchildren are taught by untrained 'teaching instructors'", 04/07/2007. Retrieved on 14/12/2007.
Thousands of graduates without teaching qualifications are working as supply teachers in schools.
The graduates, who do not have qualified teacher status and who have often received no training, are being taken on by agencies to provide cover for up to 12 months at a time.
Called "teaching instructors", so that schools are legally able to employ them, they are placed in charge of classes, plan and set work in key subjects and have responsibility for pupils' behaviour.
At Select Education, Britain's largest supply agency, one in five of the "teachers" they employ are unqualified graduates who are expected to take on full classroom responsibilities. Advertisements for other agencies invite applications from "both qualified teachers and experienced teaching instructors" to fill supply teacher jobs in London, Manchester, Leicester, Leeds, Wakefield and Bradford.
The extent to which graduates are being used to fill often long-term gaps left by a shortage of teachers has shocked teacher unions and parent organisations. Supply cover jobs of four to six months at a time are not unusual, often in important curriculum areas such as maths and science.
Tough inner city schools, in particular, have to rely on supply teachers, exacerbating the problem of high staff turnover that was pinpointed by Ofsted, the inspection body for schools in England, as a major barrier to school improvement.
Margaret Morrissey, the spokesman for the Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations, said: "This has got to stop. Every parent will see the advantage of having an expert in a particular subject working alongside a teacher but they should be as well as, and not instead of. We do not expect an education system, which is being funded by billions of pounds of taxpayers' money, where our children are being taught by 'pseudo teachers' or classroom assistants."
The supply teaching market has increased over the past 10 years because of teacher shortages and the number of staff on stress-related sick leave. Recent government reforms that allow classroom assistants and cover supervisors to stand in when teachers have guaranteed time away from class for planning and marking has also increased demand. It was estimated that £383 million was spent by schools on supply teachers in 2004/05.
Official figures show that the number of teaching instructors in schools without qualified teaching status has soared from 1,500 in 1997 to 6,800 in 2006, although this includes teachers from overseas.
The National Union of Teachers blamed the Government's reforms for creating a situation where "a whole range of unqualified people" could now teach classes.
"Ministers changed the rules so that it is no longer necessary to have professional training," a spokesman said. "The floodgates have opened and we have classroom assistants, cover supervisors and teaching instructors acting as supply teachers for long periods. Parents presume that the person in front of the class is a teacher. That is no longer always the truth."
There is no compulsory training that graduates must complete before working as supply teachers. As long as they have the relevant degree, provide references and a satisfactory Criminal Records Bureau report, and pass an interview, they can teach. Unqualified graduates are paid about £100 a day by agencies, compared with about £140 a day for those with qualified-teacher status.
John Dunn, an education adviser for the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, said: "The school system will have to acknowledge this trend. It is almost impossible to recruit full-time, qualified teaching staff."
Julie Henry and Rachel Barrett, "Schoolchildren are taught by untrained 'teaching instructors'", 04/07/2007. Retrieved on 14/12/2007.
In England, students lack basic math and literacy skills
Teens 'cannot function in work'
More than half of employers say school leavers often cannot function in the workplace due to a lack of basic maths and literacy, a survey suggests.
But the poll of 507 firms for business leaders the CBI also suggested youngsters' IT skills can give them the edge over their bosses in this area.
The CBI survey found many were having to retrain school leavers in the basics they should have learned in class.
Last year 53% in England achieved less than grade C English and maths GCSEs.
"Basic literacy and numeracy problems are a nightmare for business"
Richard Lambert
CBI director general
The report comes days before this year's GCSE results are published.
New figures from the 2007 CBI/Pertemps Employment Trends survey suggest 52% of employers are dissatisfied with the basic literacy of school leavers, 59% with their basic numeracy.
But some 92% say youngsters' IT skills - in increasingly technology-driven workplaces - are acceptable.
CBI director general Richard Lambert said: "Their fluency with iPods, mobiles and MySpace has translated well into the workplace, and often gives them an edge over their bosses."
But he went on: "The challenge ahead is for schools to channel that same enthusiasm into numeracy and literacy skills, where far too many young people are struggling.
"Basic literacy and numeracy problems are a nightmare for business and for individuals, so we have to get these essentials right."
Remedial class
Mr Lambert added: "Maths and English skills are a vital bedrock for further learning, and are essential both in the workplace and in life."
"We have to sharpen the skills of more of our young people, so that they are starting from the strongest possible position."
The CBI survey suggested 86% of employers think improving maths and English skills should be the government's top priority.
Some 15% offered remedial training in maths and 13% trained staff in basic literacy.
Mr Lambert suggested that the cost of not turning the UK's workforce into a highly skilled one would be "grave".
'Functional literacy'
This is because Britain would never be able to match the labour costs of China, India and emerging economies, he argues.
The CBI acknowledges that progress has been made but argues that it is "nowhere near enough".
Skills Secretary John Denham said the government was taking steps to make sure young people were equipped for the job market.
"The Labour market has changed. Thirty years ago most people could go to employers without these skills and there were jobs for them," Mr Denham said.
"Today, the same employers require them to have functional literacy and numeracy, they require them to have computer skills.
"We've got to make sure that they have those."
In 2005, the then education secretary Ruth Kelly said pupils would have to pass tests in "functional" literacy and numeracy.
English and maths GCSEs are being changed to fulfil this pledge.
The leader of the NASUWT teachers' union, Chris Keates, Chris Keates, said the CBI was "the arch serial detractor of educational achievement".
"It would have everyone believe that there was a golden era in the past when everyone left school highly literate and numerate. This is simply not the case."
Progress in raising standards in English and maths over the last 10 years had been remarkable and the CBI would do better to remind its members to invest more in training, she said.
BBC News, "Teens 'cannot function in work'". 08/20/2007. Retrieved on 12/15/2007
Friday, December 14, 2007
Index
Everything you need to know about teaching in the UK. Click on the following links to learn more
Teaching Environment
In England, teachers are miserable
In England, teachers feel like rubbish
In England, teachers go on stress leave
In England, teachers want to quit teaching
In England, teachers kill themselves
Working environment
In England, the students control the classrooms
In England, the inmates run the asylum
In England, teachers are routinely falsely accused of physical and sexual abuse
In England, schools give teachers bad references
Bullying
Information about bullying in British schools by British teachers and school management against other teachers and staff.
In England, teachers are bullied by school managers
In England, schools treat staff like cattle
In England, teachers are punished for doing their job
In England, teachers commit suicide
How to fight bullying from schools
Credential recognition
QTS - Qualified Teacher Status
Why "unqualified" teachers are allowed to teach
What happens when you get QTS
QTS - Assessment Only Route
Low Standards
In England, teachers are untrained and unqualified
In England, teachers are untrained and unqualified II
In England, students lack basic math and literacy skills
In England, every school manipulates test scores
Schools
Schools you do not want to work in
School Management
In England, headteachers bully teachers
In England, teachers think school managers are full of shit
In England, schools give bad references
Student behaviour
You’re thinking about teaching in the UK and want to what is classroom behaviour like. You know that English soccer hooligans went to school once and that England is largely a drinking culture. You might have even heard of horror stories involving English students and wonder, “Are students in England that bad?” The good news is that the answer is no, students in England are not that bad. The bad news is that they are much worst.
What do British teachers think about behaviour in British schools
Scenes from the Battleground - A Teaching Blog
What the...?
No training or qualifications required to teach in England
School bans mother for speaking out!
Teaching Environment
In England, teachers are miserable
In England, teachers feel like rubbish
In England, teachers go on stress leave
In England, teachers want to quit teaching
In England, teachers kill themselves
Working environment
In England, the students control the classrooms
In England, the inmates run the asylum
In England, teachers are routinely falsely accused of physical and sexual abuse
In England, schools give teachers bad references
Bullying
Information about bullying in British schools by British teachers and school management against other teachers and staff.
In England, teachers are bullied by school managers
In England, schools treat staff like cattle
In England, teachers are punished for doing their job
In England, teachers commit suicide
How to fight bullying from schools
Credential recognition
QTS - Qualified Teacher Status
Why "unqualified" teachers are allowed to teach
What happens when you get QTS
QTS - Assessment Only Route
Low Standards
In England, teachers are untrained and unqualified
In England, teachers are untrained and unqualified II
In England, students lack basic math and literacy skills
In England, every school manipulates test scores
Schools
Schools you do not want to work in
School Management
In England, headteachers bully teachers
In England, teachers think school managers are full of shit
In England, schools give bad references
Student behaviour
You’re thinking about teaching in the UK and want to what is classroom behaviour like. You know that English soccer hooligans went to school once and that England is largely a drinking culture. You might have even heard of horror stories involving English students and wonder, “Are students in England that bad?” The good news is that the answer is no, students in England are not that bad. The bad news is that they are much worst.
What do British teachers think about behaviour in British schools
Scenes from the Battleground - A Teaching Blog
What the...?
No training or qualifications required to teach in England
School bans mother for speaking out!
Why British Schools Suck
What works in education: the lessons according to McKinsey
THE British government, says Sir Michael Barber, once an adviser to the former prime minister, Tony Blair, has changed pretty much every aspect of education policy in England and Wales, often more than once. “The funding of schools, the governance of schools, curriculum standards, assessment and testing, the role of local government, the role of national government, the range and nature of national agencies, schools admissions”—you name it, it's been changed and sometimes changed back. The only thing that hasn't changed has been the outcome. According to the National Foundation for Education Research, there had been (until recently) no measurable improvement in the standards of literacy and numeracy in primary schools for 50 years.
"How to be top", 10/18/2007. Retrieved on 12/14/2007
THE British government, says Sir Michael Barber, once an adviser to the former prime minister, Tony Blair, has changed pretty much every aspect of education policy in England and Wales, often more than once. “The funding of schools, the governance of schools, curriculum standards, assessment and testing, the role of local government, the role of national government, the range and nature of national agencies, schools admissions”—you name it, it's been changed and sometimes changed back. The only thing that hasn't changed has been the outcome. According to the National Foundation for Education Research, there had been (until recently) no measurable improvement in the standards of literacy and numeracy in primary schools for 50 years.
"How to be top", 10/18/2007. Retrieved on 12/14/2007
School BANS mother for speaking out!
Mother banned from child's school
A mother has been banned from her daughter's school after writing a series of letters of complaint.
Fran Horsman wrote four letters to Loddon Junior in Norfolk, questioning how the school, which her 10-year-old daughter Gaby attends, was run.
Chair of school governors Chris Boswell said Mrs Horsman, who was a parent helper, could come to school events with the head's permission.
He said he was sad the relationship had broken down but he stood by the ban.
Mrs Horsman said she would write a letter to Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families.
Her daughter Gaby said: "I don't understand why she is being banned. It's just really weird because other mums and dads are allowed to go in and out of the school but my mum's not."
'Parent's job to question'
Mrs Horsman can only walk her daughter to and from the school - she cannot go inside without an official appointment.
She claimed it was because of the four letters she wrote to the school.
In one she spoke of her "total despair at the general state of affairs", while another said "there is no justification for having every class of mixed year groups".
Mrs Horsman told the BBC: "Part of my job as a parent is to question what goes on at the school and to make sure my daughter gets the best possible education."
A letter from the chair of school governors said the school had consulted its legal team and any further negative correspondence could be viewed as offensive.
Scouts' barbecue
Chris Boswell, chair of governors, said: "I am saddened that the relationship between the school and one of our parent helpers has deteriorated to the extent that the governors have felt it necessary for her to stay away from the site other than to bring or collect her child from school.
"We wrote to the person involved back in July, setting out our concerns, and explaining the basis for our decision.
"If the person concerned wishes to discuss an issue with the school we have asked her to simply make a prior appointment.
"Over the summer the school has had no issue with her attending sports day and a scouts' barbeque for example."
"Mother banned from child's school", 11/09/2007. Retrieved on 12/14/2007
A mother has been banned from her daughter's school after writing a series of letters of complaint.
Fran Horsman wrote four letters to Loddon Junior in Norfolk, questioning how the school, which her 10-year-old daughter Gaby attends, was run.
Chair of school governors Chris Boswell said Mrs Horsman, who was a parent helper, could come to school events with the head's permission.
He said he was sad the relationship had broken down but he stood by the ban.
Mrs Horsman said she would write a letter to Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families.
Her daughter Gaby said: "I don't understand why she is being banned. It's just really weird because other mums and dads are allowed to go in and out of the school but my mum's not."
'Parent's job to question'
Mrs Horsman can only walk her daughter to and from the school - she cannot go inside without an official appointment.
She claimed it was because of the four letters she wrote to the school.
In one she spoke of her "total despair at the general state of affairs", while another said "there is no justification for having every class of mixed year groups".
Mrs Horsman told the BBC: "Part of my job as a parent is to question what goes on at the school and to make sure my daughter gets the best possible education."
A letter from the chair of school governors said the school had consulted its legal team and any further negative correspondence could be viewed as offensive.
Scouts' barbecue
Chris Boswell, chair of governors, said: "I am saddened that the relationship between the school and one of our parent helpers has deteriorated to the extent that the governors have felt it necessary for her to stay away from the site other than to bring or collect her child from school.
"We wrote to the person involved back in July, setting out our concerns, and explaining the basis for our decision.
"If the person concerned wishes to discuss an issue with the school we have asked her to simply make a prior appointment.
"Over the summer the school has had no issue with her attending sports day and a scouts' barbeque for example."
"Mother banned from child's school", 11/09/2007. Retrieved on 12/14/2007
In England, Cover supervisors teach with NO training and NO qualification
'I can't do maths.' 'You'll be fine,' said the head
Though totally unqualified as a teacher, Colin Edwards found himself covering up to five lessons a day
Colin Edwards
Tuesday September 4, 2007
Guardian
I came back to education rather late in life - just turning 50. I had disliked school from day one. Learned to read and write, and that was about it. I knew I would never return after age 16. But life is funny, and when I found myself a has-been at 49, I had to look outside the comfort zone I had built up with 30-odd years of writing and editing. In fact, it was my wife who looked outside my comfort zone. She had always had a strange belief that I would make a marvellous teacher. Where she got this notion from I have no idea. It was she who applied for me on seeing a job advertised for a cover supervisor at the local comprehensive.
From September 2004 the government and Nasuwt decreed that all schools had to make sure teachers would do no more than 38 hours of cover (taking lessons for absent colleagues) each year. And so was born the position of cover supervisor, a full-time job covering lessons across the whole curriculum for teachers absent through illness or coursework. A masterstroke of the government and the education system was that the position called for no qualifications or even training, allowing for a minimum wage.
No qualifications or certificates in hand, I applied for the post. When called in by the headteacher, I was upfront about my lack of qualifications. Regardless, he took a shine to me and, to my amazement, I was offered the job.
"I can't do maths, you understand," I protested.
"You'll be fine," he assured me.
He's the head, I thought. He must have spotted some quality in my character hidden to all but him and my wife.
Haircut and suit. September 6. Back to school. I'm the new boy, aged 50. My first cover lesson: maths.
"Sir, what's this mean?" asks a 12-year-old. I look. Gibberish covers the page of his text book.
"This is looked on as a revision lesson," I explain. "When your teacher returns he needs to be able to see what you don't know as much as what you do know." Pretty cool on-the-spot thinking. I'm convinced. Unfortunately, the boy isn't. "He doesn't know," he whispers to his mate.
Nor did I. I also didn't know science, geography, French, German, DT, business studies or cookery, but soon found myself holding lessons in all of them between three and five times a day. For the year and a half I was at the school, not once did a teacher step into a class to observe how or indeed what I was doing. A lot of cover lessons would degenerate into handing out word searches.
"We've done this!"
"Three times already!"
"Then it shouldn't be too difficult for you!"
The students knew this situation didn't quite add up. Speaking of adding up, I often wondered just how many cover supervisors there were up and down the country taking countless lessons each term. We are looking at hours and hours taken out of each student's lesson timetable. They might as well have been doing dot-to-dot puzzles. Hearing the government claim it had put x number more teachers into schools made me gag. The con being that we cover supervisors were on a puny wage, so hasn't the government done well, a zillion more teachers at half the cost.
During my time at the school I was attacked three times. Once with a hammer. Fair dues to the lad, we were in the woodwork area so he was using the correct tool. The second attack was with a carving knife, and again praise to the boy involved as I was taking a cookery lesson at the time. My favourite incident was when a 14-year-old girl walked across my science class while unwrapping a Black Velvet liquorice-flavour condom.
"Do you want to use this on me, sir?"
Again full marks for politeness and sexual responsibility. As an untrained teacher I recognised the minefield that lay before me with whatever response I gave. Amidst sniggers from the class I simply told her to get back to work. When I reported the incident later, the head's reaction was: "She can be difficult."
He also came down like a ton of feathers on hammer-boy, giving him a two-day suspension which, since he spat at me on his return, didn't seem to have the desired effect. Knife-boy had to write a letter of apology to me in which he promised it would never happen again. So that was all right then.
It was strange to mix with teachers in the staff room. Certain social skills seemed missing from the majority, particularly those who had gone straight from school as students to school as teachers. On my first day in September, one of them had given me the often-heard tip: "Don't smile until after Christmas." Although I had little to smile about, I found this an impossible task after a lifetime of smiling like a loon. It is obviously a skill acquired during teacher training. The majority of teachers were stressed and unhappy, with paperwork and lack of support being the main problems moaned about daily.
During my first term, there was concern from the more militant teachers over my position as the uneducated teaching the uneducated. Unions were mentioned, but nothing came of it as I was soon covering so many lessons each day (three to five out of five) that it made life easier for the staff.
I did snap once. I was holding a science class for the dregs of the school. As text books and beakers flew every which way, I bellowed that they were a "bunch of tossers". Silence. And then: "You can't call us that. We're going to report you." My only thought: "Please go get me fired."
Angry parents phoned the head demanding justice for my slur on their family escutcheon. Writing out an incident report, I exchanged the word tosser for dosser and no more was heard about it.
Ofsted inspectors came to the school. It was interesting to see that they didn't come into lessons covered by me or my fellow cover supervisor. The school was deemed "good".
Not a week went by when I wasn't astounded at school life. On the way home one evening, I spotted a student happily scrawling the initials KKK on a town landmark. When I brought this up with the head, he just shook his head. "Nothing we can do if he was outside the school." No feeling of duty to educate the boy on the full wonders of the Ku Klux Klan.
One day I was holding a class in RE when my mobile rang and someone offered me some freelance writing work. The class was quite out of control, with Bibles being hurled out of the window. I felt I was either going to strike a child or a teacher at some point soon. I had to go.
The students remain, preparing for tomorrow's bright new world. Cover supervisors continue holding lessons - up to GCSE and A-level - for which they have no training or qualification. Children deserve better.
· The author is writing under a pseudonym
Edwards, Colin. "'I can't do maths.' 'You'll be fine,' said the head", 11/03/2007. Retrieved on 12/14/2007
Though totally unqualified as a teacher, Colin Edwards found himself covering up to five lessons a day
Colin Edwards
Tuesday September 4, 2007
Guardian
I came back to education rather late in life - just turning 50. I had disliked school from day one. Learned to read and write, and that was about it. I knew I would never return after age 16. But life is funny, and when I found myself a has-been at 49, I had to look outside the comfort zone I had built up with 30-odd years of writing and editing. In fact, it was my wife who looked outside my comfort zone. She had always had a strange belief that I would make a marvellous teacher. Where she got this notion from I have no idea. It was she who applied for me on seeing a job advertised for a cover supervisor at the local comprehensive.
From September 2004 the government and Nasuwt decreed that all schools had to make sure teachers would do no more than 38 hours of cover (taking lessons for absent colleagues) each year. And so was born the position of cover supervisor, a full-time job covering lessons across the whole curriculum for teachers absent through illness or coursework. A masterstroke of the government and the education system was that the position called for no qualifications or even training, allowing for a minimum wage.
No qualifications or certificates in hand, I applied for the post. When called in by the headteacher, I was upfront about my lack of qualifications. Regardless, he took a shine to me and, to my amazement, I was offered the job.
"I can't do maths, you understand," I protested.
"You'll be fine," he assured me.
He's the head, I thought. He must have spotted some quality in my character hidden to all but him and my wife.
Haircut and suit. September 6. Back to school. I'm the new boy, aged 50. My first cover lesson: maths.
"Sir, what's this mean?" asks a 12-year-old. I look. Gibberish covers the page of his text book.
"This is looked on as a revision lesson," I explain. "When your teacher returns he needs to be able to see what you don't know as much as what you do know." Pretty cool on-the-spot thinking. I'm convinced. Unfortunately, the boy isn't. "He doesn't know," he whispers to his mate.
Nor did I. I also didn't know science, geography, French, German, DT, business studies or cookery, but soon found myself holding lessons in all of them between three and five times a day. For the year and a half I was at the school, not once did a teacher step into a class to observe how or indeed what I was doing. A lot of cover lessons would degenerate into handing out word searches.
"We've done this!"
"Three times already!"
"Then it shouldn't be too difficult for you!"
The students knew this situation didn't quite add up. Speaking of adding up, I often wondered just how many cover supervisors there were up and down the country taking countless lessons each term. We are looking at hours and hours taken out of each student's lesson timetable. They might as well have been doing dot-to-dot puzzles. Hearing the government claim it had put x number more teachers into schools made me gag. The con being that we cover supervisors were on a puny wage, so hasn't the government done well, a zillion more teachers at half the cost.
During my time at the school I was attacked three times. Once with a hammer. Fair dues to the lad, we were in the woodwork area so he was using the correct tool. The second attack was with a carving knife, and again praise to the boy involved as I was taking a cookery lesson at the time. My favourite incident was when a 14-year-old girl walked across my science class while unwrapping a Black Velvet liquorice-flavour condom.
"Do you want to use this on me, sir?"
Again full marks for politeness and sexual responsibility. As an untrained teacher I recognised the minefield that lay before me with whatever response I gave. Amidst sniggers from the class I simply told her to get back to work. When I reported the incident later, the head's reaction was: "She can be difficult."
He also came down like a ton of feathers on hammer-boy, giving him a two-day suspension which, since he spat at me on his return, didn't seem to have the desired effect. Knife-boy had to write a letter of apology to me in which he promised it would never happen again. So that was all right then.
It was strange to mix with teachers in the staff room. Certain social skills seemed missing from the majority, particularly those who had gone straight from school as students to school as teachers. On my first day in September, one of them had given me the often-heard tip: "Don't smile until after Christmas." Although I had little to smile about, I found this an impossible task after a lifetime of smiling like a loon. It is obviously a skill acquired during teacher training. The majority of teachers were stressed and unhappy, with paperwork and lack of support being the main problems moaned about daily.
During my first term, there was concern from the more militant teachers over my position as the uneducated teaching the uneducated. Unions were mentioned, but nothing came of it as I was soon covering so many lessons each day (three to five out of five) that it made life easier for the staff.
I did snap once. I was holding a science class for the dregs of the school. As text books and beakers flew every which way, I bellowed that they were a "bunch of tossers". Silence. And then: "You can't call us that. We're going to report you." My only thought: "Please go get me fired."
Angry parents phoned the head demanding justice for my slur on their family escutcheon. Writing out an incident report, I exchanged the word tosser for dosser and no more was heard about it.
Ofsted inspectors came to the school. It was interesting to see that they didn't come into lessons covered by me or my fellow cover supervisor. The school was deemed "good".
Not a week went by when I wasn't astounded at school life. On the way home one evening, I spotted a student happily scrawling the initials KKK on a town landmark. When I brought this up with the head, he just shook his head. "Nothing we can do if he was outside the school." No feeling of duty to educate the boy on the full wonders of the Ku Klux Klan.
One day I was holding a class in RE when my mobile rang and someone offered me some freelance writing work. The class was quite out of control, with Bibles being hurled out of the window. I felt I was either going to strike a child or a teacher at some point soon. I had to go.
The students remain, preparing for tomorrow's bright new world. Cover supervisors continue holding lessons - up to GCSE and A-level - for which they have no training or qualification. Children deserve better.
· The author is writing under a pseudonym
Edwards, Colin. "'I can't do maths.' 'You'll be fine,' said the head", 11/03/2007. Retrieved on 12/14/2007
Thursday, December 13, 2007
In England, headteachers bully teachers
This is how teachers describe school managers
They are "inadequate in their jobs both as teachers and managers, and they know it".
They are "unapproachable, tyrannical bullies".
They have "'yes' people working closely with them".
They "do whatever it takes to screw those exam results up to the max"... "If that means cheating or piling on the pressure then that's what they do"
They kick struggling students out of the school
They will "target the most competent and well liked subbordinates as they are percieved by them to be a threat"
They have "Narcissistic or Antisocial Personality Disorders"
There are some excellent promoted staff and headteachers in schools however workplace bullying in schools is a big problem especially for unpromoted teaching staff. A single bully in any promoted position within a school can cause enormous damage as they manipulate others, often unsuspecting senior managers, who have 'have full confidence in their judgment and do not question their trust' as well as their subbordinates who they can 'ply with favours' or manage by fear. The bullies (who often tell blatant lies), know they will be believed (rather than their targets) and supported by their managers regardless of the real facts, will (contrary to popular thinking) often target the most competent and well liked subbordinates as they are percieved by them to be a threat and need to be 'kept down'. The unsuspecting targets often don't even realise they are being bullied (or that lies are being told to others) initially and try hard to please the bully manager whose constant unwarranted critisism they accept but don't understand. The result is that they loose confidence, their health suffers and the bully then uses negative impression management to destroy the reputation of the target to senior management. The management often then are manipulated by the bully into increasing pressure on the target. When this happens, the feeling of helplessness sets in, the target realises they are being bullied but knows that they are isolated and vulnerable. If they raise a grievance, then the bully, from their position of relative power, steps up the bullying hoping to further destroy their target then claim that their target has a 'mental health problem' so that they can claim that it is them that is being bullied rather than their target. These bullies often have either Narcissistic or Antisocial Personality Disorders. These disorders allow the bullies to be percieved incorrectly as effective, charming and caring by senior managers and some of their subbordinates but their true agenda is personal gain, dominance and control. The result is a 'hostile working environment' where there are clear divisions and insecurity with some staff being favoured and being 'kept on side' while others are targetted either individually or as a group. Staff are often given vague instructions or are over controlled. Bullying can take many forms, too little work, too much work, being given responsibility without authority nitt picking etc etc. (If it feels bad, then its probably bullying - trust your 'gutt feel') People with these disorders have no conscience,tell lies with ease and skill, do not suffer from guilt from their wrongdoing and cannot empathise (though they can feign what they think are appropriate reactions in emotional situations). They are very dangerous people (Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde - wolves in sheeps clothing)and they often gain promotion in schools by a combination of being able to say with conviction at interview that they will do 'what it takes to get the job done regardless of cost' and by spreading negative information (privately of course) about their competition. This all seems unbelievable, unfortunately it happens all to often. Some excellent reading includes - Bully in sight, Without Concience, Where Ego's dare and Nasty People. An excellent website is bullyonline. Re the law - The most effective legislation is probably the Protection against Harassment Act 1997 which makes LEA's and Councils vicariously liable for stress and anxiety caused by bullying. The time limit for claims is 6 years, you don't need to leave your job, it doesnt matter if the bully is moved on or leaves and the employer has no defence simply by claiming that they have a 'dignity at work' policy in place. The precident was set in 2006 re it being applied in an employment law situation. Times ar changing -Schools should be good places to work and there is no place for bullies amongst in the staff. Remember - 'all it takes for evil to flourish is for enough good people to do nothing'. In bullying situations, there is the bully, the bullied and the bystanders. If the bystanders do nothing, then they , by default, side with the bully as they effectively condone their actions. Finally, even when unmasked, bullies will often continue to lie with conviction and contrive stories to get them out of their situation. Fortunately, they often suffer from poor memories and trip themselves up with their lies. When called to account (though often still protected by HR and management who don't want the negative publicity of having supported a bully) the bully will feign illness to gain sympathy and divert attention. (A common trait with NPD and ASPD is for sufferers to look for pity - Why does it always happen to me? Why are my staff so incompetent? It was his fault - I don't know how you can think I would do that - its not in my nature. etc etc Things can only get better !!!!!!! Look after the good guys. Finally Finally - Question - Why do some bullies bully ? Answer - Just because they can. They gain pleasure from seeing others suffer !!!
Finally Finally Finally - When you realise that what is happening to you or other good teachers is bullying - the first thing to do is to read all you can - educate yourself and others - point out the real agendas behind bullying actions - talk to others you can trust - believe in yourself or support those being bullied. Take care how you tackle the situation - keep an accurate diary of events - keep memos - minutes and notes. Once you show your cards, 'serial bullies', due to an element of 'compulsive obssesive' behaviour will retaliate and use others to do their dirty work. For safety, assume that the bullies will be supported by their seniors and that they will have others lie on their behalf, don't rely on a fair hearing or support from others (as many are fearful that if they support you then they will be the next target). Gather hard evidence and keep it at home until it is needed. Insist that those investigation are independant to avoid a total 'sham' investigation. Bullying is still very much misunderstood by most educated people - people think they know what it is but in reality, only a few sofar have a good understanding of the subject. LEA's and councils do not want staff to realise the extent of the problem. THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO GAIN FROM BULLYING ARE THE BULLIES THEMSELVES AND BULLIES FURTHER UP THE MANAGEMENT CHAIN.
a19pb in Bullying HTs
A Year 3 child made an offensive and abusive racially motivated comment to his teacher. Whe she suggested to his Mum that a written apology might be in order the Dep and Head told her she couldn't insist on a written apology as it contravened his human rights. Anyone else ever heard of this?
sjpemberton in Children's rights v teachers' rights
Why do so many HTs bully their staff or treat them like children?
My previous head was proud that he had made every NQT who worked for him cry at some point.
My current head pretends to ask opinions then does what ever she wanted to do anyway, even if the staff opinion is 100% the other way! If someone disagrees with her she is extremely unpleasant or ignores that person for days.
justamum in Bullying HTs
ILS, there are not that many 'good ones' in my experience. I have only worked for one headteacher who was a good 'people's person' and liked by all, for her fair and compassionate approach. She was a superb manager too.
Unhappily, the other headteachers I have worked for have been unapproachable, tyrannical bullies who have 'yes' people working closely with them (always the 'snakes' who grass you up).
eddie34 in Bullying HTs
Most are just inadequate in their jobs both as teachers and managers, and they know it, so they bully because it makes them feel good.
Same with the ineffective heads - not bullies themselves, but so inept that they allow the staff bullies to reign supreme.
A friend had a head teacher who made sure all the teachers she hired were below par (or tried to) in order to look like she was the best on staff. If anyone got good results or got good observations from outside agencies, they were bullied unmercifully. Apparently she was so bad that she drove the school into special measures.
ailingteacher in Bullying HTs
HTs think pupil progress can be measured solely in GSCEs or SATs. Human happiness isn't quantifiable and wins no points with the dear old Department for Children and Schools and Parents and Progress and Whatever They Call It This Week.
So the HTs do whatever it takes to screw those exam results up to the max. To be fair, so do lots of teachers. If that means cheating or piling on the pressure then that's what they do.
A generalisation. Some truth in it.
grumpydogwoman in Bullying HTs
grumpydogwoman, have you been in our local selective school by any chance? Sounds uncannily familiar to me - though I think the HT in that particular school is more interested in making himself look good (at the expense of whoever it takes) than what the Dept of whateveritisnow thinks. When asked recently by a parent of a prospective pupil what happened if a child started to struggle or could not cope once they were in the school he said
" They go, they leave, they go".
He wasn't kidding. It actually happens!
salw16 in Bullying HTs
Excellent post a19pb
your bit about,-
'The unsuspecting targets often don't even realise they are being bullied (or that lies are being told to others) initially and try hard to please the bully manager whose constant unwarranted critisism they accept but don't understand. The result is that they loose confidence, their health suffers and the bully then uses negative impression management to destroy the reputation of the target to senior management.'
is exactly how it happens. It's how we don't recognise it for what it is sooner.
Bullying really can wreck lives.
giraffe in Bullying HTs
We have a group of bullies in my school who lie and belittle at every opportunity. They have made colleagues cry and become depressed. The HT always backs up these nasty bullies even though before she was HT she was at the receiving end of the bullying. One of the bullies is in fact the secretary who gets a kick out of shouting at staff especially students. She becomes verbally aggressive towards people including children and parents and yet the HT sits back and allows this to continue. The HT has called the victims into the office and has basically blamed them!!
Since last year 5 excellent teachers have left the school because of the bullying.
Sorry but it makes me so angry when nasty tw@ts are allowed to bully and get away with it.
slimyslug in Bullying HTs
If you are being bullied and are forced into grievance procedures then you must be well prepared as there is often substantial bias in favour of the bully manager in internal grievance proceedings. Neither management nor Human Resources (HR) are keen to find in favour of the complainant and will typically use a variety of tactics to intimidate or wear down the complainant all to avoid a precedent being set and opening the doors for litigation. These tactics include :- 1) To delay proceedings so that the time limit for eligibility for taking your complaint to an Employment Tribunal is reached (It must be initially lodged within 3 months of the last bullying incident). 3 months can fly by. 2)HR can produce inaccurate records of meetings which you must challenge and correct which wears you down further and encourages you to lose heart. 3) They fail to answer relevant questions even when lodged in writing. (Ignoring and trivializing are themselves both bullying tactics). 4) Bullying is a 'pattern of unacceptable behaviour'. Each incident in isolation can be and often is trivialized - the focus must be kept on the grievance being a 'pattern of unacceptable behaviour' rather than focusing on individual incidents. 5) Investigators are often not qualified to effectively investigate bullying - they should know to look for signs of a 'hostile working environment' - high staff turnover - high sickness - low morale from some of the staff - secrecy - a polarization of views from people being interviewed with some speaking very highly of the bully (those favoured by the bully and who like the status quo) while very few openly support the bullied. - Investigators should but often don't take account of the employment status of those being interviewed - NQT's, those on temporary contracts and those looking for a good report for future jobs are very scared to say anything against even the worst bully. Only the secure staff in safe positions who are not looking for anything from the bully (or management) and who have suffered themselves are likely to provide accurate information. 6) Management often threaten Disciplinary Action on 'trumped up' charges to divert attention and increase stress further. 7) They can change personnel during investigation to dilute rigor and avoid accountability when the wrong decisions are eventually reached. 8) Probably the worst abuse is for them to ignore hard evidence which clearly demonstrates bullying and close the investigation without looking at substantial evidence they know to be available. 9) They suggest that its simply a 'personality clash' or 'a breakdown in relationships' with 'faults on both sides'. 10) The bully will often lodge a counter claim that it is them that is being bullied - Experienced investigators know that counter claims actually strengthen the initial claim of the person being bullied. There are lots of other things they do - the bullies have often been through the procedures before and know how to abuse it making it even less effective. As regards claims by HR/management that there are 'faults on both sides' - simply point out that' like in child and domestic abuse where there is an imbalance in power, the abuser, when called to account often blames the abused and the result is a breakdown in relationships. There is only one person at fault - Its the same with bullying. What I am saying is - be well prepared, look after yourself, know what to expect re your health as you will suffer symptoms of stress and by knowing what to expect it is less alarming when the symptoms appear, you will realise that the symptoms are a 'normal reaction' to bullying - keep records - keep reminding yourself or those you are supporting that you/they have done nothing to deserve the abuse received and assume that you will need to fight on and on to get justice. Read all you can (see my previous post No 14). Finally - HR / management will encourage you to keep quiet about proceedings - this helps the bully - know your rights on what is confidential and what can be shared- don't be intimidated - get things in writing and challenge unreasonable requests for secrecy - share what you can - keep your union involved (but don't expect much support as often the bully is in the same union and the union gets scared about their own legal position. That said, the more experience the local reps get the more they will understand and be able to advise others in the future. - there is no advantage in falling out with the union, it simply plays into management's hands.) Learn about bullying in the workplace and educate others. Like someone said earlier - Bullying has to become as socially unacceptable as drink driving, child abuse and all the discrimination that used to be widespread. For this to happen, everyone has to be able to recognize the difference between bullying and 'strong management'. Strong management is effective but never involves bullying.
a19pb in Bullying HTs
They are "inadequate in their jobs both as teachers and managers, and they know it".
They are "unapproachable, tyrannical bullies".
They have "'yes' people working closely with them".
They "do whatever it takes to screw those exam results up to the max"... "If that means cheating or piling on the pressure then that's what they do"
They kick struggling students out of the school
They will "target the most competent and well liked subbordinates as they are percieved by them to be a threat"
They have "Narcissistic or Antisocial Personality Disorders"
There are some excellent promoted staff and headteachers in schools however workplace bullying in schools is a big problem especially for unpromoted teaching staff. A single bully in any promoted position within a school can cause enormous damage as they manipulate others, often unsuspecting senior managers, who have 'have full confidence in their judgment and do not question their trust' as well as their subbordinates who they can 'ply with favours' or manage by fear. The bullies (who often tell blatant lies), know they will be believed (rather than their targets) and supported by their managers regardless of the real facts, will (contrary to popular thinking) often target the most competent and well liked subbordinates as they are percieved by them to be a threat and need to be 'kept down'. The unsuspecting targets often don't even realise they are being bullied (or that lies are being told to others) initially and try hard to please the bully manager whose constant unwarranted critisism they accept but don't understand. The result is that they loose confidence, their health suffers and the bully then uses negative impression management to destroy the reputation of the target to senior management. The management often then are manipulated by the bully into increasing pressure on the target. When this happens, the feeling of helplessness sets in, the target realises they are being bullied but knows that they are isolated and vulnerable. If they raise a grievance, then the bully, from their position of relative power, steps up the bullying hoping to further destroy their target then claim that their target has a 'mental health problem' so that they can claim that it is them that is being bullied rather than their target. These bullies often have either Narcissistic or Antisocial Personality Disorders. These disorders allow the bullies to be percieved incorrectly as effective, charming and caring by senior managers and some of their subbordinates but their true agenda is personal gain, dominance and control. The result is a 'hostile working environment' where there are clear divisions and insecurity with some staff being favoured and being 'kept on side' while others are targetted either individually or as a group. Staff are often given vague instructions or are over controlled. Bullying can take many forms, too little work, too much work, being given responsibility without authority nitt picking etc etc. (If it feels bad, then its probably bullying - trust your 'gutt feel') People with these disorders have no conscience,tell lies with ease and skill, do not suffer from guilt from their wrongdoing and cannot empathise (though they can feign what they think are appropriate reactions in emotional situations). They are very dangerous people (Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde - wolves in sheeps clothing)and they often gain promotion in schools by a combination of being able to say with conviction at interview that they will do 'what it takes to get the job done regardless of cost' and by spreading negative information (privately of course) about their competition. This all seems unbelievable, unfortunately it happens all to often. Some excellent reading includes - Bully in sight, Without Concience, Where Ego's dare and Nasty People. An excellent website is bullyonline. Re the law - The most effective legislation is probably the Protection against Harassment Act 1997 which makes LEA's and Councils vicariously liable for stress and anxiety caused by bullying. The time limit for claims is 6 years, you don't need to leave your job, it doesnt matter if the bully is moved on or leaves and the employer has no defence simply by claiming that they have a 'dignity at work' policy in place. The precident was set in 2006 re it being applied in an employment law situation. Times ar changing -Schools should be good places to work and there is no place for bullies amongst in the staff. Remember - 'all it takes for evil to flourish is for enough good people to do nothing'. In bullying situations, there is the bully, the bullied and the bystanders. If the bystanders do nothing, then they , by default, side with the bully as they effectively condone their actions. Finally, even when unmasked, bullies will often continue to lie with conviction and contrive stories to get them out of their situation. Fortunately, they often suffer from poor memories and trip themselves up with their lies. When called to account (though often still protected by HR and management who don't want the negative publicity of having supported a bully) the bully will feign illness to gain sympathy and divert attention. (A common trait with NPD and ASPD is for sufferers to look for pity - Why does it always happen to me? Why are my staff so incompetent? It was his fault - I don't know how you can think I would do that - its not in my nature. etc etc Things can only get better !!!!!!! Look after the good guys. Finally Finally - Question - Why do some bullies bully ? Answer - Just because they can. They gain pleasure from seeing others suffer !!!
Finally Finally Finally - When you realise that what is happening to you or other good teachers is bullying - the first thing to do is to read all you can - educate yourself and others - point out the real agendas behind bullying actions - talk to others you can trust - believe in yourself or support those being bullied. Take care how you tackle the situation - keep an accurate diary of events - keep memos - minutes and notes. Once you show your cards, 'serial bullies', due to an element of 'compulsive obssesive' behaviour will retaliate and use others to do their dirty work. For safety, assume that the bullies will be supported by their seniors and that they will have others lie on their behalf, don't rely on a fair hearing or support from others (as many are fearful that if they support you then they will be the next target). Gather hard evidence and keep it at home until it is needed. Insist that those investigation are independant to avoid a total 'sham' investigation. Bullying is still very much misunderstood by most educated people - people think they know what it is but in reality, only a few sofar have a good understanding of the subject. LEA's and councils do not want staff to realise the extent of the problem. THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO GAIN FROM BULLYING ARE THE BULLIES THEMSELVES AND BULLIES FURTHER UP THE MANAGEMENT CHAIN.
a19pb in Bullying HTs
A Year 3 child made an offensive and abusive racially motivated comment to his teacher. Whe she suggested to his Mum that a written apology might be in order the Dep and Head told her she couldn't insist on a written apology as it contravened his human rights. Anyone else ever heard of this?
sjpemberton in Children's rights v teachers' rights
Why do so many HTs bully their staff or treat them like children?
My previous head was proud that he had made every NQT who worked for him cry at some point.
My current head pretends to ask opinions then does what ever she wanted to do anyway, even if the staff opinion is 100% the other way! If someone disagrees with her she is extremely unpleasant or ignores that person for days.
justamum in Bullying HTs
ILS, there are not that many 'good ones' in my experience. I have only worked for one headteacher who was a good 'people's person' and liked by all, for her fair and compassionate approach. She was a superb manager too.
Unhappily, the other headteachers I have worked for have been unapproachable, tyrannical bullies who have 'yes' people working closely with them (always the 'snakes' who grass you up).
eddie34 in Bullying HTs
Most are just inadequate in their jobs both as teachers and managers, and they know it, so they bully because it makes them feel good.
Same with the ineffective heads - not bullies themselves, but so inept that they allow the staff bullies to reign supreme.
A friend had a head teacher who made sure all the teachers she hired were below par (or tried to) in order to look like she was the best on staff. If anyone got good results or got good observations from outside agencies, they were bullied unmercifully. Apparently she was so bad that she drove the school into special measures.
ailingteacher in Bullying HTs
HTs think pupil progress can be measured solely in GSCEs or SATs. Human happiness isn't quantifiable and wins no points with the dear old Department for Children and Schools and Parents and Progress and Whatever They Call It This Week.
So the HTs do whatever it takes to screw those exam results up to the max. To be fair, so do lots of teachers. If that means cheating or piling on the pressure then that's what they do.
A generalisation. Some truth in it.
grumpydogwoman in Bullying HTs
grumpydogwoman, have you been in our local selective school by any chance? Sounds uncannily familiar to me - though I think the HT in that particular school is more interested in making himself look good (at the expense of whoever it takes) than what the Dept of whateveritisnow thinks. When asked recently by a parent of a prospective pupil what happened if a child started to struggle or could not cope once they were in the school he said
" They go, they leave, they go".
He wasn't kidding. It actually happens!
salw16 in Bullying HTs
Excellent post a19pb
your bit about,-
'The unsuspecting targets often don't even realise they are being bullied (or that lies are being told to others) initially and try hard to please the bully manager whose constant unwarranted critisism they accept but don't understand. The result is that they loose confidence, their health suffers and the bully then uses negative impression management to destroy the reputation of the target to senior management.'
is exactly how it happens. It's how we don't recognise it for what it is sooner.
Bullying really can wreck lives.
giraffe in Bullying HTs
We have a group of bullies in my school who lie and belittle at every opportunity. They have made colleagues cry and become depressed. The HT always backs up these nasty bullies even though before she was HT she was at the receiving end of the bullying. One of the bullies is in fact the secretary who gets a kick out of shouting at staff especially students. She becomes verbally aggressive towards people including children and parents and yet the HT sits back and allows this to continue. The HT has called the victims into the office and has basically blamed them!!
Since last year 5 excellent teachers have left the school because of the bullying.
Sorry but it makes me so angry when nasty tw@ts are allowed to bully and get away with it.
slimyslug in Bullying HTs
If you are being bullied and are forced into grievance procedures then you must be well prepared as there is often substantial bias in favour of the bully manager in internal grievance proceedings. Neither management nor Human Resources (HR) are keen to find in favour of the complainant and will typically use a variety of tactics to intimidate or wear down the complainant all to avoid a precedent being set and opening the doors for litigation. These tactics include :- 1) To delay proceedings so that the time limit for eligibility for taking your complaint to an Employment Tribunal is reached (It must be initially lodged within 3 months of the last bullying incident). 3 months can fly by. 2)HR can produce inaccurate records of meetings which you must challenge and correct which wears you down further and encourages you to lose heart. 3) They fail to answer relevant questions even when lodged in writing. (Ignoring and trivializing are themselves both bullying tactics). 4) Bullying is a 'pattern of unacceptable behaviour'. Each incident in isolation can be and often is trivialized - the focus must be kept on the grievance being a 'pattern of unacceptable behaviour' rather than focusing on individual incidents. 5) Investigators are often not qualified to effectively investigate bullying - they should know to look for signs of a 'hostile working environment' - high staff turnover - high sickness - low morale from some of the staff - secrecy - a polarization of views from people being interviewed with some speaking very highly of the bully (those favoured by the bully and who like the status quo) while very few openly support the bullied. - Investigators should but often don't take account of the employment status of those being interviewed - NQT's, those on temporary contracts and those looking for a good report for future jobs are very scared to say anything against even the worst bully. Only the secure staff in safe positions who are not looking for anything from the bully (or management) and who have suffered themselves are likely to provide accurate information. 6) Management often threaten Disciplinary Action on 'trumped up' charges to divert attention and increase stress further. 7) They can change personnel during investigation to dilute rigor and avoid accountability when the wrong decisions are eventually reached. 8) Probably the worst abuse is for them to ignore hard evidence which clearly demonstrates bullying and close the investigation without looking at substantial evidence they know to be available. 9) They suggest that its simply a 'personality clash' or 'a breakdown in relationships' with 'faults on both sides'. 10) The bully will often lodge a counter claim that it is them that is being bullied - Experienced investigators know that counter claims actually strengthen the initial claim of the person being bullied. There are lots of other things they do - the bullies have often been through the procedures before and know how to abuse it making it even less effective. As regards claims by HR/management that there are 'faults on both sides' - simply point out that' like in child and domestic abuse where there is an imbalance in power, the abuser, when called to account often blames the abused and the result is a breakdown in relationships. There is only one person at fault - Its the same with bullying. What I am saying is - be well prepared, look after yourself, know what to expect re your health as you will suffer symptoms of stress and by knowing what to expect it is less alarming when the symptoms appear, you will realise that the symptoms are a 'normal reaction' to bullying - keep records - keep reminding yourself or those you are supporting that you/they have done nothing to deserve the abuse received and assume that you will need to fight on and on to get justice. Read all you can (see my previous post No 14). Finally - HR / management will encourage you to keep quiet about proceedings - this helps the bully - know your rights on what is confidential and what can be shared- don't be intimidated - get things in writing and challenge unreasonable requests for secrecy - share what you can - keep your union involved (but don't expect much support as often the bully is in the same union and the union gets scared about their own legal position. That said, the more experience the local reps get the more they will understand and be able to advise others in the future. - there is no advantage in falling out with the union, it simply plays into management's hands.) Learn about bullying in the workplace and educate others. Like someone said earlier - Bullying has to become as socially unacceptable as drink driving, child abuse and all the discrimination that used to be widespread. For this to happen, everyone has to be able to recognize the difference between bullying and 'strong management'. Strong management is effective but never involves bullying.
a19pb in Bullying HTs
In England, teachers think school managers are full of it
Have worked for 4 LAs in my career. Generally they are all full of self serving, process driven, useless and incompetent idiots. Who, if they were any good at their jobs, would be out in the private sector. Was talking to a cabinet level member recently who said he believed the main cause of the ills of our(large shire) LA was useless middle management at C Hall.
justforfun in another one bites the dust
My SMT
Location: Notiingham
My SMT are scared of the parents and scared of the kids. I have lost count of the number of kids who have done things that should have led to a permanent exclusion but have been given another chance. Needless to say they laugh at the naivety of this and carry on as they did before.
ged b (history) in "Rate My SMT"
In some schools the SMT are like the heart, nourishing the body bringing warmth to all. In others they are like the lungs, bringing life and freshness.
In my school they are like the appendix. No-one is sure where they are; most don't know what they do and the only time you do notice them is when they are a pain.
eyeseetee in "Rate My SMT"
Ours are about to have a strike on their hands so that should identify them fairly soon! More layers of leadership (I use the word in its loosest sense) than an onion because we're a federation, every fault is magnified and concentrated as it filters through the layers.
lilyofthefield in "Rate My SMT"
Location Yorkshire
Our SMT renamed themselves Senior Leadership Group and didnt realise that we all thought it was because they werent a team and couldnt manage!
anonymous in "Rate My SMT"
justforfun in another one bites the dust
My SMT
Location: Notiingham
My SMT are scared of the parents and scared of the kids. I have lost count of the number of kids who have done things that should have led to a permanent exclusion but have been given another chance. Needless to say they laugh at the naivety of this and carry on as they did before.
ged b (history) in "Rate My SMT"
In some schools the SMT are like the heart, nourishing the body bringing warmth to all. In others they are like the lungs, bringing life and freshness.
In my school they are like the appendix. No-one is sure where they are; most don't know what they do and the only time you do notice them is when they are a pain.
eyeseetee in "Rate My SMT"
Ours are about to have a strike on their hands so that should identify them fairly soon! More layers of leadership (I use the word in its loosest sense) than an onion because we're a federation, every fault is magnified and concentrated as it filters through the layers.
lilyofthefield in "Rate My SMT"
Location Yorkshire
Our SMT renamed themselves Senior Leadership Group and didnt realise that we all thought it was because they werent a team and couldnt manage!
anonymous in "Rate My SMT"
In England, teachers want to quit teaching
I'm am desperately unhappy at the moment and seem to be tearful all the time, my head has even expressed concerns about my well being and health from it all.
I don't feel like I'm making any progress and in staying am not doing anyone any favours.
I'm concerned that while I'm in this state that I am not going to get any better and therefore am not giving my class the teacher they deserve.
I have no confidence left in myself as a teacher and cant see any other way out than handing in my notice.
I have looked into it and know I can reapply to do my NQT year next year but am concerned that heads wont want to consider me as I have effectively failed at my current school (and lets face it most heads know each other)
I have spoken to the inspector who has come in and validated my school's assessment and she feels I can turn it around and make progress but not at my current school.
She advised I could leave and take a break then reapply this Feb to start my NQT year again, but stressed it would be up to me to find another job.
I don't even want to go back this Monday but don't want to damage my class or my career by leaving..
any suggestions or advice welcome
Jinx* in "I just want to leave"
I'm an NQT whos is feeling EXACTLY the same. SOOOO close to leaving but just can't bear to do it to the class.
The thing is I'm getting solid satisfactory/good observations but I really feel like I'm in the wrong profession.
Am also in two minds whether or not to grit my teeth and see my NQT year out but I'm just sooo miserable and everyone who knows me well has commented on my change in personlaity purely becasue I'm so stressed and overworked!
This teaching life totally sucks you in and I just can't help thinking I'd be better off in another job!
Sorry to be such a misery!!!
xx
Starry Sky in "I just want to leave"
I am in a really difficult situation in school and, without going into it too much, it's very unusual. I wanted to resign at end of October but was talked out of it by the school as they did not think I had given things enough time. I now know I cannot go on like this , very very anxious and depressed, crying all the time, being sick etc. I know it's not TEACHING as such, just this particular situation.
Has anyone else felt like this and what did you do to get through? I have asked to be released at end of this term but don't know if they'll agree or not. Someone has advised me that if I feel this bad I should just get signed off sick but I really don't like that idea, would rather just leave as I know it's not right for me.
Any advice too about getting release early with minimum damage to school / reputation would also be appreciated - I am just totally at the end of my tether.
Thanks so much. x x
tinks77 in "so unhappy"
I thought I longed to teach. Others said I would make a great teacher and I really wanted to do it - so I abandoned a good job and went for it. I've never found it easy but throughout training and placements I've been told that I was being too hard on myself and that I was doing fine. The children I taught would be "the lucky ones", they said. So I stuck with it through all my wobbles, my family standing by me throughout.
My OH has been so supportive and patient throughout and my young children have stood up well to being sidelined by me far too often for work at the weekend (which I feel awful about, by the way).
I was incredibly lucky to get a part time NQT position in a wonderful school. But I'm struggling in a very big way. I'm now convincing myself that I've made the biggest, longest and costliest mistake of my life. My OH has just found me in tears and I've admitted it to him. He's having none of it and trying to say all the right things. He's supported me to the hilt through the PGCE and thus far, financially, practically and emotionally and admitting that I'm not sure how much further I can take this before admitting defeat hurt. He's shell-shocked.
I wanted to be wonderful. Others convinced me that I would be, even if I wasn't quite there yet. But now I think that wouldn't want this person teaching my own children and I can't bear the thought of letting other people's children down either.
Should I speak with anyone at school about how I'm feeling? I shall probably end up in tears and because I'm part time and working most breaktimes I don't really know anyone that well yet, although they are a lovely bunch. How much sympathy will they have though if they have entrusted me to join their staff and I admit how I'm struggling and feeling?
whoatetheflakes in "anyone else given up everything to do this and thinks they've made a huge mistake?"
The school I teach in isn't a 'tough' school in the bigger scheme of things, but couldn't really be descrobed as an easy school either.
Even though I'm already too long in the tooth to be nervous, Im really not looking forward to the next two weeks, as two classes in particular just seem so diifcult to control.
The worst ones in there ignore what I say (however it is said or put), answer back and refuse to work. I feel there is onyl limyed sympathy from other staff because some dont have such problems or deny behaviour is so bad, even though I've seen them in similar positions.
It is a scary feeling when you are starting to feel like you have little control over certain pupils, even if they aren't that horrible. Surely the afct that they behave like this at all shows what they are like.
I really dont think I want to stay in this situation--or perhaps in etaching full stop-its really knocked me.Starting to get that humiliated feelign because there is so much rebellion...what can i do,, what had caused this?
nomorebull in "I want out NOW-losing control by the hour"
I'm afraid teaching is just not what i expected it to be. I am a teacher trainee on a SCITT course and now seriously thinking of quitting. I do not like the work/life balance and every day is now becomming a real struggleThe annoying thing is i have received really positive feedback from observations therefore it is not like i am not capable.I am caught in two minds whether to stick in through and use my PGCE in an alternative career in July. Or be straight with myself now and bin it.Has anyone been through this situation. Any other advice really would be warmly received? Thanks
teachteach85 in "throwing the towel in"
I am an NQT on a permanent contract in my first term of induction. I am having a very difficult time at school due to many factors (very difficult school, the worst classes, pupils with acute behavioural difficulties, no support, etc etc) and I think I have decided to leave. I just don’t think I can stand it any more. I am applying for jobs in FE. Would I be able to complete induction in an FE college? I have heard conflicting advice on this. I understand induction can be completed in Sixth Form but not FE colleges? Is this right?Also what would the chances be of leaving before Easter? I just feel that I have no option but to leave. I can’t face the thought of staying until summer. Also I have seen a job in FE that would really suit me and obviously if I wait this job will be gone. Please any advice!
DHS22 in "Leaving in NQT year"
Hi all
Some of you may have read about my problems with a violent child and no support from head. So I contacted my union and all along they have been supporting me and saying that this that and the other needs to be in place and it is unreasonable to put it all on me...
Just over 2 weeks ago I was signed off sick. Since then the child has kicked off for everyone inc. head so she finally decided to exclude him and is getting agencies and support into place (which is good). But my union rep still decided to come in as a 'support' to me. He told me he would meet with me first and then we would meet with the head together to discuss support. Well he turns up and meets with the head on his own. I'm then told to go and speak to him on my own and I am told that I should feel lucky that I work in such a supportive school with such a caring head and implied that if I were in another school I would have had formal proceedings against me and that teaching is not for everything. Can you imagine how I am feeling about myself right now? Especially as I was signed off with depression! Maybe I am no good and give in and leave the whole profession.
A thoroughly miserable Joobs.
Joobs06 in My union was awful!
I have decided headship is not for me. I have taken a school out of a category and raised results, improved attendance and reduced exclusions.
This is however at expense of family life. Last few months I have been ill but feel I can't take time off. I took one day off this week with pure exhaustion but then felt so guilty I went straight backto work on wednesday.
Have now applied for jobs outside of headship. Feel a failure for doing so, but feel so unsupported by LA that its just not worth it anymore
Brandy Butter in another one bites the dust
Hi I have made a poor start to the academic year this September. So far I have had 3 observations-Unsatisfactory, Satisfactory, Unsatisfactory. This has really affected my confidence as a teacher, and I have prepared a letter of resignation to resign for Christmas. My HOD who is also my mentor has been promoted internally this academic year, and the feedback he gave me for the first observation was very harsh with little or no constructive feedback. He is also learning the job, and he questions my Subject knowledge as my main subject is Business, and this is an ICT position. I had a meeting with the HOD, Professional Tutor and Deputy Head at end of Oct to say they had serious concerns i was not meeting some of the core standards, and they have prepared an Action Plan for me, external training, inhouse training etc. I feel that although the HOD/mentor is supportive, there is no concrete support there. He is very critical which makes me feel incompetent. I will be observed my the Headteacher on Wed 5th Dec, then again on Mon 10th dec by the HOD. I am stressed out, and I have a genuine extenuating circumstances outside of work which I dont want to talk about. I am passionate about teaching, and Im thinking this was probably the wrong year to start Induction, and perhaps in the wrong school. Any advice will be much appreciated. Thanks
savos07 in "seriously considering resigning nqt induction year"
Can anyone give me any advice?
I love teaching and I love the kids that I teach (11-18). However, I just know that I can not work at the school that I am at next year, this is because of the management and how it is run, it is not the school for me. I am going to start looking for jobs, but when do I tell the head? Do I tell the head that I am looking? Do I just say when I have an interview? When do they ask for references? I do not want to make things difficult for myself. I am an NQT so this is all new to me.
taffymatty in "How do you tell the school that I want to leave?"
i am currently extremely stressed out due to being 'bullied' and constantly being told that i'm unsatisfactory if Ofsted was here by the Head and Mentor.'ve been trying my level best to do everthing (planning, displays, assessment etc) but there is ALWAYS something negative for them to say. i feel less motivated, on a Sunday i spend all day 'crying' because i don't want to go school. i'm an NQT and because i loved teaching i'm still there. But i can't take it anymore i just want to leave!! do you think it will be hard for me to find a job elsewhere?
03150579 in "NQT- hate my first term! want to quit. please help"
I have been observed by my headteacher today who graded me as inadequate according to Ofsted criteria, because the plenary did not check the lerning of the content of the lesson, although he liked it as a concept for a starter. I didn;t agree with this as I had planned the lesson with the HOD who suggested the plenary for extended learning as part of the H/W. I just feel demoralised, and feel like this isn't working and that I am in the wrong profession. I told the head I am disheartened, and he reassured me to hang in there. He said 60% of the lesson was satisfactory, just the plenary and making sure that I give clear instructions as he felt some of the kids were confused about the task. The head reassured me that I'm not far off, and only in my first term. Every morning I get up and think 'Why am I doing this?'. I am tired, stressed out and my confidence is low as a teacher. I dont think ill be back after christmas. Any advice will be much appreciated.
savos07 in "failed my first term and wanna quit"
I don't feel like I'm making any progress and in staying am not doing anyone any favours.
I'm concerned that while I'm in this state that I am not going to get any better and therefore am not giving my class the teacher they deserve.
I have no confidence left in myself as a teacher and cant see any other way out than handing in my notice.
I have looked into it and know I can reapply to do my NQT year next year but am concerned that heads wont want to consider me as I have effectively failed at my current school (and lets face it most heads know each other)
I have spoken to the inspector who has come in and validated my school's assessment and she feels I can turn it around and make progress but not at my current school.
She advised I could leave and take a break then reapply this Feb to start my NQT year again, but stressed it would be up to me to find another job.
I don't even want to go back this Monday but don't want to damage my class or my career by leaving..
any suggestions or advice welcome
Jinx* in "I just want to leave"
I'm an NQT whos is feeling EXACTLY the same. SOOOO close to leaving but just can't bear to do it to the class.
The thing is I'm getting solid satisfactory/good observations but I really feel like I'm in the wrong profession.
Am also in two minds whether or not to grit my teeth and see my NQT year out but I'm just sooo miserable and everyone who knows me well has commented on my change in personlaity purely becasue I'm so stressed and overworked!
This teaching life totally sucks you in and I just can't help thinking I'd be better off in another job!
Sorry to be such a misery!!!
xx
Starry Sky in "I just want to leave"
I am in a really difficult situation in school and, without going into it too much, it's very unusual. I wanted to resign at end of October but was talked out of it by the school as they did not think I had given things enough time. I now know I cannot go on like this , very very anxious and depressed, crying all the time, being sick etc. I know it's not TEACHING as such, just this particular situation.
Has anyone else felt like this and what did you do to get through? I have asked to be released at end of this term but don't know if they'll agree or not. Someone has advised me that if I feel this bad I should just get signed off sick but I really don't like that idea, would rather just leave as I know it's not right for me.
Any advice too about getting release early with minimum damage to school / reputation would also be appreciated - I am just totally at the end of my tether.
Thanks so much. x x
tinks77 in "so unhappy"
I thought I longed to teach. Others said I would make a great teacher and I really wanted to do it - so I abandoned a good job and went for it. I've never found it easy but throughout training and placements I've been told that I was being too hard on myself and that I was doing fine. The children I taught would be "the lucky ones", they said. So I stuck with it through all my wobbles, my family standing by me throughout.
My OH has been so supportive and patient throughout and my young children have stood up well to being sidelined by me far too often for work at the weekend (which I feel awful about, by the way).
I was incredibly lucky to get a part time NQT position in a wonderful school. But I'm struggling in a very big way. I'm now convincing myself that I've made the biggest, longest and costliest mistake of my life. My OH has just found me in tears and I've admitted it to him. He's having none of it and trying to say all the right things. He's supported me to the hilt through the PGCE and thus far, financially, practically and emotionally and admitting that I'm not sure how much further I can take this before admitting defeat hurt. He's shell-shocked.
I wanted to be wonderful. Others convinced me that I would be, even if I wasn't quite there yet. But now I think that wouldn't want this person teaching my own children and I can't bear the thought of letting other people's children down either.
Should I speak with anyone at school about how I'm feeling? I shall probably end up in tears and because I'm part time and working most breaktimes I don't really know anyone that well yet, although they are a lovely bunch. How much sympathy will they have though if they have entrusted me to join their staff and I admit how I'm struggling and feeling?
whoatetheflakes in "anyone else given up everything to do this and thinks they've made a huge mistake?"
The school I teach in isn't a 'tough' school in the bigger scheme of things, but couldn't really be descrobed as an easy school either.
Even though I'm already too long in the tooth to be nervous, Im really not looking forward to the next two weeks, as two classes in particular just seem so diifcult to control.
The worst ones in there ignore what I say (however it is said or put), answer back and refuse to work. I feel there is onyl limyed sympathy from other staff because some dont have such problems or deny behaviour is so bad, even though I've seen them in similar positions.
It is a scary feeling when you are starting to feel like you have little control over certain pupils, even if they aren't that horrible. Surely the afct that they behave like this at all shows what they are like.
I really dont think I want to stay in this situation--or perhaps in etaching full stop-its really knocked me.Starting to get that humiliated feelign because there is so much rebellion...what can i do,, what had caused this?
nomorebull in "I want out NOW-losing control by the hour"
I'm afraid teaching is just not what i expected it to be. I am a teacher trainee on a SCITT course and now seriously thinking of quitting. I do not like the work/life balance and every day is now becomming a real struggleThe annoying thing is i have received really positive feedback from observations therefore it is not like i am not capable.I am caught in two minds whether to stick in through and use my PGCE in an alternative career in July. Or be straight with myself now and bin it.Has anyone been through this situation. Any other advice really would be warmly received? Thanks
teachteach85 in "throwing the towel in"
I am an NQT on a permanent contract in my first term of induction. I am having a very difficult time at school due to many factors (very difficult school, the worst classes, pupils with acute behavioural difficulties, no support, etc etc) and I think I have decided to leave. I just don’t think I can stand it any more. I am applying for jobs in FE. Would I be able to complete induction in an FE college? I have heard conflicting advice on this. I understand induction can be completed in Sixth Form but not FE colleges? Is this right?Also what would the chances be of leaving before Easter? I just feel that I have no option but to leave. I can’t face the thought of staying until summer. Also I have seen a job in FE that would really suit me and obviously if I wait this job will be gone. Please any advice!
DHS22 in "Leaving in NQT year"
Hi all
Some of you may have read about my problems with a violent child and no support from head. So I contacted my union and all along they have been supporting me and saying that this that and the other needs to be in place and it is unreasonable to put it all on me...
Just over 2 weeks ago I was signed off sick. Since then the child has kicked off for everyone inc. head so she finally decided to exclude him and is getting agencies and support into place (which is good). But my union rep still decided to come in as a 'support' to me. He told me he would meet with me first and then we would meet with the head together to discuss support. Well he turns up and meets with the head on his own. I'm then told to go and speak to him on my own and I am told that I should feel lucky that I work in such a supportive school with such a caring head and implied that if I were in another school I would have had formal proceedings against me and that teaching is not for everything. Can you imagine how I am feeling about myself right now? Especially as I was signed off with depression! Maybe I am no good and give in and leave the whole profession.
A thoroughly miserable Joobs.
Joobs06 in My union was awful!
I have decided headship is not for me. I have taken a school out of a category and raised results, improved attendance and reduced exclusions.
This is however at expense of family life. Last few months I have been ill but feel I can't take time off. I took one day off this week with pure exhaustion but then felt so guilty I went straight backto work on wednesday.
Have now applied for jobs outside of headship. Feel a failure for doing so, but feel so unsupported by LA that its just not worth it anymore
Brandy Butter in another one bites the dust
Hi I have made a poor start to the academic year this September. So far I have had 3 observations-Unsatisfactory, Satisfactory, Unsatisfactory. This has really affected my confidence as a teacher, and I have prepared a letter of resignation to resign for Christmas. My HOD who is also my mentor has been promoted internally this academic year, and the feedback he gave me for the first observation was very harsh with little or no constructive feedback. He is also learning the job, and he questions my Subject knowledge as my main subject is Business, and this is an ICT position. I had a meeting with the HOD, Professional Tutor and Deputy Head at end of Oct to say they had serious concerns i was not meeting some of the core standards, and they have prepared an Action Plan for me, external training, inhouse training etc. I feel that although the HOD/mentor is supportive, there is no concrete support there. He is very critical which makes me feel incompetent. I will be observed my the Headteacher on Wed 5th Dec, then again on Mon 10th dec by the HOD. I am stressed out, and I have a genuine extenuating circumstances outside of work which I dont want to talk about. I am passionate about teaching, and Im thinking this was probably the wrong year to start Induction, and perhaps in the wrong school. Any advice will be much appreciated. Thanks
savos07 in "seriously considering resigning nqt induction year"
Can anyone give me any advice?
I love teaching and I love the kids that I teach (11-18). However, I just know that I can not work at the school that I am at next year, this is because of the management and how it is run, it is not the school for me. I am going to start looking for jobs, but when do I tell the head? Do I tell the head that I am looking? Do I just say when I have an interview? When do they ask for references? I do not want to make things difficult for myself. I am an NQT so this is all new to me.
taffymatty in "How do you tell the school that I want to leave?"
i am currently extremely stressed out due to being 'bullied' and constantly being told that i'm unsatisfactory if Ofsted was here by the Head and Mentor.'ve been trying my level best to do everthing (planning, displays, assessment etc) but there is ALWAYS something negative for them to say. i feel less motivated, on a Sunday i spend all day 'crying' because i don't want to go school. i'm an NQT and because i loved teaching i'm still there. But i can't take it anymore i just want to leave!! do you think it will be hard for me to find a job elsewhere?
03150579 in "NQT- hate my first term! want to quit. please help"
I have been observed by my headteacher today who graded me as inadequate according to Ofsted criteria, because the plenary did not check the lerning of the content of the lesson, although he liked it as a concept for a starter. I didn;t agree with this as I had planned the lesson with the HOD who suggested the plenary for extended learning as part of the H/W. I just feel demoralised, and feel like this isn't working and that I am in the wrong profession. I told the head I am disheartened, and he reassured me to hang in there. He said 60% of the lesson was satisfactory, just the plenary and making sure that I give clear instructions as he felt some of the kids were confused about the task. The head reassured me that I'm not far off, and only in my first term. Every morning I get up and think 'Why am I doing this?'. I am tired, stressed out and my confidence is low as a teacher. I dont think ill be back after christmas. Any advice will be much appreciated.
savos07 in "failed my first term and wanna quit"
In England, schools give bad references
British schools are well known for giving bad references. Be wary lest you risk ruining your reputation.
I have had many problems with HoD and I really think now that I can't bear to work with him any longer. I certainly do not work till midnight almost every day to be shouted at by HoD. I make mistakes but some of them are really minor and it costs far less time to actually solve them that to get a preaching why I made them in the first place. There is so much pressure and I just can't do everything right.
Anyway, I want to get out by April, but I don't know if I will survive with him so long. Last year another member of staff got really depressed because of the treatment she received and I just don't want to risk that this happens to me as well. So I am considering asking to be released early from my contract.
However, I am very worried about references as I am sure I will not get a decent one (even if I leave in April). I would like to quit now and do supply for a while. Do you think it would be easy to get supply work without having good references? (or even getting a new job?). I am really stressed out as I think my careear is ruined just because I will not be able to get good references... Did anyone find a job after leaving a school they hated and where they got bad references?
visiting in bad reference
i was given an awful refernce from my last school, i asked to see it and i just burst into tears because it was just dreadful..i wouldn't have employed me! however i had two interviews and was offered both jobs! it just goes to show that people are willing to see what you are like in person and not judge you too much on what other people have written about you. if you are not happy then just get out now, if you are a good teacher you will manage to get a new job. best of luck x
phuzz in bad reference
hi,
I don't know if this will work but my last school were famous for giving rubbish references and some people who were really good felt stuck there because of it. I was desperate to leave the festering pile of asbestos which they called a school. So I just put down a nice (senior) member of staff's name for the reference.
Then at the interview - I explained what I had done and my reasons very very briefly so i didn't look as though I was bad mouthing the school and said I had done it because I really wanted an oppurtunity...bla bla bla. It was all the truth and I got the jobs :)
also, if it's your HoD and he is known to be a d*ck then finger crossed the head will know better than to pass the reference on to him.
miss303 in bad reference
I have had many problems with HoD and I really think now that I can't bear to work with him any longer. I certainly do not work till midnight almost every day to be shouted at by HoD. I make mistakes but some of them are really minor and it costs far less time to actually solve them that to get a preaching why I made them in the first place. There is so much pressure and I just can't do everything right.
Anyway, I want to get out by April, but I don't know if I will survive with him so long. Last year another member of staff got really depressed because of the treatment she received and I just don't want to risk that this happens to me as well. So I am considering asking to be released early from my contract.
However, I am very worried about references as I am sure I will not get a decent one (even if I leave in April). I would like to quit now and do supply for a while. Do you think it would be easy to get supply work without having good references? (or even getting a new job?). I am really stressed out as I think my careear is ruined just because I will not be able to get good references... Did anyone find a job after leaving a school they hated and where they got bad references?
visiting in bad reference
i was given an awful refernce from my last school, i asked to see it and i just burst into tears because it was just dreadful..i wouldn't have employed me! however i had two interviews and was offered both jobs! it just goes to show that people are willing to see what you are like in person and not judge you too much on what other people have written about you. if you are not happy then just get out now, if you are a good teacher you will manage to get a new job. best of luck x
phuzz in bad reference
hi,
I don't know if this will work but my last school were famous for giving rubbish references and some people who were really good felt stuck there because of it. I was desperate to leave the festering pile of asbestos which they called a school. So I just put down a nice (senior) member of staff's name for the reference.
Then at the interview - I explained what I had done and my reasons very very briefly so i didn't look as though I was bad mouthing the school and said I had done it because I really wanted an oppurtunity...bla bla bla. It was all the truth and I got the jobs :)
also, if it's your HoD and he is known to be a d*ck then finger crossed the head will know better than to pass the reference on to him.
miss303 in bad reference
QTS - Assessment Only Route
Source
The Assessment Only Route is intended for experienced teachers who have been teaching for some time but do not have Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). There is no training associated with this option. Candidates are required to have the full support of the headteacher of the school in which they are employed.
Candidates are recommended for QTS on the basis of a portfolio of evidence which should demonstrate that they have met the professional standards for QTS, as set out in 'Qualifying to Teach', published by the training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA - www.tda.gov.uk). All candidates are required to provide documentary evidence of their competence in teaching across two consecutive key stages. For example: Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1; Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4.
Following the submission of the portfolio there is an assessment visit to the candidate at his/her school to verify the information contained in the portfolio of evidence and to observe the candidate teach. The assessment visit normally lasts for the whole of one school day. In primary schools, the lessons are likely to be with the same class, but for candidates teaching in secondary schools there should be the opportunity for the assessor to observe lessons from two key stages.
The Assessment Only route is available for Primary and Secondary candidates. All applicants must be educated to degree level and must have GSCE passes at Grade C or above (or a recognised equivalent qualification) in English and mathematic. For primary teachers, it is an additional requirement that they have a science GCSE at grade C or above, or a recognised equivalent qualification.
Although applicants must be educated to degree level, the award of QTS following assessment does not carry the award of PGCE.
Applications are accepted at any time of the year and the process can be completed during any term. The time taken to complete the route is variable, but generally takes about one calendar year from registration. Fees are normally covered by the TDA.
For further information please contact:
QTS (Assessment only) Administrator
Department of Education
University of Gloucestershire
Francis Close Hall
Swindon Road
Cheltenham
GL50 4AZ
Tel: 01242 714852
Email: qtsassessmentonly@glos.ac.uk
The Assessment Only Route is intended for experienced teachers who have been teaching for some time but do not have Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). There is no training associated with this option. Candidates are required to have the full support of the headteacher of the school in which they are employed.
Candidates are recommended for QTS on the basis of a portfolio of evidence which should demonstrate that they have met the professional standards for QTS, as set out in 'Qualifying to Teach', published by the training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA - www.tda.gov.uk). All candidates are required to provide documentary evidence of their competence in teaching across two consecutive key stages. For example: Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1; Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4.
Following the submission of the portfolio there is an assessment visit to the candidate at his/her school to verify the information contained in the portfolio of evidence and to observe the candidate teach. The assessment visit normally lasts for the whole of one school day. In primary schools, the lessons are likely to be with the same class, but for candidates teaching in secondary schools there should be the opportunity for the assessor to observe lessons from two key stages.
The Assessment Only route is available for Primary and Secondary candidates. All applicants must be educated to degree level and must have GSCE passes at Grade C or above (or a recognised equivalent qualification) in English and mathematic. For primary teachers, it is an additional requirement that they have a science GCSE at grade C or above, or a recognised equivalent qualification.
Although applicants must be educated to degree level, the award of QTS following assessment does not carry the award of PGCE.
Applications are accepted at any time of the year and the process can be completed during any term. The time taken to complete the route is variable, but generally takes about one calendar year from registration. Fees are normally covered by the TDA.
For further information please contact:
QTS (Assessment only) Administrator
Department of Education
University of Gloucestershire
Francis Close Hall
Swindon Road
Cheltenham
GL50 4AZ
Tel: 01242 714852
Email: qtsassessmentonly@glos.ac.uk
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
In England, Inspection pressure 'drives teachers to suicide'
Graeme Paton, telegraph.co.uk
April 11, 2007
Teachers are being driven to suicide because of pressure from school inspectors, it was claimed yesterday.
Others are becoming hooked on drink and drugs or developing eating disorders after being swamped by work, according to the National Union of Teachers.
At the union's annual conference in Harrogate, teachers told how they had been reduced to tears in the classroom and warned that colleagues had taken their lives after working up to 90 hours a week.
One head teacher committed suicide just two months after quitting because of a critical inspection by Ofsted, the education watchdog.
Another teacher disappeared on the morning she was due to face Government inspectors and was found dead more than 10 months later in parkland.
A snapshot survey of primary and secondary school teachers in Nottingham, which was presented to the conference, revealed that a third resort to drugs, drink, smoking or binge eating to help them cope. One in 15 takes prescribed medication to get through the day, said the survey of 140 teachers
John Illingworth, former president of the NUT and a Nottingham headteacher, took early retirement after suffering a nervous breakdown in 2005.
He told the conference: "Teachers driven to the point of exhaustion and breakdown cannot be good for the children we teach.
"It is hard to imagine the emotional turmoil that drives a teacher to take their own life rather than face an Ofsted inspection. We are living in an education reign of terror and we must put a stop to it now."
Ian Murch, the NUT treasurer, said: "It is a scandal of huge proportions the way teachers are chewed up and spat out by our education system."
Magenta Stonestreet, a psychology teacher from North Tyneside, told the conference how she struggled with depression and was forced to take four months off work through illness.
"One of the things which I think was good is that I managed to get the kids out of the classroom the other day before I cried," she said.
Mr Illingworth told the conference that he had received letters from teachers who had suffered similar problems. One was from the wife of a head teacher who revealed that her husband became depressed after a critical school inspection.
Reading from the letter, Mr Illingworth said the head teacher did not want to give up the job because he wanted to prove himself again. "He never believed he was any good any more," said the letter.
"Eventually after many bad nights of screaming and shaking, he gave up and could not get out of bed to go to work. He retired six months later."
It added: "He was a complete mental mess. The day his job was filled I now see he had given up on life altogether. Two months later he ended it."
For many years, teachers have complained that the stress of Ofsted has been too much to bear.
In 2000, an inquest into the drowning of Pamela Relf, who taught at Middlefield Primary School, Cambridgeshire, heard that she had been depressed for some time, but broke down in tears after criticism from inspectors.
She left a handwritten note which said: "I am now finding the stress of my job too much. The pace of work and the long days are more than I can do."
The NUT said it had written to Beverley Hughes, the children's minister, requesting a meeting to discuss the problem of stress, but had been refused.
April 11, 2007
Teachers are being driven to suicide because of pressure from school inspectors, it was claimed yesterday.
Others are becoming hooked on drink and drugs or developing eating disorders after being swamped by work, according to the National Union of Teachers.
At the union's annual conference in Harrogate, teachers told how they had been reduced to tears in the classroom and warned that colleagues had taken their lives after working up to 90 hours a week.
One head teacher committed suicide just two months after quitting because of a critical inspection by Ofsted, the education watchdog.
Another teacher disappeared on the morning she was due to face Government inspectors and was found dead more than 10 months later in parkland.
A snapshot survey of primary and secondary school teachers in Nottingham, which was presented to the conference, revealed that a third resort to drugs, drink, smoking or binge eating to help them cope. One in 15 takes prescribed medication to get through the day, said the survey of 140 teachers
John Illingworth, former president of the NUT and a Nottingham headteacher, took early retirement after suffering a nervous breakdown in 2005.
He told the conference: "Teachers driven to the point of exhaustion and breakdown cannot be good for the children we teach.
"It is hard to imagine the emotional turmoil that drives a teacher to take their own life rather than face an Ofsted inspection. We are living in an education reign of terror and we must put a stop to it now."
Ian Murch, the NUT treasurer, said: "It is a scandal of huge proportions the way teachers are chewed up and spat out by our education system."
Magenta Stonestreet, a psychology teacher from North Tyneside, told the conference how she struggled with depression and was forced to take four months off work through illness.
"One of the things which I think was good is that I managed to get the kids out of the classroom the other day before I cried," she said.
Mr Illingworth told the conference that he had received letters from teachers who had suffered similar problems. One was from the wife of a head teacher who revealed that her husband became depressed after a critical school inspection.
Reading from the letter, Mr Illingworth said the head teacher did not want to give up the job because he wanted to prove himself again. "He never believed he was any good any more," said the letter.
"Eventually after many bad nights of screaming and shaking, he gave up and could not get out of bed to go to work. He retired six months later."
It added: "He was a complete mental mess. The day his job was filled I now see he had given up on life altogether. Two months later he ended it."
For many years, teachers have complained that the stress of Ofsted has been too much to bear.
In 2000, an inquest into the drowning of Pamela Relf, who taught at Middlefield Primary School, Cambridgeshire, heard that she had been depressed for some time, but broke down in tears after criticism from inspectors.
She left a handwritten note which said: "I am now finding the stress of my job too much. The pace of work and the long days are more than I can do."
The NUT said it had written to Beverley Hughes, the children's minister, requesting a meeting to discuss the problem of stress, but had been refused.
Headteacher found dead in burnt-out car after 'suicide'
thisislondon.co.uk
January 10, 2007
A headteacher has been found dead in an apparent suicide after being suspended from her job. Nassim Akhtar, who had five children, was discovered in the back seat of her burnt-out car close to a country road.
Just a few hours earlier she had called her husband to say: 'I'm going for a drive, can you pick up the girls from school? I'll be back soon.'
Mrs Akhtar had taken over as headmistress of an inner- city primary school just a few months earlier and was well respected by staff.
But she was suspended on full pay from the £70,000-a-year post over 'management issues'. Three weeks later she was dead.
Mrs Akhtar is said to have been in despair over money problems and become more depressed and anxious.
Her husband Jameel is devastated by the death of his wife who was described as 'a dedicated and inspirational woman'.
Her family and friends said she had been delighted to take over at Cheetwood Community Primary School, in Manchester, last September.
She was previously deputy head at Bradley Primary School in Nelson, Lancashire, and a teacher at Walter Street Primary School near her home in Brierfield.
Mohammad Feroz, a family friend, added: 'Nassim was over the moon when she was appointed head of the school. She was a very intelligent person and a very good teacher.
'She was determined to make the school a model one.'
Her sister Nasreen Din said: 'She was a wonderful sister and a dedicated and inspirational teacher.
'She was hard working and will be missed by her family.'
Mrs Akhtar was suspended from her new job just three months after she started.
Sources say she had clashed with education bosses over how the school should be run.
She had started an appeal against her suspension and her representative from the National Association of Headteachers was due to meet Manchester City Council's educationbosses earlier this week. But before the meeting could take place she drove to a spot near Altham in Lancashire, where it is believed she may have set fire to her Toyota Previa.
Mrs Akhtar, mother to Aamina, 11, Haleema, seven, Sabina, six, Qamar, two and Falaq, seven months, died of smoke inhalation.
Her death has been referred to the coroner.
Detective Inspector Paul Withers from Blackburn CID said: 'Mrs Akhtar was depressed because of her suspension and also because of financial difficulties.'
Sarah Watson, headmistress of Walter Street Primary, said: 'Most people will remember her for her boundless energy and endless enthusiasm. She was always on the go and was a real asset to the school.
'You just do not expect to hear such dreadful news and all of our thoughts are with her family.'
Richard O'Sullivan, headmaster at Bradley Street Primary, said: 'She was a determined and dedicated teacher and she made a great contribution to this school.'
Pauline Newman, Manchester City Council's director of Children's Services, said: 'We were shocked and very saddened to hear the news of Nassim's death and want to extend our most sincere condolences to her family and friends at what must be a very difficult time for them.'
January 10, 2007
A headteacher has been found dead in an apparent suicide after being suspended from her job. Nassim Akhtar, who had five children, was discovered in the back seat of her burnt-out car close to a country road.
Just a few hours earlier she had called her husband to say: 'I'm going for a drive, can you pick up the girls from school? I'll be back soon.'
Mrs Akhtar had taken over as headmistress of an inner- city primary school just a few months earlier and was well respected by staff.
But she was suspended on full pay from the £70,000-a-year post over 'management issues'. Three weeks later she was dead.
Mrs Akhtar is said to have been in despair over money problems and become more depressed and anxious.
Her husband Jameel is devastated by the death of his wife who was described as 'a dedicated and inspirational woman'.
Her family and friends said she had been delighted to take over at Cheetwood Community Primary School, in Manchester, last September.
She was previously deputy head at Bradley Primary School in Nelson, Lancashire, and a teacher at Walter Street Primary School near her home in Brierfield.
Mohammad Feroz, a family friend, added: 'Nassim was over the moon when she was appointed head of the school. She was a very intelligent person and a very good teacher.
'She was determined to make the school a model one.'
Her sister Nasreen Din said: 'She was a wonderful sister and a dedicated and inspirational teacher.
'She was hard working and will be missed by her family.'
Mrs Akhtar was suspended from her new job just three months after she started.
Sources say she had clashed with education bosses over how the school should be run.
She had started an appeal against her suspension and her representative from the National Association of Headteachers was due to meet Manchester City Council's educationbosses earlier this week. But before the meeting could take place she drove to a spot near Altham in Lancashire, where it is believed she may have set fire to her Toyota Previa.
Mrs Akhtar, mother to Aamina, 11, Haleema, seven, Sabina, six, Qamar, two and Falaq, seven months, died of smoke inhalation.
Her death has been referred to the coroner.
Detective Inspector Paul Withers from Blackburn CID said: 'Mrs Akhtar was depressed because of her suspension and also because of financial difficulties.'
Sarah Watson, headmistress of Walter Street Primary, said: 'Most people will remember her for her boundless energy and endless enthusiasm. She was always on the go and was a real asset to the school.
'You just do not expect to hear such dreadful news and all of our thoughts are with her family.'
Richard O'Sullivan, headmaster at Bradley Street Primary, said: 'She was a determined and dedicated teacher and she made a great contribution to this school.'
Pauline Newman, Manchester City Council's director of Children's Services, said: 'We were shocked and very saddened to hear the news of Nassim's death and want to extend our most sincere condolences to her family and friends at what must be a very difficult time for them.'
How to Fight Against Bullying in Schools
The disastrous impact of school disciplinary processes upon the individual accused was highlighted here a few weeks ago, and struck a chord with many users of the TES website. In response to this, TES reader E.A. Francis explains how you can protect yourself against such harmful claims. Source: TES
Established and experienced teachers are being forced out of their chosen vocation, through what they have described as malicious and fabricated allegations against them by their colleagues.
So what can you do to help yourself?
Here is a check list to help you to protect yourself:
1. Have you got every single accusation in writing? If not, the procedure must not continue.
2. Do you still have to work with your accuser? If so, why is this being allowed?
3. Contact your union. If they are unhelpful, call an Employment Solicitor. Ensure you are talking to a solicitor who specialises in Employment Law. You can telephone around and ask the receptionists in Law Firms. They may even be able to recommend a local EL solicitor, should they not specialise themselves.
"Do not discuss this with any member of staff, no matter how friendly you are with them. Moral cowardice kicks in because people will be frightened of their own careers and will not want to be seen supporting you."
Do not be afraid of doing this. If you know these allegations are unfounded, do something immediately. Do not wait around to get more and more ill. A solicitor has the potential and the understanding to reassure you within your first free-of-charge half an hour.
4. If your union is helpful, still call a solicitor for the same reasons. Unions have their limitations, Employment Law lawyers do not. It is a possibility that your union representative wants a quick conclusion. This usually means a quiet resignation. The first meeting with a solicitor is free of charge. Should you appoint a solicitor, you will receive an estimation of costs. Most will be around £500-£800, providing things do not get complicated. It will be the best £500 you have ever spent.
5. It will doubtless get to the point of organising a Compromise Agreement and your solicitor will negotiate a lump sum of ‘hush’ money way over the amount of their bill. The most valuable input they will have is to ensure every stage of the process is being carried out lawfully. They are also able to link your situation with breaches in Acts of Parliament or the school’s own policy document.
6. Do you have a copy of the school’s grievance and disciplinary procedure? If not, do not proceed until you do. When you have this procedure, ensure it is being followed to the letter throughout the entire process because it probably will not be. Show this to your solicitor.
7. Do not discuss this with any member of staff, no matter how friendly you are with them. Moral cowardice kicks in because people will be frightened of their own careers and will not want to be seen supporting you. This is not wrong, it is human nature. If they are brave and support you, they may be ‘warned off’ doing so. You will feel isolated and alone, but if you know this is going to happen, you are better prepared for it.
8. Do you have someone to attend the first meeting with you? You can take either your union representative or a colleague. Some people may not even be in a union, but do not worry. Join one straight away; they will not help you, but you but you can at least copy all of your letters to them. The union may have a hardship fund to help you with legal costs, even if you have only just joined.
"Take your own minutes, preferably taken by your companion, and make notes yourself. Pass these on, with the minutes from HR or SMT, to your union and solicitor. Trust me, they will differ."
9. Request the form and fill it in. Be careful who you select, should you need a colleague to attend the meetings. You may have to ask a number of them, as they could say no. What you must bear in mind is that they now know what you are being put through, so they must understand that confidentiality is paramount. This need not be leaked at all. There will be witnesses and they may be biased against you, so if it is becomes common knowledge around the school, ensure it is not because of you. If you have not found a companion, do not attend any interview until you do.
10. Do not be afraid to refuse to answer a question put to you; neither should you worry about being unable to answer a question. You may be asked about something you cannot recall. Fine, say so. If you are unsure of a question, make notes to your companion. If you are still unsure, do not answer the question.
11. Take your own minutes, preferably taken by your companion, and make notes yourself. Pass these on, with the minutes from HR or SMT, to your union and solicitor. Trust me, they will differ. Subtle changes in emphasis could mean the difference between you sounding frustrated and you sounding aggressive. Benign words or questions you have asked may be conveniently altered. For example, you could ask who supported the ‘aggrieved’ within the school. The investigators could ask you who suspect. You offer a few names as thoughts. The people may then be told you claimed they were supportive and how do they feel about that? Emphasis changed, another person aggrieved. Do not accept the minutes until you agree with them. Then and only then, sign them.
12. You will receive a copy of the grievance report and its findings. Ensure you agree with the accounts of your meetings. If you consider any part of the first report to be biased against you, allow your solicitor to write a letter to the school and refuse to continue in the process until you feel you are being reported on fairly and without bias.
13. If a hearing is decided upon, ensure the reasons for this hearing are set in writing and are just. If you haven’t already, visit your doctor, because by this time you will not be able to eat, sleep or function normally, and listen to their advice.
"Stop worrying about future employers, your reputation, what others are thinking and, more importantly, stop any feelings of guilt. There is life after that school."
14. If you are suspended prior to the hearing, do not accept that you are unable to collect your property. Remember, this is staff against staff. If you have not committed an act of abuse towards anyone then why are you still there in the first place? If you are suspended, contact your solicitor immediately and question the legalities of the suspension. If you are advised by your doctor to remain away from work at any point during the procedure, take that advice. Listen to your doctor. Do not struggle in because you fear the worst if you do not attend work. The worst has happened anyway.
15. Do not resign before the hearing; you may be advised by SMT to do just that. Don’t, unless you are negotiating a Compromise Agreement you are happy with, via your solicitor.
16. Do not be fobbed off with a promise of payment to the end of the term if you resign immediately. You may be tempted by the promise of an excellent reference and pay to the end of term. Do not accept it.
17. If you do not agree with the outcome of the hearing, appeal against the decision. You should have fourteen days in which to do this. Talk to your solicitor. If the appeal is upheld, revisit your doctor and seek their advice.
18. If you honestly believe you have been set up in any way, shape or form, submit a grievance against your school. Your solicitor will help you do this. Send it to the person responsible for all school governors within the LEA. If you send it to the school, the Head Teacher will doubtless open it.
19. Sit back, take your doctor’s advice and leave everything up to your solicitor. By this time, their solicitor will be negotiating with yours. Wait for an outcome and trust your solicitor to get a fair result.
20. If your solicitor suggests a tribunal, listen to them. Do not roll over and play dead. The more people act in this way, the less confident SMTs will be about using this system to get shot of you.
Stop worrying about future employers, your reputation, what others are thinking and, more importantly, stop any feelings of guilt. Concentrate on getting emotionally strong again and regaining your health. There is life after that school.
In order to continue raising awareness, people have to share accounts. Once the problems are widely recognised, current policy has more chance of being evaluatated and positive change can be affected carefully but definitely.
"It will mean the difference between you saying, "They broke me and you lost my job due to having to resign and then my career went" and you saying "They tried to break me and the outcome of the Compromise Agreement was negotiated on my terms. I then had a break and got another job"."
The most important factor is to not get so ill that you lose your ability and your will to fight against what you believe is corruption. If you search your heart and still find what has happened to you to be unfounded in any shape or form, stand up and refuse to accept this miscarriage of justice. You will leave the school, but how you leave will determine your recovery.
It will mean the difference between you saying, “They broke me and you lost my job due to having to resign and then my career went” and you saying “They tried to break me and the outcome of the Compromise Agreement was negotiated on my terms. I then had a break and got another job.”
I would like to highlight support systems already available for those suffering at this time.
www.bullyonline.org
This website offers support, advice and guidance and makes you appreciate that you are simply one out of thousands.
www.acas.org.uk
For excellent broad advice including mediation (waiting lists are long for mediation).
www.adviceguide.org.uk/what_you_need_to_know_dealing_with_grievances.doc
Here you can download valuable information from the CAB.
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/care4teachers/#detail
Here, you can sign a petition requesting a fairer deal from Head Teachers.
www.TeacherStress.co.uk
www.ruined-damaged-destroyed@hotmail.co.uk
Email address for those who need to let off steam or link with others by email, to form a self-help group. If there is any advice we can offer, we will. (We do know our limitations and will refer you to appropriate sites if your problem is complicated). Simply having an empathic ear can be enough for some and a life saver for others.
Established and experienced teachers are being forced out of their chosen vocation, through what they have described as malicious and fabricated allegations against them by their colleagues.
So what can you do to help yourself?
Here is a check list to help you to protect yourself:
1. Have you got every single accusation in writing? If not, the procedure must not continue.
2. Do you still have to work with your accuser? If so, why is this being allowed?
3. Contact your union. If they are unhelpful, call an Employment Solicitor. Ensure you are talking to a solicitor who specialises in Employment Law. You can telephone around and ask the receptionists in Law Firms. They may even be able to recommend a local EL solicitor, should they not specialise themselves.
"Do not discuss this with any member of staff, no matter how friendly you are with them. Moral cowardice kicks in because people will be frightened of their own careers and will not want to be seen supporting you."
Do not be afraid of doing this. If you know these allegations are unfounded, do something immediately. Do not wait around to get more and more ill. A solicitor has the potential and the understanding to reassure you within your first free-of-charge half an hour.
4. If your union is helpful, still call a solicitor for the same reasons. Unions have their limitations, Employment Law lawyers do not. It is a possibility that your union representative wants a quick conclusion. This usually means a quiet resignation. The first meeting with a solicitor is free of charge. Should you appoint a solicitor, you will receive an estimation of costs. Most will be around £500-£800, providing things do not get complicated. It will be the best £500 you have ever spent.
5. It will doubtless get to the point of organising a Compromise Agreement and your solicitor will negotiate a lump sum of ‘hush’ money way over the amount of their bill. The most valuable input they will have is to ensure every stage of the process is being carried out lawfully. They are also able to link your situation with breaches in Acts of Parliament or the school’s own policy document.
6. Do you have a copy of the school’s grievance and disciplinary procedure? If not, do not proceed until you do. When you have this procedure, ensure it is being followed to the letter throughout the entire process because it probably will not be. Show this to your solicitor.
7. Do not discuss this with any member of staff, no matter how friendly you are with them. Moral cowardice kicks in because people will be frightened of their own careers and will not want to be seen supporting you. This is not wrong, it is human nature. If they are brave and support you, they may be ‘warned off’ doing so. You will feel isolated and alone, but if you know this is going to happen, you are better prepared for it.
8. Do you have someone to attend the first meeting with you? You can take either your union representative or a colleague. Some people may not even be in a union, but do not worry. Join one straight away; they will not help you, but you but you can at least copy all of your letters to them. The union may have a hardship fund to help you with legal costs, even if you have only just joined.
"Take your own minutes, preferably taken by your companion, and make notes yourself. Pass these on, with the minutes from HR or SMT, to your union and solicitor. Trust me, they will differ."
9. Request the form and fill it in. Be careful who you select, should you need a colleague to attend the meetings. You may have to ask a number of them, as they could say no. What you must bear in mind is that they now know what you are being put through, so they must understand that confidentiality is paramount. This need not be leaked at all. There will be witnesses and they may be biased against you, so if it is becomes common knowledge around the school, ensure it is not because of you. If you have not found a companion, do not attend any interview until you do.
10. Do not be afraid to refuse to answer a question put to you; neither should you worry about being unable to answer a question. You may be asked about something you cannot recall. Fine, say so. If you are unsure of a question, make notes to your companion. If you are still unsure, do not answer the question.
11. Take your own minutes, preferably taken by your companion, and make notes yourself. Pass these on, with the minutes from HR or SMT, to your union and solicitor. Trust me, they will differ. Subtle changes in emphasis could mean the difference between you sounding frustrated and you sounding aggressive. Benign words or questions you have asked may be conveniently altered. For example, you could ask who supported the ‘aggrieved’ within the school. The investigators could ask you who suspect. You offer a few names as thoughts. The people may then be told you claimed they were supportive and how do they feel about that? Emphasis changed, another person aggrieved. Do not accept the minutes until you agree with them. Then and only then, sign them.
12. You will receive a copy of the grievance report and its findings. Ensure you agree with the accounts of your meetings. If you consider any part of the first report to be biased against you, allow your solicitor to write a letter to the school and refuse to continue in the process until you feel you are being reported on fairly and without bias.
13. If a hearing is decided upon, ensure the reasons for this hearing are set in writing and are just. If you haven’t already, visit your doctor, because by this time you will not be able to eat, sleep or function normally, and listen to their advice.
"Stop worrying about future employers, your reputation, what others are thinking and, more importantly, stop any feelings of guilt. There is life after that school."
14. If you are suspended prior to the hearing, do not accept that you are unable to collect your property. Remember, this is staff against staff. If you have not committed an act of abuse towards anyone then why are you still there in the first place? If you are suspended, contact your solicitor immediately and question the legalities of the suspension. If you are advised by your doctor to remain away from work at any point during the procedure, take that advice. Listen to your doctor. Do not struggle in because you fear the worst if you do not attend work. The worst has happened anyway.
15. Do not resign before the hearing; you may be advised by SMT to do just that. Don’t, unless you are negotiating a Compromise Agreement you are happy with, via your solicitor.
16. Do not be fobbed off with a promise of payment to the end of the term if you resign immediately. You may be tempted by the promise of an excellent reference and pay to the end of term. Do not accept it.
17. If you do not agree with the outcome of the hearing, appeal against the decision. You should have fourteen days in which to do this. Talk to your solicitor. If the appeal is upheld, revisit your doctor and seek their advice.
18. If you honestly believe you have been set up in any way, shape or form, submit a grievance against your school. Your solicitor will help you do this. Send it to the person responsible for all school governors within the LEA. If you send it to the school, the Head Teacher will doubtless open it.
19. Sit back, take your doctor’s advice and leave everything up to your solicitor. By this time, their solicitor will be negotiating with yours. Wait for an outcome and trust your solicitor to get a fair result.
20. If your solicitor suggests a tribunal, listen to them. Do not roll over and play dead. The more people act in this way, the less confident SMTs will be about using this system to get shot of you.
Stop worrying about future employers, your reputation, what others are thinking and, more importantly, stop any feelings of guilt. Concentrate on getting emotionally strong again and regaining your health. There is life after that school.
In order to continue raising awareness, people have to share accounts. Once the problems are widely recognised, current policy has more chance of being evaluatated and positive change can be affected carefully but definitely.
"It will mean the difference between you saying, "They broke me and you lost my job due to having to resign and then my career went" and you saying "They tried to break me and the outcome of the Compromise Agreement was negotiated on my terms. I then had a break and got another job"."
The most important factor is to not get so ill that you lose your ability and your will to fight against what you believe is corruption. If you search your heart and still find what has happened to you to be unfounded in any shape or form, stand up and refuse to accept this miscarriage of justice. You will leave the school, but how you leave will determine your recovery.
It will mean the difference between you saying, “They broke me and you lost my job due to having to resign and then my career went” and you saying “They tried to break me and the outcome of the Compromise Agreement was negotiated on my terms. I then had a break and got another job.”
I would like to highlight support systems already available for those suffering at this time.
www.bullyonline.org
This website offers support, advice and guidance and makes you appreciate that you are simply one out of thousands.
www.acas.org.uk
For excellent broad advice including mediation (waiting lists are long for mediation).
www.adviceguide.org.uk/what_you_need_to_know_dealing_with_grievances.doc
Here you can download valuable information from the CAB.
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/care4teachers/#detail
Here, you can sign a petition requesting a fairer deal from Head Teachers.
www.TeacherStress.co.uk
www.ruined-damaged-destroyed@hotmail.co.uk
Email address for those who need to let off steam or link with others by email, to form a self-help group. If there is any advice we can offer, we will. (We do know our limitations and will refer you to appropriate sites if your problem is complicated). Simply having an empathic ear can be enough for some and a life saver for others.
In England, the students control the classrooms
Are teachers helpless to control their class due to endless government rules, asks TES reader Anna Woodward. Source: TES
When I was at school, a fairly average northern mining town comp, we used to stand up as the teacher whirled into the room after the bell had gone. They would expect – and get – silence before we sat down. When they were ready to begin we listened and if we didn’t we were told off. We didn’t have a code of conduct, first and second warnings, stickers, merits, postcards home for pupils who stayed in their seats and teachers didn’t fill in forms to tell each other how naughty we were.
If we misbehaved we were kept late, without advanced notice. Sometimes the whole class was kept late and shouted at at considerable length. We didn’t argue or complain about it not being fair or tell the teacher we ‘f*in hate them’. Teachers were entitled to be cross. They were the adults and we were the kids, afterall.
Nowadays I have to be in my classroom, greeting kids at the door, which means arriving before the bell; an interesting concept as I teach in five different rooms. I am not allowed to drink tea in my classroom or carry a mug in the corridor, as it is deemed ‘unprofessional’. I feel triumphant if the class manages to seat themselves within five minutes of the lesson starting, without undue wandering round the room, examining the contents of my desk, turning on my stereo or just winding each other up.
Getting them to listen to very small chunks of instructions is infuriatingly difficult despite using a broad and ever-expanding range of strategies. When someone messes about I have to fill in a lengthy electronic form on SIMS and the problem gets passed on, and often overlooked, usually well after the pupil has forgotten what they did.
We have to send letters home to notify parents and children of their detentions at least four days in advance (rising to ten during the numerous postal strikes). I don’t flounce off to the staffroom at the end of my lesson; I wait for all the dawdling children to leave and lock the door behind me so I don’t get told off by SMT for letting them trash the place.
I’ve been watching lots of dog training programmes. It seems that some dog owners have similar problems in controlling their rather overly assertive canine friends and it usually ends up being about dominance and control. At the moment, the kids are in charge; if they don’t like a teacher they can humiliate them on the internet or get their parents to sue or draw up some trumped up offence for the GTC to pontificate over.
Heads are under pressure to keep statistics rosy, so kids aren’t excluded or referred elsewhere and parents know that schools are fined an extortionate amount of money to get rid of young arsonists, thieves and youths who happily assault their teachers, without a second thought, because they were emotional!
Impotent management, a culture where control over our working conditions is minimal, rude, violent and abusive clients, long working hours with lots of added extras… Why do we – as a profession - tolerate this?
A teacher cannot (quite rightly) touch a pupil, but it appears they cannot hold pupils after school without a red-tape rigmarole, speak without anything but total respect and calm assertiveness in the face of fairly extreme provocation!
Since September I’ve been sworn at and insulted and what happened? The pupil was told by an assistant head that they jolly well mustn’t do it again! Last year I was shoved by a cross year 8 and he got sent to the isolation room for half an hour. I still have dreams about it.
Until schools regain control, take a dominant stand on chastising poor behaviour and until ‘inclusion’ caters for the majority rather than the minority of special needs pupils (whose needs are genuinely special and often too special to be incorporated into a class of unruly fourteen year olds) we will have more and more disheartened stressed out teachers leaving the profession and more and more of the silent minority of genuinely pleasant
When I was at school, a fairly average northern mining town comp, we used to stand up as the teacher whirled into the room after the bell had gone. They would expect – and get – silence before we sat down. When they were ready to begin we listened and if we didn’t we were told off. We didn’t have a code of conduct, first and second warnings, stickers, merits, postcards home for pupils who stayed in their seats and teachers didn’t fill in forms to tell each other how naughty we were.
If we misbehaved we were kept late, without advanced notice. Sometimes the whole class was kept late and shouted at at considerable length. We didn’t argue or complain about it not being fair or tell the teacher we ‘f*in hate them’. Teachers were entitled to be cross. They were the adults and we were the kids, afterall.
Nowadays I have to be in my classroom, greeting kids at the door, which means arriving before the bell; an interesting concept as I teach in five different rooms. I am not allowed to drink tea in my classroom or carry a mug in the corridor, as it is deemed ‘unprofessional’. I feel triumphant if the class manages to seat themselves within five minutes of the lesson starting, without undue wandering round the room, examining the contents of my desk, turning on my stereo or just winding each other up.
Getting them to listen to very small chunks of instructions is infuriatingly difficult despite using a broad and ever-expanding range of strategies. When someone messes about I have to fill in a lengthy electronic form on SIMS and the problem gets passed on, and often overlooked, usually well after the pupil has forgotten what they did.
We have to send letters home to notify parents and children of their detentions at least four days in advance (rising to ten during the numerous postal strikes). I don’t flounce off to the staffroom at the end of my lesson; I wait for all the dawdling children to leave and lock the door behind me so I don’t get told off by SMT for letting them trash the place.
I’ve been watching lots of dog training programmes. It seems that some dog owners have similar problems in controlling their rather overly assertive canine friends and it usually ends up being about dominance and control. At the moment, the kids are in charge; if they don’t like a teacher they can humiliate them on the internet or get their parents to sue or draw up some trumped up offence for the GTC to pontificate over.
Heads are under pressure to keep statistics rosy, so kids aren’t excluded or referred elsewhere and parents know that schools are fined an extortionate amount of money to get rid of young arsonists, thieves and youths who happily assault their teachers, without a second thought, because they were emotional!
Impotent management, a culture where control over our working conditions is minimal, rude, violent and abusive clients, long working hours with lots of added extras… Why do we – as a profession - tolerate this?
A teacher cannot (quite rightly) touch a pupil, but it appears they cannot hold pupils after school without a red-tape rigmarole, speak without anything but total respect and calm assertiveness in the face of fairly extreme provocation!
Since September I’ve been sworn at and insulted and what happened? The pupil was told by an assistant head that they jolly well mustn’t do it again! Last year I was shoved by a cross year 8 and he got sent to the isolation room for half an hour. I still have dreams about it.
Until schools regain control, take a dominant stand on chastising poor behaviour and until ‘inclusion’ caters for the majority rather than the minority of special needs pupils (whose needs are genuinely special and often too special to be incorporated into a class of unruly fourteen year olds) we will have more and more disheartened stressed out teachers leaving the profession and more and more of the silent minority of genuinely pleasant
Bullying
Are we losing sight of why we teach, because of ill treatment by colleagues? E.A. Francis investigates. Source: TES
I have read so many heart breaking responses to my blogs about unjust grievances and disciplinary action it has got me thinking about what we are all doing that is being deemed so offensive and in need of being so severely punished.
People think they are bad teachers, bad colleagues, bad people. They think this because they have been told this. They have been broken into believing this. What, in the name of all things equal, is happening to our ‘selves’? We are so busy accusing each other of everything and anything that we are losing sight of the actual reason why we go to work every day.
This is not just another one of the many pieces of writing about bullying. In truth, it could be perceived as the absolute antithesis. But bullying is its main theme. I want to save us all from being bullied into being what and who we are not. The majority of us have the ability to assert our rights without violating someone else’s. Most of us know what is acceptable and what is not. It would appear that even those who are inherently nice are suspected of having a hidden agenda.
Have we really evolved into this species of bigots, intimidators and hypocrites? Are we so desperately in need of being saved by our thoughts that they need (for our own good) to be decided upon by others? Are we so potentially dangerous in terms of what comes out of our mouths that it needs to be universally accepted, deemed appropriate and mutually agreeable? Are we so frightening and misanthropic that it is urgent we are gagged by policy?
Or have we simply disagreed with or professionally threatened the wrong person?
Every report I have heard about and read about, records a submitted grievance or a trumped up charge, simply for an individual being different in some way. This difference is mainly success and competence.
Throughout history, people have voiced their opinions and asserted their personalities, professional and moral abilities and beliefs. Indeed we celebrate these innovators within our classrooms. It is how we progressed and evolved as a society. In this day and age we are so busy looking for what could be translated as ‘offending’, we are losing sight of what is actually offensive.
Losing our freedom of speech is offensive. Refusing to compliment a successful colleague is offensive. Focusing on gossip and rumour instead of focusing on our pupils and the successes of our colleagues is offensive. Ridding a school of someone because you simply don’t like them for whatever reason is offensive. Inventing breaches of conduct and destroying people in the process is not just offensive, it is reprehensible and unlawful.
My analysis is that all of the individuals wrongfully accused of breaching the Codes of their school’s Conduct, personally or professionally, have been seen as a threat. Successful individuals are punished for showing a pride in their work and being perceived as showing up a ‘face fitting’ colleague/s for incompetence. In truth it would appear from the many accounts that the very accusations made against someone are nearly always owned by the person or people making them.
But does policy really protect you if it is your own alleged behaviour it is addressing? It would seem not.
People in authority appear to be corrupting policy in order to meet their own agendas. It is easier to break a member of staff into resigning than to address a person’s motivation for making a complaint. Unions back complaints made against individuals, and schools are all too aware of the unions wanting to see results – lest they go for the school.
So what is happening is that people are being made to be afraid of standing up and being counted for having a professional opinion and daring to voice it, especially if that opinion differs from that of someone who has standing within a school. A member of staff with a different ‘vision’ can be made to resign as soon as the word ‘capability’ is whispered against them.
Everyone seems to be paralysed by fear. Schools appear to fear unions, unions appear to fear losing cases but also appear to fear fighting them, LEA’s appear to fear being sued, Head teachers fear adverse publicity and individuals fear having their lives wrecked.
This fear of being our ‘Selves’ is strangling our very core of what makes us human, what makes us different and unique. It is killing the diversity of our characters, our up-bringing, our hobbies, our traditions, our religious convictions, our personalities, our mental health but most of all, it is killing our liberty.
To all those who have been in the position of having a complaint made against you which you truly believe is unjust, I wish you strength to heal and the conviction to regain a sense of who you once were. Look at what is important to you and remember everything that has happened to you, although unjust, says more about your accusers than it does you.
Do not be paralysed by a fear of your future. Communicate with others, your feelings of desperation, until these feelings stop controlling you. The chances are you have got this far in your life with friends, the love of your family and a self respect you have never had challenged before. Please remember this and don’t let them win.
If you chose to leave teaching, then feel positive about what you can do in the future. Again, your previous successes cannot be ignored and may even be repeated. Surround yourself with people who enjoy your company, not spurn it, who celebrate your highs and not condemn you for them. Please start living again. This was not your fault.
I have read so many heart breaking responses to my blogs about unjust grievances and disciplinary action it has got me thinking about what we are all doing that is being deemed so offensive and in need of being so severely punished.
People think they are bad teachers, bad colleagues, bad people. They think this because they have been told this. They have been broken into believing this. What, in the name of all things equal, is happening to our ‘selves’? We are so busy accusing each other of everything and anything that we are losing sight of the actual reason why we go to work every day.
This is not just another one of the many pieces of writing about bullying. In truth, it could be perceived as the absolute antithesis. But bullying is its main theme. I want to save us all from being bullied into being what and who we are not. The majority of us have the ability to assert our rights without violating someone else’s. Most of us know what is acceptable and what is not. It would appear that even those who are inherently nice are suspected of having a hidden agenda.
Have we really evolved into this species of bigots, intimidators and hypocrites? Are we so desperately in need of being saved by our thoughts that they need (for our own good) to be decided upon by others? Are we so potentially dangerous in terms of what comes out of our mouths that it needs to be universally accepted, deemed appropriate and mutually agreeable? Are we so frightening and misanthropic that it is urgent we are gagged by policy?
Or have we simply disagreed with or professionally threatened the wrong person?
Every report I have heard about and read about, records a submitted grievance or a trumped up charge, simply for an individual being different in some way. This difference is mainly success and competence.
Throughout history, people have voiced their opinions and asserted their personalities, professional and moral abilities and beliefs. Indeed we celebrate these innovators within our classrooms. It is how we progressed and evolved as a society. In this day and age we are so busy looking for what could be translated as ‘offending’, we are losing sight of what is actually offensive.
Losing our freedom of speech is offensive. Refusing to compliment a successful colleague is offensive. Focusing on gossip and rumour instead of focusing on our pupils and the successes of our colleagues is offensive. Ridding a school of someone because you simply don’t like them for whatever reason is offensive. Inventing breaches of conduct and destroying people in the process is not just offensive, it is reprehensible and unlawful.
My analysis is that all of the individuals wrongfully accused of breaching the Codes of their school’s Conduct, personally or professionally, have been seen as a threat. Successful individuals are punished for showing a pride in their work and being perceived as showing up a ‘face fitting’ colleague/s for incompetence. In truth it would appear from the many accounts that the very accusations made against someone are nearly always owned by the person or people making them.
But does policy really protect you if it is your own alleged behaviour it is addressing? It would seem not.
People in authority appear to be corrupting policy in order to meet their own agendas. It is easier to break a member of staff into resigning than to address a person’s motivation for making a complaint. Unions back complaints made against individuals, and schools are all too aware of the unions wanting to see results – lest they go for the school.
So what is happening is that people are being made to be afraid of standing up and being counted for having a professional opinion and daring to voice it, especially if that opinion differs from that of someone who has standing within a school. A member of staff with a different ‘vision’ can be made to resign as soon as the word ‘capability’ is whispered against them.
Everyone seems to be paralysed by fear. Schools appear to fear unions, unions appear to fear losing cases but also appear to fear fighting them, LEA’s appear to fear being sued, Head teachers fear adverse publicity and individuals fear having their lives wrecked.
This fear of being our ‘Selves’ is strangling our very core of what makes us human, what makes us different and unique. It is killing the diversity of our characters, our up-bringing, our hobbies, our traditions, our religious convictions, our personalities, our mental health but most of all, it is killing our liberty.
To all those who have been in the position of having a complaint made against you which you truly believe is unjust, I wish you strength to heal and the conviction to regain a sense of who you once were. Look at what is important to you and remember everything that has happened to you, although unjust, says more about your accusers than it does you.
Do not be paralysed by a fear of your future. Communicate with others, your feelings of desperation, until these feelings stop controlling you. The chances are you have got this far in your life with friends, the love of your family and a self respect you have never had challenged before. Please remember this and don’t let them win.
If you chose to leave teaching, then feel positive about what you can do in the future. Again, your previous successes cannot be ignored and may even be repeated. Surround yourself with people who enjoy your company, not spurn it, who celebrate your highs and not condemn you for them. Please start living again. This was not your fault.
Schools Manipulating SAT Results
Given the pressure to perform in exam league tables, it's no wonder that some schools decide to cheat, says TES reader Tony Callaghan. Source: TES
Working as a Threshold Adviser and Assesssor for the DFES (that was) in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Luton between 2000 and 2005, it was patently obvious from the documentation that i received from schools prior to my visits, that schools were 'manipulating' SATs results.
As a former senior manager for more than 20 years in schools, I had much sympathy for the difficulties they faced as a direct result of poor standings in the league tables. The last school I worked in in Bedfordshire eventually closed (after i had resigned as Head) because it did not manipulate SATs.
The school now closed, so it can be named (ST Bede's 9--13 RC Middle School) fell further and further down the league table, the pupil roll was decimated by parental choice, and it was closed in July 2006.
There are numerous examples of honest schools facing this threat. Is it any wonder, then, that some schools have decided, in the words of the tabloid press, to "cheat''?
As a teacher and trade unionist, I have every sympathy with the large number of schools who manipulate tests. The schools highlighted in the media are the unlucky ones whose manipulation was not sophisticated enough to fool Big Brother. When I examined the PANDAS and other documentation relevant to the assessment of school performance, it was obvious to an experienced eye that, for example, the range of ability and socio-economics of school pupils often did not match the SATs results.
Personally, as an educator, I never agreed with SATs. Obviously, teachers were going to teach to the tests to the detriment of a broad and balanced curriculum for the pupils.
This is not a new phenomenon. When I was entered for the '11 plus' in the late 1950s, I was coached by the Headteacher and helped in the exam. Why? Because the reputation of the school was determined by the number of children who got into the Grammar School.
When teachers are faced with the possibility of the eventual closure of their school due to poor test results, don't you think they are going to manipulate the system that has visited the education service with ludicrous targets and league tables linked to a national curriculum that is not fit for purpose?
Teacher and Headteacher organisations have not been prepared to face up to this blight on our children. Mick Brookes promised a boycott of tests when he was elected: the NUT bluffed and blustered over the SATs : NASUWT argued to bring back woodwork and metalwork: ATL argued and argued and argued.
Of course, now that a handful of primaries have been pilloried by the National Assesment Agency, the Union leaders in a pathetic, half hearted, whisper, are blaming'' pressure to meet performance targets'' ; '' targets do not reflect the ability of children'' ; '' we need a system of tests that promote professional integrity'' : the dreaded value-added factors raise their heads from the abyss'.
Quite frankly, the whole system of testing in schools is farcical. It keeps the employees of quangos such as the National Assessment Agency and the others, too numerous to mention, in employment.
Of course, outraged ministers claim manipulating the 'system' is unacceptable and unnecessary... as if they would not cheat if their jobs were on the line, nudge, nudge, wink, wink.
In my former role as an adviser, the last thing on my mind was putting a school and its employees on the slippery slope to oblivion. Talking to former colleagues about the figures from the exams watchdog, they all agreed that manipulation of SATs in particular has been around since their inception and 'cheating' was inevitable, once government started to turn the screw.
Naturally, schools are going to deny any 'cheating', but as far as i am concerned, the majority of schools deserve academy status or an oscar for their genius in circumventing a bureacratic and bogus system of assessing the ability of the nations children. Ask teacher, teacher knows best.
Working as a Threshold Adviser and Assesssor for the DFES (that was) in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Luton between 2000 and 2005, it was patently obvious from the documentation that i received from schools prior to my visits, that schools were 'manipulating' SATs results.
As a former senior manager for more than 20 years in schools, I had much sympathy for the difficulties they faced as a direct result of poor standings in the league tables. The last school I worked in in Bedfordshire eventually closed (after i had resigned as Head) because it did not manipulate SATs.
The school now closed, so it can be named (ST Bede's 9--13 RC Middle School) fell further and further down the league table, the pupil roll was decimated by parental choice, and it was closed in July 2006.
There are numerous examples of honest schools facing this threat. Is it any wonder, then, that some schools have decided, in the words of the tabloid press, to "cheat''?
As a teacher and trade unionist, I have every sympathy with the large number of schools who manipulate tests. The schools highlighted in the media are the unlucky ones whose manipulation was not sophisticated enough to fool Big Brother. When I examined the PANDAS and other documentation relevant to the assessment of school performance, it was obvious to an experienced eye that, for example, the range of ability and socio-economics of school pupils often did not match the SATs results.
Personally, as an educator, I never agreed with SATs. Obviously, teachers were going to teach to the tests to the detriment of a broad and balanced curriculum for the pupils.
This is not a new phenomenon. When I was entered for the '11 plus' in the late 1950s, I was coached by the Headteacher and helped in the exam. Why? Because the reputation of the school was determined by the number of children who got into the Grammar School.
When teachers are faced with the possibility of the eventual closure of their school due to poor test results, don't you think they are going to manipulate the system that has visited the education service with ludicrous targets and league tables linked to a national curriculum that is not fit for purpose?
Teacher and Headteacher organisations have not been prepared to face up to this blight on our children. Mick Brookes promised a boycott of tests when he was elected: the NUT bluffed and blustered over the SATs : NASUWT argued to bring back woodwork and metalwork: ATL argued and argued and argued.
Of course, now that a handful of primaries have been pilloried by the National Assesment Agency, the Union leaders in a pathetic, half hearted, whisper, are blaming'' pressure to meet performance targets'' ; '' targets do not reflect the ability of children'' ; '' we need a system of tests that promote professional integrity'' : the dreaded value-added factors raise their heads from the abyss'.
Quite frankly, the whole system of testing in schools is farcical. It keeps the employees of quangos such as the National Assessment Agency and the others, too numerous to mention, in employment.
Of course, outraged ministers claim manipulating the 'system' is unacceptable and unnecessary... as if they would not cheat if their jobs were on the line, nudge, nudge, wink, wink.
In my former role as an adviser, the last thing on my mind was putting a school and its employees on the slippery slope to oblivion. Talking to former colleagues about the figures from the exams watchdog, they all agreed that manipulation of SATs in particular has been around since their inception and 'cheating' was inevitable, once government started to turn the screw.
Naturally, schools are going to deny any 'cheating', but as far as i am concerned, the majority of schools deserve academy status or an oscar for their genius in circumventing a bureacratic and bogus system of assessing the ability of the nations children. Ask teacher, teacher knows best.
In England, teachers are replaced by unqualifed teaching assistants
As Supply Teachers are being replaced by Teaching Assistants to save money, are they doomed to the scrap heap? TES Reader Michael LeFevre asks if schools are ripping off staff and forcing resignations. Source: TES.
Coming back to a new half term after being out of work for a few weeks, I was looking forward to returning the classroom. The second week started and none of the agencies I am signed up with have come to me with any work; so I did the logical thing and contacted the agencies letting them know I was still alive and eager for work, but what I was told threw me.
Thanks to new legislation, schools are now allowed to use Higher Level Teaching Assistants (HTLA) as supply cover for up to two days. As a result, there was very little supply work available for qualified supply teachers, as schools could now use the cheaper option. I was offered work as a Teaching Assistant and after an entire summer of not working, anything was better than nothing, so I took it.
When I got to the school, all the staff knew straight away that I was a qualified teacher. One of the staff told me the head was in her element as she got a qualified teacher at an assistant’s rate. I got on well at the school. The children and the staff were brilliant. However, one day when the class teacher was out, I thought this would be my chance. Since I was qualified, the teaching assistants looked to me to plan and lead the lessons for the day.
"With schools always looking to save money wherever possible, the cheaper option of using non-qualified staff as supply cover will always seem more attractive and, better yet for schools, is when they get the double bonus of having qualified teachers working at the TA’s rate as supply teachers become more and more desperate for supply work."
While I hoped to get the full teacher’s rate, I was informed that the assistants run the class when the teacher isn’t there and I was still there as a TA and would be paid that rate. I still lead the teaching that day, as I was eager to show what I could do as a teacher.
The rest of the half term was spent working as a TA, save for the very last two days where I finally got work as a qualified teacher. The agencies all say that they are getting fewer calls from schools as many schools use the HTLAs to cover teachers’ absences. One agency has said that even the schools that used to throw a lot of business their way have been very quiet on the business front.
In light of everything, the major question is, does this mean the end of supply teaching? With schools always looking to save money wherever possible, the cheaper option of using non-qualified staff as supply cover will always seem more attractive and, better yet for schools, is when they get the double bonus of having qualified teachers working at the TA’s rate as supply teachers become more and more desperate for supply work.
This is not fair to pupils or supply teachers. However, the worst result will be supply teachers giving up and leaving the profession altogether.
It is easy to say that supply teachers should just get “proper” jobs, but speaking from first hand experience, there aren’t many jobs out there and supply teaching has been my only alternative to unemployment.
Therefore, something needs be done, either by the unions or supply teachers themselves to ensure that supply teachers do not become consigned to the teaching scrap heap.
Coming back to a new half term after being out of work for a few weeks, I was looking forward to returning the classroom. The second week started and none of the agencies I am signed up with have come to me with any work; so I did the logical thing and contacted the agencies letting them know I was still alive and eager for work, but what I was told threw me.
Thanks to new legislation, schools are now allowed to use Higher Level Teaching Assistants (HTLA) as supply cover for up to two days. As a result, there was very little supply work available for qualified supply teachers, as schools could now use the cheaper option. I was offered work as a Teaching Assistant and after an entire summer of not working, anything was better than nothing, so I took it.
When I got to the school, all the staff knew straight away that I was a qualified teacher. One of the staff told me the head was in her element as she got a qualified teacher at an assistant’s rate. I got on well at the school. The children and the staff were brilliant. However, one day when the class teacher was out, I thought this would be my chance. Since I was qualified, the teaching assistants looked to me to plan and lead the lessons for the day.
"With schools always looking to save money wherever possible, the cheaper option of using non-qualified staff as supply cover will always seem more attractive and, better yet for schools, is when they get the double bonus of having qualified teachers working at the TA’s rate as supply teachers become more and more desperate for supply work."
While I hoped to get the full teacher’s rate, I was informed that the assistants run the class when the teacher isn’t there and I was still there as a TA and would be paid that rate. I still lead the teaching that day, as I was eager to show what I could do as a teacher.
The rest of the half term was spent working as a TA, save for the very last two days where I finally got work as a qualified teacher. The agencies all say that they are getting fewer calls from schools as many schools use the HTLAs to cover teachers’ absences. One agency has said that even the schools that used to throw a lot of business their way have been very quiet on the business front.
In light of everything, the major question is, does this mean the end of supply teaching? With schools always looking to save money wherever possible, the cheaper option of using non-qualified staff as supply cover will always seem more attractive and, better yet for schools, is when they get the double bonus of having qualified teachers working at the TA’s rate as supply teachers become more and more desperate for supply work.
This is not fair to pupils or supply teachers. However, the worst result will be supply teachers giving up and leaving the profession altogether.
It is easy to say that supply teachers should just get “proper” jobs, but speaking from first hand experience, there aren’t many jobs out there and supply teaching has been my only alternative to unemployment.
Therefore, something needs be done, either by the unions or supply teachers themselves to ensure that supply teachers do not become consigned to the teaching scrap heap.
Ruined, Destroyed and Damaged: Why Schools are Breaking Staff
School disciplinary processes leave teachers “ruined, destroyed and damaged beyond repair,” argues E.A. Francis, in the first of a new series in which TES readers share their experiences of education. Source: TES
Experienced, successful and skilled educationalists are leaving the profession ruined, destroyed and damaged beyond repair. Confident personalities have been reduced to rubble by the grievance and disciplinary procedures in schools.
Some Head Teachers are getting away with condoning this travesty through the perpetuation of corruption or subterfuge.
I am talking of that all-too frequent occurrence, happening in schools around the country, every single day. That fateful day when you walk into your place of work, only to be summoned by the Head and told a colleague has made accusations about you.
Your world stands still. You feel sick, confused, hurt… And then you feel a fear beyond your experience and understanding.
"Confident personalities have been reduced to rubble by the grievance and disciplinary procedures in schools."
At no time are you allowed to suggest these allegations are malicious; that would violate the accuser’s rights and interfere with the school’s policy to investigate. You cannot get angry; that makes you look aggressive. You cannot say anything you have experienced; for example, isolation, being ignored, gossiped about, set up, and not spoken to for weeks, months, years…
Oh no! That would give the investigator ammunition to suggest you are not showing any remorse. You are guilty as charged. Condemned, judged and hanged – before you even get to your first grievance meeting.
Oh, and don’t, whatever you do, speak to another colleague about it. Not even if you are in tears or unable to concentrate on your job (because you will have to keep doing it) or that you have been found throwing up in the toilets. You will be told you are ‘canvassing’ for support, which could result in a suspension.
An unofficial action group may form, those types who simply need to get involved, the one or two or three people who you have had a professional disagreement with in the past or maybe even the one or two who internally applied for your job and didn’t get it. They need to be heard, they make it their mission to be heard. Their evidence will help seal your fate, because they have all been called as witnesses! Your reports of this group are considered hearsay. Their reports of you are a vital part of a fact finding investigation.
Then that day arrives, after months of grievance and disciplinary interviews, the hearing, the decision. You receive a Verbal Warning if you are lucky, Written Warning – well not bad, let’s face facts, you have been told for months now you could be dismissed, so any Warning is quite a relief.
"Sometimes, untrained and unskilled members of a senior teaching staff act as a prosecutor would in a criminal court case. Even the police are not allowed to interview suspected criminals for more than a certain amount of hours at a time, but schools can - and some do. "
It was just such a shame no one believed you. It is even more sorrowful that tissues of convenient lies were believed instead. It is a tragedy you have lost all your confidence, faith, self-esteem and professional self-belief. For these things are to be dealt with by you and you alone, quietly and gratefully. Your life has been torn apart, your heart has been ripped out and every single thing you held dear has been dismantled, analysed and spat upon. You now have a stress related illness.
You need time away to recover. So now you have an official Warning and a sick record with a mental health diagnosis. Well that is fine, you didn’t get the sack. Just because you have lost the ability to go out, enjoy your hobbies, have peaceful evenings with your family, meet with friends, have restful holidays, sleep the entire night. None of that matters, as you didn’t get sacked!
So what is it that really appears to be happening?
Sometimes, untrained and unskilled members of a senior teaching staff act as a prosecutor would in a criminal court case. Even the police are not allowed to interview suspected criminals for more than a certain amount of hours at a time, but schools can - and some do. So this untrained member of SMT who has probably never studied Employment Law, is unlikely to have read the Human Rights Act and who has possibly only just read the school’s grievance procedure is now responsible for your future!
Something has to change and it has to change quickly. I think it an outrage that so many good educationalists have had their careers ruined as a result of malicious allegations made against them by colleagues.
The system whereby a Head Teacher is able to act as judge and jury is ridiculous, unjust and only seems to favour what is ‘best’ for the school, which means no scandal, no press involvement and certainly no union clashes. Head Teachers are seldom trained in law but disciplinary hearings are run by Heads and senior managers as though they were QCs for the day.
"Thousands of pounds of public money would be saved if this whole system were reviewed. These cases can result in a drawing up of a Compromise Agreement which has been known to involve ‘hush’ money. They are called gagging contracts by those in the know."
Thousands of pounds of public money would be saved if this whole system were reviewed. These cases can result in a drawing up of a Compromise Agreement which has been known to involve ‘hush’ money. They are called gagging contracts by those in the know.
Why can’t schools recognise the need for strategic management designed to avoid or at least pre-empt potential cases of staff against staff? Ad hoc mediators should be available without the waiting lists. In-house counseling services should be available to everyone and the protection of vulnerable staff should be high on every Head Teacher’s agenda.
Grievance and disciplinary investigators should not be members of the involved school’s Senior Management Team. Be wary about who is taken on. Power in the wrong hands can only result in disaster.
Some cases are so trivial that dismissal may be threatened in order to encourage a resignation, but if none is forthcoming, they are taken all the way and broken by the process. If they don’t leave, their warning can be used against them for up to a year, like the Sword of Damocles hanging over their heads, so just add on a few more ‘misdemeanors’ and with a bit of luck this newly acquired sickness record could be very handy towards conjuring up a capability case.
Current policy must be reviewed, evaluated and changed. The ‘accused’ should be afforded the same rights and support as the ‘aggrieved.’ Witnesses interviewed during the grievance and disciplinary procedures are called by the ‘aggrieved’ and cannot be called in defence of the ‘accused’.
How can that be a balanced and just system? It should be policy to assign an HR support worker for the ‘accused.’ Independently run disciplinary hearings must be a forum for outing truth, irrespective of how inconvenient that truth is.
If this does not happen, experienced and respected staff will continue to be forced to leave the profession in droves, because this is happening too often and towards too many.
Experienced, successful and skilled educationalists are leaving the profession ruined, destroyed and damaged beyond repair. Confident personalities have been reduced to rubble by the grievance and disciplinary procedures in schools.
Some Head Teachers are getting away with condoning this travesty through the perpetuation of corruption or subterfuge.
I am talking of that all-too frequent occurrence, happening in schools around the country, every single day. That fateful day when you walk into your place of work, only to be summoned by the Head and told a colleague has made accusations about you.
Your world stands still. You feel sick, confused, hurt… And then you feel a fear beyond your experience and understanding.
"Confident personalities have been reduced to rubble by the grievance and disciplinary procedures in schools."
At no time are you allowed to suggest these allegations are malicious; that would violate the accuser’s rights and interfere with the school’s policy to investigate. You cannot get angry; that makes you look aggressive. You cannot say anything you have experienced; for example, isolation, being ignored, gossiped about, set up, and not spoken to for weeks, months, years…
Oh no! That would give the investigator ammunition to suggest you are not showing any remorse. You are guilty as charged. Condemned, judged and hanged – before you even get to your first grievance meeting.
Oh, and don’t, whatever you do, speak to another colleague about it. Not even if you are in tears or unable to concentrate on your job (because you will have to keep doing it) or that you have been found throwing up in the toilets. You will be told you are ‘canvassing’ for support, which could result in a suspension.
An unofficial action group may form, those types who simply need to get involved, the one or two or three people who you have had a professional disagreement with in the past or maybe even the one or two who internally applied for your job and didn’t get it. They need to be heard, they make it their mission to be heard. Their evidence will help seal your fate, because they have all been called as witnesses! Your reports of this group are considered hearsay. Their reports of you are a vital part of a fact finding investigation.
Then that day arrives, after months of grievance and disciplinary interviews, the hearing, the decision. You receive a Verbal Warning if you are lucky, Written Warning – well not bad, let’s face facts, you have been told for months now you could be dismissed, so any Warning is quite a relief.
"Sometimes, untrained and unskilled members of a senior teaching staff act as a prosecutor would in a criminal court case. Even the police are not allowed to interview suspected criminals for more than a certain amount of hours at a time, but schools can - and some do. "
It was just such a shame no one believed you. It is even more sorrowful that tissues of convenient lies were believed instead. It is a tragedy you have lost all your confidence, faith, self-esteem and professional self-belief. For these things are to be dealt with by you and you alone, quietly and gratefully. Your life has been torn apart, your heart has been ripped out and every single thing you held dear has been dismantled, analysed and spat upon. You now have a stress related illness.
You need time away to recover. So now you have an official Warning and a sick record with a mental health diagnosis. Well that is fine, you didn’t get the sack. Just because you have lost the ability to go out, enjoy your hobbies, have peaceful evenings with your family, meet with friends, have restful holidays, sleep the entire night. None of that matters, as you didn’t get sacked!
So what is it that really appears to be happening?
Sometimes, untrained and unskilled members of a senior teaching staff act as a prosecutor would in a criminal court case. Even the police are not allowed to interview suspected criminals for more than a certain amount of hours at a time, but schools can - and some do. So this untrained member of SMT who has probably never studied Employment Law, is unlikely to have read the Human Rights Act and who has possibly only just read the school’s grievance procedure is now responsible for your future!
Something has to change and it has to change quickly. I think it an outrage that so many good educationalists have had their careers ruined as a result of malicious allegations made against them by colleagues.
The system whereby a Head Teacher is able to act as judge and jury is ridiculous, unjust and only seems to favour what is ‘best’ for the school, which means no scandal, no press involvement and certainly no union clashes. Head Teachers are seldom trained in law but disciplinary hearings are run by Heads and senior managers as though they were QCs for the day.
"Thousands of pounds of public money would be saved if this whole system were reviewed. These cases can result in a drawing up of a Compromise Agreement which has been known to involve ‘hush’ money. They are called gagging contracts by those in the know."
Thousands of pounds of public money would be saved if this whole system were reviewed. These cases can result in a drawing up of a Compromise Agreement which has been known to involve ‘hush’ money. They are called gagging contracts by those in the know.
Why can’t schools recognise the need for strategic management designed to avoid or at least pre-empt potential cases of staff against staff? Ad hoc mediators should be available without the waiting lists. In-house counseling services should be available to everyone and the protection of vulnerable staff should be high on every Head Teacher’s agenda.
Grievance and disciplinary investigators should not be members of the involved school’s Senior Management Team. Be wary about who is taken on. Power in the wrong hands can only result in disaster.
Some cases are so trivial that dismissal may be threatened in order to encourage a resignation, but if none is forthcoming, they are taken all the way and broken by the process. If they don’t leave, their warning can be used against them for up to a year, like the Sword of Damocles hanging over their heads, so just add on a few more ‘misdemeanors’ and with a bit of luck this newly acquired sickness record could be very handy towards conjuring up a capability case.
Current policy must be reviewed, evaluated and changed. The ‘accused’ should be afforded the same rights and support as the ‘aggrieved.’ Witnesses interviewed during the grievance and disciplinary procedures are called by the ‘aggrieved’ and cannot be called in defence of the ‘accused’.
How can that be a balanced and just system? It should be policy to assign an HR support worker for the ‘accused.’ Independently run disciplinary hearings must be a forum for outing truth, irrespective of how inconvenient that truth is.
If this does not happen, experienced and respected staff will continue to be forced to leave the profession in droves, because this is happening too often and towards too many.
Monday, December 10, 2007
In England, OTT feel like rubbish
Some comments by overseas trained teachers on what it is like to teach in England. Judge for yourself.
Hello, I FEEL LIKE RUBBISH TEACHING HERE!!I'm a music teacher and not to sound like egotistical or anything...have had more training from the U.S. than they do here. I have been here 4 years and temped in sh** schools because other schools were afraid of how long I'd stay or taking on an "overseas teacher". I was consistently blamed for the kids' bad behaviour, given horrible classes and felt ganged up on by staff repeatedly. I worked my a** off and learned of stuff to improve on from my references to other employers. I am a very good teacher, but its like they took their vengance out me when the references came up...do I really deserve that? Its a nightmare trying to get qualified teacher's status..when I've already spent 5 1/2 years on a degree. Teaching in England has frustrated me completely and the references I got are unfair and biased and frankly ruined my career. But what can I do about it, I have no rights!! This is all why, for the last year I've been doing an office job instead of teaching! i never thought it would come to this...
rosy1912 in 'feel like a second class citizen?'
"Hey there everyone.. Im considering coming over to the U.K. to teach in September"
Oh for goodness sake!The UK is full of brats who don't want to learn. Exams are dumbed down to inflate pass rates. Papers are leaked or at least hinted at to ensure passes...
Plagiarism generally goes undetected; agencies abound who will write your coursework...and it's all 'research'.
If you're over 45 you won't even get a job as you'll be too highly paid.Therefore the ONLY reason young teachers are employed is because...they are young. Nothing to do with actual ability.
That tells you everything about the teaching profession.Stay away from the UK - unless you plan to set up a school for asylum seekers and then you'll probably get a grant to pay for their taxis to lessons.
(You may think the above is a rant but asylum seekers get taxis to sign on the dole (see www.bbc.co.uk) and also Welsh lecturers get a grant to research the effects of...beer)UK is long gone - stay out!!!!
David in 'Teacher Recruitment Agencies'
I have come to England from Australia last September. The comprehensive school that I am at, the kids are totally out-of-control and I been off sick because of this. I want to teach not to discipline all the time. It doesn't look good, its not working. I dont know what to do. I have applied to TES for independant schools as I feel all comprehensive schools will have the same lack of respect and bad behaviour-but i feel this is useless as I am getting letter after letter saying they have appointed someone else-also this is only my second year out and I dont have QTS(another problem)-however,I do have a 10 year visa. The ofsteds are all the same and my school is CONSIDERED A GOOD SCHOOL!-goodness knows what a bad school would be like! In TES i have applied for 27 jobs and not one interview! I have only got a couple of months to do anything. After that I will have to book airplane-We are a family of 4.
artbot in 'I am going home......'
I have found as a teacher in two countries, that overall the way behaviour is dealt with in the UK is rather alarming. I taught for 8 years in the US (US citizen), in three different counties, in two states - very diverse areas. In all areas, it did depend on how the head teacher handled things, but also in all areas there were clear, defined, cut and dried codes of conduct. Here, there seems to be nothing. What I also found was the way teachers talked to pupils here and in the US was quite different. In the US, we're taught to praise or condemn the behaviour, not the child. "Good boy" and "Good girl" are almost illegal. Yet here it's commonly used. Praise was more obvious in US schools - "I like the way..." kind of thing, which I use here. But there are a lot of commands I've heard given, a lot of sarcasm (not in a fun way, I mean) used without even a "please" from the teacher. We have an occasional US-trained supply teacher and she rarely has behaviour problems, I think because she speaks to them so pleasantly, yet firmly. Tells them what is expected rather than what not to do. I've been in two primary schools in the UK, in two different areas - very different areas (albeit similar SES areas, different type of clientele). Mind, this is primary school! When I taught in secondary, I was appalled by the behaviour here. Teachers weren't allowed to contact parents - all had to go through the HoY, and if s/he fell down on the job, so to speak, the teacher was left looking like a fool. That's only 1 school's experience, however, so it may be that that was an exception. As for support, I can't say I wasn't supported in the secondary, but it was ineffective. I had no sanctions besides detentions, which don't really work. In primary, I've had good support, but that is because I demanded it. I kept records and submitted things in writing. If I hadn't, the head might have just left me as she left others in my school.Just my tuppence worth!
slieber24 in 'Student behaviour/SMT support'
I'm also from the US - taught there for 6 years at the high school level. I find the behaviour of the students (and some of the staff) here shocking. I really hate the 'pass the buck' system of discipline at my school (may be different elsewhere, I only have experience in one UK school). If a kid disrupts or causes problems I have to hand it off to the HOY or HOD which to me feels like I have no power - the kids know I personally can't do anything to them. After a problem has been passed on it can take a week for anything to be done. I thought we learned in teaching school (or child psychology) that discipline needs to be administered shortly after the 'crime' for it to be effective. I have students who are booked into detentions until NEXT half term for things they've done this term! The detentions mean nothing to them and most of them cannot remember what they did to get the detention - useless. In the states (2 different schools) teachers contact parents directly and all naughty kids are dealt with by the same person (the VP of discipline). As it is at my school here, a kid can disrupt all his/her classes in a day but see a different person for each disruption - HOY, HOD, other senior management.... it's nuts and it doesn't work.Any other experiences out there?
lyle8855 in 'Student behaviour/SMT support'
I have similar experience with the UK system. It wasn't until I became HOD I was able to reslove any problem myself and kids started to relise not to mess with me. In NZ you deal with the problem first, contact parents, run detention, place them in the school detention doing your work! Then if that fails the HOD or HoY steps in to help you and not take over. Unless you as the teacher are seen by the kid as resolving the issue the class room behaviour is very hard to change. But I suppose my biggest issue with the system in my UK school is the paper work require for this disruptive kid.This is just the situation at my UK school, school policy states teachers can't contact parents directly with out permission. Who would have thought! I'll be happy to get my NZ kids back but I prefer the UK pay.
VC_kiwi in 'Student behaviour/SMT support'
I am a Canadian who taught in the UK last year. I really enjoyed it, but it was a real eye opener. First off, the teacher shortage is not as great as it was two years ago. Then, it was not uncommon to regularly see 3000 jobs on TES. I remember near Easter there were over TWELVE THOUSAND teaching positions listed!!Now, enrollments are declining at the primary level as the baby boom echo hits their teens. Infant and Junior schools (think a pre-k to grade 2 and a grade 3 to 6) are not needing teachers the way they used to.Secondary schools are still in need, but not the numbers as before. Most of the secondary schools that would take a flyer on an OTT (Overseas Trained Teacher) are schools in rougher areas, or with a rougher reputation that puts British teachers off from applying.Behaviour in schools is also VERY different from behaviour seen in North American schools. Even at rough schools, the worst I have had to face in Canada is students skipping (bunking in England), or students swearing at me. In English schools if that is all you have to face at quite a few schools then you are doing extremely well! At my school in the UK, I knew five teachers who left in the first four months due to student behaviour and effort. Salaries are also lower, although starting salaries are higher than over here. However, if you have no experience, you get paid on the OTT scale, which is thousands of pounds less than what a British trained teacher makes. You would need to go through TQS (Teacher Qualification Service) to become certified to teach in Britain, and which also enables you to register with the GTC (General Teacher Council).Your initial OTT evaluation of documents is made by NARIC (do a websearch or follow the links on this site) and costs money. For an in-depth analysis of your transcripts and degrees, it is more money, and is done after the initial application.Students in Britian do a GTP or PGCE entry, or else do a Teacher degree at a Teacher Training uni or college. GTP is Graduate Training Program and is aimed at attracting people from other industries into education; for example, I worked with a GTP student who worked in computers in London for 20 years, made his loot, and was ready for a change. The PGCE is Post Graduate Course in Education for those who received a degree in a subject and then decided to teach in that subject. It is similar to a post degree professional program. Anyways, if you are looking to teach, big cities and supply agencies (given your lack of experience) are better than trying on your own. Me, I had 12 years experience overseas and in Canada at a variety of levels and subjects. I managed to find my own position after my wife received a job offer in another industry to work in England. In the end we enjoyed our time, but the expense of living in England caused us to rethink our plan of staying long term and we moved home. (a dilapidated row house (a line of 20) with a tiny front yard and no furnishings, usually no cabinets, closets etc, would have set us back $250,000 Cdn even without furniture, appliances and cabinets. A regular house such as you would buy here for $300,000 is over $1,000,000 in England, at least in the south where we lived.Hope this helps - don't give up, just be aware! You will also need a work permit unless you apply on the holiday makers visa or have right of abode through parents or grandparents (but not great-grandparents).
shadocg in 'frustrated and wondering'
After one term in England I am tired of being treated badly by the staff at my school. I am annoyed that my 10 years experience does not make me 'qualified' to teach in this country. I am furious that my classes consist entirely of bottom sets of Year 9s and 10s, while English NQT's are given A level classes. Mostly, I am amazed that I am blamed for the behaviour of students in my class. It seems that, in this country, kids are not responsible for their own actions. Sorry if this sounds negative, but I really feel that this school system needs to look at what overseas teachers can contribute instead of seeing them as a liability. If asked (which will never happen) I could share my experiences with a more progressive approach to teaching and learning, comment on the benefits of teaching groups that are truly mixed ability, compare curriculum, exams and assessment models. Why do the English believe that this is the best school system in the world?
scout finch - don't waste any time putting any documentation together to show what you can bring to education here - as nobody will ever ask for it.A Kiwi teacher that was here for two years, brought all kinds of resources with her. She was scoffed at by the 'long term teachers' in her department, told it wouldn't work etc. She left prior to Christmas. Guess what - they're now starting to use some of her things - singing the praises of the materials/resources and taking full credit for it!While she was here, they treated her like sh*t
I enjoy learning and thoroughly enjoy teaching. I absolutely love working with the kids here, even if some of their behaviour would never be tolerated in other systems in which I have taught. That's the fault of the system, not the kids. Even the racism I get at times is due to ignorance rather than genuine hostility, and often a direct response aimed at educating the individual concerned is usually enough. I've only had one or two genuinely nasty kids with which to work.The staff, on the other hand, is another thing all together. Senior staff have actually been quite good to me, though hideous to my N. Irish husband. They have recognised my skills, experience and professionalism, even as I have had to jump through the statutory hoops to get qualified. Many of the assumptions made about OTT by the system are downright racism and ignorant; again, that's the system and the people who designed it, not the poor folk who have to work with it. I do find it amusing, though, the way the system appears to assume methodology used here is inherently superior to everywhere else, particularly on matters where its patently obvious to everyone involved but the politicians and a handful of theorists that the methodology is failing miserably as opposed to that used everywhere else.Middle management and fellow colleagues generally have been nothing short of hostile, insecure, vindictive and downright racist. Current school is a bit of an exception. Staff outside my subject area are wonderful to work and talk with. Most of the staff in my department are less than accepting, although one particular staff member is democratically horrible to all staff so I can't really say that it's because I'm foreign. In other schools I worked in, fellow staff made fun of my accent, constantly correcting the way I said "schedule", I got sent to the head for not "knowing my place" by suggesting ways of improving grammar teaching at a department meeting when feedback was requested (later proved right by an outside consultant initially brought in to prove I didn't know what I was talking about...was told to keep my mouth shut despite being right because my fellow staff members were too insecure to handle the truth). I got classes taken away from me during training because the students remarked to the HOD about my depth of subject knowledge and how I made learning fun. It took three months for staff to even acknowledge my existence beyond the barest pleasantries while NQTs and PGCSE students from England were given the warmest of welcomes.Probably won't stay in the system. I can accept immaturity and insecurity among teenagers; it's their job after all to push boundaries and find who they are. I don't have the same patience and understanding with staff, who are supposed to have grown up and become trained professionals.
moroba in 'feel like a second class citizen?'
A very dear friend of mine is currently going through hell because of peer colleagues. The head apparently is throwing in with them, by prosecuting a frivolous complaint. The poor fellow is off work because of this, possibly could end up dead because he can't handle the amount of stress that this is causing. All because he sought help elsewhere when no one at the school - head or governors - paid attention to his complaints. Yet the complaints of the main colleague who bullied and harrassed him is being taken seriously. His record at the school is above reproach - several years he was at that school, through many an inspection (4, I think) where he was rated good or better. Yet that all seems to count for nothing when a manipulative junior colleague manages to wrap the head teacher around his little finger. She (the head) had a duty of care that she ignored. Hopefully my friend will be able to prove this shortly!
Forgot to mention - my friend is foreign born. Living here for over 10 years, though. He had already resigned his position due to the bullying at the school and was going to teach in another country for a while. He loved teaching here, though, and had had no plans to go until the bullying intensified. I wonder if this is an appeasement process for the bullying teacher, that the head feels that since the teacher is going and going out of the country, this action can be taken with impugnity as it may not affect the man's chances? My friend thinks that she doesn't realise that records follow, even if not intentionally so or deliberately so.Sorry - I'm so angry for him. It's truly an injustice to destroy a good teacher's career, using his foreign-ness as a cover for this action. Stepping down from the podium now....
oldster in 'feel like a second class citizen?'
Expect nothing. To acknowledge his contribution, skills and care for his students would be to acknowledge him as a human being. Obviously, as they are doing this to him in the first place, they don't recognise his basic humanity, never mind the wonderful things that make him a unique individual and, as you say, good teacher. My husband had to do something similar in his last school when administration told him that "doing a paddy" was acceptable language for him to have to tolerate amongst staff (as an Irishman), administration did not apologise for treating him as an overseas trained teacher despite his being trained in Northern Ireland and holding superior qualifications to his HOD, his HOD walked into his classes and berated him in front of students on points of methodology and so forth. In the end, he applied for another job before the HOD could get overly creative (particularly since this HOD was a union rep and therefore knew the ins and outs of the system). My husband took down all of his display materials, his demonstrations and his tools that he had brought in to supplement that of the department's as they were lacking certain basic equipment.No one said anything except the technician...who later resigned himself in disgust.
moroba in 'feel like a second class citizen?'
In my first job here I was bullying, degraded, put down in front of students and made to feel like scum by my HOD. He was upset that he didn't get a say in my employment (I was interviewed and offered a position on the spot by the head teacher). He was of the attitude that if students aren't writing, they aren't learning. He would waltz into my lessons and berate me in front of students if he felt they hadn't written enough in their books. He would give them (and in turn, me) detentions for spurious reasons. He would sit in the staffroom and boast of how he had already gotten rid of 6 teachers, and did anyone want him to help out in their department.I lasted 2 terms there. The kids were a challenge, but I could handle them, they're kids. It was the lack of support from management I couldn't handle. Some of the staff were lovely, very supportive and offered to back me up should I make a complaint. Others made racist and sexist comments and laid bets on when I would leave (I lasted longest of all the Australian teachers employed - their were 4 of us).My current school is a world away. The Head and managers are brilliant. Very supportive of me and are very open to innovations and ways of teaching they haven't seen before. I will eventually have to go through the OTTP to get QTS, but I'm not being rushed (and am being paid decently, as it's not an LEA school). My only bugbear now is book marking. What an absolute waste of time. 98% of the kids don't look at the comments and don't want you to write in their books how they can improve. It completely does my head in.I will be going home in a few years, certainly before I have school age children. I will not inflict a system where exam results are everything on my children. Also, I would die if I had to work here for another 30 years. I really would.
ladelley in 'feel like a second class citizen?'
Welcome to England.And of course, none of this is ever said to anyone's face. Oh no-o-o-o. Only ever, ever behind someone's back, preferrably after being disgustingly pleasant to the individual in front of all concerned in order to make the shallow, backstabbing character assassination all the more delicious once the subject has absented the room or moved out of earshot. Better yet if the individual concerned is close enough to only hear parts of the conversation so the gossipers can grow suddenly silent at key intervals, giggle and look guilty. Perpetual insecurity, emotional immaturity, vindictiveness and manipulation are cultural hallmarks along with a self-satsifying smug arrogance based upon purposeful ignorance that is a source of actual pride in the company of others...intelligence, talent, enthusiasm and a genuine desire to learn are to be shunned at all cost, particularly when evidenced in foreigners. A sense of humour based upon actual joy, as opposed to a satiric, biting wit, is also to be frowned upon.You wouldn't want these bitter individuals on your side, hollybridge. They clam up when actually confronted face to face, only daring to be so nasty when annonymous or amongst friends; they are the epitome of the passive-agressive personality. And you're right. They don't like their problems solved because they'd have nothing to whinge about, then.Although I have met exceptions to the rule. There are some genuinely wonderful people, here. Most that I have encountered have travelled and lived elsewhere for extended periods of time, which may or may not have had something to do with it.I'll be moving on soon, I think, though. I think it's a poor match of personality and culture.
moroba 'Sidebar about this forum'
Having observed this time and again (I'm a widely travelled one, btw), may I please apologise on behalf of the British people for the actions of those who have caused you to form such a low opinion. (hangs head in shame)
RogerRabbitX in 'Sidebar about this forum'
To all who care, I am another OTT who has worked in the UK for the past 3 years. My wife and I were originally with an agency (who never mentioned the necessity of QTS), but decided to sign on with our school after 2 years after being offered head of department positions. Now here is what I don't understand, why is a QTS required when we have both proven ourselves time and time again to not only the SLT, but also to OFSTED and HMI through countless inspections. Until last week we were a special measures school in very real threat of closure. Now if we can both teach in a school like that, and successfully I might add, haven't we done our part to prove we are capable. I can understand the reasoning behind it, I genuinely can, however in practice the entire process is horribly flawed. As far as I am aware the UK is the only country that will hire you, let you teach with overseas qualifications, establish yourself in a school and community, and then after 4 years say sorry you aren't actually qualified to work in our country, start jumping through those hoops. If the QTS process was really designed to weed out bad teachers and set a standard for satisfactory educators it would be a requirement for ALL OTT (not only commonwealth, but an arguement for another time!) teachers to go through the process during their first year teaching in this country. Although if that became the requirement there would be a significant drop in any OTT's coming over, and I suppose the view point is that it is better to have enough "unqualified" teachers for 4 years than a desparate lack of "qualified" teachers every year.I don't really expect any replies, particularly since there is already a glut of QTS complaints, but I feel better for voicing some frustrations. So to all who take the time to read thank you.Cheers,
kforde in 'More QTS Complaining'
HiI have had some messages of support and follow-up from users of the TES site, and thought I would advise what happened to me after my QTS debacle of 2006. Some users may remember I was teaching quite happily in a borough school until a serious and debilitating condition reared its head. I went on extended sick leave, during this time having physio to try and fix my personal condition. Things suddenly came to a head for me personally, when my specialist advised I would require costly surgery. The very day I was admitted to hospital, I received a call from my head to advise there was something that needed to be discussed and I should come into school immediately.
Fearing the worst, I declined and said 'If its my job you're taking, you might as well spare me the agony until next week. I am sitting here on the eve of surgery already nerved up and cannot address your request right now'.No sooner had I come out of surgery than my husband tentatively bought in a letter to my hospital bed, for me to open. It was an official letter from my school's borough, advising that as I was an OTT and had exceeded the '4 year rule' (a rule I had never even heard about until this point), my employment woulld come to a conclusion with immediate effect.Suffering from the effects of major surgery, I was beset with the fact that I was being ousted, based on some rule I had never heard of. I'd already been teaching in the UK for 9 years, and had been at this school for at least 5 years!
Upon leaving hospital, I went into overdrive and started pursuing as best I could all the information I could find on this ruling, including signing up to the TES website. In not so many words, since I was an OTT, I was told by some unhelpful souls at various departments including my own borough, that I should have known about this ruling. 'Surely, you have coffee and chats with fellow Antipodeans'? Er well, actually no. My school comprised a full complement of British teachers. I was the token Antipodean.. Perhaps that was integral to my downfall in the state system.
It was never about having to engage in the qualification conversion, most of the terminology for which I have since put to the back of my mind. It was all about NOT KNOWING. Knowing could have made a real difference to my teaching career. I could willingly have engaged in the appropriate courses through the auspices of my borough before it was too late. Instead, my borough, the board of governors and everyone else decided to place their hands in the sand and only when a case presented itself in the borough, did department heads start to roll and a full cull of OTTs exceeding the 4 year rule take place. I am a casualty of this system.
However, there is no point in crying over spilt milk. I have since gone on to teach on a supply basis and granted, whilst I won't ever be able to take a borough contract again, strangely I could accept a term placing..., Work that one out. The system is so crazy, that I could theoretically return to my old school, on term supply, yet when I was terminated last year, I was made to feel I had less right to be in my classroom, than my less-qualified classroom assistant!Perhaps the most amazing part about all this QTS, is the EU constitution which allows for teachers from newer entrant countries such as the Czech Republic, Poland, Latvia and so on, to teach here and not have to comply with the same rulings accorded to OTTs from countries such as Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. English is my mother tongue. English is not the mother tongue of a Czech trained teacher of Czech natgionality....
I rest my case.
However, although I'm not on some sort of crusade, here, it would be very helpful if things were more transparent.Judging by this site and this forum, there are plenty of confused teachers out there. Not all of us go home after a 2 year working holiday. Some of us are here for an extended period and have indefinite leave to remain. It seems it is this cross-section of people who have been caught in ther crossfire, perhaps even those who extend their working holiday to skilled worker status and hope to stay on. Be careful, you can't exceed the 4-year rule.Things will come about circle, they always do. Britain will be screaming for teachers again one day, just as they did in the late 90s, when I arrived.Good luck to all OTTs, and apologies again, as usual for the verbosity of this new message.
Mel Chanel in 'OUTCOME OF QTS - IT'S RIDICULOUS - THE MEL CHANEL STORY'
No it is not that bad.
It is much, much worse.
Just look in the headlines for the amount of gun related crime and the number of yufs stabbed and or shot in the last week.
A friend visited a hospital because of a suspected heart attack. On A&E that night there were 3 separate stabbings involving young teenagers and 3 kids (around 13-14) who had been severely injured in a drink-related road accident.
If your intended school is in Hampstead or somewhere nice, it is probably but have no illusions.
smirk in Are UK kids/teaching situations really as bad as people say?
There are crap schools everywhere. If you've seen one you've seen them all. I've taught in them in both Canada and England.
The difficulty with teaching in the Uk is that the shortages of teachers are in the crap schools (largely) and places where you can't afford to live. The nice jobs are taken by teachers with QTS and the leftovers are for OTT's. Also, if you are not familiar with the area you will not know (until you get there) what kind of school it is likely to be.
canadashirleyblue in Are UK kids/teaching situations really as bad as people say?
The last posting is absolutely true.
If you start walking north or east from Liverpool Street station in the City of London- one of the wealthiest areas of the planet- you soon walk into various parts of the East End. The degree of ghettoisation is amazing. It is impossible to tell from a map what a place is like and where the unofficial boundaries between poor and well-off areas are.
Even places like Brighton, Scarborough et al. are now full of homless druggies living in hotels. Very sad.
Gun and knife related violence has never been more common. Prisons have never been more full of young people. The suicide rate among young males in prison is shameful.
Drugs are a big part of teenage life in the UK, even among rich kids. Cannabis has had a profound effect on behaviour in the last few years, and has even caused an increase in the number of teenagers seeking help for severe depression or other psychiatric problems.
Then there is also the question of teenage pregnancies, which are at an all time high. Binge drinking, obesity and smoking... OK, issues in other countries as well, but in the league tables for pregnancy the UK leads the way!
It is now even higher than Ireland!
canadashirleyblue in Are UK kids/teaching situations really as bad as people say?
The UK school system is significantly different than almost any other system in the world, particularly compared to North American systems. Over 3 years I have found the basic skills of students to be significantly lower, due to the fact there is no need to 'pass' anything, they are simply passed on. Several of my year 11 students currently at a 12 year old reading/writing age are strong examples of this. The behaviour is significantly worse here than to any school I have taught at in Canada. Those who say it is similar and there are bad schools/students in both countries are diluting themselves into believing something that is simply not true.
Now that said, I wouldn't trade my experience here for anything. I have been in a special measures school (came out in December) and it is particularly difficult. I am now confident that I could teacher anywhere successfully. If you are mentally strong, and expecting a massive change you should be okay but I won't lie to you, my wife and I are 2 of the only OTT's to last as long as 3 years in our school. Most wash out in the first 3-4 months (we lost 4 before Christmas last year!). It is an experience well worth trying although most of the horror stories you have heard are probably true.
Good luck, k
kforde in Are UK kids/teaching situations really as bad as people say?
Hello, I FEEL LIKE RUBBISH TEACHING HERE!!I'm a music teacher and not to sound like egotistical or anything...have had more training from the U.S. than they do here. I have been here 4 years and temped in sh** schools because other schools were afraid of how long I'd stay or taking on an "overseas teacher". I was consistently blamed for the kids' bad behaviour, given horrible classes and felt ganged up on by staff repeatedly. I worked my a** off and learned of stuff to improve on from my references to other employers. I am a very good teacher, but its like they took their vengance out me when the references came up...do I really deserve that? Its a nightmare trying to get qualified teacher's status..when I've already spent 5 1/2 years on a degree. Teaching in England has frustrated me completely and the references I got are unfair and biased and frankly ruined my career. But what can I do about it, I have no rights!! This is all why, for the last year I've been doing an office job instead of teaching! i never thought it would come to this...
rosy1912 in 'feel like a second class citizen?'
"Hey there everyone.. Im considering coming over to the U.K. to teach in September"
Oh for goodness sake!The UK is full of brats who don't want to learn. Exams are dumbed down to inflate pass rates. Papers are leaked or at least hinted at to ensure passes...
Plagiarism generally goes undetected; agencies abound who will write your coursework...and it's all 'research'.
If you're over 45 you won't even get a job as you'll be too highly paid.Therefore the ONLY reason young teachers are employed is because...they are young. Nothing to do with actual ability.
That tells you everything about the teaching profession.Stay away from the UK - unless you plan to set up a school for asylum seekers and then you'll probably get a grant to pay for their taxis to lessons.
(You may think the above is a rant but asylum seekers get taxis to sign on the dole (see www.bbc.co.uk) and also Welsh lecturers get a grant to research the effects of...beer)UK is long gone - stay out!!!!
David in 'Teacher Recruitment Agencies'
I have come to England from Australia last September. The comprehensive school that I am at, the kids are totally out-of-control and I been off sick because of this. I want to teach not to discipline all the time. It doesn't look good, its not working. I dont know what to do. I have applied to TES for independant schools as I feel all comprehensive schools will have the same lack of respect and bad behaviour-but i feel this is useless as I am getting letter after letter saying they have appointed someone else-also this is only my second year out and I dont have QTS(another problem)-however,I do have a 10 year visa. The ofsteds are all the same and my school is CONSIDERED A GOOD SCHOOL!-goodness knows what a bad school would be like! In TES i have applied for 27 jobs and not one interview! I have only got a couple of months to do anything. After that I will have to book airplane-We are a family of 4.
artbot in 'I am going home......'
I have found as a teacher in two countries, that overall the way behaviour is dealt with in the UK is rather alarming. I taught for 8 years in the US (US citizen), in three different counties, in two states - very diverse areas. In all areas, it did depend on how the head teacher handled things, but also in all areas there were clear, defined, cut and dried codes of conduct. Here, there seems to be nothing. What I also found was the way teachers talked to pupils here and in the US was quite different. In the US, we're taught to praise or condemn the behaviour, not the child. "Good boy" and "Good girl" are almost illegal. Yet here it's commonly used. Praise was more obvious in US schools - "I like the way..." kind of thing, which I use here. But there are a lot of commands I've heard given, a lot of sarcasm (not in a fun way, I mean) used without even a "please" from the teacher. We have an occasional US-trained supply teacher and she rarely has behaviour problems, I think because she speaks to them so pleasantly, yet firmly. Tells them what is expected rather than what not to do. I've been in two primary schools in the UK, in two different areas - very different areas (albeit similar SES areas, different type of clientele). Mind, this is primary school! When I taught in secondary, I was appalled by the behaviour here. Teachers weren't allowed to contact parents - all had to go through the HoY, and if s/he fell down on the job, so to speak, the teacher was left looking like a fool. That's only 1 school's experience, however, so it may be that that was an exception. As for support, I can't say I wasn't supported in the secondary, but it was ineffective. I had no sanctions besides detentions, which don't really work. In primary, I've had good support, but that is because I demanded it. I kept records and submitted things in writing. If I hadn't, the head might have just left me as she left others in my school.Just my tuppence worth!
slieber24 in 'Student behaviour/SMT support'
I'm also from the US - taught there for 6 years at the high school level. I find the behaviour of the students (and some of the staff) here shocking. I really hate the 'pass the buck' system of discipline at my school (may be different elsewhere, I only have experience in one UK school). If a kid disrupts or causes problems I have to hand it off to the HOY or HOD which to me feels like I have no power - the kids know I personally can't do anything to them. After a problem has been passed on it can take a week for anything to be done. I thought we learned in teaching school (or child psychology) that discipline needs to be administered shortly after the 'crime' for it to be effective. I have students who are booked into detentions until NEXT half term for things they've done this term! The detentions mean nothing to them and most of them cannot remember what they did to get the detention - useless. In the states (2 different schools) teachers contact parents directly and all naughty kids are dealt with by the same person (the VP of discipline). As it is at my school here, a kid can disrupt all his/her classes in a day but see a different person for each disruption - HOY, HOD, other senior management.... it's nuts and it doesn't work.Any other experiences out there?
lyle8855 in 'Student behaviour/SMT support'
I have similar experience with the UK system. It wasn't until I became HOD I was able to reslove any problem myself and kids started to relise not to mess with me. In NZ you deal with the problem first, contact parents, run detention, place them in the school detention doing your work! Then if that fails the HOD or HoY steps in to help you and not take over. Unless you as the teacher are seen by the kid as resolving the issue the class room behaviour is very hard to change. But I suppose my biggest issue with the system in my UK school is the paper work require for this disruptive kid.This is just the situation at my UK school, school policy states teachers can't contact parents directly with out permission. Who would have thought! I'll be happy to get my NZ kids back but I prefer the UK pay.
VC_kiwi in 'Student behaviour/SMT support'
I am a Canadian who taught in the UK last year. I really enjoyed it, but it was a real eye opener. First off, the teacher shortage is not as great as it was two years ago. Then, it was not uncommon to regularly see 3000 jobs on TES. I remember near Easter there were over TWELVE THOUSAND teaching positions listed!!Now, enrollments are declining at the primary level as the baby boom echo hits their teens. Infant and Junior schools (think a pre-k to grade 2 and a grade 3 to 6) are not needing teachers the way they used to.Secondary schools are still in need, but not the numbers as before. Most of the secondary schools that would take a flyer on an OTT (Overseas Trained Teacher) are schools in rougher areas, or with a rougher reputation that puts British teachers off from applying.Behaviour in schools is also VERY different from behaviour seen in North American schools. Even at rough schools, the worst I have had to face in Canada is students skipping (bunking in England), or students swearing at me. In English schools if that is all you have to face at quite a few schools then you are doing extremely well! At my school in the UK, I knew five teachers who left in the first four months due to student behaviour and effort. Salaries are also lower, although starting salaries are higher than over here. However, if you have no experience, you get paid on the OTT scale, which is thousands of pounds less than what a British trained teacher makes. You would need to go through TQS (Teacher Qualification Service) to become certified to teach in Britain, and which also enables you to register with the GTC (General Teacher Council).Your initial OTT evaluation of documents is made by NARIC (do a websearch or follow the links on this site) and costs money. For an in-depth analysis of your transcripts and degrees, it is more money, and is done after the initial application.Students in Britian do a GTP or PGCE entry, or else do a Teacher degree at a Teacher Training uni or college. GTP is Graduate Training Program and is aimed at attracting people from other industries into education; for example, I worked with a GTP student who worked in computers in London for 20 years, made his loot, and was ready for a change. The PGCE is Post Graduate Course in Education for those who received a degree in a subject and then decided to teach in that subject. It is similar to a post degree professional program. Anyways, if you are looking to teach, big cities and supply agencies (given your lack of experience) are better than trying on your own. Me, I had 12 years experience overseas and in Canada at a variety of levels and subjects. I managed to find my own position after my wife received a job offer in another industry to work in England. In the end we enjoyed our time, but the expense of living in England caused us to rethink our plan of staying long term and we moved home. (a dilapidated row house (a line of 20) with a tiny front yard and no furnishings, usually no cabinets, closets etc, would have set us back $250,000 Cdn even without furniture, appliances and cabinets. A regular house such as you would buy here for $300,000 is over $1,000,000 in England, at least in the south where we lived.Hope this helps - don't give up, just be aware! You will also need a work permit unless you apply on the holiday makers visa or have right of abode through parents or grandparents (but not great-grandparents).
shadocg in 'frustrated and wondering'
After one term in England I am tired of being treated badly by the staff at my school. I am annoyed that my 10 years experience does not make me 'qualified' to teach in this country. I am furious that my classes consist entirely of bottom sets of Year 9s and 10s, while English NQT's are given A level classes. Mostly, I am amazed that I am blamed for the behaviour of students in my class. It seems that, in this country, kids are not responsible for their own actions. Sorry if this sounds negative, but I really feel that this school system needs to look at what overseas teachers can contribute instead of seeing them as a liability. If asked (which will never happen) I could share my experiences with a more progressive approach to teaching and learning, comment on the benefits of teaching groups that are truly mixed ability, compare curriculum, exams and assessment models. Why do the English believe that this is the best school system in the world?
scout finch in 'feel like a second class citizen?'
scout finch - don't waste any time putting any documentation together to show what you can bring to education here - as nobody will ever ask for it.A Kiwi teacher that was here for two years, brought all kinds of resources with her. She was scoffed at by the 'long term teachers' in her department, told it wouldn't work etc. She left prior to Christmas. Guess what - they're now starting to use some of her things - singing the praises of the materials/resources and taking full credit for it!While she was here, they treated her like sh*t
bandh in 'feel like a second class citizen?'
[Sorry if this sounds negative, but I really feel that this school system needs to look at what overseas teachers can contribute instead of seeing them as a liability.]Welcome to the world of the overseass trained teacher in the UK. The hint of anything outside the usual tick-box sends all the insecures into a manic panic! I am a well qualified OTT with a proven track record in education in 2 countries yet I could only stick less than 2 years in this system. I opted out because of the treatment metered out to OTTs - from the staffroom to OFSTED (who wanted to splash UNQUALIFIED onto the report - imagine explaining that to parents?) The attitude of some colleagues bordered on bullying & racism . . . opt out if you can
dee7 in 'feel like a second class citizen?'
I read this with interest because it rings bells. Over fifty per cent of all UK teachers are also deemed "unqualified" ( FE trained teachers) and its been a bone of contention since 1989.And its 1989 that is the crucial date.Teaching in Britain hasnt always been like this. After the second world war we did have a world beating education system - kids were responsible for their own actions, teaching was not done by numbers, students were excluded for poor behaviour, exam results were not doctored by teachers desperate to meet " targets". ALL teachers who were trained and/or experienced were "qualified" - honest! All that changed in the mid 1980's ( started in 1985), now I would agree with you - its total cr*p and getting worse if it is in fact possible to get worse.I too have thought of packing my bags and leaving but the trouble is, the UK teacher simply isnt good enough in reputation to go anywhere else now. I am a good teacher but I know that the Birtish education system is so bad no one would give me any merit which is a pity.
barriesmart in 'feel like a second class citizen?'
I enjoy learning and thoroughly enjoy teaching. I absolutely love working with the kids here, even if some of their behaviour would never be tolerated in other systems in which I have taught. That's the fault of the system, not the kids. Even the racism I get at times is due to ignorance rather than genuine hostility, and often a direct response aimed at educating the individual concerned is usually enough. I've only had one or two genuinely nasty kids with which to work.The staff, on the other hand, is another thing all together. Senior staff have actually been quite good to me, though hideous to my N. Irish husband. They have recognised my skills, experience and professionalism, even as I have had to jump through the statutory hoops to get qualified. Many of the assumptions made about OTT by the system are downright racism and ignorant; again, that's the system and the people who designed it, not the poor folk who have to work with it. I do find it amusing, though, the way the system appears to assume methodology used here is inherently superior to everywhere else, particularly on matters where its patently obvious to everyone involved but the politicians and a handful of theorists that the methodology is failing miserably as opposed to that used everywhere else.Middle management and fellow colleagues generally have been nothing short of hostile, insecure, vindictive and downright racist. Current school is a bit of an exception. Staff outside my subject area are wonderful to work and talk with. Most of the staff in my department are less than accepting, although one particular staff member is democratically horrible to all staff so I can't really say that it's because I'm foreign. In other schools I worked in, fellow staff made fun of my accent, constantly correcting the way I said "schedule", I got sent to the head for not "knowing my place" by suggesting ways of improving grammar teaching at a department meeting when feedback was requested (later proved right by an outside consultant initially brought in to prove I didn't know what I was talking about...was told to keep my mouth shut despite being right because my fellow staff members were too insecure to handle the truth). I got classes taken away from me during training because the students remarked to the HOD about my depth of subject knowledge and how I made learning fun. It took three months for staff to even acknowledge my existence beyond the barest pleasantries while NQTs and PGCSE students from England were given the warmest of welcomes.Probably won't stay in the system. I can accept immaturity and insecurity among teenagers; it's their job after all to push boundaries and find who they are. I don't have the same patience and understanding with staff, who are supposed to have grown up and become trained professionals.
moroba in 'feel like a second class citizen?'
A very dear friend of mine is currently going through hell because of peer colleagues. The head apparently is throwing in with them, by prosecuting a frivolous complaint. The poor fellow is off work because of this, possibly could end up dead because he can't handle the amount of stress that this is causing. All because he sought help elsewhere when no one at the school - head or governors - paid attention to his complaints. Yet the complaints of the main colleague who bullied and harrassed him is being taken seriously. His record at the school is above reproach - several years he was at that school, through many an inspection (4, I think) where he was rated good or better. Yet that all seems to count for nothing when a manipulative junior colleague manages to wrap the head teacher around his little finger. She (the head) had a duty of care that she ignored. Hopefully my friend will be able to prove this shortly!
Forgot to mention - my friend is foreign born. Living here for over 10 years, though. He had already resigned his position due to the bullying at the school and was going to teach in another country for a while. He loved teaching here, though, and had had no plans to go until the bullying intensified. I wonder if this is an appeasement process for the bullying teacher, that the head feels that since the teacher is going and going out of the country, this action can be taken with impugnity as it may not affect the man's chances? My friend thinks that she doesn't realise that records follow, even if not intentionally so or deliberately so.Sorry - I'm so angry for him. It's truly an injustice to destroy a good teacher's career, using his foreign-ness as a cover for this action. Stepping down from the podium now....
oldster in 'feel like a second class citizen?'
Expect nothing. To acknowledge his contribution, skills and care for his students would be to acknowledge him as a human being. Obviously, as they are doing this to him in the first place, they don't recognise his basic humanity, never mind the wonderful things that make him a unique individual and, as you say, good teacher. My husband had to do something similar in his last school when administration told him that "doing a paddy" was acceptable language for him to have to tolerate amongst staff (as an Irishman), administration did not apologise for treating him as an overseas trained teacher despite his being trained in Northern Ireland and holding superior qualifications to his HOD, his HOD walked into his classes and berated him in front of students on points of methodology and so forth. In the end, he applied for another job before the HOD could get overly creative (particularly since this HOD was a union rep and therefore knew the ins and outs of the system). My husband took down all of his display materials, his demonstrations and his tools that he had brought in to supplement that of the department's as they were lacking certain basic equipment.No one said anything except the technician...who later resigned himself in disgust.
moroba in 'feel like a second class citizen?'
In my first job here I was bullying, degraded, put down in front of students and made to feel like scum by my HOD. He was upset that he didn't get a say in my employment (I was interviewed and offered a position on the spot by the head teacher). He was of the attitude that if students aren't writing, they aren't learning. He would waltz into my lessons and berate me in front of students if he felt they hadn't written enough in their books. He would give them (and in turn, me) detentions for spurious reasons. He would sit in the staffroom and boast of how he had already gotten rid of 6 teachers, and did anyone want him to help out in their department.I lasted 2 terms there. The kids were a challenge, but I could handle them, they're kids. It was the lack of support from management I couldn't handle. Some of the staff were lovely, very supportive and offered to back me up should I make a complaint. Others made racist and sexist comments and laid bets on when I would leave (I lasted longest of all the Australian teachers employed - their were 4 of us).My current school is a world away. The Head and managers are brilliant. Very supportive of me and are very open to innovations and ways of teaching they haven't seen before. I will eventually have to go through the OTTP to get QTS, but I'm not being rushed (and am being paid decently, as it's not an LEA school). My only bugbear now is book marking. What an absolute waste of time. 98% of the kids don't look at the comments and don't want you to write in their books how they can improve. It completely does my head in.I will be going home in a few years, certainly before I have school age children. I will not inflict a system where exam results are everything on my children. Also, I would die if I had to work here for another 30 years. I really would.
ladelley in 'feel like a second class citizen?'
Welcome to England.And of course, none of this is ever said to anyone's face. Oh no-o-o-o. Only ever, ever behind someone's back, preferrably after being disgustingly pleasant to the individual in front of all concerned in order to make the shallow, backstabbing character assassination all the more delicious once the subject has absented the room or moved out of earshot. Better yet if the individual concerned is close enough to only hear parts of the conversation so the gossipers can grow suddenly silent at key intervals, giggle and look guilty. Perpetual insecurity, emotional immaturity, vindictiveness and manipulation are cultural hallmarks along with a self-satsifying smug arrogance based upon purposeful ignorance that is a source of actual pride in the company of others...intelligence, talent, enthusiasm and a genuine desire to learn are to be shunned at all cost, particularly when evidenced in foreigners. A sense of humour based upon actual joy, as opposed to a satiric, biting wit, is also to be frowned upon.You wouldn't want these bitter individuals on your side, hollybridge. They clam up when actually confronted face to face, only daring to be so nasty when annonymous or amongst friends; they are the epitome of the passive-agressive personality. And you're right. They don't like their problems solved because they'd have nothing to whinge about, then.Although I have met exceptions to the rule. There are some genuinely wonderful people, here. Most that I have encountered have travelled and lived elsewhere for extended periods of time, which may or may not have had something to do with it.I'll be moving on soon, I think, though. I think it's a poor match of personality and culture.
moroba 'Sidebar about this forum'
Having observed this time and again (I'm a widely travelled one, btw), may I please apologise on behalf of the British people for the actions of those who have caused you to form such a low opinion. (hangs head in shame)
RogerRabbitX in 'Sidebar about this forum'
To all who care, I am another OTT who has worked in the UK for the past 3 years. My wife and I were originally with an agency (who never mentioned the necessity of QTS), but decided to sign on with our school after 2 years after being offered head of department positions. Now here is what I don't understand, why is a QTS required when we have both proven ourselves time and time again to not only the SLT, but also to OFSTED and HMI through countless inspections. Until last week we were a special measures school in very real threat of closure. Now if we can both teach in a school like that, and successfully I might add, haven't we done our part to prove we are capable. I can understand the reasoning behind it, I genuinely can, however in practice the entire process is horribly flawed. As far as I am aware the UK is the only country that will hire you, let you teach with overseas qualifications, establish yourself in a school and community, and then after 4 years say sorry you aren't actually qualified to work in our country, start jumping through those hoops. If the QTS process was really designed to weed out bad teachers and set a standard for satisfactory educators it would be a requirement for ALL OTT (not only commonwealth, but an arguement for another time!) teachers to go through the process during their first year teaching in this country. Although if that became the requirement there would be a significant drop in any OTT's coming over, and I suppose the view point is that it is better to have enough "unqualified" teachers for 4 years than a desparate lack of "qualified" teachers every year.I don't really expect any replies, particularly since there is already a glut of QTS complaints, but I feel better for voicing some frustrations. So to all who take the time to read thank you.Cheers,
kforde in 'More QTS Complaining'
HiI have had some messages of support and follow-up from users of the TES site, and thought I would advise what happened to me after my QTS debacle of 2006. Some users may remember I was teaching quite happily in a borough school until a serious and debilitating condition reared its head. I went on extended sick leave, during this time having physio to try and fix my personal condition. Things suddenly came to a head for me personally, when my specialist advised I would require costly surgery. The very day I was admitted to hospital, I received a call from my head to advise there was something that needed to be discussed and I should come into school immediately.
Fearing the worst, I declined and said 'If its my job you're taking, you might as well spare me the agony until next week. I am sitting here on the eve of surgery already nerved up and cannot address your request right now'.No sooner had I come out of surgery than my husband tentatively bought in a letter to my hospital bed, for me to open. It was an official letter from my school's borough, advising that as I was an OTT and had exceeded the '4 year rule' (a rule I had never even heard about until this point), my employment woulld come to a conclusion with immediate effect.Suffering from the effects of major surgery, I was beset with the fact that I was being ousted, based on some rule I had never heard of. I'd already been teaching in the UK for 9 years, and had been at this school for at least 5 years!
Upon leaving hospital, I went into overdrive and started pursuing as best I could all the information I could find on this ruling, including signing up to the TES website. In not so many words, since I was an OTT, I was told by some unhelpful souls at various departments including my own borough, that I should have known about this ruling. 'Surely, you have coffee and chats with fellow Antipodeans'? Er well, actually no. My school comprised a full complement of British teachers. I was the token Antipodean.. Perhaps that was integral to my downfall in the state system.
It was never about having to engage in the qualification conversion, most of the terminology for which I have since put to the back of my mind. It was all about NOT KNOWING. Knowing could have made a real difference to my teaching career. I could willingly have engaged in the appropriate courses through the auspices of my borough before it was too late. Instead, my borough, the board of governors and everyone else decided to place their hands in the sand and only when a case presented itself in the borough, did department heads start to roll and a full cull of OTTs exceeding the 4 year rule take place. I am a casualty of this system.
However, there is no point in crying over spilt milk. I have since gone on to teach on a supply basis and granted, whilst I won't ever be able to take a borough contract again, strangely I could accept a term placing..., Work that one out. The system is so crazy, that I could theoretically return to my old school, on term supply, yet when I was terminated last year, I was made to feel I had less right to be in my classroom, than my less-qualified classroom assistant!Perhaps the most amazing part about all this QTS, is the EU constitution which allows for teachers from newer entrant countries such as the Czech Republic, Poland, Latvia and so on, to teach here and not have to comply with the same rulings accorded to OTTs from countries such as Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. English is my mother tongue. English is not the mother tongue of a Czech trained teacher of Czech natgionality....
I rest my case.
However, although I'm not on some sort of crusade, here, it would be very helpful if things were more transparent.Judging by this site and this forum, there are plenty of confused teachers out there. Not all of us go home after a 2 year working holiday. Some of us are here for an extended period and have indefinite leave to remain. It seems it is this cross-section of people who have been caught in ther crossfire, perhaps even those who extend their working holiday to skilled worker status and hope to stay on. Be careful, you can't exceed the 4-year rule.Things will come about circle, they always do. Britain will be screaming for teachers again one day, just as they did in the late 90s, when I arrived.Good luck to all OTTs, and apologies again, as usual for the verbosity of this new message.
Mel Chanel in 'OUTCOME OF QTS - IT'S RIDICULOUS - THE MEL CHANEL STORY'
No it is not that bad.
It is much, much worse.
Just look in the headlines for the amount of gun related crime and the number of yufs stabbed and or shot in the last week.
A friend visited a hospital because of a suspected heart attack. On A&E that night there were 3 separate stabbings involving young teenagers and 3 kids (around 13-14) who had been severely injured in a drink-related road accident.
If your intended school is in Hampstead or somewhere nice, it is probably but have no illusions.
smirk in Are UK kids/teaching situations really as bad as people say?
There are crap schools everywhere. If you've seen one you've seen them all. I've taught in them in both Canada and England.
The difficulty with teaching in the Uk is that the shortages of teachers are in the crap schools (largely) and places where you can't afford to live. The nice jobs are taken by teachers with QTS and the leftovers are for OTT's. Also, if you are not familiar with the area you will not know (until you get there) what kind of school it is likely to be.
canadashirleyblue in Are UK kids/teaching situations really as bad as people say?
The last posting is absolutely true.
If you start walking north or east from Liverpool Street station in the City of London- one of the wealthiest areas of the planet- you soon walk into various parts of the East End. The degree of ghettoisation is amazing. It is impossible to tell from a map what a place is like and where the unofficial boundaries between poor and well-off areas are.
Even places like Brighton, Scarborough et al. are now full of homless druggies living in hotels. Very sad.
Gun and knife related violence has never been more common. Prisons have never been more full of young people. The suicide rate among young males in prison is shameful.
Drugs are a big part of teenage life in the UK, even among rich kids. Cannabis has had a profound effect on behaviour in the last few years, and has even caused an increase in the number of teenagers seeking help for severe depression or other psychiatric problems.
Then there is also the question of teenage pregnancies, which are at an all time high. Binge drinking, obesity and smoking... OK, issues in other countries as well, but in the league tables for pregnancy the UK leads the way!
It is now even higher than Ireland!
canadashirleyblue in Are UK kids/teaching situations really as bad as people say?
The UK school system is significantly different than almost any other system in the world, particularly compared to North American systems. Over 3 years I have found the basic skills of students to be significantly lower, due to the fact there is no need to 'pass' anything, they are simply passed on. Several of my year 11 students currently at a 12 year old reading/writing age are strong examples of this. The behaviour is significantly worse here than to any school I have taught at in Canada. Those who say it is similar and there are bad schools/students in both countries are diluting themselves into believing something that is simply not true.
Now that said, I wouldn't trade my experience here for anything. I have been in a special measures school (came out in December) and it is particularly difficult. I am now confident that I could teacher anywhere successfully. If you are mentally strong, and expecting a massive change you should be okay but I won't lie to you, my wife and I are 2 of the only OTT's to last as long as 3 years in our school. Most wash out in the first 3-4 months (we lost 4 before Christmas last year!). It is an experience well worth trying although most of the horror stories you have heard are probably true.
Good luck, k
kforde in Are UK kids/teaching situations really as bad as people say?
What happens when you get QTS
You came to England and you worked for a year or two on the unqualified scale. Now you got QTS and can finally earn money on the main scale.
Except for one thing...
You have to start from the bottom of the main scale. Your experience working overseas does not count towards the main scale. Your experience working in England does not count either. Only the experience you have after attaining QTS can be used for salary placement purposes.
It is possible to move up the salary scale though. However, this is entirely dependent on the generousity of the headteacher and the school govenors. The headteacher and school govenors are there to try to pay you as little as possible. So whether or not your salary reflects your experience depends on how much they need you.
Case 1 on TES
Example 2
Except for one thing...
You have to start from the bottom of the main scale. Your experience working overseas does not count towards the main scale. Your experience working in England does not count either. Only the experience you have after attaining QTS can be used for salary placement purposes.
It is possible to move up the salary scale though. However, this is entirely dependent on the generousity of the headteacher and the school govenors. The headteacher and school govenors are there to try to pay you as little as possible. So whether or not your salary reflects your experience depends on how much they need you.
Case 1 on TES
Example 2
Why unqualified teachers are allowed to teach
According to the TDA, you need QTS to teach in a state-maintained school in England or Wales. This is not true. You can teach in a state school without QTS if they are willing to hire you. The only difference is that you will technically be an "unqualified teacher".
As an unqualified teacher, you will be paid on the unqualified payscale. Teachers on the unqualified payscale make a lot less than those on the regular payscale. For example, a teacher working in inner London earns 18552 - 27129 pounds a year on the unqualified scale (1). The same teacher would make 24168 - 33936 pounds a year on the qualified scale (2) for a difference of over 5000 pounds (or $10,000!).
If you are on the unqualified payscale, you will not earn enough money to support yourself. You will need to rely on additional sources of income such as a part-time job, or a significant other.
Thus, unqualified teachers are allowed to teach in state schools, but they earn a lot less money than qualified teachers with equivalent experience. The British system allows teachers without British qualifications (i.e. QTS) to teach in British schools for one reason. They can pay teachers without QTS a lot less money than teachers with QTS. Unqualified teachers are allowed to teach because they are a lot cheaper than qualified teachers. It is all about the money
1. http://www.tda.gov.uk/Recruit/lifeasateacher/payandbenefits/unqualifiedteachers.aspx
2. http://www.tda.gov.uk/Recruit/lifeasateacher/payandbenefits/salaryscales.aspx
Previous - QTS - Qualified Teacher Status
Next - What happens when you get QTS
As an unqualified teacher, you will be paid on the unqualified payscale. Teachers on the unqualified payscale make a lot less than those on the regular payscale. For example, a teacher working in inner London earns 18552 - 27129 pounds a year on the unqualified scale (1). The same teacher would make 24168 - 33936 pounds a year on the qualified scale (2) for a difference of over 5000 pounds (or $10,000!).
If you are on the unqualified payscale, you will not earn enough money to support yourself. You will need to rely on additional sources of income such as a part-time job, or a significant other.
Thus, unqualified teachers are allowed to teach in state schools, but they earn a lot less money than qualified teachers with equivalent experience. The British system allows teachers without British qualifications (i.e. QTS) to teach in British schools for one reason. They can pay teachers without QTS a lot less money than teachers with QTS. Unqualified teachers are allowed to teach because they are a lot cheaper than qualified teachers. It is all about the money
1. http://www.tda.gov.uk/Recruit/lifeasateacher/payandbenefits/unqualifiedteachers.aspx
2. http://www.tda.gov.uk/Recruit/lifeasateacher/payandbenefits/salaryscales.aspx
Previous - QTS - Qualified Teacher Status
Next - What happens when you get QTS
QTS - Qualified Teacher Status
If you want to teach in England or Wales pernamently, you will have to get qualified teacher status or QTS. Here is some basic information about QTS from tda.gov.uk
QTS - What is it?
QTF is the accreditation that enables you to teach in state-maintained and special schools in England and Wales (1).
Who needs it?
Anyone who wants to teach in a state-maintained school in England or Wales needs to gain qualified teacher status (QTS). To achieve this award, you need to complete a period of initial teacher training (ITT), which will enable you to meet the professional standards for QTS; a formal set of skills and qualities required to be an effective teacher (1).
How do you get it?
There are a number of different forms of ITT, and many more individual courses for you to choose from. You can complete your training at undergraduate or postgraduate level, and even take an employment-based route (1).
What if you are already an experienced teacher?
You may already have been teaching for some time; in the independent sector, or as an overseas teacher. Regardless of experience, you will still need QTS before you can teach as a qualified teacher in a state-maintained school.
If you have the right experience you won't necessarily need to complete a full programme of ITT. There are options including a programme of QTS assessment only and tailored training for overseas trained teachers.
How long do I have to do this?
The four-year rule for overseas trained teachers (OTTs) states that you can teach for up to four years before you have to be awarded QTS. The four years starts from the first day that you teach in a mainstream school in England, and includes any time out of service.
Currently the four-year rule states that as long as an OTT is on a programme leading to the award of QTS they can be awarded QTS, even if they have been teaching in England for four years or more as an unqualified teacher. Such programmes have to be completed by the end of August 2008.
If the school is unable to fill a vacancy, it is possible to advertise it as an instructor role. Overseas trained teachers employed as instructors are able to access the OTTP, as long as their programme is completed by the end of August 2008.
From August 2007, it will no longer be possible for OTTs without QTS to continue teaching after four years under any other circumstances.
Those teachers for whom this rule applies will need to complete a programme such as a flexible PGCE to gain QTS, or gain employment in an independent school to continue teaching (2).
What should I do to get my credentials recognised?
I would suggest registering with the TDA (Training and Development Agency for Schools). You can register here or you can click here for further contact details.
Do I need to get QTS?
No. You do not need to get QTS. You only need to get QTS if you intend on teaching in England or Wales pernamently. Most people only get QTS if their significant other lives in England or if it is impossible for them to find work in their country of origin.
You can work as a teacher for up to four years without QTS as a so-called unqualified teacher. This means that your qualifications are not recognised by the British, but you still have to be certified to teach in your country of origin.
1. http://www.tda.gov.uk/Recruit/thetrainingprocess/qualifiedteacherstatus.aspx
2. http://www.tda.gov.uk/Recruit/thetrainingprocess/typesofcourse/ottp.aspx
Next - Why unqualified teachers are allowed to teach
QTS - What is it?
QTF is the accreditation that enables you to teach in state-maintained and special schools in England and Wales (1).
Who needs it?
Anyone who wants to teach in a state-maintained school in England or Wales needs to gain qualified teacher status (QTS). To achieve this award, you need to complete a period of initial teacher training (ITT), which will enable you to meet the professional standards for QTS; a formal set of skills and qualities required to be an effective teacher (1).
How do you get it?
There are a number of different forms of ITT, and many more individual courses for you to choose from. You can complete your training at undergraduate or postgraduate level, and even take an employment-based route (1).
What if you are already an experienced teacher?
You may already have been teaching for some time; in the independent sector, or as an overseas teacher. Regardless of experience, you will still need QTS before you can teach as a qualified teacher in a state-maintained school.
If you have the right experience you won't necessarily need to complete a full programme of ITT. There are options including a programme of QTS assessment only and tailored training for overseas trained teachers.
How long do I have to do this?
The four-year rule for overseas trained teachers (OTTs) states that you can teach for up to four years before you have to be awarded QTS. The four years starts from the first day that you teach in a mainstream school in England, and includes any time out of service.
Currently the four-year rule states that as long as an OTT is on a programme leading to the award of QTS they can be awarded QTS, even if they have been teaching in England for four years or more as an unqualified teacher. Such programmes have to be completed by the end of August 2008.
If the school is unable to fill a vacancy, it is possible to advertise it as an instructor role. Overseas trained teachers employed as instructors are able to access the OTTP, as long as their programme is completed by the end of August 2008.
From August 2007, it will no longer be possible for OTTs without QTS to continue teaching after four years under any other circumstances.
Those teachers for whom this rule applies will need to complete a programme such as a flexible PGCE to gain QTS, or gain employment in an independent school to continue teaching (2).
What should I do to get my credentials recognised?
I would suggest registering with the TDA (Training and Development Agency for Schools). You can register here or you can click here for further contact details.
Do I need to get QTS?
No. You do not need to get QTS. You only need to get QTS if you intend on teaching in England or Wales pernamently. Most people only get QTS if their significant other lives in England or if it is impossible for them to find work in their country of origin.
You can work as a teacher for up to four years without QTS as a so-called unqualified teacher. This means that your qualifications are not recognised by the British, but you still have to be certified to teach in your country of origin.
1. http://www.tda.gov.uk/Recruit/thetrainingprocess/qualifiedteacherstatus.aspx
2. http://www.tda.gov.uk/Recruit/thetrainingprocess/typesofcourse/ottp.aspx
Next - Why unqualified teachers are allowed to teach
Overwork behind teacher suicide
BBC News
March 12, 2004
A teacher from Cornwall who set herself alight, had complained about pressure of work, an inquest has been told.
North Devon Coroner Elizabeth Earland recorded a verdict that Jane Dibb, who taught English and drama at Penair School in Truro, killed herself while the balance of her mind was disturbed.
The inquest heard that Liverpool-born Ms Dibb, 28, had been complaining to her father about overwork.
Her body was found last April on Dartmoor after she set herself alight.
The inquest was told that a depressive illness in the teacher had re-emerged in February last year.
Seroxat cleared
Ms Dibb, from Foxhole, north Cornwall, had complained to her father Alan, from Fowey in Cornwall, about the pressure of work and at the end of March she disappeared.
Her body was found on 2 April at an isolated spot on Dartmoor.
A post mortem examination revealed she died of burns and also found that she had been prescribed the anti-depressant drug Seroxat.
Her family have blamed her death on Seroxat.
But Dr Earland, who adjourned an earlier hearing to investigate the claim, told them: "There is no cogent evidence that Seroxat caused Jane's death."
Penair pupils have filled a 30-page book in tribute to their teacher.
Head teacher Barbara Vann said: "Jane was loved by all who knew her."
(retrieved in full from news.bbc.co.uk)
March 12, 2004
A teacher from Cornwall who set herself alight, had complained about pressure of work, an inquest has been told.
North Devon Coroner Elizabeth Earland recorded a verdict that Jane Dibb, who taught English and drama at Penair School in Truro, killed herself while the balance of her mind was disturbed.
The inquest heard that Liverpool-born Ms Dibb, 28, had been complaining to her father about overwork.
Her body was found last April on Dartmoor after she set herself alight.
The inquest was told that a depressive illness in the teacher had re-emerged in February last year.
Seroxat cleared
Ms Dibb, from Foxhole, north Cornwall, had complained to her father Alan, from Fowey in Cornwall, about the pressure of work and at the end of March she disappeared.
Her body was found on 2 April at an isolated spot on Dartmoor.
A post mortem examination revealed she died of burns and also found that she had been prescribed the anti-depressant drug Seroxat.
Her family have blamed her death on Seroxat.
But Dr Earland, who adjourned an earlier hearing to investigate the claim, told them: "There is no cogent evidence that Seroxat caused Jane's death."
Penair pupils have filled a 30-page book in tribute to their teacher.
Head teacher Barbara Vann said: "Jane was loved by all who knew her."
(retrieved in full from news.bbc.co.uk)
Teacher Suicides
Schools in England are bad working environments. They are very stressful working environments. Teachers are put under lots of pressure to achieve targets. Teachers are abused and bullied. This causes some people to contemplate suicide, and some take up that option. The following are a few cases of teachers who committed suicide as a result of their working environment.
Jed Holmes, 53 (2007)
Depressed headteacher killed himself because of impending Ofsted inspection - themailonsunday.co.uk
Vanessa Rann,26 (2007)
Suicide teacher was accused of giving pupils unfair help in exam - scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com
Miss suicide after teacher slap - thesun.co.uk
Teacher's suicide after being slapped - metro.co.uk
Keith Waller, 35 (2007)
Popular teacher committed suicide 'after being bullied over Ofsted report' -dailymail.co.uk
Nassim Akhtar, (2007)
Headteacher found dead in burnt-out car after 'suicide'
Jane Dibb, 28 (2004)
Overwork behind teacher suicide - news.bbc.co.uk
Jonathan Thompson, 46 (2003)
Bullying claims of suicide teacher - manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Pamela Relf, 50+ (2000)
Teacher's suicide after school inspection - news.bbc.co.uk
worked to death - hazards.org
Jed Holmes, 53 (2007)
Depressed headteacher killed himself because of impending Ofsted inspection - themailonsunday.co.uk
Vanessa Rann,26 (2007)
Suicide teacher was accused of giving pupils unfair help in exam - scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com
Miss suicide after teacher slap - thesun.co.uk
Teacher's suicide after being slapped - metro.co.uk
Keith Waller, 35 (2007)
Popular teacher committed suicide 'after being bullied over Ofsted report' -dailymail.co.uk
Nassim Akhtar, (2007)
Headteacher found dead in burnt-out car after 'suicide'
Jane Dibb, 28 (2004)
Overwork behind teacher suicide - news.bbc.co.uk
Jonathan Thompson, 46 (2003)
Bullying claims of suicide teacher - manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Pamela Relf, 50+ (2000)
Teacher's suicide after school inspection - news.bbc.co.uk
worked to death - hazards.org
Depressed headteacher killed himself because of impending Ofsted inspection
themailonsunday.co.uk
December 10. 2007
A headmaster who was depressed by the pressure of work killed himself on the eve of an Ofsted inspection at his school.
Divorced Jed Holmes, 53, shut himself in his flat, closed all the windows and doors and lit a barbecue in his lounge - allowing the fumes from the coals to poison him to death.
Mr Holmes, described as a very private person who did not discuss his troubles with anyone, had been depressed for several months and had been off work from his school in Peterborough suffering from stress prior to his death on July 11.
His body was found lying face-down in the fume-filled lounge by police after a colleague grew concerned that he had not turned up for work on the morning before the Ofsted inspection at his Hampton Hargate School.
Recording a verdict of suicide, Peterborough coroner Gordon Ryall told the inquest today: "We cannot exclude the proximity of the Ofsted inspection. It was that which triggered off the action he decided to take.
"There was no reason for his concern but that, coupled with the problems he had been having, it was one thing too much for him to deal with at that time."
The inquest heard that at the school summer fete a few days before he died when a gas barbecue cylinder had accidentally rolled across the playground Mr Holmes was heard to remark: "I will need that later."
His school secretary Mrts Vicky Ronzano told the hearing how she had noticed Mr Holmes had allowed the pressure of his work to get to him and had let paperwork build up.
"He always appeared to be busy but didn't seem to produce much work. He didn't want to be left alone in his office," she said.
Mr Holmes had been signed off sick by his GP earlier in the year when he was diagnosed with depression but had eventually returned to school on reduced hours. He had once mentioned suicidal thoughts his spirits had seemed to improve with the help of medication.
His family doctor, Neil Sanders, told the hearing he had last seen Mr Holmes in May when he appeared much better and more relaxed and was looking forward to having a break over the holidays.
Mr Sanders felt he was well enough not to come back for 12 weeks "but always with an open door policy that he could return at any time".
Mrs Ronzano said the school had received a call on the Monday before Mr Holmes's death to say Ofsted inspectors were arriving for an inspection on the Thursday.
"At a staff meeting he seemed upbeat and keen to get on with it before the summer holidays," she said.
On Wednesday morning she became concerned when he did not appear at school and phoned his friend and fellow headteacher, John Vardy, who called at his house.
Finding Mr Holmes' car in the drive and the house closed up, Mr Vardy told her to call the police.
Mr Holmes had been head at the school since it opened in 2000 in the prestigious new Hampton suburb of Peterborough and had already been praised for getting the school off to a flying start in a previous OFTED inspection.
The school's deputy head Sarah Moss told the inquest Mr Holmes had behaved in a strange manner when announcing the inspection to staff "He was unusual because he would normally relish the challenge but he was quite quiet about it. That there was no reaction was unusual. Stasff commented on it." The last conversation she had with him was about the school's results which weren't as good as the previous year.
"He was asking himself lots of questions about things he knew. He was trying to reassure himself.
"There was nothing to worry about but the school had changed since the last inspection growing from 60 to 400 pupils. It was just that the results weren't as good."
(Retrieved in full from themailonsunday.co.uk)
December 10. 2007
A headmaster who was depressed by the pressure of work killed himself on the eve of an Ofsted inspection at his school.
Divorced Jed Holmes, 53, shut himself in his flat, closed all the windows and doors and lit a barbecue in his lounge - allowing the fumes from the coals to poison him to death.
Mr Holmes, described as a very private person who did not discuss his troubles with anyone, had been depressed for several months and had been off work from his school in Peterborough suffering from stress prior to his death on July 11.
His body was found lying face-down in the fume-filled lounge by police after a colleague grew concerned that he had not turned up for work on the morning before the Ofsted inspection at his Hampton Hargate School.
Recording a verdict of suicide, Peterborough coroner Gordon Ryall told the inquest today: "We cannot exclude the proximity of the Ofsted inspection. It was that which triggered off the action he decided to take.
"There was no reason for his concern but that, coupled with the problems he had been having, it was one thing too much for him to deal with at that time."
The inquest heard that at the school summer fete a few days before he died when a gas barbecue cylinder had accidentally rolled across the playground Mr Holmes was heard to remark: "I will need that later."
His school secretary Mrts Vicky Ronzano told the hearing how she had noticed Mr Holmes had allowed the pressure of his work to get to him and had let paperwork build up.
"He always appeared to be busy but didn't seem to produce much work. He didn't want to be left alone in his office," she said.
Mr Holmes had been signed off sick by his GP earlier in the year when he was diagnosed with depression but had eventually returned to school on reduced hours. He had once mentioned suicidal thoughts his spirits had seemed to improve with the help of medication.
His family doctor, Neil Sanders, told the hearing he had last seen Mr Holmes in May when he appeared much better and more relaxed and was looking forward to having a break over the holidays.
Mr Sanders felt he was well enough not to come back for 12 weeks "but always with an open door policy that he could return at any time".
Mrs Ronzano said the school had received a call on the Monday before Mr Holmes's death to say Ofsted inspectors were arriving for an inspection on the Thursday.
"At a staff meeting he seemed upbeat and keen to get on with it before the summer holidays," she said.
On Wednesday morning she became concerned when he did not appear at school and phoned his friend and fellow headteacher, John Vardy, who called at his house.
Finding Mr Holmes' car in the drive and the house closed up, Mr Vardy told her to call the police.
Mr Holmes had been head at the school since it opened in 2000 in the prestigious new Hampton suburb of Peterborough and had already been praised for getting the school off to a flying start in a previous OFTED inspection.
The school's deputy head Sarah Moss told the inquest Mr Holmes had behaved in a strange manner when announcing the inspection to staff "He was unusual because he would normally relish the challenge but he was quite quiet about it. That there was no reaction was unusual. Stasff commented on it." The last conversation she had with him was about the school's results which weren't as good as the previous year.
"He was asking himself lots of questions about things he knew. He was trying to reassure himself.
"There was nothing to worry about but the school had changed since the last inspection growing from 60 to 400 pupils. It was just that the results weren't as good."
(Retrieved in full from themailonsunday.co.uk)
Suicide teacher was accused of giving pupils unfair help in exam
Marc Horne - Scotland on Sunday
June 10, 2007
A YOUNG teacher found hanged at her home faced disciplinary action for allegedly giving her pupils unfair help in an exam, it was claimed yesterday.
Vanessa Rann, 26, a French teacher, was found dead by her fiancé, Darren Mitchell, at her home in Bristol last Saturday.
It was reported that the newly qualified teacher had left the city's Grange School and Sport College after being slapped by a senior colleague during a row in front of a class of children.
But a close friend of Rann has disputed this and instead claimed the young teacher was distraught and depressed after being caught giving her French GCSE students "unfair help" in an oral examination during the final weeks of a previous half term.
"She had been spoken to by the headmaster about her professional conduct," the friend said.
"She was told that she was allowed to prompt the children but she had overstepped the mark. The school was in the process of deciding on disciplinary action."
The investigation was to determine whether her collusion was deliberate or accidental.
Rann was seen crying outside the school gates in the Warmley area of Bristol three weeks ago.
She had told students that she feared she was going to be sacked and had arranged a farewell barbecue at her home in Staple Hill for the Year 11 students she was alleged to have helped.
Acclaimed as a bright, enthusiastic and vivacious teacher, Rann was said to be highly popular with both students and staff. On hearing the news of her death her parents flew to England from France, where she was born and educated at the Lycée Auguste and Louis Lumière in Lyon.
In a statement on Thursday, Steve Cook, the head teacher at the 900-pupil college, said: "Her death has been a real shock to the school. It's been a complete tragedy."
Neighbours at the home Rann shared with her fianceé and another tenant said that the three had regularly held parties in their garden during the recent hot spell. "They were always laughing, joking and very polite," said one elderly neighbour.
An inquest was adjourned at Bristol Coroner's Court, where the cause of her death was confirmed as hanging.
Education experts said last night that the young teacher was unlikely to have been dismissed because she had started teaching only in September and would be given leeway for her inexperience.
(retrieved in full from scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com)
June 10, 2007
A YOUNG teacher found hanged at her home faced disciplinary action for allegedly giving her pupils unfair help in an exam, it was claimed yesterday.
Vanessa Rann, 26, a French teacher, was found dead by her fiancé, Darren Mitchell, at her home in Bristol last Saturday.
It was reported that the newly qualified teacher had left the city's Grange School and Sport College after being slapped by a senior colleague during a row in front of a class of children.
But a close friend of Rann has disputed this and instead claimed the young teacher was distraught and depressed after being caught giving her French GCSE students "unfair help" in an oral examination during the final weeks of a previous half term.
"She had been spoken to by the headmaster about her professional conduct," the friend said.
"She was told that she was allowed to prompt the children but she had overstepped the mark. The school was in the process of deciding on disciplinary action."
The investigation was to determine whether her collusion was deliberate or accidental.
Rann was seen crying outside the school gates in the Warmley area of Bristol three weeks ago.
She had told students that she feared she was going to be sacked and had arranged a farewell barbecue at her home in Staple Hill for the Year 11 students she was alleged to have helped.
Acclaimed as a bright, enthusiastic and vivacious teacher, Rann was said to be highly popular with both students and staff. On hearing the news of her death her parents flew to England from France, where she was born and educated at the Lycée Auguste and Louis Lumière in Lyon.
In a statement on Thursday, Steve Cook, the head teacher at the 900-pupil college, said: "Her death has been a real shock to the school. It's been a complete tragedy."
Neighbours at the home Rann shared with her fianceé and another tenant said that the three had regularly held parties in their garden during the recent hot spell. "They were always laughing, joking and very polite," said one elderly neighbour.
An inquest was adjourned at Bristol Coroner's Court, where the cause of her death was confirmed as hanging.
Education experts said last night that the young teacher was unlikely to have been dismissed because she had started teaching only in September and would be given leeway for her inexperience.
(retrieved in full from scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com)
Miss suicide after teacher slap
John Coles - The Sun
June 8, 2007
A TEACHER has been found hanged after a colleague allegedly slapped her face in front of a class.
The body of Vanessa Rann was discovered by her grief-stricken fiancé Darren Mitchell at the home they shared.
French-born Vanessa, 26, was due to return to work at The Grange School and Sports College in Warmley, Bristol, on Monday.
Police are investigating claims that a teacher has received a threatening text message since Vanessa’s death.
Cops are also trying to identify whoever wrote “murderer” on a classroom whiteboard.
Darren was too distraught to comment but his mother Gillian said: “Vanessa was like a daughter to me.
“She was loved by everybody and we are devastated by this. She was such a happy-go-lucky girl.
"We are all still totally shocked by what has happened and we are trying to put the pieces together.”
Students at the 900-pupil school have been visibly upset by Vanessa’s death last Saturday.
Some told how she ran from school in tears after the alleged slapping incident on May 17.
They told how she feared she was going to be sacked and had organised a “farewell” barbecue at her home next weekend and invited her Year-11 pupils.
One 16-year-old boy in Vanessa’s French class said: “Someone saw her running out of school crying her eyes out.
"She looked so upset. She was a lovely, full-of-fun person. She never held a grudge and was loved by all students.”
Another pupil, who did not want to be named, said: “Miss Rann told us she thought she was getting sacked and she wanted to throw a big party.”
Head Steve Cook said: “We’ve lost a young and valued member of staff.”
An inquest has been opened and adjourned.
(Retrived in full from thesun.co.uk)
June 8, 2007
A TEACHER has been found hanged after a colleague allegedly slapped her face in front of a class.
The body of Vanessa Rann was discovered by her grief-stricken fiancé Darren Mitchell at the home they shared.
French-born Vanessa, 26, was due to return to work at The Grange School and Sports College in Warmley, Bristol, on Monday.
Police are investigating claims that a teacher has received a threatening text message since Vanessa’s death.
Cops are also trying to identify whoever wrote “murderer” on a classroom whiteboard.
Darren was too distraught to comment but his mother Gillian said: “Vanessa was like a daughter to me.
“She was loved by everybody and we are devastated by this. She was such a happy-go-lucky girl.
"We are all still totally shocked by what has happened and we are trying to put the pieces together.”
Students at the 900-pupil school have been visibly upset by Vanessa’s death last Saturday.
Some told how she ran from school in tears after the alleged slapping incident on May 17.
They told how she feared she was going to be sacked and had organised a “farewell” barbecue at her home next weekend and invited her Year-11 pupils.
One 16-year-old boy in Vanessa’s French class said: “Someone saw her running out of school crying her eyes out.
"She looked so upset. She was a lovely, full-of-fun person. She never held a grudge and was loved by all students.”
Another pupil, who did not want to be named, said: “Miss Rann told us she thought she was getting sacked and she wanted to throw a big party.”
Head Steve Cook said: “We’ve lost a young and valued member of staff.”
An inquest has been opened and adjourned.
(Retrived in full from thesun.co.uk)
Teacher's suicide after school inspection
BBC News
April 6, 2000
A teacher who was depressed after her school inspection report drowned herself, an inquest was told.
Pamela Relf, a teacher at Middlefields Primary School in Eynesbury, Cambridgeshire, left a note which indicated that she was deeply upset by the inspection from the Office for Standards in Education last November.
Inspectors had reported that the school had "serious weaknesses", leadership was inadequate and that too many of the lessons were "unsatisfactory or poor".
Ms Relf, who had more than 30 years experience as a teacher, disappeared from her home in January - with her body being discovered seven weeks later in a river in Little Paxton, Cambridgeshire.
Speaking after the inquest at Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, Ms Relf's brother called for greater support for teachers from inspectors.
"I think her death says something about the role of teachers in our present society and the pressures in terms of paper work," said David Relf.
The head teacher of her school, Brian Rayner, said that Ms Relf had suffered from the stress that now afflicted many in the teaching profession.
"Like her colleagues in this and all schools there was often the feeling of running to stand still and like all of us, she felt the pressure that resulted," said Mr Rayner.
The Office for Standards in Education declined to comment, as it is considering a complaint about how the inspection was carried out.
The coroner David Morris recorded a verdict of suicide saying Miss Relf had been depressed.
(Retrieved in full from bbc news)
April 6, 2000
A teacher who was depressed after her school inspection report drowned herself, an inquest was told.
Pamela Relf, a teacher at Middlefields Primary School in Eynesbury, Cambridgeshire, left a note which indicated that she was deeply upset by the inspection from the Office for Standards in Education last November.
Inspectors had reported that the school had "serious weaknesses", leadership was inadequate and that too many of the lessons were "unsatisfactory or poor".
Ms Relf, who had more than 30 years experience as a teacher, disappeared from her home in January - with her body being discovered seven weeks later in a river in Little Paxton, Cambridgeshire.
Speaking after the inquest at Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, Ms Relf's brother called for greater support for teachers from inspectors.
"I think her death says something about the role of teachers in our present society and the pressures in terms of paper work," said David Relf.
The head teacher of her school, Brian Rayner, said that Ms Relf had suffered from the stress that now afflicted many in the teaching profession.
"Like her colleagues in this and all schools there was often the feeling of running to stand still and like all of us, she felt the pressure that resulted," said Mr Rayner.
The Office for Standards in Education declined to comment, as it is considering a complaint about how the inspection was carried out.
The coroner David Morris recorded a verdict of suicide saying Miss Relf had been depressed.
(Retrieved in full from bbc news)
Bullying claims of suicide teacher
Stan Miller and Blaise Tapp - Manchester Evening News
July 7, 2003
A FORMER teacher killed himself after claiming he had been bullied by the head teacher at a leading Manchester school, an inquest heard.
Jonathan Thompson, 46, hanged himself at his Whalley Range home in November, after complaining to friends about the "oppressive management style" at Parrs Wood High School, in east Didsbury.
The inquest was told that he quit his £27,000-a-year post at the school five years ago suffering from ill health, including stress.
His friend, David Savage, 45, said he had blamed his condition on the head, Sir Iain Hall who, he alleged, had hounded him out of his job and had embarrassed him in front of colleagues.
But after the hearing Sir Iain - knighted for his services to education - denied he had been involved in bullying.
Nightmares
Staff at Parrs Wood insisted the head had supported Mr Thompson and rejected any suggestion of heavy-handed management.
Mr Savage said: "In the last few weeks of his life Jonathan felt he had been pushed out of Parrs Wood by Sir Iain's bullying."
He suffered nightmares over what went on at Parrs Wood and was devastated at the loss of his career. Jonathan had one of the most brilliant minds I have ever come across and was totally commited to teaching."
The inquest was told that shortly after leaving the school in 1998 Mr Thompson, of Hazel Avenue, began grievance proceedings against Sir Iain, but he dropped the action after breaking his back.
Coroner Leonard Gorodkin said Mr Thompson's life had "gone to pieces" as a result of what seemed to have gone on at Parrs Wood High School. He recorded a verdict that the ex-teacher had killed himself.
Mr Gorodkin said: "It's clear he had been distressed and depressed for a few years - and had expressed his regret at giving up his teaching career."
After the hearing Mr Savage, who lives in Burnley, revealed that his best friend had been studying for a PhD at Salford University on bullying at work and that he had asked for half of his estate to be used to help victims of bullying.
Mr Savage added: "He was born to teach and he could not cope with not being a teacher. He kept saying he shouldn't have left Parrs Wood. The thing that killed him was depressive illness, but if he had kept his job - who knows?"
After the inquest Sir Iain told the Manchester Evening News about his sadness at Mr Thompson's death and said he had tried to do everything possible to help him.
Difficulties
"Jonathan was a troubled person. "He did not have many friends and towards the end he rejected all the help he was offered. I am very, very sad that his life ended in the way it did. As a school we tried our best to help him through his difficulties."
Teachers at the school insisted that rather than hounding Mr Thompson out of his job, the head did everything possible to make sure he could return.
Deputy head Rachel Jones said: "Jonathan committed suicide some years after leaving Parrs Wood and there wasn't a close connection between the time of his death and his time at Parrs Wood."
Iain is known within Parrs Wood for his compassion. Sir Iain leaves the school in December to become associate director of the Specialist Schools Trust.
He will share good practice between schools in this country and he will be trawling classrooms around the globe for new ideas. He'll also be offering support to the aspiring headteachers of the future.
(Retrieved in full from Manchester Evening News)
July 7, 2003
A FORMER teacher killed himself after claiming he had been bullied by the head teacher at a leading Manchester school, an inquest heard.
Jonathan Thompson, 46, hanged himself at his Whalley Range home in November, after complaining to friends about the "oppressive management style" at Parrs Wood High School, in east Didsbury.
The inquest was told that he quit his £27,000-a-year post at the school five years ago suffering from ill health, including stress.
His friend, David Savage, 45, said he had blamed his condition on the head, Sir Iain Hall who, he alleged, had hounded him out of his job and had embarrassed him in front of colleagues.
But after the hearing Sir Iain - knighted for his services to education - denied he had been involved in bullying.
Nightmares
Staff at Parrs Wood insisted the head had supported Mr Thompson and rejected any suggestion of heavy-handed management.
Mr Savage said: "In the last few weeks of his life Jonathan felt he had been pushed out of Parrs Wood by Sir Iain's bullying."
He suffered nightmares over what went on at Parrs Wood and was devastated at the loss of his career. Jonathan had one of the most brilliant minds I have ever come across and was totally commited to teaching."
The inquest was told that shortly after leaving the school in 1998 Mr Thompson, of Hazel Avenue, began grievance proceedings against Sir Iain, but he dropped the action after breaking his back.
Coroner Leonard Gorodkin said Mr Thompson's life had "gone to pieces" as a result of what seemed to have gone on at Parrs Wood High School. He recorded a verdict that the ex-teacher had killed himself.
Mr Gorodkin said: "It's clear he had been distressed and depressed for a few years - and had expressed his regret at giving up his teaching career."
After the hearing Mr Savage, who lives in Burnley, revealed that his best friend had been studying for a PhD at Salford University on bullying at work and that he had asked for half of his estate to be used to help victims of bullying.
Mr Savage added: "He was born to teach and he could not cope with not being a teacher. He kept saying he shouldn't have left Parrs Wood. The thing that killed him was depressive illness, but if he had kept his job - who knows?"
After the inquest Sir Iain told the Manchester Evening News about his sadness at Mr Thompson's death and said he had tried to do everything possible to help him.
Difficulties
"Jonathan was a troubled person. "He did not have many friends and towards the end he rejected all the help he was offered. I am very, very sad that his life ended in the way it did. As a school we tried our best to help him through his difficulties."
Teachers at the school insisted that rather than hounding Mr Thompson out of his job, the head did everything possible to make sure he could return.
Deputy head Rachel Jones said: "Jonathan committed suicide some years after leaving Parrs Wood and there wasn't a close connection between the time of his death and his time at Parrs Wood."
Iain is known within Parrs Wood for his compassion. Sir Iain leaves the school in December to become associate director of the Specialist Schools Trust.
He will share good practice between schools in this country and he will be trawling classrooms around the globe for new ideas. He'll also be offering support to the aspiring headteachers of the future.
(Retrieved in full from Manchester Evening News)
Teacher's suicide after being slapped
metro.co.uk
June 8, 2007
A newly-qualified teacher has been found hanged at her home, police said.
The body of Vanessa Rann was found at a house in Staple Hill, Bristol, by her partner on Saturday.
The 26-year-old language teacher at The Grange School and Sports College, in Warmley, Bristol, had allegedly been involved in an altercation - possibily being slapped - with another member of staff in the weeks leading up to her death.
The school's headteacher Steve Cook confirmed that an internal investigation into the incident was under way.
He refused to comment on the alleged altercation but said that pupils and staff alike were in a state of shock following French-born Ms Rann's death.
He said: "The death of a member of staff is a great tragedy but we are coping very well within the school.
"News of her death has been a real shock to the school. It is a complete tragedy.
"We've lost a young and valued member of staff who was very popular with pupils."
He said that Ms Rann's parents had flown from France after learning of their daughter's death.
He added: "Obviously it is a very traumatic time for them.
Police said that they were investigating a malicious text message sent to a member of staff in connection with the alleged altercation.
Avon and Somerset Police spokesman Ian Drury said: "This death is not being treated as suspicious.
"However we are investigating a report of malicious communication after another member of staff at the school received a threatening text message on Monday.
"We are currently trying to make arrangements to visit that person."
An inquest into the teacher's death was opened and adjourned at Bristol Coroners Court in Flax Bourton.
The coroner's officer confirmed that the cause of Ms Rann's death was hanging.
The inquest is not expected to be opened for several months.
(Retrieved in full from metro.co.uk)
June 8, 2007
A newly-qualified teacher has been found hanged at her home, police said.
The body of Vanessa Rann was found at a house in Staple Hill, Bristol, by her partner on Saturday.
The 26-year-old language teacher at The Grange School and Sports College, in Warmley, Bristol, had allegedly been involved in an altercation - possibily being slapped - with another member of staff in the weeks leading up to her death.
The school's headteacher Steve Cook confirmed that an internal investigation into the incident was under way.
He refused to comment on the alleged altercation but said that pupils and staff alike were in a state of shock following French-born Ms Rann's death.
He said: "The death of a member of staff is a great tragedy but we are coping very well within the school.
"News of her death has been a real shock to the school. It is a complete tragedy.
"We've lost a young and valued member of staff who was very popular with pupils."
He said that Ms Rann's parents had flown from France after learning of their daughter's death.
He added: "Obviously it is a very traumatic time for them.
Police said that they were investigating a malicious text message sent to a member of staff in connection with the alleged altercation.
Avon and Somerset Police spokesman Ian Drury said: "This death is not being treated as suspicious.
"However we are investigating a report of malicious communication after another member of staff at the school received a threatening text message on Monday.
"We are currently trying to make arrangements to visit that person."
An inquest into the teacher's death was opened and adjourned at Bristol Coroners Court in Flax Bourton.
The coroner's officer confirmed that the cause of Ms Rann's death was hanging.
The inquest is not expected to be opened for several months.
(Retrieved in full from metro.co.uk)
Popular teacher committed suicide 'after being bullied over Ofsted report'
Andrew Levy - Daily Mail
November 22, 2007
A popular teacher killed himself after complaining of being victimised and bullied at the school where he worked, an inquest heard yesterday.
Keith Waller, 35, was an experienced teacher at a primary school who was highly regarded by colleagues, pupils and parents.
But he felt "singled out" after the school received a poor Ofsted report in 2006 and his work was closely scrutinised by the headteacher, Ruth Slater.
In a bid to reduce the pressure, the ICT co-ordinator and Year 4 teacher resigned from the senior management team at St Lawrence Church of England Primary School in Rowledge, near Colchester in Essex, and started looking for a new job.
But he failed to turn up to work after an unsuccessful interview earlier this year.
When police went to his home in Sudbury, Suffolk, they found he had hanged himself.
The inquest in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, heard from Mrs Slater, who first observed one of Mr Waller's lessons shortly after she took up her post in January 2006.
"At that time I judged his lessons to be between satisfactory and inadequate," she said in a statement.
"In June 2006 there was an Ofsted inspection and again the same judgement was made that improvement was needed."
Mrs Slater promoted him to a post on the senior leadership team in September 2006.
But further checks suggested he was "not making the children work" and was not "marking work in line with school policy".
A "target setting" meeting was set up at the end of November and early the following January, Mr Waller - who had joined the school in 2004 - quit as head of Key Stage 2 learning.
He attended an interview at a school in Spalding, Lincolnshire, on April 30, but failed to turn up for work the following day.
Officers found him dead at his home on May 2. His last will and testament was near his body.
The day before his body was discovered he had been due to meet the headteacher and a NASUWT teachers' union representative to discuss his 'capability' as a teacher, the inquest was told.
A close friend of Mr Waller's said the teacher felt he was being unfairly "pressured" after the Ofsted inspection.
"He resigned from a very senior post at the school in an attempt to reduce this but to no avail," Peter Thornton said in a statement.
"He felt he was being bullied and victimised. It seemed nothing was ever good enough."
Mr Thornton added his friend, who was unmarried and lived alone, had been "appalled" at an "ambiguous" reference given for his interview.
After Mr Waller's death, dozens of people posted glowing tributes on the internet.
One parent said: "As a teacher myself I applaud his excellent teaching, hard work and fun nature. He was a complete asset to the school."
But in a letter that he wrote to the NASUWT - which was handed to the coroner but not read in the inquest - Mr Waller complained his competence was being questioned and said he was suffering from depression and losing sleep.
"I feel I have been unfairly treated and victimised by my headteacher," he added.
"What started as an issue about marking somehow became manipulated to become issues concerning every single aspect of my performance."
Suffolk coroner Dr Peter Dean recorded a verdict of suicide.
He told Mr Waller's family: "We have heard of Keith's own perceptions he felt victimised and bullied.
"It is not for this court to make any judgements on that."
Speaking after the hearing, Mr Waller's mother Jean, 70, said her son had been "let down by the school".
Mr Waller's half-brother, Terry Brittain, 48, said the family still needed answers and he would be contacting the school governors.
"We don't want a witch hunt. We want to know what happened," he said.
Chairman of the governors Bob Coote, who attended the inquest, refused to comment afterwards.
(Reproduced in full from dailymail.co.uk)
November 22, 2007
A popular teacher killed himself after complaining of being victimised and bullied at the school where he worked, an inquest heard yesterday.
Keith Waller, 35, was an experienced teacher at a primary school who was highly regarded by colleagues, pupils and parents.
But he felt "singled out" after the school received a poor Ofsted report in 2006 and his work was closely scrutinised by the headteacher, Ruth Slater.
In a bid to reduce the pressure, the ICT co-ordinator and Year 4 teacher resigned from the senior management team at St Lawrence Church of England Primary School in Rowledge, near Colchester in Essex, and started looking for a new job.
But he failed to turn up to work after an unsuccessful interview earlier this year.
When police went to his home in Sudbury, Suffolk, they found he had hanged himself.
The inquest in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, heard from Mrs Slater, who first observed one of Mr Waller's lessons shortly after she took up her post in January 2006.
"At that time I judged his lessons to be between satisfactory and inadequate," she said in a statement.
"In June 2006 there was an Ofsted inspection and again the same judgement was made that improvement was needed."
Mrs Slater promoted him to a post on the senior leadership team in September 2006.
But further checks suggested he was "not making the children work" and was not "marking work in line with school policy".
A "target setting" meeting was set up at the end of November and early the following January, Mr Waller - who had joined the school in 2004 - quit as head of Key Stage 2 learning.
He attended an interview at a school in Spalding, Lincolnshire, on April 30, but failed to turn up for work the following day.
Officers found him dead at his home on May 2. His last will and testament was near his body.
The day before his body was discovered he had been due to meet the headteacher and a NASUWT teachers' union representative to discuss his 'capability' as a teacher, the inquest was told.
A close friend of Mr Waller's said the teacher felt he was being unfairly "pressured" after the Ofsted inspection.
"He resigned from a very senior post at the school in an attempt to reduce this but to no avail," Peter Thornton said in a statement.
"He felt he was being bullied and victimised. It seemed nothing was ever good enough."
Mr Thornton added his friend, who was unmarried and lived alone, had been "appalled" at an "ambiguous" reference given for his interview.
After Mr Waller's death, dozens of people posted glowing tributes on the internet.
One parent said: "As a teacher myself I applaud his excellent teaching, hard work and fun nature. He was a complete asset to the school."
But in a letter that he wrote to the NASUWT - which was handed to the coroner but not read in the inquest - Mr Waller complained his competence was being questioned and said he was suffering from depression and losing sleep.
"I feel I have been unfairly treated and victimised by my headteacher," he added.
"What started as an issue about marking somehow became manipulated to become issues concerning every single aspect of my performance."
Suffolk coroner Dr Peter Dean recorded a verdict of suicide.
He told Mr Waller's family: "We have heard of Keith's own perceptions he felt victimised and bullied.
"It is not for this court to make any judgements on that."
Speaking after the hearing, Mr Waller's mother Jean, 70, said her son had been "let down by the school".
Mr Waller's half-brother, Terry Brittain, 48, said the family still needed answers and he would be contacting the school governors.
"We don't want a witch hunt. We want to know what happened," he said.
Chairman of the governors Bob Coote, who attended the inquest, refused to comment afterwards.
(Reproduced in full from dailymail.co.uk)
Behaviour
Here are some postings designed to show you what student behaviour in England is like.
The Times Education Supplemental (TES) is self described as "Britain’s leading publication covering the world of primary, secondary and further education, as well as the market leader for teaching job vacancies". TES hosts an Internet forum specifically for the teaching community. Here, teachers can talk about issues related to their job, their subject or their opinions. This posting lists titles and links to threads created in the TES forums. These might give you good insight into what teaching in England is like. Click here to see what teachers say on TES
The Times Education Supplemental (TES) is self described as "Britain’s leading publication covering the world of primary, secondary and further education, as well as the market leader for teaching job vacancies". TES hosts an Internet forum specifically for the teaching community. Here, teachers can talk about issues related to their job, their subject or their opinions. This posting lists titles and links to threads created in the TES forums. These might give you good insight into what teaching in England is like. Click here to see what teachers say on TES
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Behavior on TES
TES hosts an Internet forum specifically for the teaching community. Here, teachers can talk about issues related to their job, their subject or their opinions. The following are titles and links to threads created in the TES forums. These might give you good insight into what teaching in England is like. Click on each title to link to the original thread.
Help - everything's overwhelming me!
Help Nightmare year 8 class!
Behaviour managment - help!!
Starting to feel exhausted!!!!
I hate my class!
Assaulted, seriously had enough - dreading next lesson
behaviour: at wit's end.
how can i continue after this?
throwing the towel in
I just want to leave
I don't want to quit but i feel awful...
NQT thinking of quitting
End of my tether
TEACHER SUICIDES
PGCE student taking over nightmare year 10 class
Don't want to go in Year 6 on Thurs
6th formers turned against me nitemare
Head caught talking about me
Is this behaviour normal????
Its always my fault!
Pupils turning up to their lessons 'drugged' up...
Kids Bullying Teachers - Does it happen?
Year 4 tantrums
Stress due to bad behaviour and lack of support
Exploitation of some overseas teachers
Exploiting Overseas Trained Teachers
Questions that illustrate the mess our education system has become
Schools don't fail Children, Parents Do...
anyone still up? I have to deal with this situation in the morning...
Child not responding and getting angry! any suggestions of how to deal with this?
Primary "gang" behaviour
Anyone got any good tips for dealing with noisy, silly Year 9 classes!
Help - everything's overwhelming me!
Help Nightmare year 8 class!
Behaviour managment - help!!
Starting to feel exhausted!!!!
I hate my class!
Assaulted, seriously had enough - dreading next lesson
behaviour: at wit's end.
how can i continue after this?
throwing the towel in
I just want to leave
I don't want to quit but i feel awful...
NQT thinking of quitting
End of my tether
TEACHER SUICIDES
PGCE student taking over nightmare year 10 class
Don't want to go in Year 6 on Thurs
6th formers turned against me nitemare
Head caught talking about me
Is this behaviour normal????
Its always my fault!
Pupils turning up to their lessons 'drugged' up...
Kids Bullying Teachers - Does it happen?
Year 4 tantrums
Stress due to bad behaviour and lack of support
Exploitation of some overseas teachers
Exploiting Overseas Trained Teachers
Questions that illustrate the mess our education system has become
Schools don't fail Children, Parents Do...
anyone still up? I have to deal with this situation in the morning...
Child not responding and getting angry! any suggestions of how to deal with this?
Primary "gang" behaviour
Anyone got any good tips for dealing with noisy, silly Year 9 classes!
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