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I visited an academy yesterday...

Discussion in 'Education news' started by Oldfashioned, Oct 13, 2016.

  1. peakster

    peakster Star commenter

    The last one I visited had a massive staff room and was without any shadow of a doubt the most impressive school building I've ever been in.

    But it's rubbish and I'm really glad I didn't get the job I went for.
  2. JosieWhitehead

    JosieWhitehead Star commenter

    All that I read is heartbreaking for good, hard working teachers of today. What a world to live in - - but thank goodness some of you have found that all academies are not the same. Come on - "Smile please!".
    agathamorse likes this.
  3. drek

    drek Lead commenter

    I would have passed on at unqualified. Else we'd be over qualified lol.

    Bring back my grumpy physics teacher! Thanks to him I got a first. He didn't spoon feed nor recommend it to anyone else. He said tough if I didn't get it the first time as in it is tough - go home read over the class notes, particularly the bit where you got distracted by the contents of your pencil case - come back with a list of sensible questions about what you didn't understand -

    99% of the time we did get it after working on it in a focussed manner and because we didn't get spoonfed we were able to apply the same reasoning skills across a range of topics. Clever grumps was our nickname for him.

    He would have failed my current HOD's appraisal expectations. Her oft repeated command is spoon feed and do it with a smile and in a loud jack and Jill recitation sort of voice! This is what motivates today's teens it seems?
  4. drek

    drek Lead commenter

    Regressive behaviour?
    agathamorse likes this.
  5. peakster

    peakster Star commenter

    Small point from the ad above...

    How can an unqualified teacher be an oustanding classroom practitioner with experience of teaching children with complex needs ?
  6. Mrsmumbles

    Mrsmumbles Star commenter

    Clearly the VERY accomplished and HIGHLY well versed pedagogue who penned said pithy advertbin the HR office at lunch had just copied and pasted over sexy-sounding phrases from ads she'd seen in proper schools. The fact that they aren't not just wanting the moon on stick but Jupiter and the Milky Way on speed dial as well....well, that's irrelevant because they've struck a deal where TES will readvertise four times and they may get a hardworking, ill educated, untrained but aspirational sucker who thinks anyone can teach, then realises anyone can't, panics, then will put in twelve hours days for £300 a month takehome before, finally....they clock they've been conned. How lovely. Let's all apply!
    agathamorse, saluki and les25paul like this.
  7. blazer

    blazer Star commenter

    I am supplying in one this week. It is a school everyone on here will have heard of. I'll say no more.

    However I have been pleasantly surprised. The kids are nice and polite, the staff friendly, discipline is good (I have not seen a mobile phone in or around the school site). Senior staff are very supportive.
  8. Jolly_Roger1

    Jolly_Roger1 Star commenter

    Although academy buildings might be constructed of glass and chrome, those working there only survive by polishing the brass.
  9. les25paul

    les25paul Star commenter

    Another thing it could mean is that;

    They want a qualified teacher who has been unable to secure a post (despite all these fairy tales about shortages). Because said teacher is desparate for a job the academy management think that they will be able to get away with paying lower wages but still getting the skills they want.

    Cutting cost is important so that the academy can provide its students with top class facilities, right o_O

    Or maybe pay for the latest model of BMW
    agathamorse, Mrsmumbles, drek and 2 others like this.
  10. Jolly_Roger1

    Jolly_Roger1 Star commenter

    @les25paul: many schools are on the look out for 'subject specific cover supervisors and learning facilitators', 'unsupervised learning assistants', and the like. I've been sounded out by schools and agencies about science jobs for which the school is looking for a qualified, experienced teacher, but not paid as such.
    agathamorse, drek and les25paul like this.
  11. marymoocow

    marymoocow Star commenter

    One chain of academies near me got slated by Ofsted. Problem solved, they have changed their name.
    agathamorse, bevdex and FrankWolley like this.
  12. FrankWolley

    FrankWolley Star commenter

    I wonder if you live near me.....;)

    Or, more likely, this is a common occurrence!
    agathamorse likes this.
  13. marymoocow

    marymoocow Star commenter

    Did the director retire on mega bucks having added another £100K to their salary the year before they retired?
  14. Yoda-

    Yoda- Lead commenter

    Reminds me of.....

    agathamorse and Mrsmumbles like this.
  15. andrew07

    andrew07 Occasional commenter

    And don't forget, those who are required to smile are those that are always singled out.
    agathamorse and Mrsmumbles like this.
  16. andrew07

    andrew07 Occasional commenter

    Oh you said nothing but the truth there. As far as supply goes (and I'm a part time supply teacher), what I can't stand more is that they beg for a teacher and then when the regular classroom teacher comes back (one week before the term ends), then they are discarded without as a "kiss my ****".
  17. Mrsmumbles

    Mrsmumbles Star commenter

    Yep.thisnis the problem; corporate practices and ideals foisted in the altruistic and non profit-hungry workforce and Student Business Units. Ironically, what is shining through right now is how terrified and revolted parents are by the sudden changes and how keen they are to fund good tutors to continue teaching. It's like some mass culling where the fittest and oldest may well lose their pensions but retain their unique and desirable selling points...they know stuff, are patient and get good results. So we in turn are forced to name our prices and become businesses. State sector schools and, long term, indie Ines are stuffed. The new business model is essentially a short term bully's charter and will destroy continuity of quality. Parents will vote with their Tutor Hunt profiles and education will end up being splintered into tripartite delivery from schools with mass staff turnover, hopefully more consistent weekly tuition, parentsbthemselves and loads of online subscriber packages. It was better in the eighties, it really was.
    schoolsout4summer likes this.
  18. Mrsmumbles

    Mrsmumbles Star commenter

    Nice thing about tuition is the huge relief you get from vindication. I know that the wine, gifts, cards and hand made thankyou presents I receive are genuine as nobody else delivered that subject, and, also, the calibre of gifts is pretty high, implying that someone at school somewheee has spectacularly screwed things up. Schools should cooperate more with private tutors...we are essentially self employed flexi supply staff affiliated to their school and blooming sets of results, so a little courtesy would be nice.
    sabram86 likes this.
  19. Mrsmumbles

    Mrsmumbles Star commenter

    Yep. Two out since I left. Replaced by unqualifieds.
    agathamorse likes this.
  20. Mrsmumbles

    Mrsmumbles Star commenter

    Indeed. You know it's bad when the Monster Raving Loony candidate suddenly seems to make more sense than the rest...
    agathamorse likes this.

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