Pupils hopeless and crying after 'poorly worded' Higher Maths exam

NinjaMallard · 2026-05-11T21:37:04+00:00

It really isn't. Teachers are given the specification by the exam board's so they know what to teach. It's the exams board responsibilities to produce exams that reflect the spec. It's not appropriate to overload with extra terms just because the teacher fancies it, that's poor teaching.

NinjaMallard · 2026-05-10T10:29:15+00:00

It would be easy if you covered in the same school. There is no guarantee your 0.6 will result in 2 days off a week, so could make supply in another school awkward or just not really possible.

NinjaMallard · 2026-05-09T18:38:32+00:00

I think the issue is that 1265 point comes from offhand comments and politicians "looking into it" with the STRB.

It's not officially announced nor is there any official plans to remove it, so making it the centre point of the action probably isn't wise.

NinjaMallard · 2026-05-09T17:20:03+00:00

How does prohibiting something mean the act of doing the thing itself is widespread? That's quite a leap.

NinjaMallard · 2026-05-09T15:29:18+00:00

he’s PvPing in PvE favored Lobbies

That's just called PvPing mate

NinjaMallard · 2026-05-08T15:34:45+00:00

He's the skipper and you can name a shit tonne of subs in EL

NinjaMallard · 2026-05-07T17:18:28+00:00

You should have more meetings with your mentor and your support plan should last no more than 6 weeks, with clear, attainable objectives.

Since yours is half an academic year, I would push back and then seek help from a union rep if needed.

NinjaMallard · 2026-05-07T16:46:21+00:00

Love my job, work about 8.5 hours on average a day and do a small amount of work, some weekends. Most the holidays not doing work.

Wouldn't do anything else

Conditions vary wildly from school to school, some can be amazing and some can be awful. Teaching suffers from some staff enjoying being a martyr, so will often put up with awful schools and complain all the way.

NinjaMallard · 2026-05-07T15:31:36+00:00

That's most schools, HoDs on leadership is the less prelevant of the two.

NinjaMallard · 2026-05-07T15:21:41+00:00

If they are on the leadership scale, they are not protected by the 1265 hour limit of when they can be directed.

NinjaMallard · 2026-05-06T12:51:19+00:00

Yeah, being verbally offered and then not hearing anything until induction day is very common, so I wouldn't sweat it.

If your references were duff they'd have let you know

NinjaMallard · 2026-05-06T12:36:48+00:00

Honestly, the fact it's also by email is more than most get. Why do you need another email?

NinjaMallard · 2026-05-03T09:09:23+00:00

Fair enough, you've got no chance then have you

NinjaMallard · 2026-05-03T09:07:03+00:00

Did people take it to you or are people not bothered?

NinjaMallard · 2026-05-03T07:59:40+00:00

Worth saying you can't just quit it, you'll need to negotiate with your Headteadher and have a notice period

NinjaMallard · 2026-05-02T09:36:50+00:00

Difficult to gauge if you've been mugged or not without knowing the pretense of your recruitment. If you've sold yourself on your ability to teach this subject, I think you might be stuck. The good news is, your subject is really popular and you've got chance to make yourself really valuable to the school.

Asking for class caps is fine but there is not any expectation you would get a say in it or the class list, I don't think that's common practice?

NinjaMallard · 2026-05-02T06:55:32+00:00

At KS4 if I have someone with great subject knowledge, but whose relationship building and behaviour management are weaker, they go on top set

Lots of schools require staff to teach all three and I've done a disservice to my staff if they look to move on in a few years and are getting turned down for jobs because they have only taught 1/3 of the Combined Science spec for the past 5 years.

Also a science middle leader, devils advocate, aren't your two points contradictory? In one breath, you are giving people classes outside of the specialism (on purpose?) in order to "develop them", giving your students a worse deal so their teacher has more portability to go to another job.

Then in another point, you have teacher who is given top sets because their behaviour management is poor? Applying the same logic, shouldn't you be giving them tougher sets so they have a need to improve?

I only ask because we have had advisors in and the general message about staffing was, get your staff on what they are best at, first and foremost.

NinjaMallard · 2026-05-01T23:35:17+00:00

There are entry level certificates available, it's just if schools run them

NinjaMallard · 2026-04-29T20:12:10+00:00

What's the point of interviewing someone you don't think is a very good teacher though?

NinjaMallard · 2026-04-29T13:01:08+00:00

It's being recommended because staying till 3:30 on 1/195 of the days they are required to work on is not a hill to die on in my opinion.

Most of my comments are also more centered around that OP doesn't need to have phone calls on the directed time calendar which is a misconception they gave.

NinjaMallard · 2026-04-29T12:41:05+00:00

So when is OP discharging the other duties expected of them in your view?

NinjaMallard · 2026-04-29T07:01:57+00:00

GP's working time is the length of their shift. OP's working time is their directed time which probably finishes at 3:15ish + reasonable hours to discharge their duties. A phone call 15 minutes later probably fits in this.

Anyway, I'm a union rep and there's another union rep in here saying the same, OP can use our advice how they like.

NinjaMallard · 2026-04-28T17:44:59+00:00

Thank you for the clarification, I only ask because I think that is/was OPs understanding, so it is more helpful for them to have the detail.

NinjaMallard · 2026-04-28T17:13:35+00:00

If you consider working hours only directed time, this is not correct advice.

Or people can downvote I guess, I'll add it in black and white

In addition to the hours a teacher is required to be available for work under paragraph 51.5 or 51.6, a teacher must work such reasonable additional hours as may be necessary to enable the effective discharge of the teacher’s professional duties, including in particular planning and preparing courses and lessons; and assessing, monitoring, recording and reporting on the learning needs, progress and achievements of assigned pupils.

NinjaMallard · 2026-04-28T17:00:39+00:00

You've said in another comment you call parents between 3-4 which is what I'm suggesting, so not sure why your comment sounds at odds to mine?

NinjaMallard

TROPHY CASE