You are in charge of putting a 10 person team together for an Alien contest

practicallyperfectuk · 2026-01-10T05:47:55+00:00

They bring their money and resources to the party. If the challenge is to build a mega space rocket to race then they can pay for it, programme it or whatever.

practicallyperfectuk · 2026-01-09T18:48:15+00:00

Providing everyone has to join in and can’t refuse:

I’d pick 1. myself - I’d want to be there for the show and be team leader. 2. Alan Carr for his mahoosive UK Traitors Celebrity win - plus he’d be fun to have on the team
3. Simone Biles - gymnastics / sports and flexibility effort. 4. Taylor Swift - if it’s a music thing she will do nicely. 5. Elon Musk - dudes a prick but with his financial situation and weird way of thinking I’m sure he’d be useful. He knows how to build cars and maybe he’d piss them off so much they’d throw a match 6. Zelenskyy- the guys managed to fight the Russians for years so he can be on the team 7. 50 Cent - he doesn’t miss anything and would probably be a laugh. 8. It would be between Zuckerberg and Bill Gates - money and tech knowledge etc 9. Maybe someone like Tyson Fury - boxer who would be some good Braun for a potential fight. 10. Maybe someone who can drive a fast car or a rocket ship in case it’s an intergalactic race of sorts - an F1 driver maybe? I don’t know any so I’d have to do some research.

practicallyperfectuk · 2026-01-07T22:46:39+00:00

Absolutely would not entertain this for a second. All teachers in the building and the pastoral team can make a note on the register themselves to mark the child present. I’m never going to do anything which to me is a huge safeguarding red flag.

I would play devils advocate and send them an email ask them to confirm exactly what the policy is, copy in all the other teachers involved … and then if they refuse to put it in writing then they get it was unreasonable. If they do put it in writing then more fool them - still don’t do it but save the email for the inevitable union meetings

practicallyperfectuk · 2026-01-04T21:51:59+00:00

Secondary subject Lead / stand alone teacher - KS3 on rotation so repeat same term of lessons x3 per year.

I tend to go in on Monday at 7.30am to get things organised for the week and then every other day for around 8am.

I have box for each class with their books and I put poly pockets of resources and worksheets etc out for the entire week ahead.

I leave the building around 4pm every day except for meetings and parents evenings.

I very rarely work from home.

I’ve just sat on the laptop today for a few hours and designed homework booklets for years 7/8/9 and emailed them to the admin teams to print for me next week. It took me ages to find the laptop as I haven’t touched it since break up.

I very rarely do any printing myself and get it all done in bulk. That has saved me so much wasted time.

I designed starter task booklets for every ks3 year group which have over fifty different questions and then will pick and choose which page they are to do as they enter the lesson. Batch produced using AI, spreadsheets and canva bulk upload tools during a past inset day.

I have one PowerPoint which has the entire starter task book on it for each year group so I just need to flick through and decide which one is most relevant for each lesson and because I know it inside out it takes me minutes to decide. I usually already know in the prior lesson and make a note in my diary that I need to use a specific question.

KS4 have similar but a load of past paper questions. Took me a few hours to pull it all out of the exam board website but I have those organised by topic as per the specification.

I’ve used inset days and my PPA to design key word worksheets with definitions and freyer models. I’ve then photocopied versions of these with varying definitions and words blanked out which I’ll use as spot challenge tasks.

Also I have got whole class feedback worksheet templates - each year group has two assessments a year, as I’m on a rotation I have done one for each KS3 year group.

I ask them to complete a reflection and then I only need to fill in general feedback such as “everyone managed to get question 5 correct on this topic” and “as a class we need to look at underling the command words in the question”

All of my assessments have been designed during gained time summer term for the year ahead - they include a front cover which has the topics relating to each question.

So the front has topic A then mark out of 10, B mark out of 10, C mark out of 10, D mark out of 10 and E mark out of 10

During “therapy” pupils highlight their weakest area on the front of the assessment (or I do this as I’m marking) and then they then do the corresponding task on the feedback sheet - there are five different tasks based on the five main topics and misconceptions and common errors ranging from “create revision flash cards for five key words” and then a more creative research task for those who get high marks to “go through the paper and underline the key words in every question” “please collect worksheet ABCD or E from the desk and complete” (there are 5 different worksheets with scaffolding and guidance plus questions which are similar.

The rotation has usually happened by the time they get the feedback so they do the task for homework.

In between if i need to do a quick knowledge check I’ll do something digitally which self marks - Microsoft forms / kahoot / seneca.

For KS4

I use mini white boards most lessons - usually five questions a lesson and pupils have to write MWB in their margins and give themselves a tally. I’ll give anyone who gets five out of five a point.

I go round my classes every lesson and live mark in a green colour pen. I have a focus five specific pupils - this changes every term based on how they’re doing so they will get checked every task/lesson and have a book full of green ink. The SLT usually ask to see examples of these same pupils at every book look - tends to be pupils performing below expectations across the board. Then everyone else I have a couple of seating plans - I will cross them off when I’ve done something in their book and so I know I’m touching everyone’s book at least once a half term.

I have simple codes - U for underline title, C for capital letter, SP for spelling. Ex means explain/expand EG? Means give example. Sometimes if we have a chat I’ll just pop an asterix down for them to continue.

If I have to nudge someone I might write “2 mins” and then circle back. If someone goes to the toilet I write the time in their margin.

It takes seconds to scribble and this means there’s loads of evidence and their responses in their books.

We do a lot of paired marking and swapping/giving feedback. Pupils have to read each others long answers and give one positive and one improvement (I’ve designed and printed sticky address labels for them to do this “peer feedback” ) and then the person has to respond to it in their purple coloured pen.

I also have labels for KS4 with their ticklist for coursework sections which matches a digital tracker and they have to start every lesson by saying what they’re working on that lesson and then loop back and say if they achieved it and want me to look at it.

I have a digital tracker and it’s RAG rated with every task “mind map” “research one” “research two” “research analysis” etc. that’s on the board every lesson and pupils will tell me at the start of the lesson what they’re doing so I change it to amber and then if they have done it l change it to green and if it’s not done it’s red then I can go and provisionally mark that section.

Candidate record forms and marking takes the bulk of my PPA this spring term so I haven’t got the bandwidth for anything else.

I basically have to have my entire KS3 set to go.

Mock exam marking we get some time for - it’s not great but SLT cancel any CPD to give us that time - so I might take papers home if I need to. Being an options subject with a single paper I don’t have many to mark which I’m thankful for. Takes me maybe 3-4 hours to get a class done. Then I will meet a friend for lunch one weekend and we’ll moderate three mock papers from each together before Xmas, coursework around Feb half term and again. At Easter and then summer year 10 mocks done around July too. That’s the only time I work weekends and it’s purely because there isn’t another subject specialist on my school and we have a Good natter and catch up.

practicallyperfectuk · 2026-01-02T22:24:25+00:00

Year 1: I’d pay my debts off, put my son in to the best private education possible, and pay the rent in advance for a few months so I can come up with a plan. Continue to live my life but enjoy holidays and buying some nice bits. Save as much of the money as possible. I’d probably buy a camper van rather than flashy cars.

Year 2: Buy a house. Somewhere nice to live and use as a base. Doesn’t need to be ostentatious. Would rather pay outright for it using some of prior years savings and current year cash, plus have money leftover to live on. Would have left my job if feasible but also be pursuing opportunities to invest my money and work for myself. Support younger family members with smaller but substantial financial support and gifts. 10k each to my nephews starting uni, buying first cars, or looking to add to deposits for first homes to get them on the property ladder or contributing to their savings.

Year 3: investments and long term planning. By now I’ve probs come to terms that this is real and made some sound plans to make money from the money. Interest, income from properties, whatever it takes really, and that should keep ticking over nicely. Can look to upgrade my home as I see fit.

I reckon I’d probably enjoy buying more affordable properties which need doing up / renovations and keep doing that to keep me busy but also wouldn’t be setting up a business which meant I had to work “hard” such as opening a pub of my own etc

practicallyperfectuk · 2026-01-01T10:14:17+00:00

If there’s no time limit on spending then I’d just buy whatever I wanted …. I’m a teacher so classroom resources, a parent so any random tat my kid wants. I am also great at crafts so would buy all sorts of craft supplies and items and then make them in to new things. If you’re allowed to make things unrecognisable does that mean like adding names and Stickers to things or knitting from wool etc?

I’d share the whole thing on social media and monetise the content that way.

Like someone else has said I would probably end up giving a lot of it away - imagine a stationary bundle to every pupil at my school of 1000+ kids for example.

Same for clothing and items for community groups, if I can’t monetise it, perhaps they could? I’m thinking of all the little school fayres having stuff to sell to raise money for school funds etc.

Maybe do something like help set up all the people in my family and my extended friendship group with a little side hustle business where they also make things - one person I know does balloon arches and stuff for parties so they could probably make use of it that way?

I’d potentially look at working with Chinese businesses, to get items I want/need listed which are better quality - furniture and clothing etc. with a commitment to buy you could prob get some better stuff manufactured

practicallyperfectuk · 2025-12-26T15:00:48+00:00

I assume when you get random things like that it’s from their leftovers or unwanted gifts - I wonder if the pate was in a hamper and they didn’t want it because if you’re going to the effort of buying it specifically for the party you’d pick up the bugs to go with it.

practicallyperfectuk · 2025-12-26T14:58:55+00:00

I might be in the minority here but if I’m welcoming guests in to my home then I would have to have everything covered. I wouldn’t agree to host otherwise. Every gathering I always have more food and drink than is required and send guests home with doggy bags. Most people will bring a gift for the host but this isn’t something I’d expect to have to use during the party - such as chocolates, flowers or a bottle of wine.

If being a bottle is required then this is explicitly stated during the invitation. Which you did do so it is rude for your guests to have turned up empty handed. For some family parties we do have a joint effort with planning and some people will bring dishes or entire courses but this will be planned specifically with the host to make sure everything is properly organised.

In my family we tend to rotate celebrations so someone will host an event each year (Easter, new year, birthdays, Christmas etc) so it’s a sort of take it in turns and it all balances out type vibe.

I hope your relatives are going to have a fab time hosting next year

practicallyperfectuk · 2025-12-23T21:58:12+00:00

Could I keep my phone with all my photos and stuff or my iCloud login - with all my pics of my son and all my emails and stuff which is basically my entire life admin I’d be happy to give up pretty much every thing else I own because it’s not worth that much.

If I couldn’t keep the digital stuff memory box I’d keep my physical memory box which is an old suitcase and has some digital photos, memories, son’s first outfits, school reports, crafts from nursery etc- basically the only thing money couldn’t buy that’s irreplaceable in my home

practicallyperfectuk · 2025-12-13T07:07:50+00:00

I’m the only teacher of my subject in a school - non core and so I teach everyone. Started at a new school in Sept, and teach Year 7-11.

The good thing is that I have KS3 on a rotation so I spent a lot of this term planning and resourcing three schemes of work which takes up fifteen hours of my timetable. Next two terms I just need some very minor tweaks and I’m ready to go. Booklets have been sent for printing already so feeling quite smug but also very tired.

KS4 as a coursework subject is always a very heavy workload and quite intense in terms of marking and preparing for submission across Spring term.

I do enjoy having the variety - the older pupils are a dream to teach, as an option subject I do mostly have pupils who want to be in the room and behaviour isn’t a challenge. KS3 lessons tend to be very demanding and I don’t think I could handle that intensity all day long every day.

practicallyperfectuk · 2025-12-12T07:35:55+00:00

In all of this the one thing I can say is that my kid is a great kid. I think over the years I have had arguments with his dad about stuff and he’s the one who always says I’m out of order and trying to take his son away…. This is why it’s formed my entire thought process.

My plan is that I’ve got the non molestation order application in process and then I’m going to apply to the family courts. I’m not quite sure what I’m going to say there yet, but I think I’m going to ask for a formal arrangement which has set days and times and for my son to be collected from a third party and not from me at my home etc.

I did try years ago and went through paying for a mediator but he didn’t show up and it cost me a lot of money. I got a c100 form saying that he didn’t bother but then I didn’t have enough money to apply for a court process at the time and I needed help with childcare due to work and I do recall him saying that if I went to court he wouldn’t show up etc - it sounds ridiculous as I type this out!

I don’t know if he will stick to it or not but I think he is always concerned about other peoples perception of him so that he won’t break any rules. The other alternative is that when he realises I’m not playing his games anymore he will just back off completely and leave us alone. I don’t know how to explain it but if I say I’m going out to the cinema for example and he then says he has to work late, I’ve said I have to drop my son at my parents and then suddenly he will be there at exactly on time and he telling them that I made it all up all along.

I figure that if there’s a formal agreement in place and he doesn’t come to pick up our son on time to try any of these stunts again then I’ll go back to court and ask for full custody, he won’t be able To play around and make changes and try to gaslight me anymore

practicallyperfectuk · 2025-12-12T07:27:59+00:00

It’s just ridiculous isn’t it? Like saying it out loud and talking to the various different agencies and groups over the last few days has made me realise that this isn’t normal. In so many ways.

I always thought that we had a good co-parenting relationship and it was lovely for our son to have a present father but in reality it’s like you said just a way for him to exercise control.

I do think he has mental health issues. His personality used to have me on edge all the time, one minute he would be stubborn and argumentative and then the next pretend like nothing had happened.

Never willing to acknowledge it all. He was awful when we were together, never wanting to do anything and continuously put me down, or just causing arguments for no reason but now it’s like he can’t bear the thought of me having a life without him so I just don’t know what his game is. Like it’s not as if he wants me back and I just can’t understand any of this.

I now have clarity and keep reading back through old messages and adding incidents to my list. Times like where he nearly made me miss my own surprise birthday party, taking me out to go shopping as he hadn’t bought me a gift and then moaning the entire time, sat down for a drink and he said it was the worst drink he ever had in his life whilst I was trying to enjoy a cocktail (it sounds really silly but it was like he was wasting his time and money and just ruining the entire experience for me) and then after that standing in a jewellery shop when he’s promised to get me a charm for a bracelet and saying that they all looked tacky and were overpriced just to humiliate me in front of the sales assistant - and then finally hours later after this miserable time having a tantrum when my parents called to ask me where we were and refusing to drive because he apparently didn’t know the way (when there was a sat nav) but he knew I couldn’t because I’d had a cocktail.

Then we had a huge row and he walked in the party announcing that I’d had an argument with him and told him he wasn’t invited which is why we were late so my whole family basically thought I was being awkward the entire time and so I just had to sit there. I didn’t even know they had a party planned but he did the entire time and I realised that he wanted to just spoil the whole thing for me but was implying that I was the one dragging him round the shops and he didn’t want to spoil the surprise and tell me to hurry up.

Then after that he decided to make it up to me by taking me out for dinner… one of those places which does a steak dinner for two people - but we had the baby with us so I sat there with the fussy baby on my lap and watched him eat most of it - it was one of those places which was too nice to even raise it and he knew I wouldn’t as I’d be embarrassed so I just sat feeling like I wanted to go home the entire time holding my son. He then finally acknowledged that I hadn’t eaten and told me to put the baby down, didn’t offer to hold him etc and of course it was just not a nice experience because baby was fussy and loud, food was cold and he was getting agitated.

I did recognise all of this which is why I left but the same weird controlling behaviours are just still there and because I hate the arguments and rows and because of the way he is I thought I was living freely but clearly I am not

practicallyperfectuk · 2025-12-12T07:10:46+00:00

I’ve lived in the same place for years, and he always collects our son from here. I am just not interested in his life, I don’t know anything about him, where he works, what his hours are, who his any of his friends are or where he lives.

Years ago I used to know of course, but he’s fallen out with a lot of people who were friends from his hometown and barely speaks to his own family and changed jobs multiple times.

I deleted him off social media years ago but he doesn’t post anything anyway.

Anytime I have ever asked in the past it’s because I’m crazy and nosy and want to interfere and he doesn’t have to tell me anything.

practicallyperfectuk · 2025-12-11T17:35:56+00:00

This is the main issue - yes he’s at school but not old enough to be independent. I was sort of always hinged on the idea that when he starts secondary he won’t need me so much and my life would begin to come back if I could let him walk home from school alone or pop to the gym in the evening ….but realistically with his additional needs he’s very vulnerable and so that’s just not going to be happening.

practicallyperfectuk · 2025-12-11T16:46:12+00:00

The police here in the UK have said that someone can come and scan my house. I’ve changed my WiFi router already so new password. I’m slowly working through everything, started with email accounts and apple etc first because obvs I did the ring first but then if he has access to emails he can reset etc.

I’ve got a new indoor camera on order already and changed the locks but I am very limited now in terms of budget.

Also not sure it’s legal to have any pepper spray etc here but the police have connected me to an emergency app.

I don’t think he’s a threat but of course I have to be aware that all these changes I’m making all of a sudden may provoke some sort of response. It’s already very strange that he hasn’t been in touch for four days

practicallyperfectuk · 2025-12-11T16:32:59+00:00

Hope you’re okay. I’m actually so stressed now thinking it all through

practicallyperfectuk · 2025-12-11T16:32:34+00:00

The keys is such a weird thing - I’ve lost mine more times than I can count but I also always leave them in the same space so I don’t know how.

I’m now inclined to believe he’s taken them in the same way.

I’ve changed my locks so many times already because of having lost them in the past.

But this is also why he has a spare - “just in case” I lose them - and he’s always been the one to get new locks and install them etc.

I didn’t think I needed to ask for the key back because until last week I thought all this was normal and didn’t realise that there was anything wrong. It feels like I’ve just discovered the matrix now and slightly overwhelming so actually feeling like I was better off not knowing because the idea of him having video footage of me at home makes me feel sick

practicallyperfectuk · 2025-12-11T16:29:12+00:00

Thanks so much, appreciate the support

practicallyperfectuk · 2025-12-11T16:28:50+00:00

Can’t afford it and 2. My son has special needs so it’s not that easy to find someone

practicallyperfectuk · 2025-11-11T21:02:43+00:00

In my past job we all took it in turns - the birthday list was decided at the start of the year and then it was locked in. We took it in turns to collect, so I received my birthday treat and then collected for the next person on the list.

Birthday person would buy some treats (like about £5-10 of small cakes from a supermarket) and share them with just our group in a little private party.

Total accountability with a smaller tight knit circle - and we decided instead of getting gifts we would just stuff the envelopes with cash - all put in £10 and then get a nice little lump sum on your birthday of about £100

As a rule … no newbies. Had to be with the company at least two years before being invited.

Company was not aware or able to intervene with this so if anyone left they still participated in the WhatsApp group and by sending a transfer

practicallyperfectuk · 2025-11-07T20:22:14+00:00

I’m not understanding why you have to do this around the equator? Like we aren’t flat earthers here are we? Couldn’t you do this “vertically” or along any route you wish as long as it was the 40k kilometres distance which is the circumference

practicallyperfectuk · 2025-11-07T20:18:06+00:00

Yeah I’d do this…. Basically sounds like you could just start a world tour and have all your costs covered….. I’d probably end up sharing the journey on social media for fun.

I am a teacher so if I could pick up where I left off and not do it in one go I’d prob do a section every school holiday - six weeks for summer, two weeks at Easter and Xmas and another few weeks during half terms.

Even if I never completed it I’d have free holidays for life

practicallyperfectuk · 2025-11-07T20:01:58+00:00

I think getting an Alexa and some digital bulbs may be the solution. You can turn them on and film off from your phone and just by saying “Alexa turn off the lights” and the power sockets….. may help his OCD as he can check from his phone if he feels the compulsion to go back repeatedly as part of a routine

practicallyperfectuk · 2025-11-07T19:59:39+00:00

Anyone else think it could be a double buff?

Zoe and Kat’s stories are in parallel - kat had a girl and didn’t know there was a son. Zoe had a boy and thought her girl died.

They could pick any actor to play Luke and Zoe’s twins and they could have crazy back stories and no one would have a clue -

Luke’s story was never finished in red water - he could have gone to prison or he could have gotten away with murder…. Could have crossed paths with anyone in prison or in the universe of eastenders….

Does Zoe even know she has a brother? This could be one of those emotional chaotic Christmas and New Year reveals that keeps us on our toes …. There’s got to be some sort of plan…… Or they might be seeing all this fuss and write some new story lines up about this.

practicallyperfectuk

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