Guest Posted July 13, 2004 Posted July 13, 2004 Hi! I've been a member of the NUT for 8 years now and tried to phone this evening for advice on the workload in the foundation stage. Ironically, there was no one in the office as I didn't get in till 7pm! Does anyone else have to set curricular targets in addition to the MOUND of paper work we have just had to complete for the f/stage profile? Our school is confused at the moment about target setting for f/stage as the levels do not correlate with ks1 SATs. I don't mind setting targets for each group to pass up to the next teacher as a target such as 'to remember to leave finger spaces in beween each word in a sentence' is far more specific that some of the vague profile points but its the amount of extra paper work that bothers me. The rest of the school does half termly targets -i did mine in September and only looked at them today! Wasted excersise! I had targets for each child/group of course but just in my planning. What doeas anyone else think? /have to do? I'm bloody knackered. Can't wait fot the break!
AnonyMouse_2732 Posted July 14, 2004 Posted July 14, 2004 Hi there, zim and welcome in!! Not a teacher so can't really comment on specifics, but agree regarding 'knackeredness' !!!!! Sue
AnonyMouse_73 Posted July 14, 2004 Posted July 14, 2004 Hi there Zim. I think we all get frustrated at the end of the year, as we start to wind down, tirednes sometimes gets the better of us and the work load seems impossible. I hope you have seen the various reports in the press recently regarding the mountain of paperwork for the FSP, and you will probably find that the union are well aware of the situation. We have in the past set half termly targets which have been largely personal and socail and very simple. We managed to negotiate just one set this year for the summer term which was much more manageable as they were based around the profile. And we have had to write new ones as they go up to year 1, for literacy and numeracy. I would try talking first of all to your FS manager, and then to your Head, to see if you have some flexibilty about what you are doing. I am sure this topic has come up before recently-perhaps someone else can put in the link for you? make sure you get a rest in the holiday
Guest Posted July 14, 2004 Posted July 14, 2004 Hi Thank god someone else is out there in the same position as me!!! Exactly the same as you, soooo tired I can hardly think straight. I queried it with the LEA and have there backing to not have to set targets as the targets are the ELG that the children haven't achieved. I have copies of the FSP so this is what I have provided the YR1 teachers and the head. We are not like the rest of the school, we have no correlation to the levels of attainments in KS1 without spending alot of time changing things round. I have decided to wait til the Autumn term and in my first week the children only come in for mornings so I am going to predict grades for the end of y1 and y2 for my little lot. Something has to be done about the workload at this end of term for there to even be any reception teachers left!!
Guest Posted July 14, 2004 Posted July 14, 2004 Thanks for your replies, feeling a bit better about it all today-probably because there are only 2 days left until the break! I think that if we are expected to do all this paper work that we should get some non-contact time. On the other hand, I didn't go into the job to do mounds of paper work (had to do sums for attendance figures to put on end of term reports today-nightmare! ) I'd rather be teaching the kids! Thanks again ZimX
AnonyMouse_73 Posted July 15, 2004 Posted July 15, 2004 zim, what is your school doing to guarentee your PPA time, it has to be in place by 2005. We are making a start on this next year, although Im not usre how yet.
AnonyMouse_79 Posted July 15, 2004 Posted July 15, 2004 HI Zim & welcome, I can only add that I empathise with your situation and my reaction is much as Mundia's. Unfortunately at the end of any term especially, when exhaustion is setting in all these little jobs become unbearable but somehow we keep doing them. I do hope the workload agreement will start to address the balance, there are times when the "office work" takes over from the teaching but they never take the children away, do they?!! BUT I can't believe you are still doing attendence figures, surely your school has this data on the computer!! Anyway chin up, only one more day to go!! Make sure you enjoy your break and rest assured you are not alone.
AnonyMouse_1208 Posted July 15, 2004 Posted July 15, 2004 We had to do attendance figures too!!! Still in the dark ages!!!
Guest Posted July 16, 2004 Posted July 16, 2004 my school has still not heard of the PPA time!!! When asked about it, the head muttered something about getting spoarts trainers to do sports and give us our PPA time. Nursery chidlren being 'taught' by football and basketball coaches- i'd like to see that!!!!!!!
AnonyMouse_3307 Posted July 17, 2004 Posted July 17, 2004 Some Head Teachers need to be dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st Century. Workforce remodelling has taken away 12 or so routine administrative tasks from teachers. Heads need to have done something about these already. Guaranteed planning and preparation time from 2005 is also part of this deal for all teachers with class responsibilities. If you are still being asked to do admin tasks like clerical work, ie working out attendance data then I really urge you to get in touch with your unions and seek advice. See this link for teachernet information or go to teachernet.gov.uk http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/paysite/section4.cfm Some heads will only change if we make them and you have a lot of support on your side in this issue! Good luck. Cx
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