Help. Teaching timetable nothing like advertised role.

[wtfftw]

Hi,

So someone I know got their new timetable at a new job today. The job advertised and applied for was an A level chemistry lecturer. The timetable they have been given is only two lessons of A level and the rest is key stage 3 and 4. What should they do?

Can they do anything? Obviously don't want to be the new employee causing trouble and creating a bad impression but as the same time doesn't want to be off sick with anxiety for another year....

 

[dessiato]

To be honest this sort of thing is very common in my teaching experience, in FE/HE and TEFL. There's very little point in saying anything because, again from my experience, nothing will be done except being told that it will be looked at. It seldom is.

Having said that I'd think that K3 and K4 is a lot easier to teach than A level so I would see it as an advantage rather than a problem.

I advise doing nothin, seeing how it goes and then, if it becomes an issue, raise it then.

 

[Santino]

Apart from in a sixth form college or similar, I've never heard of a full-time teacher who only taught at A/AS level. There simply wouldn't be the volume of work to justify a full-time role. So I think there's been a miscommunication, either deliberately or accidentally.

 

[wtfftw]

There's enough A level for a dedicated teacher and spare.

 

[N_igma]

Hi,

So someone I know got their new timetable at a new job today. The job advertised and applied for was an A level chemistry lecturer. The timetable they have been given is only two lessons of A level and the rest is key stage 3 and 4. What should they do?

Can they do anything? Obviously don't want to be the new employee causing trouble and creating a bad impression but as the same time doesn't want to be off sick with anxiety for another year....

Unless it specifically said A-Level only on the advertisement there’s nothing really that can be done. The school will argue that their ad wanted a teacher who could teach anything up to and including A-Level.

It is very, very rare for a school that would only have an A-Level teacher solely teaching that level. Schools tend not only to have teachers teaching all age groups, but also different subjects than their main one as well. So they would actually be doing very well if they were only teaching chemistry instead of other sciences as well.

 

[wtfftw]

Unless it specifically said A-Level only on the advertisement there’s nothing really that can be done. The school will argue that their ad wanted a teacher who could teach anything up to and including A-Level.

It is very, very rare for a school that would only have an A-Level teacher solely teaching that level. Schools tend not only to have teachers teaching all age groups, but also different subjects than their main one as well. So they would actually be doing very well if they were only teaching chemistry instead of other sciences as well.

Yeah. I've not asked if the lower age groups are split into chemistry etc or if he's on combined sciences for that.

Edited out identifying detail.


I think yeah. It's poor form and that was the lure for a cross ages role but also pretty fucking shitty. It's whether he can say anything and it be constructive.

 

[StoneRoad]

Sounds like a pretty standard timetable for a school teaching role to me.

Up to and including "A" level, across all ages and abilities, subject specialism Chemistry is what should have been advertised.

I would advise at least attempting to teach the timetable, see how the lesson planning goes compared to the actual teaching. It may turn out to easiers than expected ...

Some years ago now, OH was Head of Physics at a large comprehensive, teaching "A" levels down to what was then the SEN class in "science" with everything in between. Even extended to teaching Chemistry and Biology lessons in the combined science classes. At some point, for health reasons, one of the science teaching staff went into a jobshare, and the role was divided up between two people. Plus the whole science department were offering some availability for covering Maths, Geography etc ...

 

[wtfftw]

Yeah. he's worked in other environments.

This role was not advertised as up to and including blaaaaah. And they've recruited 3 others who have the majority of the A level teaching.


Anyway, the union phonelines are open and he's on hold.

 

[platinumsage]

The particulars must have described the duties in some considerable detail.

Also what came up in the interview?

 

[SpookyFrank]

Yeah. he's worked in other environments.

This role was not advertised as up to and including blaaaaah. And they've recruited 3 others who have the majority of the A level teaching.


Anyway, the union phonelines are open and he's on hold.

If they've had to recruit four teachers for a single department at the same time that does not bode well for them being decent employers tbh.

Contact the union is the obvious advice of course.

 

[baldrick]

Was he not given the proposed timetable before the start of term? That seems like a thing that should have happened.

At this point I would be going to see the principal, I assume it was them who offered the job. It might be just miscommunication, the deputy head who wrote the timetable may not have realised they were employed specially to do A level, or at least the majority of lessons. It's worth an informal chat to see if it can be sorted before bringing out the big guns.

 

[wtfftw]

Good call baldrick . That does seem to have been the issue. We'll see but he's reassured and that's the important thing.

 

[equationgirl]

Hope it works out for them wtfftw - obviously this is not a usual time for any of us so I can imagine that the school might have split one A level class into two or more smaller groups because of social distancing but it seems odd the school has taken on so many teachers just for A levels.

 

[baldrick]

Good call baldrick . That does seem to have been the issue. We'll see but he's reassured and that's the important thing.

Oh good. I am in the mire of timetable changes myself at the minute!