Apparently the latest issue being discussed is the lunchtime admin and its effectiveness.
So this is what happens in the morning at a school in Scotland:
8.55 playground is silent… Queue tumbleweed
8.57 children start to arrive
9.00 the bell goes
9.05 children start to fill classrooms
From 5 past until often half past 9, theres a register, children select lunches, letters are dealt with and any other registers are completed such as recording who walks to school.
Here’s an example of an English school:
8.20 children start to arrive in the playground
8.30 the main gates open
8.45 the first bell goes and the doors open
9.00 the second bell goes and teacher takes the register
9.05 lesson starts. If you’re not there, you’re marked late.
Where is the time for the admin I hear you say? The answer: there isn’t any.
I found this when I moved up. In my old school in England; it was the responsibility of the parents and children to sort their own lunch before the start of the day. You could log in online at home and register it, or do it on your phone or at the school office before 9.45 that day. If you’d forgotten a pack lunch you could let the school know you’d return with it.
If by 9 o clock your bum wasn’t on a seat in your classroom with a reading book in your hand with your lunch ordered, you lost out. You went in at end of late lunch to see what was left. There was always bread and butter and fruit and yoghurts, no child would starve. We had a parent support worker on a lesser wage (who was however extremely important and a brilliant team member) whose job (amongst many other things) was to keep a track of children whose care givers consistently don’t provide lunch. Sanctions and meetings would occur with frequent offending parents. Same as in the real world.
I also had a TA who worked across the year group and we knew which kids might not have been given breakfast for reasons out of their control. she would usually go and get them some raisins or a slice of bread and some milk. So it only disturbed them,not the whole class.
Yes this was a little unfortunate for Jimmy, whose mum was running about like a blue arsed fly this morning because the washing hadn’t been done. He might be a little upset, but he won’t starve. His mum might be a little stressed, but if it’s a one off, she won’t get a ticking off from the school. Resilience is built for both parties involved.
The way I see it, I’m a teacher not a child carer. I spent years studying to teach not to just organize 30 children. This is an admin job or a child minder job.
Sadly, the government expect greater results whilst at the same time expecting teachers to do more and more general tasks as well. To cut down on support staff I presume, and costs. But something has to give somewhere.
Now dont get me wrong, I see the value in seeing the whole child as important rather than just their subject learning, but that is a school level initiative, not mine as a someone qualified to instruct and guide learning. And this starts at 9 and much research supports getting started early (let me just add this is primary level, there is research that contradicts this for older children because things change once hormones get involved).
Learning happening is my intention. And learning happens better in the morning. Children focus better. It doesn’t have to be directed learning it could be play based. But That time is precious and I am needed for that time to do more than fill in boxes. That’s why schools across the South of England cover core subjects in the morning and foundation in the afternoon. They’ve found ways to increase the effectiveness of our teaching by simply getting started earlier and getting the most use out of that professional, whose qualifications are focused on how to get children to learn.
Plus it’s a skill of life. If you aren’t organized, you will miss out. It’s not like I can waltz into work, clock in and THEN spend half an hour scrolling through the McDonald’s saver menu.
These 6 hours at school are important. A child ready to learn and given the time to learn, has the biggest advantage. And I get that some children aren’t ready to learn because of things out of their control, but that’s where support staff come in. I dont see why Horatio, whose mum had time to make avocado toast for brekky; should have to sit and learn nothing whilst Billy, who’s anxious and tired as he just woke up, is having a breakdown deciding whether to have cheese or ham.
Now dont get me wrong, I am supportive and caring of all children. Billy would get every ounce of support he needs from me and is cherished the way I cherish every child. No child will ever suffer on my watch if I can help it. But the more this happens, the more I question how the government expect me to teach all children effectively. Or why schools in the South of England understand but up here they don’t.
People try to say Scotland aren’t too focused on the data. I disagree. They are, they’re just still collecting it and for some reason they are happy to pay teachers to do so. I spend half my time as a teacher, observing and recording rather than teaching.
If the school I’m at wants to pay me a teacher hourly wage, to do admin that someone on £8 an hour could do, thats their decision. But this idea that this morning time could be used more effectively, was circulated in the south of England some 8 years ago; glad to see Scotland are catching up.
FaerieFalls 