Hi,
I just thought I would share my personal experience of working in an academy with you.
I just thought I would share my personal experience of working in an academy with you.
I am a teacher who in 2010 moved to a failing school that had just become an academy. At first my experiences were positive. I was one of the new staff members willing to make the necessary changes toimprove the school. We had exciting plans for a huge rebuild and a restructuring programme put in place to ensure improvement. I moved there as a promotion and my job title was SENCO or, as the academy named me 'Access Coordinator'. I saw the vision for the future, all new and exciting! HOW WRONG I WAS!!!
Two years on and the school, sorry academy, could not be in a worse state! We have lost countless good/outstanding teachers who cannot cope with the pressure of an increasing workload and lack of support from the leadership team. Some members of staff have literally only lasted a week or so! We have a 'director' for everything who are on big bucks although I cannot work out what each of their specific roles are,except to criticize other staff members. The moral of staff has reached rock bottom which of course has affected the students. We have always had a large number of students whose behaviour has been challenging, but as teachers we have had very little support from the leadership team as to how to deal with these behaviour issues. Our behaviour policy is flimsy and we have had cases where students have punched a member of staff or spat at them and only receiving a one day or two day exclusion. We did employ a police liaison officer but she left when the school failed to listen to her suggestions.
As for me, my job has changed beyond all recognition! In the 'restructuring' I was demoted and had to take instructions off someone who had no SEN experience or expertise (I had been SENCO for 5 years, am a dyslexia specialist and am close to finishing my Masters in SEN). I have been forced to teach main stream subjects I am not trained to do, and given only days to learn entire schemes of work before having to teach it to an unknown class. When I was teaching some SEN students (many of whom had EBD issues) and brought up some very serious health and safety issues, I was seen as the problem and the role taken away from me, rather than sorting out my concerns. I have had various members of staff tell me I am being bullied and threatened. The NUT is fighting my case, but if I quit I get nothing, no entitlements at all as I chose to leave, I have been on and off work with stress since January 2012, have been very seriously ill in hospital with extremely high blood pressure, have had panic attacks and headaches, non of which I suffered from before joining the Academy.
So, I am completely sympathetic to your cause. I would not recommend ANY school becoming an academy, as they seem to think they can do what they want when they want to whom they want. I believe thegovernment are simply trying to privatise the education system so they can wash their hands of it. From personal experience I would urge you to stick to your guns on this, you have my full support and good luck for the future!
Kind regards,
An Academy teacher desperate to get out!
As for me, my job has changed beyond all recognition! In the 'restructuring' I was demoted and had to take instructions off someone who had no SEN experience or expertise (I had been SENCO for 5 years, am a dyslexia specialist and am close to finishing my Masters in SEN). I have been forced to teach main stream subjects I am not trained to do, and given only days to learn entire schemes of work before having to teach it to an unknown class. When I was teaching some SEN students (many of whom had EBD issues) and brought up some very serious health and safety issues, I was seen as the problem and the role taken away from me, rather than sorting out my concerns. I have had various members of staff tell me I am being bullied and threatened. The NUT is fighting my case, but if I quit I get nothing, no entitlements at all as I chose to leave, I have been on and off work with stress since January 2012, have been very seriously ill in hospital with extremely high blood pressure, have had panic attacks and headaches, non of which I suffered from before joining the Academy.
So, I am completely sympathetic to your cause. I would not recommend ANY school becoming an academy, as they seem to think they can do what they want when they want to whom they want. I believe thegovernment are simply trying to privatise the education system so they can wash their hands of it. From personal experience I would urge you to stick to your guns on this, you have my full support and good luck for the future!
Kind regards,
An Academy teacher desperate to get out!
No comments:
Post a Comment