Back to school

This has been one of the most stressful weeks I've experienced in school. A deputy head down and missing staff as the first of the winter bugs hits, the pressure has been non-stop and I've had trouble sleeping. So much so I've ended up watching the test match between Australia and West Indies from about 3 for the the past two mornings which isn't good.

Currently I'm trying to develop responses to our behviour management meetings, line manage Years 10 and 11 as the first reports of the year go out, coordinate a whole school approach to our ICT needs as well as bids for Excellence in Cities funds, write the school's Self Evaluation Form, run after school detentions, support staff in the classroom, meet parents after school, chair meetings after school, prepare lessons, mark, hold line management meetings with English and Humanities depts, the library, oh and teach. I might seem to be indulging in a little self pity at this stage but this is simply a reflection of what it's like presently. With Parents' Eve and Certificates Eve on the way next week, it is looking like a long six weeks to go!

One Year 11 class are now redrafting coursework and doing very well. I am so pleased with their attitude and they are gaining real confidence. It is extremely gratifying when they tell you how things are beginning to slot into place and make sense and they almost visibly grow in front of you. The other group, the ones I took over at the start of this year, have been working on Jekyll and Hyde. They are measurably less well developed in respect of their understanding in comparison to the other class but are nevertheless showing a desire to catch up manifested in their ability to read the novella in just three lessons allowing us to work at pace.

There seem to have been a lot of exclusions this week and perhaps the worst part was after 6.30 on Tursday when I rang a couple of parents to advise about exclusions. In both cases I was shouted at because it was so late in the evening before they had been informed. School finishes at 2.30 so they might have a point if you consider I spent the next four hours running a detention for other staff, meeting a parent who was in tears as her son has just finished one court case and has another for assault pending and she is struggling to cope. She came looking to inform the school and to seek support. This was followed by a management meeting which did not end till six and I still hadn't had a break since 8.30. I ended up telling them that I would have preferred not to be ringing them at that time either, that perhaps I could have been at home rather than in school still. Friday went much better though : )

Thirty Plus won on Monday by the way with Kevin in goal. He's just had to stop playing football at the age of 31 due to heart problems but he went in goal and helped us to a 3 - 0 win. I managed to score all three.