Need to escape/reset

[jcassidy]

I am able to log in and check who has looked at it and the CEO, who is well aware of its existence, has not once looked at it.

The CEO is not going to be looking at individual risk logs. You need to look at the agenda and minutes of board meetings to see if it's being discussed. You can ask to make a presentation or report to the board on your progress on that big Excel, the overall status of the school, and the top 5 urgent items.

The reaction to your request will tell you everything you need to know. If you get told "no need", you'll know not only is the board ignoring issues, but that they are ignoring them with plausible deniability (meaning they know issues have to be fixed, and if they were officially aware of them then they would have to fix the issues, so they are making sure that they are not officially aware).

You can then ask to submit a report for consideration by the board, make sure it's on the agenda, and check the minutes that it has been at least acknowledged, and at best, discussed.

If not, rinse and repeat.

 

[Stigmorgan]

It's the CEO that has asked for the spreadsheets to be done not the Headteacher, my HT left and the new one started tomorrow, she is moving from one of our other schools so is aware of the politics within the academy but will still have a learning curve to get through for this site before she will be able to make changes.

 

[Stanleymonkey]

We have a hospice in our area and lots of charity shops for that hospice. They have recently opened a large donation centre. No limits, no silly rules. Just drop off all- sorts there including electricals. It's really useful to have in the area. You can take a car load and they accept it all.

Do you have anything like that near you? It's great for offloading furniture, old bikes, anything.

 

[Jameshow]

How you feeling btw.

Hope things are on the up!!

Nice to hear of cases when the outcome is positive!

 

[Stigmorgan]

@Jameshow Not too bad, the 2 week Easter break was peaceful and I got a lot of work done, so much so that for the first time in a long while im happy with how much i gotnsone, the new headteacher started today and she seems like she will be a positive fit, the weather is improving and the longer daylight hours are helping improve my S.A.D, lots of outdoor summer work to keep me busy and happy, still not happy with the executive level of leadership but everything else is positive enough that I can mentally deal with that. SWMBO has had the weekend to recover from her week in Spain sat at the beach or by the swimming pool so I'm hoping she will start getting some more stuff sorted whilst I finish sealing the shower screen and start sorting the kitchen.
Feeling unsure about if I'm gonna keep the shop going, this month I got paid £7.10 so March has cost me £72.90, since starting it at the beginning of December the table has cost me £320 and I've had £632.83 paid out from the shop so in 4 months I've only made £312.83 profit, starting to feel like the effort isn't worth the return.

 

[Jester129]

Blow me! I've just asked you a question about the very same thing! Just ignore the question. Shame about the results. Any ideas about other sale openiings?

 

[MF1000]

It's the CEO that has asked for the spreadsheets to be done not the Headteacher, my HT left and the new one started tomorrow, she is moving from one of our other schools so is aware of the politics within the academy but will still have a learning curve to get through for this site before she will be able to make changes.

My wife gave up as a teacher in 2014 ….sick of the politics within departments and the governors/ useless HT. mixed in with a head of the food & resistant materials dept (she was her assistant) who constantly moved goalposts and undermined her at every opportunity

 

[Bingy man]

Hi @Stigmorgan - just a quick post to say hi and that I hope all is well and going in the right direction. Hope your partner is also feeling more positive

 

[Stigmorgan]

Home is OK, struggling a little with work a bit, too many changes being made to the job and was told last week to get on with it or leave. So I've made the decision to remove my personality from work, I've removed all my plants and personal items from my desk, taken my plants from around school, I've listed my fishtank for sale that has been in the lobby for 4 years, I won't be doing any extras or overtime, if they only want a mindless robot that does as he's told then that's what they will get until we are in a position to leave. I'm not the only that feels this way, a lot of staff are unhappy and looking to move on, the academy don't care, everyone is replaceable and at a lower salary.

 

[Jacob]

Home is OK, struggling a little with work a bit, too many changes being made to the job and was told last week to get on with it or leave. So I've made the decision to remove my personality from work, I've removed all my plants and personal items from my desk, taken my plants from around school, I've listed my fishtank for sale that has been in the lobby for 4 years, I won't be doing any extras or overtime, if they only want a mindless robot that does as he's told then that's what they will get until we are in a position to leave. I'm not the only that feels this way, a lot of staff are unhappy and looking to move on, the academy don't care, everyone is replaceable and at a lower salary.

Hope you are in a union? https://www.unison.org.uk/about-2/schools/

 

[Spectric]

So I've made the decision to remove my personality from work, I've removed all my plants and personal items from my desk, taken my plants from around school, I've listed my fishtank for sale that has been in the lobby for 4 years,

That screams of bad management or just a really shieete manager who has no people skills, thinks change is important and is really in the wrong job and out of their depth. With most things in life you are there for a purpose, not for self gain or importance but as part of a chain that is there to deliver the business objectives which for management involves getting the best out of the employee's and helping them reach their full potential. In your case you have added a personal touch that shows interest and involvement in the school but your manager does just want a mindless robot which is probably a reflection of themselves. We used to call them yes men, only interested in trying to impress there superiors and when asked to jump would just say yes, how high. The other term was managerial toilet paper because they were always happy to lick rear ends and keep them clean.

 

[Stigmorgan]

That screams of bad management or just a really shieete manager who has no people skills, thinks change is important and is really in the wrong job and out of their depth. With most things in life you are there for a purpose, not for self gain or importance but as part of a chain that is there to deliver the business objectives which for management involves getting the best out of the employee's and helping them reach their full potential. In your case you have added a personal touch that shows interest and involvement in the school but your manager does just want a mindless robot which is probably a reflection of themselves. We used to call them yes men, only interested in trying to impress there superiors and when asked to jump would just say yes, how high. The other term was managerial toilet paper because they were always happy to lick rear ends and keep them clean.

@Jacob I am but the changes that are being made do not go against anything in my contract, the working in it is very open, something along the lines of "to carry out duties as required by the school" the word school works in my favour allowing me to refuse to work in the other schools.

The changes are all coming from the new CEO who has changed everything since he started in September, the caretakers have all been presented with a new job role they have called maintenance technician, the idea being that once they have opened their own school they will be sent out to work as a group on projects around the schools, they're basically turning them into facilities maintenance with a view to hirebthem out to other schools/academies, 5 out of 9 of us signed up to it, 2 are planning to retire soon and will be replaced on the new contract, I've said no because I don't want to go full time or work in other schools, I took this job for the balance I get from the part time split shift hours, if I'm full time single shift I will have to pay someone check on the dogs during the day which then negates the extra money I would be earning and take away my makerspace time in the week.
Sadly the only way I'm going to survive here at the minute is to start caring less so removing my plants, aquariums (I have 2 in school) and personality from the school will help me see it as just a place to work rather than an extension of my home.
I get that the changes being made are meant to be for the growth of the academy but it's making everything feel like a business, the teaching has gone backwards, tables are in rows facing the front of the classroom, no more outdoor/forestry learning which is what I've spent my 6 years here setting the grounds up for. The curriculum has been set up so that all 9 of our schools teach the exact same thing in the exact same way. We used to be the areas number 1 choice of school, now we're most people's backup school, there's no personality to the place anymore.

 

[Fred48]

Hi @Stigmorgan

I went through a period at work when I wasn’t happy, and on occasions wasn’t calm. When the ‘old girl’ and I were going on holiday in August 1998, we stopped at a service station and I saw the book ‘Calm at Work’ by Paul Wilson (they are still available second-hand on Amazon).

I bought the book because I needed it, and spent the first three days reading it. Basically, the book transformed my life, not just at work, and I would highly, highly recommend it.

I believe you give some of the staff and pupils great happiness in the ‘stuff’ you do to enhance their lives. For example, the fish tank and the plants around the school.

I try and see things from another person’s perspective. I would personally water the plants and feed the fish before you have ‘clocked on’ or after you have ‘clocked off’ if that is possible, to continue giving happiness and possible inspiration for others to take up this great interest in plants and fish.

If you do move to a different employer, you will have excellent examples, and I believe you will have many more, proactive things you do to help others.

Food for thought.

All the best

Fred

 

[Bingy man]

The signs of you being unhappy at work, with the new changes and the new ceo are screaming out at me . Similar in my previous job was the constant management changes and the ever increasing pressure from all the operational procedures, team meetings, 1 2 1 meetings, just became too much for me to cope with with everything else ( home life , my son’s issues, and several bereavements ) just became a heavy load I could no longer handle. But I think you have not got this far down that path . Whatever prompted you to start this thread with your first post has potentially saved you from the worst of it , @Stigmorgan make plans to leave and find something else, you have said previously that your job gives you accommodation this ( imho ) is your biggest problem. Finding a new job is easy enough with the skills you have but combining this with finding a new home rented or mortgaged is not going to be easy but it can and must be overcome. The new ceo has probably not finished yet so don’t be surprised at further changes as he/ she makes their mark and justifies their more than likely large salary and bonus. I also wonder if your job has added to your partners issues . Either way good luck and take care ..

 

[Spectric]

The changes are all coming from the new CEO who has changed everything since he started in September

You cannot be expected to perform duties that you are not trained or qualified to do, so asking school caretakers to undertake building maintenance task is potentially breaching HSE guidelines. If you do not have the background as a tradesman and whilst doing these new task for the CEO for no other reason than saving the school money and you fall off a step ladder or injure yourself with a tool then they are liable, but at the same time you are within your rights to refuse on the grounds you have not had the training required.

Also remember that once at your place of work, any travel between sites is on company business and requires the right vehicle insurance unless they provide the transport.

 

[niall Y]

Work was getting better until I found out that the CEO is planning to spend over £200K converting 3 of my classrooms into the academy HQ offices, yet I have a building in need of a new roof £100K, my main building boiler blew up a year ago £308K, tree works required based on an annual arborist report, a lot of it is dead wood above playground areas £10K, all of the children's toilets need refurbishing £££?, classrooms all desperately need new flooring, tables, chairs, blinds and redecorating at around £11K per room for 10 rooms, 5 fire escapes that need new exit steps because the current ones are rotten and collapsing £12K. So as you can imagine I'm feeling pretty disgusted at such an inappropriate waste of money, especially when I keep getting snarky comments passed down about things that need doing around site. I seriously doubt I will be here in a years time at the minute.

Education does seem to be being starved of money at the moment, But the priorities in spending of the new CEO might simply be being dictated by what it is possible for him to do.

The offices probably class as new work - for which it might be possible to borrow money to finance, whereas maintenance and repair will have to come out of an existing and dwindling budget.

In business, it makes perfect sense to borrow for things that make one more competitive, or save money in the long run, but not for things that are day to day expenditure

 

[jetsetwilly]

V late to this thread, and having read through it I can see that things are moving in the right direction and that you've tapped into the fantastic collection of skills and goodwill that this forum has! I think lots of us have experienced a little of what you are experiencing and finding some way to talk about it is definitely the critical step. Keep riding that wave of springtime positivity, and Take. Your. Bloody. Holidays! The school will be just fiiiine, and if they're not, that's still OK. It's easy to forget that you are more important than your job, which I why I keep this badge on my desk to remind me

 

[Bingy man]

So just saying hi ,, prompted by recent post by a new member who has suffered with his mental health for 20 years reminded me of your thread . So just hoping your situation is continuing to improve and with half term approaching that you have some us time for you and your partner and just as importantly some you time to yourself. I’m currently squirming around under a suspended floor looking for a leak that 8 different engineers have fixed () With central heating leak sealer . Found 2 so far but I’m convinced there are more ..but I’m as happy as a pig in xx it .. take care .

 

[Stigmorgan]

@Bingy man it's been a turbulent few weeks to be honest, landlord inspection was carried out on May 2nd by 3 members of the academy staff which I had said I wasn't happy with, it did not require 3 of them at all, 2 at most. We had managed to sort quite a lot of stuff and cleared everything from the hallway, the living room, kitchen and bathroom were spotless but the 3 bedrooms were not accessible, SWMBO had to go to work but did speak to the team before she left to explain that most of the stuff is from clearing her mums house when she died, I got through the embarrassment of them coming into my home and the annoyance of being dictated to about some logs I have stacked (neatly) by the garage door, then a few days later I was sent a letter as an attachment to an email from the business manager,

Considering the academy are constantly shouting about how their care plans etc offer access to counselling and other stuff and that it extends to staff families I think it's disgusting that the letter doesn't offer anything beyond telling us that if they are not satisfied then we will be kicked out.
Then to top it off it has been "suggested" that I shouldn't be doing woodwork in the garage because there's so much highly flammable stuff like sawdust and shavings, they couldn't respond when I asked if I should also then remove the 2 motorbikes that have tanks of petrol, the bottles of motor oil and the boxes of books and paperwork I have stored out there as they are equally as flammable

 

[Bingy man]

@Bingy man it's been a turbulent few weeks to be honest, landlord inspection was carried out on May 2nd by 3 members of the academy staff which I had said I wasn't happy with, it did not require 3 of them at all, 2 at most. We had managed to sort quite a lot of stuff and cleared everything from the hallway, the living room, kitchen and bathroom were spotless but the 3 bedrooms were not accessible, SWMBO had to go to work but did speak to the team before she left to explain that most of the stuff is from clearing her mums house when she died, I got through the embarrassment of them coming into my home and the annoyance of being dictated to about some logs I have stacked (neatly) by the garage door, then a few days later I was sent a letter as an attachment to an email from the business manager,
View attachment 181613
Considering the academy are constantly shouting about how their care plans etc offer access to counselling and other stuff and that it extends to staff families I think it's disgusting that the letter doesn't offer anything beyond telling us that if they are not satisfied then we will be kicked out.
Then to top it off it has been "suggested" that I shouldn't be doing woodwork in the garage because there's so much highly flammable stuff like sawdust and shavings, they couldn't respond when I asked if I should also then remove the 2 motorbikes that have tanks of petrol, the bottles of motor oil and the boxes of books and paperwork I have stored out there as they are equally as flammable

OMG -the fact that you have achieved as much as you both have in the time since you have started this thread should speak volumes to them , had you partner not of started the de clutter they would not of got to any part of the house . As for the threatening tone of that letter considering what you have both been through is nothing more than inhuman. My advice is to clear the bedrooms asap if possible then at least they can access those bedrooms and complete their inspections . As for the garage if the meter or more importantly the emergency control valve ( the lever you turn the gas off with ) is not accessible then this is classified as AT RISK and your supply could be turned off as a result. So again my advice is to clear a decent path to the meter(s) and make sure there is nothing suspended overhead that they could hit their heads on . As for storage etc in the garage like you say oil petrol and no doubt paint , aerosols etc I think they were trying to purposely make you feel Uncomfortable and maybe force you to lose your temper. So try to satisfy them then at least you will have some breathing space so you can plan your next move assuming your still thinking of leaving then make it be on your terms and not theirs . As others mentioned previously if you are in a union then speak to your rep . Imo they have not given you credit for what you have accomplished thus far and piling in 3 strong was just not necessary and could of set your partner back to square one . Play the game @Stigmorgan and take care ..