Our school currently has a falling roll. In spite of the school actually becoming more popular relative to others within catchment a lack of baby making - damn sex education - a decade ago means we're getting less children in year seven each year.
The upshot of this is that in maths next year we will have enough teachers to teach fifteen more lessons than will actually be timetabled. If someone were to retire or get a job elsewhere then this would solve the problem. Or if enough teachers went part time, which some have considered. Only that's on the condition that it doesn't effect their pension, which in the light of the budget being cut seems unlikely.
The other chance is that enough teaching could be found in other subject areas. Geography for example will be understaffed as they're not replacing the person who has been on maternity leave and has now decided to not return. Pity I gave it up after year nine then.
Which means the prospect of redundancy raises its ugly fang-toothed head. This is chosen on a points system.
We get one point for each year's teaching experience (up to five points). One point for each Key Stage taught. Three points for mentoring another member of staff within the past three years.
This puts me on a miserly total of three points, the next lowest in the department would be seven points so even if in some bizarre scenario I had been mentoring someone (bizare as I'm the second youngest teacher in the school) I'd still be bottom. I feel like Derby County.
Even in the event of a tie I'd still be screwed as it would be a last-in-first-out deal.
It all seems a little unfair as I could be the best teacher in the world but through no fault of my own I could be out of a job. Admittedly I'm not the best teacher in the world but it's still not pleasant.
It's all looking a bit bleak.
