A Head of Maths position has two sides to it: individuals administration and operations. Folks administration consists of issues like motivating and growing lecturers, allocating work and obligations (together with who will train every class), managing absence and recruiting new lecturers. It is all about taking care of your workers and getting the most effective out of them. Operations is about guaranteeing that your staff have the whole lot they should ship the maths curriculum successfully. This includes stuff like planning curricula and assessments, placing mechanisms in place for monitoring and monitoring pupil efficiency, and speaking together with your staff so that everybody is aware of precisely what they need to be doing.
It might sound straightforward but it surely’s actually not! Nevertheless I take pleasure in being Head of Maths immensely. I just like the accountability and possession it brings. I like main a discrete bundle of the college and having (to some extent!) artistic management over how we do issues. It is appears like an necessary and excessive impression position. Not solely are our GCSE outcomes double counted in P8, however we even have the best uptake at A degree, which brings important monetary advantages to the college. As Head of Maths I really feel like I’ve extra impression on the college’s success than after I was an Assistant Principal, and for me this ‘alternative to make a distinction’ is actually motivational. I additionally just like the pleasing mixture of project-style work (for me, issues like ‘Run Maths Week’ and ‘Write KS3 Assessments’) and the extreme hustle and bustle of day-to-day operations, the place no two days are the identical. I might be described as a management freak (impolite! However sure, I’m) and meaning I do discover the job extremely traumatic at occasions (that is most obvious when a trainer telephones in sick and I’ve to run spherical organising and printing cowl work – doing something final minute places me very far out of my consolation zone!).
Heads of Maths jobs are available in many alternative kinds. Some handle large departments with 20+ employees, some solely have one or two lecturers on their staff. Some run a school (for instance managing Pc Science or Enterprise in addition to maths). Some sit on SLT. Some have a 2ic or TLR holders. Some have admin help. Some have their very own workplace. Some are managed by a mathematician (most are usually not). Some are supported by consultants. Some have curricula and assessments offered by a MAT. The variation in our roles – by way of each the scope of our obligations and the autonomy we’re afforded – is huge.
Not too long ago I have been reflecting on among the most difficult features of the job. I’ve listed them under however I am afraid I am not providing any options! I believe it is useful for us to mirror on the difficult components of our jobs and collectively share our methods for coping with them.
1. Dealing with Workers Absence
2. Addressing Underperformance
3. Coping with Troublesome Dad and mom
4. Recruitment and Retention
In many faculties maths trainer job adverts appeal to no candidates in any way. Recruitment is shockingly tough and will get worse yearly. Could is a very traumatic month for Heads of Maths – we reside in concern of final minute resignations, realizing that it will likely be almost not possible to fill a emptiness for September. Alongside this, skilled lecturers are leaving the career in droves for causes which can be typically outdoors our management. It is massively upsetting, and sadly I haven’t got any concepts for the way it may be actually resolved at a nationwide degree.Â
5. Tiering Selections
Deciding whether or not to enter college students into Basis or Larger Tier at GCSE is just not easy for the ‘borderline’ college students. Final yr I had a guardian of a Basis Tier 12 months 11 pupil insist (fairly aggressively) that I transfer her daughter to Larger Tier as a result of a tutor had mentioned so (tutors – please by no means do that!). She advised me that I used to be ‘ruining her daughter’s life’ and limiting her future alternatives by stopping her from having the ability to obtain a Grade 6. I stored the scholar on Basis. The mom’s phrases nonetheless play on my thoughts although. Tiering is a giant accountability and understandably will be fairly emotive for folks. I do assume tiers are vital in GCSE maths, however it might be so pretty to show a topic the place there have been no tiering choices to make!
Different issues that may seem on our listing of challenges is likely to be:
- How to make sure that the best and lowest attainers make progress (notably when you’ve got a baby who’s constantly miles forward or behind the remainder of the yr group, however no price range/employees for individually supporting that little one)
- The right way to predict GCSE grades (from latest dialogue on Twitter about utilizing full GCSE papers in 12 months 10, I believe that is one thing that some Heads of Maths actually wrestle with)
- What assessments to make use of (it is infuriating that examination papers are everywhere in the web – it feels not possible to search out GCSE and A degree mock papers that college students will not have already seen)Â
- How to make sure good behaviour in maths classes (notably in colleges the place centralised behaviour insurance policies and practices are insufficient)
- The right way to get college students to do their homework!
- The right way to assign lecturers and college students to courses when doing subsequent yr’s timetable (absolute minefield!).
I am positive there are a lot of extra challenges that I’ve missed right here. Be at liberty so as to add your ideas within the feedback!
@TheMathsBazaar is a really skilled Head of Maths and he lately gave some wise recommendation to new Heads of Maths on Twitter. I’ve quoted his tweets immediately right here:
You’re the buffer between your division and all of the AHT crap. Defend them from pointless duties. See should you can organise issues centrally to save lots of them bothering.Â
Don’t try to do a evaluation of the curriculum or scheme of labor. Belief your staff to be educating properly, and make small modifications, it could be value getting the division to debate small subjects. Massive opinions by no means work and by no means get completed
Take it from an HOD, with 25 years expertise, who has listened to what his groups reward him for: you’re there to handle and organise. Overlook imaginative and prescient, neglect grand plans, simply make certain they’ve the whole lot they want, each single day.”
Thanks @TheMathsBazaar for these smart phrases.
In my earlier profession, if you took on a brand new position you at all times acquired coaching on do it. I not often see that occur in training. Lecturers who step as much as jobs in center or senior administration aren’t despatched on coaching programs to arrange them for the numerous complexities and challenges of managing individuals and managing tough conditions. They’re usually simply anticipated to work the whole lot out for themselves. If you’re on this place and you end up needing recommendation at any level – please do not hesitate to hunt help on Twitter.Â
