Friday 16th July

8.30 Once again I've escaped cover (getting suspicious about this) and we are told at morning briefing that girl causing problems yesterday has been internally excluded (huh?) and can the teachers of todays lessons provide work. I always hate being asked this as without a computer it is difficult for her to do any of my work. Still I pass on a planning exercise and hope it's enough.

10.45 First lesson of the day. The class is noisy but well behaved and as a treat I plan to let them have the last 15 mins playing on the internet as a goodbye present. Class is interupted by girl from yesterday who has escaped internal exclusion and has decided to attend my lesson. Out of all the free computers in the class (yes another school trip) she chooses the one that isn't working. Instead of moving to another computer she starts swearing at me informing me that my computers are 'fucking crap'. I tell her that if she wants to stay she must move to another computer and behave herself. She refuses to move so I contact on call to come and fetch her. All hell then lets loose. She throws the keyboard onto the floor, ripping the cord out of it as she does so and then stamps it to bits. Other students do try and stop her but she's beside herself with rage and starts pushing and hitting them. They, naturally enough, hit and push her back and before I know it I have a full scale brawl on my hands. I have no choice but to try and part them and end up on the floor trying to stop myself getting stamped on. It takes 40 minutes for help to arrive by which time things have calmed down and several students are bruised and in a state of shock. Girl has fled the classroom, no one knows where she is. We are all interviewed and several students confirm the assault on me. I point to the webcam and tell 'shit for brains bloody useless head of department' to view the recording if he wants to know exactly what happened. He informs me that webcam is no longer recording as the disk is full and he hasn't had time to sort it out. Without physical proof, apart from a grazed hand that 'could have happened anywhere', no action is taken and the matter is dropped.

11.55 Lesson two. This is my favourite year nine class, they have heard what happened and are very concerned. Several offer to find girl and beat her up for me. I thank them but reassure them that I am ok and I don't want them getting into trouble. I can't be bothered to teach so allow class to play on games for the whole lesson while I write up several incident forms. I get several hugs from the girls as they leave my class for the last time.

1.10 I am in the staffroom having lunch. Several teachers have heard about the incident and I get loads of sympathy and advice. All are outraged that the matter has been dropped and the first aider dresses my hand. As I take my plate back one of my year 10's (A huge lad) stops me and asks how I am. He then produces a terrified year nine boy that he's dragging behind him by the tie. I'm asked if this is the bastard that hurt me and if it is what do I want doing to him. I again stress I don't want anyone to get into trouble for me and confirm that it's not the problem child anyway. Ricky lets kid go but vows to avenge me. My bloody useless head of department is in the dining hall, along with several other members of the management team including the head. They see me coming and all avoid my gaze. I'm fuming.

1.30 I check my pidgeon hole and there is a large document in there which I am required to fill in as part of my exit interview. I read through it and am delighted to find sections such as 'What would make you reconsider leaving?' I am going to have fun with this! As I have no lessons Friday afternoon and don't intend to do anyone favours by taking emergency cover I hide in the library to fill in my form. I let rip and give then my full honest appraisal of the place, it does not make good reading. I have not been personal, my comments are pure, calculating and cold. I've analysed as I would a computer system, no emotion just facts. I hope they get the message.
I am shocked by one of the questions. 'Where are you going, how much are you getting paid and what benefits are you getting?' Cheeky buggers! I answer the question with the words 'None of your damned business!' OK not very professional but to the point. I decide to photocopy this document with a view to sending it on to the LEA and Ofsted as I'm so pissed off. I will not hand it in to the head until the last day of term, I do not intend to attend my exit interview.

And I still have Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to go. I can only hope I'll survive in one piece.
 
So now I guess you have a really good idea of why I'm changing schools. As I said in a previous post I've had many a day like the ones just described. Unfortunately the management refuse to accept that there is anything wrong. I personally cannot see any circumstances where this school will not go into special measures at the next Ofsted inspection. Can you?