A Question About The Holidays

[sqdge]

I have found that I look forward to the school holidays because, even though I don't get paid (unless I claim), it gives me a chance to fiddle with things without disturbing anybody. However, our school is only open for the first few days of the holiday, and then only for a few hours each day.

Is this a common thing, or is my caretaker un-necessarily mean?

[cooper]

I work through the holidays, we have a caretaker and a maintenance manager onsite, also open door for any staff who want to turn up.

I normally save jobs for the holiday

Checking the inventory

Installing IWB's

Cleaning projectors

Testing changes on network.

Installing new equipment

But its nice a quiet apart from my ipod lol

[sqdge]

I knew it! At the moment I can't go into school at all, even though the caretaker lives on-site and it takes him approximately 30 seconds to unlock the school. Instead I sit at home making mental lists about what I'm going to do on the PD Day (oh, and reading EduGeek a lot).

[phreak]

Yup, most school will have someone there most days throughout the holidays. Will he not give you a key so that you come come and go as you please during the holidays? If he says no then take it up with your head arguing that the holidays are a great time to do maintanance, install new equipment etc...

[sqdge]

Yup, most school will have someone there most days throughout the holidays. Will he not give you a key so that you come come and go as you please during the holidays? If he says no then take it up with your head arguing that the holidays are a great time to do maintanance, install new equipment etc...

I think the problem with that is because, in theory, I don't get paid to go in during the holidays (even though, logically, that is the best time for me to come in). So, since I'm not expected to go in, they won't allow me to go in.

[phreak]

Well, maybe try argue that you need a key anyway in case of server outages, etc.. blag it if you must but then when you have a key you can come and go as you please, regardless if you should be there or not.

[ChrisH]

Theres always somebody here apart from over christmas. If it comes down tot he fact there isnt going to be anyone in I get a set of keys.

[Geoff]

I have a set of keys. I have keys for nearly everything in school as far as I can tell (I confess I haven't actually worked out what a lot of the keys are for, I sometimes kill time on Fridays playing 'guess what the key opens'). So physically getting in is not an issue for me.

There are other admin staff, the site supervisor, etc who also appear to work full time. So there's always someone around in school.

[andy]

I have keys here, though they have just fitted the front door with some new fangled thing which means I can let myself in, I just can't get out again! Just me and the caretaker here full time - a couple of teachers were in the first couple of days, and the bursar is in today. Not sure I would come in if I wasn't getting paid tho - maybe I'm not dedicated enough!



Andy

[sqdge]

Blimey, I've taken to stealing the keys from the bursar's desk when she isn't looking. The only keys I am allowed to have permanently are those to the ICT Filing Cabinet and ICT Suites (all two of them). We used to have a padlock on a cupboard, but that was asked to be removed.

I feel like our school has a different hierarchy of staff than other schools.

[localzuk]

Wow! Some of you are allowed keys! I've got keys to my own room, the computer suites and an external door (but this is alarmed so I can't make use of it when the school is closed).

I keep pushing for a set of master keys but keep being told that I don't need them - which just leads me to constantly asking for doors to be unlocked and locked again.

Over the holidays the school is generally always open with our site manager onsite (except this one as he has gone on holiday for once! he needs to do this more often). If it isn't open and I need access I ask the SM to arrange it and he gets one of the cleaners to sort it out for me.

[sqdge]

I keep pushing for a set of master keys but keep being told that I don't need them - which just leads me to constantly asking for doors to be unlocked and locked again.

I'm in a similar situation - yet I'm sure I have to lock and unlock doors more than any other member of staff. Clearly we can't be trusted.

[mark]

We don't have keys to our own room - we have to leave it unlocked - such is the state of screwed up thinking in our school.

On the other hand, people get very frustrated with anyone if they say they cant get in anywhere to do a job.

[User3204]

I used to have keys to the external doors, but they changed them as some of the staff lost them.

I still have keys to most of the internal doors, but most importantly I have a key to the cleaners key cabinet!

But the school is open 7am to 4pm everyday in the holidays (bank holidays excepted).

This is a secondary school, so we have too much scheduled, this week we'd had a guy in repainting ALL the doors, the cleaners are in at their usual times so they can varnish ALL the floors..



If your caretaker lives locally, ask if he will lock you INTO the building, as long as you have access to: phone, toilet, food, his/her mobile number, it shouldn't be a problem.

[Sylv3r]

Here we have a caretaker and an assistant caretaker who take it in turns to take their holidays, either of the caretakers will generally be in during the holidays to open up for deliveries, whole time reception staff, me, and workmen such as builders, decorators etc etc.

I have a set of keys for every internal door but not for external doors through choice as I would not want the responsibility if the school was left unlocked, alarm not armed, caretaker being called out by the alarm company at stupid o'clock etc. I know the alarm details for the various zones across the school so if necessary I can disable the alarm for any area one I am in school.

During the holidays the school is generally open 7:30 - 4:00 Mon - Thur 8:00 - 3:30 Fridays, but as the majority of people have said the holidays are generally a good time to get a lot of jobs completed, staff generally come in these holidays and the may holidays with students for extra revision sessions so I generally pick 1 day of network downtime and the staff work around me.