My school was state maintained, but was closed in August and reopened in September as a city academy. Along with another science teacher, I’ve been told that as we are no longer a maintained school we can’t have our golden hello. We are both demoralised and are considering leaving - just to get our money.

The school, or whatever it likes to call itself now, is technically right in saying it doesn’t have to give you the golden hello. Only teachers in maintained or non-maintained special schools are eligible for the pound;4,000. But morally, I think you should receive it as you joined the school thinking it was one. You might want to speak to Paul Betteridge, the person in charge of this area at the DfES. If you left and went to a state school, you’d get the money - that could be a threat you might want to use. If I were your head, I wouldn’t want to lose you or make science teachers feel disgruntled. Before you actually start looking for other jobs, think about how happy you are in your school, what promotion prospects it offers and whether moving to another school will be worth pound;4,000 - on which you will, of course, be taxed.

Despite being a newly qualified teacher who started working in September, I have been given a PGCE student who will be attached to my classes for five weeks, and will gradually take them over. I’m worried that she could undermine any authority and control I’ve built up, and that when I get them back we’ll return to square one. So far I have found myself doing most of the work her mentor (my head of department, who is also my induction tutor) should be doing. Is this allowed in my NQT year?

No, this should not happen in your induction year. It’s crazy to put you under so much needless pressure and this is a poor training experience for the student. Does the university know that one of its students has been placed with an NQT? It will not be happy. Technically, it counts as an “unreasonable demand” (see paragraph 28 of the Induction Circular). Speak to your head of department and then a member of the senior management team to remind them that you are an NQT. Perhaps you’re so good they’ve forgotten. Or they may think you would benefit from another pair of hands. Whatever their thinking, giving you a student is a no-no. As for you having to mentor her - don’t even think about it.

Are you a student or NQT? Email your questions to: susan.young@newsint.co.uk. Sara Bubb’s A Newly Qualified Teacher’s Manual:how to meet the induction standards is published by David Fulton, pound;16