To be so upset and embarrassed

Go for it !

I bet the head already knew who would get the job 🤔

What @Ohapal said.
It sounds like sour grapes but I too went for a HoD post at the school I worked at and an external candidate got it.
I couldn't help but chuckle wryly at the end of last year when the appointee retired and the head said that they'd really wanted them for the post. Says it all really!
Rest up and get better, then get back on the horse so to speak.

I think that was really off of SLT not to let you continue. It would have saved you face, given you experience and created a culture of valuing people. The only people this reflect badly on are SLT - not you.

It sounds like it was already stitched up before you even got to the starting line. It’s shit but it’s really, really, common. Ask for feedback so you know how to approach similar jobs in the future.

HoD interviews can be brutal, especially when it’s your own school and you work with these people. Sorry that happened to you - it’’s unpleasant of them that they didn’t take you through to the last stage, as they should have been considerate of the experience it would have given you, if nothing else. Are SLT generally dismissive like this, or do you get support?

Not read the thread but...

• I doubt anyone will associate your absence with the interview

• they wouldn't have interviewed you if they didn't know you could do the job. Why would they waste their time? So they think well of you and do believe you have the skills.

• I do really believe that an unsuccessful interview can teach you much more than a successful interview. It sounds like you learned stuff that will be helpful for your day to day work as well eg tweaking your lesson plans.

Anyway, job interviews aren't personal and they only offer a tiny snapshot at a specific point in time.

Seen that so many times. Person who got it contacted the head ages ago probably and said they were looking to relocate and was anything coming up. Head knows and likes them and makes it known to governors that they will be a great candidate. They can't tell them outright that that's who they want before they've even interviews, but the governors get the message. Particularly if it's a demotion they will be thinking long term - that candidate already has proven experience of SLT or whatever it is so will be useful to them in the future too in that way.

They were always going to get it. I do think they were a bit mean to send you home early but maybe they noticed you weren't on top form and as they knew they were going to offer it to the other candidate they thought they'd save you wasting your time/energy or something.

Ah, it's always hard not to get the job but even worse if you know that you were off your game. It sounds like the nerves got the better of you today and you are doubting yourself. Its hard but you just need to pick yourself back up and go and sat some targets to help remind yourself that you are a good teacher...and build some experience.

That is shit though, I really sympathise. If you were an unknown teacher they didn't have a relationship with then I can see why they'd end the process early. But you're a member of that school community and knowing how much time and preparation goes into preparing for the recruitment process in schools, I think they should have interviewed you. Then you would know you'd had a chance to give it your best in all areas and wouldn't feel like crap. They should be supporting you to develop professionally, and the interview could have been a way they could do that. They could have used it as part of your feedback so you know what you'd do differently next time but you lost the opportunity to go through the full process and get the feedback. So I would feel the same OP.

I retired from teaching some time ago and I can’t believe this sort of crap is still going on. It happened to me on one occasion as previous posters have mentioned. I applied for a position in a school I was doing supply for.They appointed an NQT because I was on UPS. They even had the cheek to then ask me to stay on supply with them as I was so ‘brilliant with a difficult class’. I told them where to stick it. It’s honestly not about you @WhoisRebecca. You probably did nothing wrong in your interview (what they let you complete of it!). They were set on this particular person and you were just making up the numbers. Schools are legally obliged to advertise the vacant posts, then short listing and interviews are supposed to make the process fair. It doesn’t. It would probably just be less stressful and humiliating for the other applicants if they just hired the person they want. Take plenty of time to get well and go back with your head held high.

Chalk it up to really useful interview practice. And know in your heart that you weren't on top form due to impending illness.

Also, sometimes I interview for practice.
I move jobs a lot as is the nature of my industry. If I am going into an interciew period it usually takes me three or four interviews to get myself up to speed to deliver the interview to a good standard.
I would now, make it a project for yourself.
Project Head Of.
Now, write down your goal.
Now write down what you need to work on.
How will you practice it, where and when.
How will you gather feedback or critisim.
Who can help you
Draw a plan of action. What are the steps you are going to take.

See this one failed interview as the perfect data gathering test to understand what you need to get a head of role.

And well done you for taking the first step with this interview. You now have the necessary information to add to your plan about what you can work on.

Now to Project Head Of

Ah OP I feel the same as some of the pps saying you should try to not link this experience and you not getting the job to you feeling like you're not being valued in your role.
Teaching interviews can be brutal! I know this from experience myself. There are many jobs that I went for as a teacher and didn't get, it's so awful. Sometimes, there is absolutely nothing wrong with what you have done, it's just that someone else was a better fit; had the right specialism, had worked at the school before, had a good connection with the panel etc.

It will have battered your confidence but you will have learnt loads from this process and you'll be better prepared next time.

I actually volunteered for some training with Governor services - as they offer training to Governors for recruiting HTs and DHTs - so you kind of go through the whole application process and formal interview stage and it is great experience. Might be worth looking to see if there is anything like this you can do when you are ready. Don't give up!

You didn't get the job. That's it. They interviewed, 5 people, and found someone they preferred. That doesn't mean they think you're useless, or can't do your current job, or that they hate you. They just picked someone else over you.

This interview wasn't a judgement on you. They just found someone else.

OP, you sound highly competent and impressive. Please continue to believe that you are an excellent teacher. Everyone has off days. All will work out for the best in the end. I’ve had the occasional professional setback myself, but I give myself reminders of pieces of work that went well etc.

I’m sorry you’re not feeling well, on top of your disappointment.

ive been on interview panels where we unfortunately had to make a decision not to put the internal candidate through to the afternoon. It isn’t any easy decision, but it does sound as though they haven’t dealt with it very well either.

However, it would be worth asking for feedback before you get too despondent over your teaching - and decide not to go for other roles.

If it was one of the other tasks, there may be some simple things that you can develop on for a future interview? Just an example, in the panel I was on, it was actually the data task that was weaker, and as it was a HOD role, the data analysis was considered more important.

hope you feel better soon, and get your confidence back.

Not a teacher but I interviewed for a promotion via teams once when I had Covid, it was so awful and I was so embarrassed but my mind was literally like cotton wool, I wasn’t even making sense at some stages. Try not to beat yourself up about it, it sounds like it was a done deal already. The governor sounds so unprofessional too, that’s not really on to be saying that!

Totally understand how you feel - same thing happened to me (in education - non teaching job), I was kicked out part way through the assessment process. I did learn lessons and ended up with a much better/perfect job in the end (after making a fortune contracting for a few years).

Chalk it up to experience. Don't let it put you off applying for other things (but if you need a break to regroup, take it).

Only one of the fpur would get the job. You werent feeling great, now unwell.
Try and look objectively at what you can do better and work on those things. You said engaging a class you don't know was a tough gig for you, work on this as you know it will come up again. Im not a teacher but have to go through appraisals every year. Its tough looking inward but if you can do it you will get there for sure.
How others perceive you vs how you think you come across can be very different. Try amd get some feedback ask for honest feedback and support without being emotional, so when you are better will be good. See if you can find a mentor in your school who can give you honest critisism.
Lots of people fail and then go on to do great things. If you arent failing you arent learning.

I’m not a teacher.

but I’d write a review of your lesson, inc the info in your post here, and keep it with the lesson plan etc so that when you apply for similar in future and you are prepping again you can reflect on the things you learnt from this one.
so you can do better next time.

im sure the people interviewing you didn’t walk into every job they’ve had, and they’ve done less impressive interviews along the way etc,
so just go back to work, do what you do, and try not to think about what they are thinking anymore

Ahh I’ve been there and I’ve seen others in similar positions. In my case, I applied for a HoD role and a colleague got it over me and it does sting. I just think you need to keep reminding yourself that if you saw this happen in another department, you may mention it in passing once or twice but it will all be forgotten after a week. It feels like a bigger deal than it actually is. Lots of love and chin up!

You know what the issues were and you know you can overcome them. Put it behind you and look to your future

It was a done deal. The other candidates were there to tick a box.

It was very unprofessional of them to ask you to prepare a presentation and then not even let you deliver it.

You are giving this a lot of thought because it's personal to you. Whoever cut you from the process probably has not given it any further thought. There is nothing to be embarrassed about. Brazen it out with a breezy smile.

I've been in a like for like situation, including someone more experienced coming in. My confidence was low for so long and I have made the mistake of letting it hold me back. It was 5 years ago and I've not moved on or gone for another job. I wish I had used the CV I had then to just apply for jobs straight away. Even if you don't leave it would be a confidence boost to get offered something else and no loss if you don't get it :).