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Teachers - does this seem likely?

84 replies

SensitiveSkinn · 05/06/2025 18:50

My H is a mainstream teacher teaching GCSEs, there is no head of his department & never has been (small department). He tells me he was offered a head of department promotion role verbally by the head teacher and they shook hands. They didn't actually create this role or write a JD or advertise - they just told him in the head's office that he was getting a promotion and creating a new job for him.

Now, they've gone silent on him. He's asked about the job but they are ignoring him. They've just recruited another teacher in his department (who is friends with SLT) and he is convinced they've recruited him to give to this person now.

I work in a v process driven sector and none of this seems normal. I worry about H wellebing and he tells me he is going to tell the head teacher 'to get fucked' and he's really really stressed about it. Paranoid actually - telling me he thinks this teacher is talking about him, that everyone knows, that people know they've 'fucked him over'.

I'm a bit confused. Does teaching really offer promotions with no process or open recruitment and then take those promotions away to give to their mates - again with no open recruitment? Does this sound plausible? Maybe I'm being naive but H seems a litle vulnerable at the moment and I'm worried he's misunderstood the original offer. It all seems so unprofessional and back-stabby.

OP posts:
Ilovelurchers · 05/06/2025 20:04

I mean employers.

Ilovelurchers · 05/06/2025 20:03

Clickjaw · 05/06/2025 19:36

he tells me he is going to tell the head teacher 'to get fucked' and he's really really stressed about it. Paranoid actually - telling me he thinks this teacher is talking about him, that everyone knows, that people know they've 'fucked him over'.

he seems very paranoid, angry and upset

no, I don’t think he should be the head of anything let alone a school year in this state

I am afraid you would be highly disappointed by the majority of the teaching profession. I would estimate that 99% of us are capable of expressing anger when treated badly by our employees.

Clickjaw · 05/06/2025 20:02

Palestar · 05/06/2025 19:49

He's allowed an opinion on how he was treated and to vent to his wife. That doesn't affect his ability to do his job.

Which you don't understand anyway. Why do you (repeatedly, now) say 'head of school year'? Heads of department manage the subject and lead the curriculum.

Edited

He sure is allowed an opinion

but given his wife appears very concerned about what he has said and his behaviour, I’m inclined to think my view that I wouldn’t want him to be the head of a dept is pretty bloomin reasonable!

pinotnow · 05/06/2025 19:50

Definitely the type of thing to happen in my school. Union won't be able to do anything. He'll have to decide whether to put up with it or leave.

Palestar · 05/06/2025 19:49

Clickjaw · 05/06/2025 19:13

he tells me he is going to tell the head teacher 'to get fucked' and he's really really stressed about it.

bloody hell. He shouldn’t be the head of anything let alone a school year

He's allowed an opinion on how he was treated and to vent to his wife. That doesn't affect his ability to do his job.

Which you don't understand anyway. Why do you (repeatedly, now) say 'head of school year'? Heads of department manage the subject and lead the curriculum.

Piggywaspushed · 05/06/2025 19:46

Clickjaw · 05/06/2025 19:34

Read the op in full

I did.

Piggywaspushed · 05/06/2025 19:45

SensitiveSkinn · 05/06/2025 19:40

Well - maybe hes not paranoid. Maybe people are all whispering and the SLT conspired to promote their mate over him. It all sounds crazy to me but I work somewhere where its all anonymous recruitment, diversity panels, blind assessments etc.

Even though schools teach inclusive values to their students, their recruitment strategies are Stone Age.

User79853257976 · 05/06/2025 19:42

Yeah - they once got me to cover someone’s responsibility unpaid for a year with the promise of promotion and when the time came they hired an external candidate.

Vivienne1000 · 05/06/2025 19:41

I am assuming H is in a union? This is why educators are in unions, to get good solid advice. At our school all jobs are advertised, even if it’s internally. There are loads of school vacancies, it sounds like a perfect time to start looking for a promotion in another school.

ClassicalQueen · 05/06/2025 19:40

This happens all the time in schools.

BCBird · 05/06/2025 19:40

Teacher of nearly 30 years. It is definitely plausible. I've heard people be offered a permanent job verbally only to be told 24h later that the offer has been rescinded. Reason ? Changed their mind- offer then a temporary post. Disgusting. Your word should mean everything.

SensitiveSkinn · 05/06/2025 19:40

Well - maybe hes not paranoid. Maybe people are all whispering and the SLT conspired to promote their mate over him. It all sounds crazy to me but I work somewhere where its all anonymous recruitment, diversity panels, blind assessments etc.

OP posts:
Frenchbluesea · 05/06/2025 19:39

Do you know any of his colleagues that you could ask if your dh’s story is likely? I know it could be tricky but this wouldn’t happen in my school but seems as though it does in others. You need to find out from someone whether this really did happen as your dh could be unwell

MaryTheTurtle · 05/06/2025 19:39

If he speaks to the Head in person they won’t have the opportunity to not answer

Clickjaw · 05/06/2025 19:36

he tells me he is going to tell the head teacher 'to get fucked' and he's really really stressed about it. Paranoid actually - telling me he thinks this teacher is talking about him, that everyone knows, that people know they've 'fucked him over'.

he seems very paranoid, angry and upset

no, I don’t think he should be the head of anything let alone a school year in this state

Clickjaw · 05/06/2025 19:34

Piggywaspushed · 05/06/2025 19:33

Oh ,come on. People say things they don't actually mean to enact when they are angry and upset. If he ahs been treated badly, he has every right to take it further and find formal routes which are the employment version of saying ' you can get fucked'
He should apply for another job outside of his current school asap OP. I know someone who did exactly that. leaving the school with their 'preferred' pick who has now proved to be a very bad choice indeed. Now they want her back. She has told them to get fucked no , thank you very much.

Read the op in full

Parkerpenny · 05/06/2025 19:33

Sounds entirely possible - but it also sounds as though your husband would benefit from some external support.

Piggywaspushed · 05/06/2025 19:33

Clickjaw · 05/06/2025 19:13

he tells me he is going to tell the head teacher 'to get fucked' and he's really really stressed about it.

bloody hell. He shouldn’t be the head of anything let alone a school year

Oh ,come on. People say things they don't actually mean to enact when they are angry and upset. If he ahs been treated badly, he has every right to take it further and find formal routes which are the employment version of saying ' you can get fucked'
He should apply for another job outside of his current school asap OP. I know someone who did exactly that. leaving the school with their 'preferred' pick who has now proved to be a very bad choice indeed. Now they want her back. She has told them to get fucked no , thank you very much.

Olderbeforemytime · 05/06/2025 19:33

Sound very probable. I’ve seen much worse.

The only thing I would question is the time frame. When was the new role offered and when was it meant to start. It’s unusual (not unheard of) for jobs to start mid year unless replacing someone else.

Piggywaspushed · 05/06/2025 19:29

Oh yes, it sounds highly on script for a school.

Clickjaw · 05/06/2025 19:23

Do you have children with him op?

SensitiveSkinn · 05/06/2025 19:22

Sortumn · 05/06/2025 19:17

Is your husband acting out of character?

I can't work out whether you think he may have dreamed up this scenario or whether it happened and has hit him harder than you feel it should?

Thats exactly what im trying to work out. He seems v angry, paranoid and upset. He is obsessing over it. And then I started to worry that his MH is not quite where it should be and maybe somehow hes misunderstood. So I wanted to check with fellow teachers if this kind of thing does happen. He is saying the head is now avoiding him, the new member of staff isn't properly qualified. It all seems so toxic.

OP posts:
Sortumn · 05/06/2025 19:17

Is your husband acting out of character?

I can't work out whether you think he may have dreamed up this scenario or whether it happened and has hit him harder than you feel it should?

Clickjaw · 05/06/2025 19:13

he tells me he is going to tell the head teacher 'to get fucked' and he's really really stressed about it.

bloody hell. He shouldn’t be the head of anything let alone a school year

Yellowcar2 · 05/06/2025 19:11

In all the schools I've worked in any job has to be advertised and you have to go through the interview process. Even when I was the only person going for it, as I was already doing the role in the interim.