I blocked my Headteacher on WhatsApp this week

I'm not a teacher but generally speaking, you need to consider yourself and future career.
Is it possible that completing the paperwork was on your 'to do' list before you left. You have said yourself you found the term overwhelming. We can all forget things when very stressed.
The person doing your reference could say that you left without completing agreed tasks and this wouldn't be inaccurate if they could evidence it.
A potential employer isn't likely to call you if you are given a negative reference, to get your side of the story. Even if they did, telling them about a complete lack of support could be viewed as speaking negatively about your previous employer. Which is unwise.
Obviously it is your decision, but I'd be safeguarding my future career and completing the paperwork . I'm sorry you had such a bad experience in this job but hopefully your next one will be much more supportive.

"She's not on leave."

Yes she is. No teacher can be compelled to work over the holidays and certainly cannot be compelled to go back into school to do so.

Many teachers choose to do work in the holidays to make their lives a bit easier when they go back in sept but this does not apply to OP who is going on supply.

Some teachers do revision classes in school over Easter and summer half term but will usually be paid extra for this. You cannot be directed/ compelled to do so.

I do not recall being told that this needed to be completed. The last half term I found so overwhelming and felt all I was doing was working for most hours in the day.

So, you don't recall being told that needed to be completed, but you may have been and forgotten because you were overwhelmed? Is this not something in your role you'd have expected to complete?

It's so difficult as a parent to get things put in place for your SEN child, and having staff who don't recall things that are important/don't want to do them is not acceptable. Your heart clearly isn't in this line of work.

I'm not sure how it would go re. a reference, because if they've told you to do it before the end of term and you're still contracted then I am assuming they can mention something about not fulfilling your duties? I might be wrong though, I've only ever given a personal reference.

Yes so why hasn't the SENCO, whose specific job it is, ensured it is completed by the end of term? Asking an ECT who is leaving and who might be away on holiday to complete it in August is really negligent from the SLT.

You are being unreasonable and unprofessional.

Are you sure this is the career for you?

I entirely agree.

The HT has made the error and is trying to make it the OP's problem to deal with.

An existing member of staff should do the paperwork if the HT is unable to.

"SEN paperwork is hugely important."

Then why is op being asked to complete it in her holiday when this request should have been made then chased in term time by those who have far more experience, and paid far more, than she is?

**
It is illegal to not give references or give poor ones.

Of course it’s not illegal to give a poor reference if what you say is strictly factual. What would be the point of references if they all had to be glowing?

She's not on leave. It's school holidays where according to her contract she might be expected to complete reasonable additional work given certain conditions are met (necessary to complete her duties , etc).

As an ex teacher who taught for over 20 years, I couldn’t agree more.

They can’t, however this was work that should have been completed before the end of term and wasn’t. Unfortunately, but responding in such a childish manner, the OP has ensured her card will be marked when it comes to expecting a decent reference.

SEN paperwork is hugely important.

Not filling in the required paperwork will mean those poor kids don't get evidence required to support them.

If you are even questioning not doing this then teaching isn't for you.

"think an isolated/ one off circumstance of a request to complete SEN paperwork is likely to be viewed as "reasonable additional work"

Contacting a departing member of staff outside work hours who is on leave using WhatsApp to complete additional work ( presumably to cover for someone who should have made that request weeks ago) is in no way "reasonable".

I am wondering though...What if you had decided to.go travelling around the world for the whole of the Summer. Teachers are entitled to their holiday time without having to.be called back in for completing something no one had told them they had to do during "office" hours? With my theory, would you have had to.jump on a plane from somewhere to rush back to the school to complete the paperwork? So, I guess the SENCO will have to do this. They should be competent enough knowing what to do. It sounds like you were in a chaotic school. Coming back to your specific situation, I think you might have to suck it up though. Once you're done, is there any chance you can raise the headteacher's poor handling of tbe situation to governors possibly? Tne headteacher can not ask staff to come in during tbe holiday to do something they had not told them they should do during directed hours.. it would be different if they had chosen not to complete the work of course.

What kind of paperwork? Are you in primary and the main teacher? If in secondary and a round robin type thing...how is X in your lesson? there will be other evidence and your input makes little difference. If it is a major piece from class teacher in primary this is something Senco should have flagged up long before the end of term and that is where the buck stops. How long would it take? Do you need to show evidence? If so where would that be ? As an ECT you should have been guided through this.

Are going to be in breach of any regulatory duty if you don’t do it?

Teachers usually come in and do preparation in their classrooms so as to hit the ground running but they aren't directed in the holidays. You could be on a round the world trip from the 23rd of July to the 1st of September and it would be completely fine.

Are you saying that senior staff never make a mistake and forget to ask teachers to do a task. 😂

Taught for 15 years- I've never heard of a teacher being contacted during the middle of the summer holidays to complete work. Let alone have to go into school to do it on a work laptop. She could be halfway around the world for all the SLT know! Or on a digital detox. They should have asked you to do it before you left. That's the SENCOs job.
It's standard for schools to tie up all loose ends before the end of term.
I'd do it just to leave with goodwill but I'd try and do it remotely.
It's not going to make any difference to the child whether it's done now or in September. In which case someone else in the school such as the SENCO can fill it in with help from other staff who've worked with that child.

Ex education recruitment consultant here for supply teachers. You do realise that all the headteachers within a town/city talk to each other? And the agency will also need a reference from the headteacher you've blocked?
Even for a short term placement, the heads at new schools will put in a call to your ex headteacher to check if you're suitable...

The implication is yours. What you have said is so interesting though. If only the working conditions you share extended to the whole teaching profession, from leadership to trainees. Some people say schools are the fourth emergency service. They operate under strict compliance and legislation relating to everything from safeguarding to SEND. Teaching is a vocation. If only education professionals at all levels, were respected. The hardworking people in schools, the exhausted ECTs right round to the frazzled headteachers are easy targets. As we see in the differing opinions on this post. And the government is rarely subject to society’s pile-on, as they continue to cut funding and add ever more onto the role of schools. Your husband clearly does important work. Society are lucky to have him. But people is schools are usually just trying their best.

I think an isolated/ one off circumstance of a request to complete SEN paperwork is likely to be viewed as "reasonable additional work" as long as the time required wasn't excessive and depending on why it hasnt been done.

Not unprofessional at all - OP could be on a 6 week ‘digital detox’ cruise for all we know.

It is illegal to not give references or give poor ones.

It is very very unlikely a child will suffer and if they did it is nothing to do with the OP and everything to do with the senco

You have the responsibility as the class teacher to complete the paperwork for children with SEND.
You will have been told to do this before the end of term.

Who do you expect to do it? From your post, it sounds like you’re one of those teachers who just thinks the next teacher will do it.
Why should other people pick up your work load because you can’t be bothered to do it? I’ve taught for nearly 25 years, I’ve been a senco, I’ve beeb an acting head and I’ve worked in different schools. And it’s always the same. Some teachers do the job properly and others don’t.

The child with the send need will be the one who misses out - they need this doing. Your contract is until 31st August.

You don’t know when your path will cross with the headteacher again and you will need a reference.

Yes I know it is the holidays but send paperwork won’t have suddenly sprung up.

So, sorry your point is ‘here is a job where they wouldn’t be expected to work in their holidays’ as a reason why the OP should? That’s illogical.

Your question was “I wonder what people would think of a doctor doing this” - the implication being they’d think poorly. Im
explaining, as you do not seem to know, that doctors certainly do not rush to fill in patient paperwork when they are not in contracted time. So it is a false comparison.