Aibu to think this isn't professional?

[sailorcherries]

I teach and for the past year have worked a contract whereby I was allocated on school for a year as a permanent member of staff but on a supply contract, after this one year I then become a permanent member of staff to a different school and that's me.

The reallocation process took place just before Easter and all staff on my contract were informed of their new placement on the first day of the break. I had supplied my personal email address as a means of communication, as it links to my phone and meant I could 'check out' of school work for the break.

The first day back after the break was my first day of maternity leave. I have permanent rights so this does not affect my transfer, only my start date in the new school.

We were advised to email our new head teachers after the break and I did. I introduced myself, briefly mentioned where I was teaching just before mat leave and then mentioned mat leave as HR wouldn't need to inform them until my contract officially starts at that school in August. I made it clear idea be looking to return to work full-time come January and had intended to use my KIT days for the start of year inservices and possibly the November inservice as well. I also asked if I could come in before the baby is due to meet the head teacher and introduce myself, as I now have the time.
I had to email from my personal email address and not my professional one as I'm now locked out the system until I return to work.

I emailed the head teacher on the 19th April with no response. I then sent the email to the general school address, picked up by office staff, at the start of this week (24th April) and again no response.

I have an elective c-section booked for the 16th May so I'm running out of time to meet the head teacher beforehand. I appreciate I could phone but it's a one woman office and head teachers are ridiculously busy at this time of year with transitions, paper work and so on. I thought the email meant she could reply in her own time.

Aibu to think this attitude is quite unprofessional? I'm now wondering whether the head teacher is annoyed about being given a new member of staff who is on maternity leave and the supply cover will fall to her to fix. Surely even an acknowledgement would be standard?

I would follow up with a phone call.

I agree with you, I'd chase it up with a phone call. Best of luck.

it's a one woman office and head teachers are ridiculously busy at this time of year with transitions, paper work and so on.
Well gee maybe Easter, and being "ridiculously busy..." might have something to do with it?!! Just because you're in a rush to schedule doesn't make it a priority for the head - she's got far more important things to do than meet someone who won't be working with her this year!!!

It's not a great first impression but I would certainly call. Was she expecting you to start in September?

You know it's a ridiculously busy time for the head, so it's not unprofessional it's just that her priorities are different to yours.

World does not revolve round you, and all that.

LadyPW
I assumed making a phone call woums take up more time during the school day, as I'd need to phone then, than send an email that can be read and replied to at any point.

I don't mind if we don't meet, it was simply a suggestion in case she wanted to meet me, as most other teachers I know are using their ncct time or time after school to introduce themselves to their new head teachers. This was a staffing exercise that consisted on over 90 primary and 5p secondary teachers, which all schools and heads were consulted about beforehand and HR mentioned emailing/introducing as it was so extensive.

I simply thought that after a week a reply along the lines of "thank you for getting in touch" would be sent.

milktwosugars again, not that the world revolved around me but a simple acknowledgement of the email from either the head teacher or office to say it had been passes along would be nice.

It is a busy time but it won't get any less busy between now and the school break up in June.

Gloss I'm in Scotland so we finish at the end of June and start back mid-August.

Yes but you're assuming that she's going to be ridiculously busy during the day (which let's face it isn't going to finish for her when the pupils go home) and then, rather than getting to spend time at home / with family / de-stressing, she's going to start looking at non-urgent emails. Your email won't be the only less urgent item on her agenda so it's not like she can say to herself 'oh I'll just do that email to OP while I'm watching tv and then I'll be done'. It's been just over a week post-Easter holidays. She'll have had a backlog from that, plus her usual high workload (which you've acknowledged). She has months to meet you. I'm sure you can wait a few days for an email.

Oh ok, was she expecting you to start in August?

Headteachers are v busy and probably not that interested. Better contacting the head of department, arranging to pop in when they have a free period, maybe during exam time and then knock on HT's door and say hi briefly.

LadyPW I do really appreciate that she is busy and my email won't be of top priority but during this time she will be communicating with HR about staffing for August (probationers, any staff member she has currently on my contract, any other transfers etc) and assumed getting some supply cover advertised before summer might be needed. I'm worried that, as I'm not permanent to that school yet, she may have read the email and has asked HR to swap me schools given the circumstances (as they could well do as long as I get a permanent position in a school in the authority).

Gloss yes I should be starting in August at the start of the school year and given the bank holiday, inservice and May weekend doesn't leave a lot of actual teaching days before the school stops.

fox I am primary not secondary. No HOD and, as I'm locked out the authority email system, no way of checking the DHT or PT email address.

Oh dear op. Have you been teaching very long? If you had you'd know how busy headteachers are and that your email will barely have been skim read. The head may not have picked up that you're not starting in August and assumed you were just introducing yourself in standard type email. You really do need to phone.

I would ring the office and enquire if your email didn't arrive.

I dont see the point in meeting her now when you wont be back to work until january. I would use your KIT days for later in the year such as november inservice.

Hercules I've been teaching for a few years, although I don't understand why that would limit my understanding of their workload. For the past 3 years I've found out my intended school for the year at this same time, all the same authority, and emailed with a quick response to acknowledge within a few days. Often these responses also had the HT asking me to phone on x day (not a specified date) at x time as they tend to keep that point clear if possible to do admin type tasks (usually the end of the day). This is the unusual scenario and being the only person on this transfer exercise going on mat leave over the start of the year I'm now worried that may be an issue (I know as we had a meeting with everyone present and it sickness/mat leave were mentioned).

I did actually try to phone yesterday afternoon and got no answer. I'm assuming admin staff were busy as they're all run off their feet trying to complete the job of 10 people.

How many times do I try to phone without appearing weird?

Reboot I had intended to meet her to introduce myself and to mention the start of year inservice days in August and using KIT days. My contract with that school won't start until the first day of the school year which could affect them getting the relevant maternity information as it won't be transferred until this point.

I just have a bad feeling about an already unserstaffed school being given a member of staff who will be off for half the school year. They could ask HR for a swap if they do not have the means to cover my position during this time, but with no access to my school email account it's a bit up in the air.