Ringing headteacher for teaching application

[watermelon9w]

Hi,
I want to apply for a teaching job in a local school.
Due to Covid, visits are not allowed so in the advert it says that interested candidates can call the headteacher for a chat and then provides a phone number.

However, it's half term and I find the whole ringing up on the phone and asking questions about the school a bit awkward (as in I don't even know what I would ask), unlike a school visit in which you can comment and ask questions as you walk around.

Do I just ring on Monday, despite it being half-term? And what type of questions would I ask over the phone.
The job advert closes on the 2nd week of half term.

Any tips?
Do I just ring? Or would that be rude?

I think you need to decide why you want that particular job, at that particular school, and structure your questions around that. Take your lead from the HTs tone on the phone .

I cannot imagine that the HT has forgotten the dates of the Easter hols, so there won't be an issue of talking on the phone - they might be working from home and ring you back.

Everyone here can tell you what happens in their school, but if that shows anything, it’s that it’s different everywhere. In my LA, some of us have broken up now, some still have another week in school (religious schools). I can guarantee no one, admin or SLT, will be taking phone calls or picking up messages for the next 2 weeks, but that’s because we’re not recruiting. If they’ve given a phone number, I’d assume that’s how they want to be contacted. Follow what it says in the advert - there’s nothing more frustrating than someone who reads it and then decides to take it on themselves to do something completely different. It makes you stand out in a bad way.

I work in a Prep school. I’m not there in the office over Easter but my colleagues are as they do different jobs. We don’t ever transfer calls to the Head wrt teaching jobs. We’ve had applicants wanting visits to the school, it’s a flat ‘no’. We have a website for the school, if you don’t get a feel for it through that, don’t apply. All they ask is for an application for a possible interview, if you get to the next stage it’s a visit around the school.
I hope I wasn’t too harsh, just explaining the process. All information about the school can and the application goes through the Heads PA.

@Longdistance but the advert says that if you would like an informal chat about the school then please ring the headteacher?

I wouldn’t ring! The head doesn’t want that phonecall either, it’s there because it’s the norm to put it. Just apply!

You get the tour at interview and you van ask your questions then. If you find the school isn’t right for you then you can withdraw during the day!

@MeredithGreysScalpel I want to make a good impression, realistically I know what I like about the school as much as I can like about a school without a visit so I would only be making the phone call as I feel it is a 'necessary' part of the application if it is mentioned in the job application. Do you think it is worth ringing even if I already have a good idea of what the school is like from various websites?

@Thisgirlcando Ahhh so many mixed responses hahah; I usually jump at the chance of visits to a school as, like I said before, the visits really give a feel for the school, which I don't think a phone call can provide.

I would only be ringing the head as I'm not sure if the head would expect it in order to make a good impression, in the same way when visits are allowed a lot of headteachers like applicants to visit - so I wasn't sure if phone calls were now the equivalent!

If you are doing it to tick a box it is a waste of time, they will realise that you are wasting time and then probably wonder if you will always waste time rather than being productive and getting work done.

When you do a visit it’s normally the HOD or an assistant head because the head is busy. We rarely have people come visit before applying. We had deputy head interviews not long ago and we didn’t have a single visit, we had 1 lady visit for a job in my department and I did the tour, it was a pain in the arse because it was during my ppa I had to take her round and we didn’t even interview her in the end.

Find out some initiative the head is involved in, and ask about that. Check latest ofsted and ask questions based on your passion for something that school is already good at or is working on.

In any job, you can’t just visit the company to get a feel. You need to look at their website to get a feel. Also, the Head is always fully booked, back to back with appointments. I can’t speak to him on a good day 🤷🏼‍♀️ Just apply and the rest will follow.

I would ring. They've told you to ring.

I'm a school governor, and one of the first things we get told when we go to shortlisting meetings is which of the candidates came to look round the school before applying, so it obviously makes a difference to the head's opinion.

@dillydallydollydaydream7

What are the opportunities for professional development? How is pupil and staff wellbeing monitored and maintained? What support is in place for any LAC children and has there been a noticeable difference in levels LAC children are working at with support implemented? How is diversity acknowledge and celebrated across the school on a day to day basis?

I was not being angry or bitchy. Most teachers I know, and there are quite few, refer to the various holidays correctly. If you get wrong in a talk with that Head it might not give the impression you hope for. And calm down

Please don't call it half term when you call, the head will think you're very inexperienced.

It's the Easter holidays.

Definitely phone up OP. They may be onsite, they may have their phone forwarded, they may have admin there to sort out a callback.
Either way it shows you are serious in your application.
Ask questions about the pupil numbers, SEN, FSM, MATs, last inspection, governors, budget, curriculum changes, staff & SLT structure, covid/lockdown impact, CPD, use of grants.
All the best with your application

It honestly doesn’t influence applications at ours if you contact or not. We have a list of essential and desirable qualities.
We go through your application and tick off each or the essential qualities and interview everyone that meets all of them. If there are loads we then go down the desirable list too. If we don’t have someone that has all essential we pick the top few.

We don’t even think about if they’ve visited or contacted school.

@Longdistance most schools do offer visits during normal times so applicants can get a 'feel' for if the school is right for them

@NoProblem123 All the answers to those questions of pupil numbers, SEN, FSM, inspections and curriculum I have found on their website so wouldn't it look bad if I ring up and ask the headteacher these things?

Don't call it half term on the phone! Half term is the week holiday in the middle of each term. This holiday is the Easter holiday between terms.

This. Especially if as you say you want to make a good impression. I have been teaching for 30 years and only on MN have I heard people call the non-half term holidays half term. What with them not being half term and all that.

Anyway just call. The ad says you can. Lots of schools don't break until next Wednesday or Thursday. Even if the school has broken up the head may well be in for a couple of days.

It must be different in the private sector as we’ve never offered visits to our school. This only happens after the second interview.

@watermelon9w

‘All the answers to those questions of pupil numbers, SEN, FSM, inspections and curriculum I have found on their website so wouldn't it look bad if I ring up and ask the headteacher these things?’

No you can open a discussion about them, and and how these numbers are reflected in your assigned class/year group, and what strategies and interventions they are using and the effectiveness of them.

Also, the correct naming of holidays must be a regional thing - we call all of them half term!

@Comefromaway

I assume you are interested in the job? Then get the names of the holidays right or it makes a bad first impression.

Exactly. If you'd called me before I retired and called the Easter holiday half-term, I'd have thought it very odd and thought less of you. Accurate knowledge and attention to detail is a pre-requisite for a teacher.

And if I'd said (thinking it'd just been a slip of the tongue) "you mean the Easter holiday?" and you'd challenged me like you have others on this thread, you'd be a non-starter.

@saraclara Well good job I'm not applying for your school then if you think 'less of' someone for a mistake :D

@NoProblem123 It must be regional! Either way, I wouldn't jump down someone's throat for saying 'half-term' - I'm so glad to be somebody who does not get angry or frustrated over words :)

I would just apply op. As someone who has sifted through many a teaching application, I've never shortlisted based on whether the candidate has visited or called previously. Only on the strength of their application, and if they meet the person spec.
I wouldn't bother calling, just apply if you're interested.