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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To complain to the board of governors?

84 replies

messicliche · 20/07/2022 18:54

Hi all, below is a post from DH.

NC as post could be outing.

A bit of background about the situation. I am a senior leader in a secondary school. As a result, I am well aware that we are not bound by the standard 'Burgundy Book' directive document etc.

Essentially, last week was asked to perform a role outside of my general remit (supporting with sports day results outside). The day before sports day itself, an email was sent around to all staff (after school hours, approx 2.5hrs after school ended) noting that all staff are expected to wear normal formal attire.

Maybe naively, I automatically ignored it as I had seen the sports day support schedule and I was scheduled to be outside. As a result, I wore what I deemed 'appropriate attire' to support with this, think, sports shirt, shorts, appropriate trainers.

Cue the next day, turn up on site, instructed to go home and change into the professional dress that was directed the day before. Moreover, I then have received a professional letter of conduct for my inappropriate dress. To add, there was another member of staff that this happened to as well.

My issue is more the way it's been dealt with rather than the being asked to go home and change, although that's annoying. At no point did the head speak to me about this, I was hauled into a room with my SLT line manager. Also, at no point did the head mention that I would receive a letter of professional conduct for my dress. It was just placed in my pigeon hole. Found it by sheer luck.

So essentially the question is

AIBU - there was a directive sent the day before, you weren't mentioned as being excluded from it, even though it was sent outside of school hours, you should have followed it even if it would have meant dying outside in the heat

YANBU - ridiculous overreaction, petty, spiteful and vindictive and need to take it further to his line manager who is the chair of governors and potentially hand my notice in

FWIW - the PE staff were all in PE attire, and continue to be even when now outdoor PE can't take place because of the heat. I think I'm so frustrated by the lack of consistency shown by the top leadership in following rules and guidelines. I would stress that throughout the year I am (in my eyes) impeccably dressed and often gaze at other people thinking, how on earth are they getting away with that (think, open toed flip-flops, short dresses that are traditionally not professional etc.)

Would love to hear all of your opinions, apologies about the rant.

Happy to add any extra info if anyone needs it

Thanks!

OP posts:
50mg · 20/07/2022 22:52

NeverDropYourMooncup · 20/07/2022 22:44

And he needs to bear in mind that they also generally work fulltime - and then go on to do the Governor part, such as meetings until nearly 10pm (the ones that include approving teaching staff pay rises and progression and the ones where they try to find ways to not make people redundant despite a reduction in real terms in GAG and the hugely increased costs of utilities tend to go on the longest).

In short (or in this case, NOT in shorts) - if he's going to go down the grievance route for receiving an email he both read and ignored or didn't read and chose to ignore until he was told 'everybody' also included him and then had to get his Mum wife to bring him some clothes like they were his Geography homework, he really needs to consider his audience - and whether it's really an effective use of everybody's time to deal with a middle manager complaining that he received an email so shockingly late that it was received at the sort of time that Governors are usually having meetings after a full day at work and then got told to put some clothes on because nobody wants to see his thighs or hairy shins.

The other teaching staff (except one) managed to read the email. The support staff managed to read the email. He managed to read the email - and ignored it.

Submitting this as a grievance is going to get one reaction from the Clerk as it's read - 'Oh, you're joking' - one from the Chair - 'Is he joking?' and one from anybody else who knows of the grievance - 'Is he having a laugh? He's submitted a grievance against the Head and unioned up for this?'

Show quote history

I agree that's what they'd all be thinking, but they'd also have to investigate and if the story is as told here, the HT's response was disproportionate. That said it is the "senior leadership's" actual job to support the HT and be "on message". He can challenge privately, but publically heust support, so he can expect to be reprimanded as part of the outcome too.

DH needs to decide if it's a hill he wants to die on. If he wins what does he want the outcome to be? Is it worth it?

BrilloSolar · 21/07/2022 00:06

Ugh, honestly, he wore sports kit to help with sports day- seriously, what is wrong with the leadership here?

I'd definitely write an email sent to both the head and chair of governors. I'd actually ask them to clarify their policy on emails sent out of work time. So a very simple, brief email along the lines of:

  • I've received this formal warning (or whatever it is) and request a formal response before following this up with my Union and also in considering my future position at Shit High School.
  • On 15th of July I received notification that I was to assist with sports day all day on 18th July.
  • On 17th July, an email was sent at 7pm, which I did not read until 8:30am on 18th Julybwhen I first accessed my emails on my arrival at work. Because of this, I arrived at school dressed in sports wear to assist in sports day all day, and was not aware that the email stated that I was required to wear formal wear that day to assist on the field all day for sports day [yes I'm labouring that point a lot just so the chair of governors can see how rediculously it is].
  • can you please clarify the policy on accessing emails outside of working hours and at what time in the evening I am required to be checking emails that will impact my working day the next day.
  • I will be raising the disciplinary letter with my union as I feel I acted in good faith, arriving in appropriate sporting wear to assist with sports day (and in the belief that I was being directed as cover for the sports department and so wore the same attire as all other members of the sports department did that day), unaware of the email that had been sent after working hours the evening before, only to be sent home to change and then to receive a formal warning.
BrilloSolar · 21/07/2022 00:07

Lol, that wasn't so brief once I got going! I'm angry for him!

MarshaMelrose · 21/07/2022 00:10

To be honest his account gets more confusing rather than enlightening.

He got permission to wear sports wear.
On the day he goes into school wearing his sportswear.
He reads an email saying he should wear formal wear.
At 7.30 he's told to go home to change.
He changes into formal wear.
What in that has he done wrong? He's followed each mandate he's been given.

And yet he doesn't disagree that he was potentially in the wrong. How is that then when he's just followed what he's been told? It suggests there's more to the situation than he's saying. And that's sort of backed up by the words he uses to describe the reprimand he's been given. "ridiculous overreaction, petty, spiteful and vindictive" An overreaction is used to describe a sanction that's too strong. You wouldn't use it for an action that deserved no sanction. So I don't know what's gone on here or what he believes he's done wrong.

Having said all that, it was sports day, it was probably hot, I don't blame him for wearing his shorts.

BrilloSolar · 21/07/2022 00:25

Can you imagine him going for another job?
Interviewer: do you have any write warnings against you?
OP's husband: yes, last year I wore shorts and t-shirt to help out at sports day all day.
Interviewer: ....

Tromboleese · 21/07/2022 00:57

I’m a Chair of Governors. It is fairly standard in any grievance policy to have gone down the route of speaking to the HT before coming to us. We have to follow policy.

Given the clarification on the email being out of hours, him not seeing it but being asked to change all good, but a disciplinary letter sounds OTT to me.

In my experience of governance across 8 schools (maintained), governors are independent and do not rubber stamp the HT’s decisions. We have overturned decisions and exclusions where the evidence presented pointed it was the right thing to do. Last week I upheld a parent’s complaint, they have had an apology and we are restoring their relationship with school. Your DH should know the CofG well enough to judge if raising a grievance is worth it. If it were at my school, I would be interested to hear about it, not least from a staff wellbeing point of view.

Original poster
messicliche · 21/07/2022 10:32

MarshaMelrose · 21/07/2022 00:10

To be honest his account gets more confusing rather than enlightening.

He got permission to wear sports wear.
On the day he goes into school wearing his sportswear.
He reads an email saying he should wear formal wear.
At 7.30 he's told to go home to change.
He changes into formal wear.
What in that has he done wrong? He's followed each mandate he's been given.

And yet he doesn't disagree that he was potentially in the wrong. How is that then when he's just followed what he's been told? It suggests there's more to the situation than he's saying. And that's sort of backed up by the words he uses to describe the reprimand he's been given. "ridiculous overreaction, petty, spiteful and vindictive" An overreaction is used to describe a sanction that's too strong. You wouldn't use it for an action that deserved no sanction. So I don't know what's gone on here or what he believes he's done wrong.

Having said all that, it was sports day, it was probably hot, I don't blame him for wearing his shorts.

Sorry, just to clarify, he is wrong because he wasn't given explicit permission to wear sports kit. A PE staff member told him he could, but he never checked with any higher being. So potentially he is in the wrong there for not checking. That's my stance anyway!

OP posts:
VickyEadieofThigh · 21/07/2022 11:02

messicliche · 20/07/2022 19:12

To reply:

It has crossed my mind to speak to him first, definitely the sort of person that would hold a grudge. I will speak to my Union but unfortunately they are not represented in the school.

Also, the pigeon hole isn't locked, just in the staff room. FWIW, letter was in an envelope so not readable but noticeably there.

Show quote history

I agree.

What would your DH hope to achieve by complaining formally to the GB? He needs to try to resolve this before resporting to what is in fact raising a grievance.

He should (a) ask his union for support and (b) follow that advice.

I'ma retired secondary HT who is now a chair of governors. The process with complaints and grievances is that the complainant should always try to resolve the issue prior to going to a formal grievance.

You say the HT probably won't take this well - this is exactly why your DH must involve the union and think carefully about what he hopes to achieve.

Fairislefandango · 21/07/2022 11:11

I mean... yes it's pretty daft and unnecessary to insist on formal wear out on the field on sports day, and yes, they dealt with it very heavy-handedly afterwards. It sounds like a very unsupportive and officious SLT. But... your husband chose to ignore a clear instruction. If it had been me, I'd have tutted and been pissed off but worn the suit.

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