AIBU to wonder why our primary head teacher has disappeared?

[HedgehogMugs]

The head teacher of local primary has "disappeared" and bit been seen the last couple of months. Staff are seemingly unaware of the reasons why (or unable to speak about it)
Deputy has been acting head ...

What kind of reasons would there be for this?

Aren’t head teachers entitled to the same level of personal privacy as anyone else in the workplace?

Then knowing the reason is above your pay grade.

What makes you think Mumsnet will know the answer?

They didn't last time and they don't now.

Could literally be anything. When the headteacher at our local school was done for child porn it soon came out. So more likely illness or he was fired. Who knows does it matter. If it was anything sinister that involved your kid you would of been informed

You’ve deliberately worded the OP like you aren’t though. Clearly it’s just none of your business

But they do know. The deputy is covering

Ours was away for almost a term when a parent was dying. A letter from the acting head was sent to parents after a few weeks to explain, but I was surprised they told us. Presumably because people had been asking questions and spreading rumours. I know someone else who was away for a few months for medical reasons she wanted to keep private.

If you need to know they'll tell you.

Well that's quite the drip feed. If you 'disappeared' for some time would everyone else working in the school have a right to know why and the details of your personal business? If the school is running well, if you are being supported as an employee, and children are receiving the education that they need then that is all that matters. Gossip is so toxic, please don't participate.

In that case - sick to death of gossiping colleagues?

Why on earth do you think you have the right to know or that it is anyone's except the individual and their employer's, business?

Clearly people (you?) have asked the teachers.

1 - Parents do not need to know the reason for absence - they just need to know who is managing the school.

2 - the teachers may know, if the head has confirmed that it can be shared with colleagues, but they won't tell you because (1).

3 - Education workers have the same right to privacy in employment as everyone else.

Asking people to speculate is distasteful both online and at the school gate.

I work in education (no longer teaching) and it boggles my mind that parents think they're entitled to know why someone isn't at work.

The school has a deputy head whose literal job is to step in for the head if needed - so mind your business.

Abducted by aliens. 👽

@HedgehogMugs why is it any of your business even if you are a member of staff?

I really don’t want everyone who knows me even vaguely knowing details of my health.

And it has what to do with you, and why are you asking the staff why?? Absolutely nothing to do with you.

Agreed. Our HT was off for various periods of time while dealing with his parents' illnesses. His very competent Depute kept the school running while the HT was off.

I only found out because the HT was later very sympathetic when I was dealing with similar. If the OP's HT doesn't want to share then she should keep her nose out of it.

When I miscarried, I didn't tell my staff about it. (I was a Head of Department.) Discussing it would have been far too painful. The OP sounds like a complete pain in the arse and overly entitled.

It's natural to question things, but the reason is likely not a good one- bereavement, illness etc. You'll most likely find out eventually.

So you and your colleagues are gossiping about it and now you're on here asking us!

How very professional of you.

I would have expected better.

I hate this kind of gossip.

I’ll never forgive the staff and parents at the school I worked in who gossiped and pestered when I was off.

If you need to know why someone is off then you’ll know. If you don’t know details it’s because you don’t need to know.

Dealing with the news that my baby was dying, and my other children would need to be tested for thr same thing, was bad enough. Gossips that decided to start speculating that “no smoke without fire” as my husband also “disappeared” forced us to have to tell people before we were ready. I just wanted one week of peace with my baby before she died. That was too much to ask nosy fuckers

So? Knowing the details of a colleague’s absence is (rightly) not considered necessary for everyone at the workplace.

Maybe they are unwell, or have a family member who is unwell?
It’s not really anyone’s place to speculate.

Sickness
bereavement
suspension

none of your business although I’m nosey and would also be wondering why too

Oh come off it! Are you really all trying to say that if your boss disappeared one day you wouldn’t mention it to other staff?? You wouldn’t be curious or, you know, concerned about them? I don’t believe it! I bet those self righteous people on here are the worst for it IRL!

Knowing people want to know would make me not say even more, nothing worse than gossip dressed up

Probably a long term illness like cancer or a MH issue. But you don’t have a right to be told.

By far the most likely is health, mental or otherwise.

I have seen it happen because of financial irregularities and safeguarding concerns. It's also possible for a HT to take a sabatical.

If you're staff, I'm surprised you haven't been told "something" so you can all be on the same page when talking to parents. You're not entitled to any information, but you should have been told what to say to parents.

I disappeared from work (I also worked in education) and it’s because I got cancer and was too ill to work.

I have a teacher friend who had a mental breakdown. Another who developed long COVID and had to go out on extended sick leave. A friend’s husband left his role as deputy head due to allegations of sexual misconduct with a student.

That said, in my dc’s schools, teachers often get reassigned and go off somewhere else quickly because of corporate leadership restructuring (it’s an academy trust). Someone somewhere else has had to leave and the senior leadership plucks someone up and plops them down in a new school with little notice or explanation.