Would you pursue this with the school?

[Cristall]

I found out during the Easter holidays that DC’s teacher left suddenly a fortnight before the holidays started. Nobody was informed until the email arrived earlier this week. The teacher had only worked there since Christmas. There’s a replacement teacher taking over after the holidays.

I’m concerned that the teacher left so suddenly. My thinking is that if nothing was amiss the school would have made him work his notice, at least until Easter. The fact he left so suddenly makes me think he’s been sacked for some unknown incident.

Would you ask the school for clarification? Do I have the right to demand it? At the very least I want to know if he quit or was sacked - and if he was sacked, why.

It’s not at all.

All that would happen if they said “personal circumstances” is that parents like yourselves would then gossip about the circumstances.

If the circumstances were relevant to your child you’d already know, that you don’t means they’re not

This thread is utterly batshit. It's absolutely none of your business.

The probable reasons for the delay in telling you have already been explained to you.

I really don't understand why you feel that anything suspicious has happened. Start after one holiday, leave before the next, completely normal for supply staff. Schools don't take on staff just before the holiday, it is a cost cutting policy. Supply staff are often asked to leave just before a holiday - also cost cutting.

Why didn't the school tell you he wasn't permanent? maybe it hadn't been decided. Why didn't the school tell you he wasn't coming back? maybe they didn't know. Supply staff are employed day to day.

The school probably couldn't interview and appoint in time for a teacher to start after Christmas, so they probably took on a supply teacher with the possibility that he would be offered a permanent job. Maybe he decided against it, or maybe the school interviewed and appointed someone else? maybe he was going to stay until Easter but was ill, or something.

I can tell you this would not have been sudden, that new teacher was appointed before the February break

Nothing to see here, nothing unusual, or suspicious at all, and certainly nothing you require any information about

Me me me me me me me

Someone upthread has already said they were friends with a paedo teacher, who was sacked and the parents weren’t informed that their kids had been taught by a paedo. So clearly schools do cover things up.

Batshit

Do you not understand the difference between a crime and a cover teacher?

All that would happen if they said “personal circumstances” is that parents like yourselves would then gossip about the circumstances.

Exactly. Which is why schools don't, and why no employer should give any explanation for someone leaving, unless that person wants them to do so.

The press reports about the teacher at our school mentioned the school by name which is probably why people spotted it. Back in 2018, the justice system was faster

I really don't understand why you feel that anything suspicious has happened. Start after one holiday, leave before the next, completely normal for supply staff.
Because he didn’t stay till the end of term. Which he would have done if nothing was amiss. They had put his name on the website and put him in the photos as if he was permanent staff. So I don’t think he was supply. Plus they covered up his departure and didn’t tell anyone for two whole weeks.

You have no right to know why the teacher has left.

If it was due to an issue concerning your child, you'd have been spoken to. As you have not been taken to one side and spoken to you can pretty safely assume it is not an issue which affects you or your child.

I left my teaching role with little notice once, several years ago. The parents were not informed as to why. It was because I insisted I was released without working full notice, having been assaulted by a child in the classroom.

I've known teachers leave without working their notice for various reasons - mainly for personal issues, often linked to a medical issue or family issue. You have no right to know that though.

I assume your workplace doesn't inform your 'clients' every time a staff member leaves.

I once disappeared from a job mid term. I had had a stroke. Absolutely none of your business.

Who was teaching your child?
Were they in a classroom unsupervised for two weeks?

I assume your workplace doesn't inform your 'clients' every time a staff member leaves
They wouldn’t need to, it’s adults working with adults. It’s totally different when the staff member has had unsupervised access to children. The parents of those children want to know that there has not been any misconduct.

You have a very tough road ahead of you as a parent if this is how you respond to teachers leaving OP.

They had a TA to supervise. So my child has lost two weeks of schooling and I wasn’t informed.

Just wait till you get to secondary if you think not having a teacher for two weeks is something worth informing parents about. More like months or the whole year. Parents are not informed because what good would it do? Schools can’t magic up teachers.

Because when people leave work suddenly with no explanation it’s usually a sacking.

The main reasons I have known of were not sacking.

1. Long term supply - got a better deal.
2. Cancer - got results and left to being treatment within a couple of weeks
3. Family serious issue - left immediately, that day and never returned
4. Return from maternity and just couldn't cope coming back for a few reasons. Returned for 5 or 6 weeks but then left and didn't return.

Don't forget - it's only you that believes they left with no notice at all. The HT and SLT may have known for a week, a month, etc but not told parents at that point.

It is my business if the teacher has left due to misconduct.

Only if whatever the misconduct was directly affected your child.
And in that case are, you'd have been spoken to by now.

They had put his name on the website and put him in the photos as if he was permanent staff. So I don’t think he was supply.

Just because you have decided something, doesn’t mean it’s true. Plenty of schools put staff photos up on the website and wouldn’t write that they were supply. Mainly to stop parents like you complaining how it’s not fair that it’s their child whose class has to have ‘the supply’!!!

Don't forget - it's only you that believes they left with no notice at all. The HT and SLT may have known for a week, a month, etc but not told parents at that point.
If they did know in advance, they covered it up and didn’t tell parents. They should be keeping us informed instead of hiding stuff.

You dont actually know if they’ve been sacked though.

He was in the class photographs

Dd is doing some LT supply.
She is in the class photograph and on the school website as one of the class staff. That was when she was relatively ST. This has been extended twice so far.

As far as parents know she is just one of the teachers in the class.

However, there is absolutely nothing in her agreement with the school that says she cannot leave with immediate effect. She has no notice period for the school.

The school not telling parents he was leading is not the same as 'covering up'. Whatever led to him leaving could have taken two weeks to confirm.

If indeed he has had a traumatic health or personal event, he might have initially taken sick leave. Only with time might it have transpired that he couldn't continue. As pretty much happened in my late husband's case.

Again, you need to wind your head on, stop assuming the worst (for yourself, as clearly you couldn't give a damn if it's the worst for the teacher) And wait until this coming week, when the head teacher might well inform you of what's happening. But for goodness sake don't start gossiping about it.