Newly appointed head teachers - what is their probation period?

[editrix]

Does anyone know what the standard probation period for a head teacher is? The school concerned is a private prep school (with a board of governors) and the head has been in place since last September, wreaking havoc and instilling what is increasingly feeling like a culture of fear among the children. We hoped that things would improve, but they've got worse.

Does anyone know about HT's probation periods, or has anyone had children at a school where a head teacher has been removed from their position during their probation period due to parental complaints to the board of governors?

no probation period afaik.

Is this head newly in post, ie is this a deputy who has been promoted? or have they come from another school where they were a head?

Once a head is appointed it's really not that easy to get rid.

Sorry.

What are the issues concerned?

Oh dear, that's not good news.

He's a newly appointed head who came from another school (where he only lasted two years before apparently the level of complaints from parents led to him leaving, though I don't know whether he was fired or left of his own accord).

Among the issues are his attitude both to children and parents (quite aggressive especially to the children when he's angry [recent example was him yelling repeatedly at a 9 y-o boy whose hair he considered to be too long, totally inappropriate way of dealing with the situation IMO], little in the way of consultation about significant changes, poor and misleading communication, says one thing, does another, sidelining the PTA); increasing class sizes in certain parts of the school above the promised levels in the prospectus; totally changing the uniform (in a credit crunch) without thinking at all about practicality let alone consulting parents or teachers. And it's a general feeling that he wants to totally change what is a very happy and successful school, in which nearly all classes are full and for which the last ISI inspection team had virtually nothing but praise.

good god sounds horrendous.

OK, I think there are multiple issues here tbh.

Firstly, I think it is important to try and establish whether this HT resigned or was sacked, because if he was sacked then IMO the question needs to be raised as to why he was appointed at another school, and whether there was some pressure put on the governors by the LEA to appoint this particular head. Even if he resigned there's a chance that the LEA might have applied some pressure in order for this head to go quietly from one school to another. The LEA has no say in who a governing body appoints, but if the governing body is not a strong one, then it is quite possible for the LEA to put their agenda across and for the governors to comply, perhaps because of lack of experience, or even lack of candidates, and therefore an unwillingness to fail to recruit.

Do you know what school he came from? If so it is worth looking at their website and their ofsted reports to see what action might have been taken at his previous school.

What form have the complaints taken? Have parents spoken to him directly? if so, and they are still not happy, the next course of action would be to speak to the chair of governors.

Before a head can be sacked there has to be a disciplinary process. I am unsure as to how this can be brought about as I haven't had to implement such a process. But I can certainly try to find out.

I would imagine though that it would be an ongoing process which would involve self evaluation and performance management meaning that certain targets would have to be met over a period of time before a sacking could take place. Unless of course the incidents were so serious as to warrant immediate dismissal.

Hth.

PS: I am a recently appointed chair of governors who has ironically just had a part in appointing a head teacher.

There is definately no official probationary period (although an individual school may have that written into their own contracts).
The quickest a head can be removed is immediately - if there is a complaint of a serious enough nature (gross misconduct).

Otherwise it depends how the school want to play it. If they are prepared to pay, then they can aggree the termination of a contract within a matter of months (however, unions would be heavily involved and it would be a pretty big payout).

Nothing can be done at all without written complaints, so just whinging about the situation to the governors would not be enough to set the wheels in motion.

Thanks WannaBe, that's all useful to know.

I know which school he was at before and was in touch with a parent there but although the problems she recounted that they'd had with him were exactly the same as we're experiencing, she didn't know if he'd been sacked or left of his own accord. Not sure how involved the LEA would be in a private school but I'll see if I can find out.

So far complaints have gone to him by email and also in face-to-face meetings about specific incidents. I don't know how many people have contacted the governors so far but I suspect a fair few.

WriggleJiggle, I think most parents don't ever get to see the governors around the school so any complaints already made to them are likely to have been in writing. Do you think several written complaints from different parents would be enough to set in motion at least a discussion by the board of governors about the head teacher's negative impact on the school and how to solve the problems?

I'm amazed by the lack of probationary periods. Most of the rest of us have them when we start a new job!

the only time there are probationary periods is when a teacher is a NQT.

Tbh I imagine it's unlikely that this ht was sacked, as if so I can't imagine him being employed again.
Head teachers tend to all kno each other, and especially if the two schools were in the same town the outgoing head teacher and staff would surely have known/known of this ht and his circs and would have advised against employing him, even though the staff don't have a say their opinion might still have been taken into account.

Plus he will have had to put on his previous application form what the reason was for leving his current job.

He couldn't have a probationary period or you wouldn't be able to appoint Heads. They are not going to leave a secure job and then find themselves unemployed.

WannaBe, the new head's old school is on the other side of a nearby county but there's never been any crossover in terms of, for example, the schools playing matches against each other. I guess the outgoing head would have bumped into him at conferences though. He did give a fairly plausible reason for leaving his previous job after such a short time when he visited the school before he took up his post.

I know from my own experience of recruiting that people who come across well in interviews don't always do a good job or turn out to be the right person for the job so I'm glad I work in an industry where probationary periods exist!

Complaints MUST MUST MUST be in writing, not email, and to the governors rather than the head. Personally depending on the nature of the complaint I think it only fair to copy the letter of complaint to the head as well.

Just a quick question - you are sure of your facts aren't you? For every complaint you need to make sure it can't come across as you just prefering the old head. It must also be justified and factual.

LEAs have nothing to do with the appointment process at an independant school.

WriggleJiggle, thanks. I suspected LEAs didn't have anything to do with the appointment process.

I'm definitely sure of the facts, both from personal experience of the head and numerous accounts from different sources regarding his behaviour towards the children (though the letter I send will stick to what I have experienced personally rather than hearsay from other parents and teachers who will need to send their own letters). I didn't know the previous head well but he'd built the school up from virtually nothing and was generally well-liked and respected by the staff and children. He was also very good at consulting staff and parents when appropriate and that's something that the new head really falls down on. Ah well, perhaps enough complaints will cause the head to take a look at his way of interacting with parents, staff and children and change his ways. I can only hope!

technically LEA's don't have anything to do with the appointment process at state schools either, other than to advise. They have no say in who is and isn't appointed, but sometimes they do have agendas if they are eager for someone to be promoted, for instance, and if the governing body is not a strong one then they might go with the LEA representative's opinion rather than their own, iyswim.

There is always a one academic year probationary period in every appointment - we have just removed a head after 7 months for the same reasons as outlined above. Letters setting out examples of the heads behaviour must be sent to Chair of Governors - keep these unemotional and factual and as personal as possible. It is quite imperative the teachers, if they feel the same, also individually contact the Chair of Governors. Parents giving provisional notice for their children to leave citing the head as a reason is usually the strongest reason that action is taken. The Governors should investigate all complaints - removal of head would generally necessitate period of leave of absence followed by compromise agreement -

Ceebeejay, thanks, your post has given me hope! I also coincidentally heard today from my mother-in-law that a prep school where she used to work has just removed its recently appointed deputy head for exactly the same issues so our problem is obviously not as uncommon as I thought. Thanks for the advice about the letters and also getting teachers involved where possible. I'd better get writing!

Message withdrawn

I hope your new headteacher turns out to be good dilemma456. I'm sure she will, I think we've just been unlucky.

I spoke to another parent a few nights ago and apparently lots of the parents are up in arms about the announcements of changes he made before the school broke up for Easter and it sounds like the school office will be buried under letters of complaint by next week. So we'll have to wait and see what the head's and the governors' responses are.

What kind of changes is he making?
Has he put forward the rationale behind these at all?

Why is the Head wreaking havoc and making significant changes? Is it something to do with the current financial situation? Perhaps it is worth insinuating to the Governors that, in addition to worries about the day-to-day running of the school, you are now worried about its viability - that might get their attention. (Do you have a Plan B, by the way?)

Does the Head have the support of the staff? Is there a teacher-governor that you can speak to?

He's making changes to class sizes and uniform at present (increasing the former and totally changing the latter) and he hasn't put forward any rationale at all for the changes. The school has been very successful over the past few years, all years but one are full, there are waiting lists for many of them, and the last ISI report was glowing so the school is far from struggling. Income is apparently steady and there are plenty of people joining the school where there are spaces. All I can think is that the head wants to make his mark on the school and move it "up-market" (it's a country prep school but he seems to think we're in Kensington or somewhere!), but he's going absolutely the wrong way about it. According to a friend of mine who supply teaches at the school morale among the teachers is at rock bottom. We've written to the head and to the chair of the governors saying that we feel that the increase in class sizes is completely unacceptable and giving, as someone suggested above, provisional notice to remove ds at some future date should the decision about class sizes not be reversed and I know many parents have written to say the same. If the governors don't take notice of that they're mad!

I'm not sure what Plan B is, but we're arranging a parents' meeting to discuss our strategy so I'm sure that'll come up.

You sound like you are all doing the right things - I just cannot believe that someone else is going through this - How are these people recruited it makes you wonder what the panels look for!! Good luck to you