Hi- after some advice please. I’m not great at this stuff (thanks in advance for reading- sorry it’s a bit long..)
I’ve been on a yearly fixed term teaching contract for around the last 4 years (in one school).
Essentially, they forcibly ‘encouraged’ me to resign, 2.5 weeks before end of summer term.
I’d been threatened with ‘capability’ (a last resort programme to improve performance- apparently not a pleasant process, especially in this school).
This involves being observed by a member of senior management who gives formal feedback, and during this meeting you’re informed either that you’re being put on capability or that you’ve passed the observation.
So I was observed (unexpectedly to a degree) in a lesson that for various reasons would not have been good enough.
No feedback given.
The same day, a member of SLT popped by for a chat “as a colleague- not SLT” (so she kept saying- very hard to believe on a number of levels) asking how I thought it had gone. I said I thought badly, and she went on to say “I just want to make sure you still have a career in teaching”, to which I looked a bit puzzled, and she said if I fail capability it will stay on my record and I’ll not be able to get another job in teaching. She was saying things like “if it were me I would definitely resign and look for a job elsewhere “ etc etc, and offered me the afternoon off (I didn’t take it) - basically, I was a bit blindsided and ended up agreeing with her (despite being fully aware from the start what she was up to) and saying that it was probably best if I resign.
She replied that I didn’t have to make any rash decisions and that I should go away and talk to someone about it.
She also told me to speak to HR about making sure I’d be paid (said that the head had previously ‘honoured’ payments- not sure, it was a bit vague but she referred to my personal circumstances (single mum) as if to imply they were being reasonable).
So I spoke (again, informally) to HR woman that afternoon who said my contract ends 31st August and that I’ll be paid until then. Her advice was that I should resign before going to the feedback meeting (which hadn’t been mentioned at all at that point anyway) as capability would be on my record from that meeting even if I decided to leave afterwards.
Nothing formal at all had been said or done at this point (a Thursday afternoon).
The following morning (Friday), a draft of next year’s timetable for all staff was emailed out to everyone- I’m not on it.
Then Monday was INSET day- head of dept pulled me out first thing (I’d not spoken to her about any of this), asked me a few questions about what had been said on Thursday, then said that the INSET presentation is all about next year so it was up to me, but instead of staying I could clear up some classrooms instead.
Later that week I got an email inviting me to the feedback meeting- email stated that this could lead to capability. So I sent my resignation email, which was acknowledged by the head.
Have looked at contract and despite being yearly fixed term, it states that to leave on 31st August, 4 months notice is required (from either side). I’d assumed they could just at any pint day they’re not going to renew my contract, but I assume this notice period is the reason they’ve not just done that.
I know all conversations have deliberately (on their part) been off record, and I know I’ve voluntarily resigned. But essentially they’ve pushed me out.
Do I have a case for simply asking them to pay me in lieu of the 4 month notice period (obviously not legally as I resigned) - but does this sound in any way reasonable or doable?
Please go easy on me if I’m being completely stupid- as I said, I’m rubbish at all this!