How long can a Headteacher be off "for personal reasons"?

[LynetteScavo]

Does there ever come point when someone says to them, you either come back, or we look for someone else? If so how long would something like this be left?

Reading between the lines of the situation "personal reasons" means stress.

If it is ill health then whatever the terms of employment are for that individual will apply. Our school has an absence due to illness policy that follows LA guidance. There will be finite point in time but probably many months hence. There will not be a 'pull yourself together or resign' option for the Governing Body to put to the Head. If the absence is likely to be for some time then there may well be arrangements put in place for interim 'Head' cover - could be Deputy acting up, another Head brought in (although that would be expensive).

well as I understand it you can't be removed from post because you are off sick

maybe the school/LEA has a policy that says after 6/9/12 months or whatever period of time a permanent replacement is sought? and the person transferred sideways or summat?

No idea really, sorry Lynnette (bet y'all glad I answered innit!)

There was a "notice to improve" ofsted, in the spring term and a temporary "assistant head" was then employed for the summer term and autumn term 2013. Shortly after the ofsted the head disappeared (I wasn't taking much notice tbh).

Personally I'm not that concerned about the running of the school, as there is the "assistant head", who I'm sure is capable, and the deputy head, who is non-teaching is very good, IMO.

So realistically, the school could be without a head for quite some time?

His/her contract will have the terms of the sickness policy in it, and is none of your business OP. It's not always stress, I had time off from my job for personal reasons - cancer.

If I thought it was was entitled to see the exact terms of the HT's contract, believe me, by now I would have read them, rather than posting on an internet forum

Obviously long term illness is not always stress . Having spoken to governors and senior leadership teachers, I was left in no doubt about the reason for the absence, with out actually being told.

I was wondering what was usual in these situations.

I would say it could be up to 12 months or more (depending on the reason).
I work in the public sector and would have 6 months full pay followed by 6 months half pay followed by SSP.

If it were a long term illness then my case would be reviewed and medical retirement offered if it were clear that I was never going to be well enough to work again or if it was going to be several years.

Not terribly helpful I'm afraid. The upshot is that they can't sack someone for being ill, but they can retire them (lots of medicals involved).

HTH... A bit...

That's very helpful, ShiftyFades.

What would you sue for?

Theoretically natch

It's not particularly recognisable. I can think of two schools in this approximate situation just off the top of my head.

Shifty has it spot on. A deal might be done between the parties for them to leave if the head is on sick leave. Otherwise the governors have to show that the head will be incapable due to ill health in order to dismiss. If it is just leave of absence it could be amount of time.

MaryRobinson - the OP has a photo of Lynette Scavo the TV character on her profile!

. I'm pretty sure that's not the Op's photo.

Actually nothing actionable here, on this thread. That the Head is off for "personal reasons" is public information, the speculation that the reasons include "stress" does not seem defamatory to me.

What will happen is either that the Head will return to duty, or that they will agree a departure with the Governing Body. By the way if they ARE off for "personal reasons" rather than illness, then they would normally be, after a short while, unpaid. In which case they will, unless they have a private income, or (financially) supportive partner, soon have a decision to make.

Knowledge of yet another school where this happened. Clearly there's one in every town!

A head can be off for six months in total and then at the beginning of the financial year the clock resets and then they can be off again. In my school's case the deputy head "acted up" but the situation still cost the school a lot of money as well as aggravation. The LA was useless. If a teacher is minded to pull the sick leave card (leaving aside genuine cases of illness, of course) then they can drag things out for years.

Loving that people think I am the real Lynette Scavo, and I'm actually married to Tom

And, lainiekazan, I think you're right, this seems to be an all too familiar scenario.

I'm wondering if there is enough support out there for head teachers.