Performance issues with Head Teacher

[EloiseMinch]

At DC's primary the Head Teacher is all but absent. I am not sure we have physically seen her this school year and all problems are referred to the deputy head. DD is in year 4 and this almost complete absence has been going on since DD started.

We have been trying over the course of the year to escalate bullying problems involving DS - the problems are still ongoing and we are unable to get an appointment to discuss the issues with the Head. This is a problem for other parents who have other concerns about the school (eg staff turnover, resourcing, teaching standards etc).

We're going to write to the governors to set out our concerns - and try and arrange a meeting with them. Does anyone know what performance standards a head teacher has - or how we can find them out? We'd like to make some concrete suggestions about how the head should be performance managed.

The level of paperwork expected of heads is huge. So whilst it might seem like she is sitting in her office not doing much. She is probably stressed and working on various (stupid...) bits of paper. A few families can use up most of your week if there are different agencies and social services involved. None of that would be known to you. It sounds like she isn’t prioritising spending time with parents. That is obviously hard then for you. But From her perspective if she knows there are staff problems and she is spending time trying to recruit, then having a meeting with parents moaning about staffing may seem less productive than actually doing the job in hand.

Regardless, complain about bullying, complain that the complaints process isn’t working by all means. Don’t launch a co-ordinated attack on her. Even if she is a terrible head, she is still a person.

A kind, wonderful relative of mine attempted suicide in similar circumstances. The stress is unbelievable. Please remember to there is a person beneath the title. They is a reason there is a massive headteacher recruitment crisis.

Stick to the substantive issues you have, and don’t make it personal.

Feels like you want to start a witch hunt, to be honest.[...] You may have jumped to conclusions :)

Don’t launch a co-ordinated attack on her. Even if she is a terrible head, she is still a person. I understand this perspective entirely. Attacking anyone is a terrible thing to do. There is also another perspective unfortunately that a head who isn't doing their job properly is potentially ruining the lives of a lot of children. So it seems right to me to complain about a poor head while trying very hard not to make it into a personal attack.

No assumptions but you do go on rather about what other parents think. That is how witch hunts start - through mob demands rather than adults discussing a concern in private.
Write formally for an appointment.

It would be a foolish head who gave out their email address.

Although I too find email a pain, I am not sure in what other senior management public sector jobs you are afforded the luxury of hiding your email address. I would love to be able to do that in my job I have to admit!

No assumptions but you do go on rather about what other parents think.

Or... it's directly relevant that it's not only a person gripe of mine :)

Write formally for an appointment.

I did do that. No reply.

Use email

Use email

She refuses to give out her email address. I could write to the school office and ask them to forward it but the whole point is to have a conversation about what steps can be taken to keep DS safe.

Write to the school’s email address and mark it for the attention of the Head. At the same time write a letter to the Head saying that you did not receive a reply to your previous communication but you would still like a meeting to discuss your ongoing concerns. Do not mention other parents. Copy the Chairman of Governors into your letter.

Now it’s so close to the end of term, they have put you off for this school year unless you can get to see her very soon. Say in the letter that you would like a meeting during the second week of next term (state dates). If you do not receive a positive response, or any response at all, you will have no option but to make a formal complaint. Be businesslike and state your case clearly in your letter. Don’t complain about email addresses and say what it’s like where you work. You are not a school and Heads emails are not given out routinely. Often it’s Head@ etc though.

As for the Head not being visible - you are correct and that’s not a good model of headship. If she’s sitting in her office pushing useless bits of paper around, she needs lessons in how to prioritise her workload - but don’t tell her this. I’ve worked with workaholic Heads who are really making a difference to their schools. They are doing a lot of work on stats, updating the improvement plan, giving Governors up to date info on the school and managing a pretty big budget and making continual decisions, monitoring teaching and interviewing staff and plenty more. No work they do is a waste of time or meaningless. It’s vital.

However they make time for parents. They meet and greet. They are visible around school. They recognise parents as stakeholders and treat them as a valuable part of the school community. Therefore your desire to meet the Head is valid but be careful about citing the views of others. You are not their spokesperson. Be your own person and ask about your child.

The bullying is now being handled by the deputy. I did try to arrange a meeting with the head but you leave your number and you never get a phone call back
So the issue is being dealt with and you're just annoyed because the head didn't call you and you can't get direct to the head.

Every head I've worked under delegates things to appropriate members of staff.

Your issue is being dealt with. You're not seriously wanting to get a pack of parents together to go after someoje because you don't like how they work?

Considering I am of the view that school complaints policies should be followed when needed, this is increasingly 'but a few of us have been complaining together because the head won't deal with everything we want even if there's other staff who are doing it'.

Just email to school stating for attention of head

Every Head I’ve worked with has not delegated to others when the Deputy is teaching. So is the SendCo and all the other teachers. A non teaching Head is where the buck stops and they see parents. They don’t delegate the difficult issues like bullying. They take responsibility. Otherwise, what is their leadership role and accountability to parents? The Head might not like it, but they take the lead and keep the flak away from others. It’s what good Heads do and it’s vital in a primary school.

The school have not dealt with this Maisey and no action or a reply to the op is not acceptable. It’s clearly been swept under a collective table.

I’ve checked all my local schools and the contact is always offjce@. Try head@ and see if it bounces back! Good luck.

She refuses to give out her email address.

like most of us, she is probably reachable through the school email. That's how it normally works

I have tried emailing the head via the school office but you get exactly zero response. It’s not too surprising as when you talk to the school office in person they try very hard to hint there is no point trying to contact the head.

Thank you BubblesBuddy !

I think, therefore, Eloise, that you write to the Head and copy in the Chair of Governors and maybe the Parent Governor detailing when you have tried to contact the Head and what the issue is you wish to discuss. The Chair of Govs cannot tell the Head how to run the school on a day to day basis but they do have a role to ensure the school builds up and maintains good relationships with parents and the community. You could remind them of this duty! Politely!

You need to get a copy of the school's Complaint's Procedure and follow that. If step 1 is approach the headteacher and that has not been successful, then move onto the next step. If you try anything else, you'll most likely get a standard reply, setting you back into the given steps.

If several parents have issues, then they need to act separately. One complaint signed by 10 parents is just that - one complaint. Especially if it's led by someone wanting to be involved in the headteacher's personal performance management procedures - that is just setting yourself up to be seen as 'that' parent.
Ten complaints by 10 different people is 10 times as many complaints and the governors should be seeing a pattern, sitting up and taking notice.

You say the issue is being handled by the deputy so why the need to escalate to the head? Is the deputy fobbing you off in some way, or do they not have the authority to deal with it? Or do you just feel the deputy isn't actually handling it, so a meeting with the head is the next step?

I'm not a teacher, but in every school DH's taught in the deputy head took responsibility for bullying and behaviour management. I know it's not like that at every school but perhaps that's why the deputy is dealing with this, not the head. It's bizarre that they aren't communicating to you exactly why the head isn't the appropriate person to talk to though (if that's the case).

I agree with Apple though - if multiple parents have problems you don't club together, you complain individually. That carries more weight and also makes it easier to see what the issues are (as you may all have different issues).

The school have not dealt with this Maisey and no action or a reply to the op is not acceptable
The OP has just said the bullying is being dealt with by the deputy.

It sounds like school communication is poor and I personally think heads should be out and about, however I think the OP is categorically wrong to want to start getting a playground pack together to try and go after the head because they think she should be able to email directly and get the head to deal with the issues they want.

As i have said countless times on this thread, if there is the need for the OP to make a formal conplaint (which it seemed like there was before the revelation that the deputy is dealing with things) then she should focus on HER issue for HER child, document everything and follow the complaint procedure of the school.

Other parents then need to make a decision about THEIR situation and THEIR children.

What she shouldn't do is get involved in playground bitching because more often than not many people love to complain but actually never feel that strongly about something to bother doing something constructive (which is how you get people fuming on social media at companies but don't log a formal complaint, talking the talk in the playground about how awful a member of staff is or being unpleasant to staff but not raising it properly through proper avenues). It's not right to set someone up as a self-appointed leader of a witch hunt seeking to muscle in on someone's performance management.

It woud be perfectly normal to see the Head if the DH is teaching. It would be OK to see both together. The Head is ultimately responsible, not the DH. What should not happen is that a Head refuses to answer a request from a parent - at all!

if multiple parents have problems you don't club together, you complain individually. That carries more weight and also makes it easier to see what the issues are (as you may all have different issues).

That makes sense.

The school haven’t even acknowledged my request to meet the head, despite sending a follow up email.

Back to our immediate problem, DS was told to fuck off twice this week by a class mate and kicked by another. He was also threatened by a boy in the class that he would kick DSes head in. The school in return have started to suggest it is partly DSes fault because he makes a fuss about the rules when playing sport....sigh. He is 6!

I guess you cannot find another school? Victim blaming isn’t in any anti bullying policy. It is the Heads responsibility to ensure the anti bullying policy is carried out and after what has happened this week, I would want to see the Head because the DH doesn’t seem to be able to sort matters out. Keep trying and keep records of all events and attempts to contact the Head.

I guess you cannot find another school?

We put him down for another local school about a month ago but it could be years before he gets a place I am told.

So it really is a case of persevering where you are or seeing if there is another school you are prepared to drive to.

Send an email to the school office ‘for the attention of the HT’
If you want to be taken seriously you cannot complain about not having her direct email address.
If you have issues summarise them to the governors and for issues of bullying the head of year or deputy HT should be able to sort out.

I am beyond staggered at the sheer cheek of parents wanting to suggest ways in which the Head Teacher of a school should be 'performance-managed!'