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Original poster

head teacher sacked my child..need advice possibly legal advice

197 replies

errdunno · 12/11/2008 00:06

I had a meeting with the head of my childs school to talk about the next year teacher.
I asked lots of questions about that new teacher and the head didnt want to answer any of those questions and had no qualms saying so.
I told her why we were so concerned, why we were to accept,again,for the third year in a row,an NQT,very young,and who had previously applied for a full time position at the school and had been turned down but we were being asked to accept her as a temporary teacher.

That meeting fell apart and we pretty much hated each other!
But all that is by the by because the next day..the last day of term..the head walked in to my childs class and inexplicably asked him to stand up and then announced to his schoolmates that he was leaving the school and could everyone wish him goodbye.?

He is/was stunned and in tears for weeks,and refused to go back to the same school..I coulnt talk to the school or govenors about it-they were on holiday!
so I moved him to a private school that we are vvv happy with.
I have since complained to the school Lea and the govenors but there has been total silence from all of them.
Thing is.I feel this woman is clearly out of control and needs to explain what she did.
I feel so bad for my other half who now has to pay for a private school as there was no room at any other school locally.
Could I sue the school? it is afer all constructive dissmissal?
What do you think?

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ingles2 · 12/11/2008 12:04

I think I agree Wannabe.
What did the head write in his book ed?

Lauriefairycake · 12/11/2008 12:05

Surely there is a chance that at the end of the meeting between you and the head the head thought that you were withdrawing your child from school because you did not like/accept the possibility of the new teacher?

That possible belief is the only way she would have walked into class and made a big deal about him leaving (so that others could wish him well).

I'm NOT saying you or your version are wrong in any way - I am saying that her possibly completely inaccurate belief explains her behaviour

Carmenere · 12/11/2008 12:07

I agree with Wannabe, And there is no way that the LEA would be palming you off if they believed you either.

Original poster
errdunno · 12/11/2008 12:11

wannabe.yes I joined last night,and no I dont want to have a pop at faith schools thats why I dont keep mentioning it and my only concern about that was the change of church for my boy in addition to change of school.
She most cetainly did write a goodbye note in his book and we most certainly did not talk about us changing schools. she did this completely out of the blue.
I do realise that this "tale" is causing some of you to be suspicious but my only reason for posting was for advice on what/where to go next as is is well known that shareing something like this with other parents on a site like this can help to put a problem in perspective and hopefully offer some wise words of advice.

OP posts:
lulumama · 12/11/2008 12:15

my advice is to pursue this with the LEA and school governers. nothing a bunch of parents on a forum can do for you

and i really find it virtually impossible to believe this happend the way you tell it

lulumama · 12/11/2008 12:18

also, you need to decide what it is you want b ypursuing this.

do you want the head disciplined/sacked?

do you want compensation?

if your son is now happy and settled elsewhere, then that is a good thing, but it sounds like you gave up pretty quick on resolving things wit

Original poster
errdunno · 12/11/2008 12:20

wannabe..Im stunned..you say
I meant to withdraw my child but wanted her to look bad? then she called my bluff by telling the class he was leaving?
WHA? even on your planet,thats ok then? for her to "call my bluff" by doing that to my boy?
Also my demands? what demands? she demanded that I keep her secrect about the teacher being turned down for a full time post! I demanded nothing..I had nothing to demand.

please can you offer up a sensible conversation and not try to pic a fight?

OP posts:
lulumama · 12/11/2008 12:21

surely the teacher in the class and all the other children in the class are witnessess and can confirm what happened?

goingfor3 · 12/11/2008 12:22

If she called your bluff it was wrong of her to anouce to your sons class he was leaaving but it all sounds like a load of twaddle!

wannaBe · 12/11/2008 12:26

"please can you offer up a sensible conversation" you first. Because what you're saying is, IMO, a load of bullshit.

But this thread has it all doesn't it? state ve private, faith schools, compensation culture...

Original poster
errdunno · 12/11/2008 12:28

and I put him in a private school because there was no space at any other local school without going to an appeal.
I dont care what she thought happened at the end of that meeting.I stood up and left the office having only told her that I was shocked that she had asked me not to tell other parents that the new teacher had been turned down for the full time post.
Her hands were shaking like crazy when I told her she couldnt ask that of me.

If she even thought I was going to move schools she should have waited for it in writing from myself BEFORE she went into his class.she was in the wrong and she sacked us because of it.
The lea seem reticent to intervene now we are no longer in the state system.

OP posts:
lulumama · 12/11/2008 12:31

she did not sack you.

you could have carried on sending your child there

you took him out based on a conversation with the class that you did not even see or hear

so i think you have to bear some responsibility

if this had happened to my children, i would have gone straight to the head and demanded ful explanation/ apology, contacted the governers, LEA and OFSTED

i would not have rolled over and take my children out of school away from their friends and started a new school

what do you want people to say/ it is hardly a typical situation.... i have said what i think you should do..

Lauriefairycake · 12/11/2008 12:31

but the lea would have offered your child another place at another school by the end of the summer. And as you didn't put it in writing you could simply have taken him back to the original school.

Original poster
errdunno · 12/11/2008 12:35

wannabe,please dont keep banging on about state vs private
faith schools
compensation
(love that one-did I mention compensation?no I didnt,just an apology)
Your taking this to a bit of a low level,bruising for one with me.

Constructive advice please.
Yes there are lots of witnesses to that "announcement" and the lea have spoken to some of them by email.No-one is in any doubt that this did happen as I describe but Im asking for advice on where to go next as said the LEA look set to have this drop quietly as we are no longer in the state system.

OP posts:
lulumama · 12/11/2008 12:37

see a lawyer. you did ask if you could sue, so not remiss for anyone to ask about compensation..

lulumama · 12/11/2008 12:38

the fact you removed your child and enrolled them elsewhere does show some acquiesence to what happened..

jamescagney · 12/11/2008 12:42

I think that you should speak to a lawyer if you want to progress this. Your EWO may be interested also. It sounds as if your dc was excluded from school, and clearly a child cannot be excluded for parents misconduct if you see what I mean. Exclusions are meant to be in writing with times, dates and reasons.
So the headteacher said your dc was leaving? It turned out to be true...Can I echo flowerybeanbag and say what do you want to get out of this? You could write a letter expressing your dissatisfaction with the teacher/Head/School and let it go. Your child is at a new school now, do you want to go over the past?
Things aren't adding up for me either, so forgive me if I'm overlooking something....

GooseyLoosey · 12/11/2008 12:43

I echo the advice to see a lawyer. If the facts are as you present them and you can get people to support them, then I think the head acted very badly and should be disciplined. I think its worth the money to talk to someone who can explain properly what your options are - especially as it may lead to you not having to shell out for private school.

I am sorry that your son has been upset by all of this as it does sound like he did nothing at all. Poor boy!

Original poster
errdunno · 12/11/2008 12:43

I couldnt talk to the school she was away for 4 weeks that gives me 2 weeks to sort a school out!
When she came back in to school at the end of July she and the chair ignored my emails.

The lea had told me to find another school if I felt that bad, but when I contacted others they told me they were full and I would have to go to appeal!

My boy pleaded to go somewhere else as he was so ashamed (can we please not forget the effect on him in all this)
This gave me exactly 10 days to find a school.
Thats why I went private.
Its not that Im complaining about ffs
its her and her horrid treatment to my boy

OP posts:
EachPeachPearMum · 12/11/2008 12:45

At the end of the day, HTs are human like everyone else... and yes many of us (humans, not HTs) have our quirks, our prejudices, etc.
If she made a mistake, she made a mistake.
I'm not sure I can really fathom out all that went on here, but the governors and LEA should be dealing with the situation, and I cannot believe that they do not take your complaint seriously, regardless of what actually happened on the ground.
There are processes they must follow, and investigations take a long time, particuarly when complicated by the summer break in the middle.
Which LA are you in?

seeker · 12/11/2008 12:47

That wa wrong advice from the LEA as well - they have a responsibility to find a school place for any child of school age who lives in their area.

I repeat - what is the Head's version of events?

bamboostalks · 12/11/2008 12:47

wannaBe you are spot on.

Original poster
errdunno · 12/11/2008 12:51

ooh sorry about that last post using the ffs!
I just cant accept that she can ride roughshod over my boy like that...so public and so upset he is that he percieves has lost friends over this...you just cant get a 9 year old to understand the bigger things and that just cos he went along with it for the rest of the day dosnt make it right..he isnt the most outgoing little boy and he felt important for the rest of that day with all others signing this book and making cakes etc.....crushes me it does

OP posts:
wannaBe · 12/11/2008 13:07

so:

the ht came in and said that your ds was leaving and wished him well.

He then went along with this I don't know many children who would just confirm that they were leaving if they werent - children are more upfront than that and had people sign his book and make him cakes etc.

He then begged you not to make him go back because he was so ashamed - ashamed of what? The ht had been nice to him, his friends had been nice to him, he hadn't been excluded or brought to account for something he'd done wrong or humilliated so what was he ashamed of?

And you then went ahead and paid for him to go private even though your child hadn't actually been excluded from his existing school.

If you think I'm spoiling for a fight then so be it, but there is absolutely no way this happened. either

you are a troll,

or you have embellished your side of the story both to your son and to the posters on here to make your child look like a victim.

It would be too much of a risk for the ht to just come in and announce your child was leaving without discussing it with you the parent. She would have to be sure that you were actually going to take him out, and how else could she be sure of that if you hadn't confirmed it to her?

lucykate · 12/11/2008 13:10

head spinning- none of this makes sense

you say in your op that the meeting with the head the day before this happened 'fell apart'

did you, at any point during that meeting, give the head the impression, or more to the point, tell her you were going to move your ds to another school?

sorry if this has already been covered, i got a bit lost with what has gone on reading the thread.