Is this bad form?

[Sukistjames]

For the last year I've been working in one school doing regular supply through an agency. The school have asked me to stay on in September, still being paid through the agency, not a contract in sight. I have agreed to this.
However, today I've been approached by a school I have links with. They've asked if I would join their staff in September. This would be contracted through the LA.
So would it be really bad of me to tell my current school I cannot work for them in September?

[MsInterpret]

Oh great!

Hope you have a good year ahead with a lovely school

[LockedOutOfMN]

Pleased to hear it, OP. Wishing you all the best for your new job.

[jellyfrizz]

Yay Suki! Happy it's all worked out for you.

[Sukistjames]

Thank you Lockedout and Msin.
I did speak to school myself and I had nothing to worry about! They were lovely and congratulated me.

[LockedOutOfMN]

Agree with MsInterpret and want to repeat Congratulations!

[MsInterpret]

Congratulations!

I think you've got to be upfront and Honest with the school - they will respect you for that (and you can feel pleased you did the right thing!). School is a small world - you might end up working with the same staff again or even find they are part of the new school community as parents etc... Not worth it.

Good luck. Hopefully they will be happy for you.

[Sukistjames]

Contract confirmed today! Now I just have to tell the school I'm supplying at. Bit worried about that to be honest. It's very tempting to cop out and just tell my agency and let them tell school!

[CodewordRochambeau]

Agree with others about taking the perm contract, but do not do ANYTHING until that contract is in your hands.

[echt]

If you're being paid through an agency, you will not be having your pension contributions paid. I was in this position yonks ago and approached the school, who paid off the agency and converted me to a contract.

Fuck the school you're at ( and the horse they rode in on) and go for the real thing. You owe them nothing.

[EvilTwins]

jelly - yes, I expect so.

[PotteringAlong]

Take the permanent contract. If your current school were that fussed they could have given you a short term contract for the whole of the ML. They didn't (I assume because they don't want to pay you for the summer) so that's their fault.

[jellyfrizz]

There are plenty of supply staff out there who actively choose not to make a commitment.

But that's usually why people choose to do supply surely? So that they have to flexibility to go when they wish. Long term supply just seems like the worst of both worlds, all the responsibility but without being paid for the holidays, agency taking a huge cut etc.

OP wants a contract and if school A offered one they would still have a teacher.

Sounds like your school would be offering a contract in this situation EvilTwins.

[EvilTwins]

jelly - supply teachers filling posts is the last resort. Believe me, it's not for want of trying.

There are plenty of supply staff out there who actively choose not to make a commitment. We just lost a great guy who was supply teaching as a fill-in job whilst waiting for funding for his theatre company. Our loss. It goes both ways. This year at my school has been very tricky. Supply agencies send through CVs and recommendations and claim that teachers are "looking for long term work" then the teachers arrive and tell us they're only available for 2 weeks/3 months/until the end of May. The agencies are just looking for their fees.

Unfortunately I work with a deputy head who thinks that going through supply agencies is the best way to find staff (as opposed to advertising) but even when we have gone with adverts in the TES or in eTeach, half the time there are no applicants/no one suitable/we can't appoint.

[Fairuza]

The school is purposefully not making a commitment, so why should more be expected of the teacher?

[jellyfrizz]

EvilTwins, if your school doesn't want to be in that position they could offer proper contracts instead of supply work.

[EvilTwins]

Fairuza - you're right, I do know that. But having spent the year dealing the the fallout of this exact situation, I think that morally, it's wrong to ditch something you've made a commitment to. I don't blame the OP - absolutely, look out for your own interests, but I think it's a shitty situation to leave the school in this close to the end of the school year.

[c3pu]

Take the job and don't look back.

[Fairuza]

EvilTwins - the school wants a teacher through an agency on supply so they can drop her with no notice if they want and don't have any responsibilities towards her. Why should a teacher feel more obliged to them than they are to her?

[Sukistjames]

Thanks for the responses. Not had the offer fully confirmed yet (should be tomorrow) but I'll definitely be saying yes!

[jellyfrizz]

YANBU, if the school wants the security of a teacher for longer they need to offer a contract. If they pay supply, they get supply with flexibility for either side to terminate at any point.

[LockedOutOfMN]

Agree with Snazarooney and MsInterpret. Apologise to your current school and explain that you cannot refuse the permanent contract. You're covering maternity leave, your current school will understand that better offers come up. Congratulations on your better offer!

[CremeEggThief]

Sukist, look after no.1. The school sure as hell won't put you first.

[t4gnut]

Bad form is irrelevant. You do what's best for you and negotiate the best deal you can.

[MrsGuyOfGisbo]

And this is the kind of trick schools pull
here

[MrsGuyOfGisbo]

YANBU -that is the nature of supply -they are lucky to have had the continuity of you for so long. They can ditch you at any point - and if you read on TES, they often do!