Reference?

[Navy123]

I have recently left a teaching post after mat leave - the school no longer suits me and I want to spend some time with my baby while he is little. However, I have found out from friends who have left/are considering leaving that the head is giving out slightly dodgy references (don't want to give too much away but she is putting negative statements in without evidence to back them up) and it is worrying me for any future jobs I may want to apply for.

Any ideas what I could do? I am tempted to apply for a job that I don't want simply so they can request the reference then I can ask to see it to see what she says! Better that than wait until I apply for my dream job

And to avoid a drip feed - the head and I didn't get on. Nothing massive, just didn't see eye to eye and she was pleased that I was leaving and not coming back.

You're not in East Anglia are you? We might have had the same head..... This one is rather unnecessarily vindictive and really doesn't like part timers or those on maternity. She prefers cheaper and naive NQTs to anyone with experience (or a personal opinion).

For my new job in Sept I received a critical reference from my old place (although here had been 2 other schools in the meantime) and the new place phoned me and told me outright that they were going to ignore it as "we know what she's like". They'd had in their words "several dealings" with her in the past and have taken on ex staff from that school, all of whom had something not quite right or lawful about their references from that head, all without any good reason or evidence to back up her claims. They also let me put my side of the story and explain in my words why I'd left rather than take her words as gospel.

So in essence, word spreads and if you apply for your next job locally, the new place is likely to know what and who they are dealing with. So maybe don't poke the snake with a stick by making an application just in order to see a reference, but have ready an explanation for any 'issues' which might be raised.

And anyway, if a school really did want you to work for them then as long as you passed the DBS and we're qualified then they have a discretion to ignore what references say anyway. There is a teacher shortage after all......

I am in east anglia...primary? Good to know word spreads, I hadn't really considered that. We have moved since I left though (not far but away from the area I was in) so I'm not sure how much overlap there is between schools I'd now be considering and the one I've left.

Good to know they can ignore references though. I did think if I could find out what she'd say I could try and clarify things in my cover letter - which is why I'm tempted to try and get a copy before it matters!