Chances of leaving at Christmas if i hand in notice tomorrow?

[user1483390742]

Just that really. I have had enough and can't give any more. How likely would it be that my head would let me go at the end of this term?

If you are leaving teaching it is 1 month notice period.

I thought it was half a term’s notice?

I’d say very unlikely

Check you policy but my school is a half term so 31st October was the deadline for leaving at Christmas.

In England and Wales, you'd have to have special permission from your head to be released from contract as it's normally half a term's notice to leave at the end of term.

I believe you give one month's notice in Scotland.

Talk to the head. That's all you can do!

If you are leaving teaching it is 1 month notice period.
Not in any school I've ever known it isn't!

31 October is the deadline to leave on 31 December. 28 February is the deadline to leave 30 April. 31 May to leave on 31 August.

You'd need to speak to the head. You'll know better than any of us whether she will accept your resignation or not. I know for a fact that mine wouldn't be accepted now (not because I'm wonderful or anything but because of the local recruitment issues, shortage subject etc) I've never been totally sure what would happen if you did just leave though. I mean, they can't physically make you go in.

MsJaneAusten is correct about leaving dates, but you need to check your contract - academies, private schools can do what they like, Scotland is different as well, and we don't know where you live.

If you just left anyway, without working your notice (which legally now would probably mean working until 30th April), then they can sue you for the money they have to shell out for cover teachers and/or recruitment costs. I think this is rare though.

I think it's unlikely they'll let you go, but it's always worth asking, the worst they can do is say no, and there may be a slim chance that the Head was looking to cut some staff anyway, or knows someone who he wants to replace you with.

It’s half a term notice - however, if you are leaving because you are stressed/can’t cope the head might think it’s bettet to let you go rather than you go on the sick. We’ve let people go fairly quickly on this basis.

It’s half a term notice

Again, not in most schools in England and Wales it isn’t. There are three set leaving dates each year (see my post above) and anything else is at the discretion of your head.

Thanks for all the input and advice. I have written my letter of resignation and am seeing the head first thing tomorrow. Here's hoping he says go at Xmas!

Echoing what other postwes have said about 3 resignation dates which equates to essentially half term notice period.

Hope it went ok OP.

But MaisyPops, it doesn’t equate to half terms notice. Most people handing their notice in now won’t be able to leave until April - well over a term’s notice.

OP, I hope that’s not the case for you, but bear in mind you could be told ‘no’ and then you’ve shown your hand several months before you might want to.

Good luck

It's half a term of notice. My friend left our school outside this notice period and had to get permission from governors.

I would be very surprised if they let you go at Christmas, but please do keep us updated.

dreamyflower it's not a half term's notice. As MsJaneAusten says, if someone hands their notice in now, it's a notice period of over FIVE MONTHS!

"Half-term's notice" would mean the OP could hand their notice in today and leave somewhere in the middle of next half term (end of Jan/early Feb), which she can't.

The notice periods in teaching are ridiculous.

astuz
They'd only have 5 months notice because they missed the resignation date for Christmas.
The whole system is built on staff leaving at Christmas, Easter and the Summer. The resignation dates are half term notice for those dates.
The only way someone would have to do more than half term's notice is if they opt to resign after the set dates or are seeking a non standard arrangement.

Confusingly, a "term" in some schools is the same length as half a term in others, so 6 terms a year rather than 3.

MaisyPops - but sometimes things crop up in life that mean we do miss these deadlines - a partner might have to move across the country for work, you may need to move closer to an elderly relative, you may have a "straw that broke the camel's back" moment, when you just decide enough is enough, like this OP has - life goes on and these life events don't just happen towards the end of October, February and May, when it's convenient to hand in notice!

Exactly this situation happened to me a few years ago - for personal reasons, I needed to leave my job ASAP, but it was early December at the time. Any other job, I would have worked for the next 4 weeks, maybe 2 months at the most, but because it was teaching, the Head refused an early release and he made me work right up until 30th April - I muddled through but it was a major hassle.

Sometimes things do crop up. A friend of mine ended up putting notice in earlier than they'd have liked when it looked like they were moving.

But I can see why set dates work for teaching. It makes more sense to have staff working in school units. Otherqise you get a class who have a teacher for 1 week and then change to another one and then there's weird overlaps with supply if the next one in the chain can't get out etc. It would be like buying houses but where kids suffer the instability.

Personally, if be happy with a rolling half term in advance set up so if you resign by Christmas you can go at Feb half term.

Presumably you can leave at Christmas even if the head doesn’t accept your resignation but you’ll be in breach of contract and they might not pay you for the full time you’ve worked? As it would be in most jobs?

Also I now see what we’ve had teachers go off sick for weeks/months before they officially leave - Really if the alternative is ‘work 5 months until your notice kicks in’ I can see why that happens.

What happened OP? Did they accept?

I left at a nn standard time, and with a non standard time period. However, I had to get permission to do so, via the HT and ultimately the Governors. I had to give them written notice, stating why I wanted to leave at that time. Fortunately for me, they did agree reluctantly to release me early - though had they not I'd have really pushed it as I'd put up with enough, else Id have considered taking sick leave which my GP was already happy to give at that point anyway.
I fell lucky too and actually got a confirmed new job the same week as handing in my notice, so could start that earlier than originally planned.

What happened OP?

They are letting me go! The govenors asked to meet with me. They know i'm not happy, so decided there's no point in making me stay. Two and a half weeks to go- i'm over the moon!

Well done. I’m glad it worked out for you.