Being forced out / made to leave

[criedandprejudice]

Does anyone else feel as if it’s just too easy for schools to do this to you?

It happened to me, and I wish I’d fought it. Now I feel my career is seriously compromised as a result (I was quite senior.)

Absolutely yes! I wasn't senior but the same has happened to me. The school was broke and desperate to claw back money wherever it could. That's when the carrion crows began to circle; who was weak enough to be picked off, who could they isolate and then bully into submission - a master class in intimidation! To think parents entrust children to these monsters.

Yes, definitely! All staff in a school are at the mercy of the Head really. Even if you had fought it and won, you'd have had to have left that particular school anyway.

I've noticed that once a Head (or other boss) wants you out, they'll keep going and find a way somehow, however hard you fight it.

It’s awful isn’t it, if they are strapped for cash and need to get rid of people, why can’t they offer redundancies instead of bullying people out. Obviously you’d still be out of a job but you’d have your dignity in tact knowing it was purely financial not your performance.

Redundancy can only be offered if that job no longer exists. Some schools have got around this by restructuring during the process of academisation; where everyone has to reapply for their jobs under a different title (and for less pay). Quite often though, it’s simply easier to remove an expensive member of staff by putting them through capability procedures. I work for an FE provider who now take on unqualified graduates as ‘trainee’ teachers. They are given a full teaching timetable and little support (as there is no funding to provide this). I have been teaching 20 years and am UPS3. I definitely feel I have a target on my back!

It happened to me too. I was senior. It was awful and they actually used illegal methods to get me out but I was so broken by that point that I didn't have the strength to fight them. I wish I had.
I now have a much better job than I did - a bit less pay but I work 37 hours a week, no more and get time off in lieu if I work over that. My work-life balance is so much better and I'm treated like a responsible adult.
I can finally say that I don't miss it!

Ah, you give me hope that there is life after all the misery!
Haven't yet been lucky enough to find employment but hopefully will before savings run out completely! Agree that when you have been treated so dreadfully there is almost a grieving process to be gone through before you can hope to move on.
Best wishes to everyone in this unenviable position and a warning to all in teaching - no one is safe!

Hope you're OK.
How did they force you out? I'm so paranoid about this happening, I'm wondering if there are ways to protect myself?

How to protect yourself? Hmm, let me see...
Firstly, work 60+ hours every week without complaint - nay, with joy in your heart!
Ensure that you're in school by 6:30 every morning and don't dream of leaving before 6pm every evening.
Make sure you offer extra booster groups both before and after school.
Seriously suck up to SLT especially when the latest dumbass initiative is doing the rounds.
Be prepared to stock the school - out of your own money of course - with all the essentials that your employer can't or won't provide.
Oh wait...I did all these things!
So where did I go wrong? Oh yes I got older, more experienced, more expensive.
I'm sorry, there is no way of guarding against this.

Oh I forgot,
Never expect to have more than a 10 minute break in every day.
Never, ever, sit in the staffroom with a cup of coffee and just chat with fellow professionals- it will be noticed!
Never expect an unbroken nights sleep - free from night sweats and anxiety.
And...expect to work most of the weekend.
Welcome to teaching in England in the 21st century!

Yes I was forced out of a school I'd been teaching at for 13 years - it was all down to budget basically. I was treated appallingly.

Currently working as a HLTA and no regrets - life far less stressful

Yes. Far too easy.

So sorry this has happened to you, yes it's far too easy. There are many good, caring head teachers out there. But there are far, far too many with sociopathic tendencies. And once established, they infect the whole system, and nothing seems to shift them. There seems to be no accountability as long as the bottom line keeps heading downward.

Yes this happened to me. Drop in observations and lessons rated inadequate. All of a sudden after years of no problems and good exam results. It was awful.
I don’t think you can protect yourself entirely but keeping your head down and never disagreeing with slt might help your cause.