In your experience, how long do evil heads last?

[SwordOfJustice]

I have NCed for this for obvious reasons, but I have been on here for years.

While this isn't the first time I've had the misfortune to work with a bullying head who does not appreciate their workforce and actively works to get rid of anyone whose face doesn't fit, it's the first time I have been unable to leave in time and also the first time I am (indirectly, through my partner and a few very close work colleagues) affected.

This particular one started last September and since then has had about 1/3 of the workforce resign by May. Not only are they utterly incompetent (not my words, those of someone who know a lot more of the "behind the scenes" stuff), but they have actively bullied staff, including many highly-regarded and long-standing admin staff and a few teachers into either long-term sick leave, into leaving before disciplinary kicks in or by making ridiculous learning walks (with well-known problem classes, which are consistently flagged by staff across the school) to undermine teachers and their standing in front of the students they are teaching.
SLT who have left (the good 'uns) have been replaced with wet yes-men and one of our two union reps is already out.

My partner got on the radar through sheer excentricity and was consistently undermined in their behaviour management and ridiculous student complaints (told someone off in the corridor who was distracting their class while teaching) were upheld and formally investigated. A disciplinary was started on bullshit claims while no safeguarding from by then bullying students was put in place for them, so they left.

Our results are dire (have been for a while) and behaviour is the worst it's ever been. We are due Ofsted any moment.

How long is this evil, bullying person likely to last, in your experience? Will they be able to use Covid to pull their neck out when we inevitably fail our Ofsted? They have friends in the Trust.

I should add, several grievances and formal complaints have been made and more will be forthcoming, but so far they appear to have been swept under the carpet.

Mine was there for another 4 years after I left, them became exec head elsewhere before finally picking on the wrong person and being suspended. I don't know where he is now but if he stepped in front of my car, I wouldn't brake.

Not good news then :(

2 years for the last one I know.
And she was removed due to the (totally justified) complaints - I don't know which one made the final difference but she was removed at a lunchtime.

5 years

Bloody ages, because they just scapegoat those they have bullied out sadly

I got out after nine months with mine. He left under a cloud about six months later. If felt like a hollow victory. I was so so cross at the people who had ducked their heads and metaphorically said ‘yes’ and so frustrated at the board of governors for being sucked in by him.

I’m a governor at my new school, mostly because i never again want to feel that powerless.

Are staff mainly in the same Union? We went on strike and she left within the term (of the strike starting, it was her third year at the school). We all loved the school to much to leave so we were determined to stay and fight. Can you move towards strike action?

Forever. These types of people are made of Teflon: nothing sticks.

One of my former heads was like this and is still in post after ten years.

It's all about the public relations spin. To us, she was a relentless bully who was driving out members of staff who she didn't personally like. To the governors and on official documentation (such as the SIP/SEF), her "high expectations" and "pursuit of excellence" were exposing poor performers who (and I quote) "should not have been in the profession."

Why aren't your school's moving towards strike action? These Heads need to be removed.

In the case of my old head, staff were targetted one at a time so it was never a "whole staff" problem. It's also a psychologically charged situation. I've likened it before to being in an abusive relationship: you convince yourself that there isn't really a problem and that it's just natural up and downs.

There's also a perception issue. Like I said, the governing board and local authority advisor knew that people were leaving teaching or going off ill but, in their opinion, this was evidence of the head's drive for excellence.

The one I knew ( had been deputy head here, and bullied several excellent staff out) lasted four terms at his headship before being put on gardening leave by the governors and then sacked. By then half outgoing y11 hadn’t returned for sixth form and numerous staff had been forced out under his culture of blame and bullying.
I had assumed that would be him out of education but he currently has another slt job in a school some distance away 😳

Too many wet blankets left by now - that is why strike action won't work. Most of the outspoken staff are either out or on their way out and there are very few of us left. Many NQTs are being employed, and many in very unsuitable roles. I wonder whether our inevitably tanking results will trigger another Ofsted visit and the head can be sacked then?

This year there was far too much room to fudge results and far too few people refusing to do so.

@Iamnotthe1

One of my former heads was like this and is still in post after ten years.

It's all about the public relations spin. To us, she was a relentless bully who was driving out members of staff who she didn't personally like. To the governors and on official documentation (such as the SIP/SEF), her "high expectations" and "pursuit of excellence" were exposing poor performers who (and I quote) "should not have been in the profession."

I'm sure I worked for her too. Obsessed with star signs and body language? Definitely seen 'relentless in her pursuit of excellence' on an OFSTED report. Even sacked a member of staff with a brain tumour.

@Myothercarisalsoshit
That's awful! Not least because that means there's two of them out there!

They last too long. I left within one term of a new head where I was. Several others followed me quickly. Just a few years later the Head and Deputy are the same but all but two of the teachers that were there with me have left. ALL the premises staff left (three caretakers in five years). All the midday staff have changed. All the admin staff have changed. They always have vacancies of some sort and it’s all because of a bad head and deputy.

Less than half a term for one total incompetent and six years for another very unpleasant one.