Capability Query

[Ward12]

Five years ago I resigned from my teaching job after more than 15 years teaching at the same school. I was suffering from depression and anxiety fuelled by the process. I was in a really bad place and it was obvious the head was determined to get rid of me. I became a supply teacher and schools I have taught at have been nothing but complimentary and even call the office to request me to cover their classes. I have had some long -term placements in some lovely schools. I recently applied for a long term position (a years maternity cover) and I have had to apply through the local authority job site. I have provided two referees from recent long term placements as I resigned from my previous post 5 years ago. I haven't mentioned the capability. Should I have? How long does it stay on my record? Will the local authority provide this information ? Thank you in advance

Hello Ward
I found myself in a very similar position 5 years ago. I too suffered depression and I resigned before being placed on formal capability as I just couldn't handle the stress. Following supply work the next term I am now in a delightful school where I feel valued, although I am on a much lower pay scale. I have regained my self esteem. My informal capability was not mentioned in my reference, but I think that formal capability would have been. I have looked it up on the NEU site and copied the following-

'Will capability procedures be mentioned in any future reference?

If you work in a maintained school (eg a community school) and apply at some future date to work at a different maintained school or at an academy, your school will be under a legal obligation – if asked to do so – to tell your prospective employer if you have been the subject of capability proceedings in the past two years. Your school will also be required to provide written details of:

the concerns which gave rise to the capability proceedings
the duration of the proceedings
the outcome.'

The piece above mentions two years. You are well beyond that so I don't think that you need to mention capability at all.

Wishing you luck, keep up the good work!

@BeeMe Thank you for your comment. I am glad to hear that you are in a better place and you feel valued. It is great that you have regained your self-esteem, for me that was the hardest part. I went from being an outstanding to unsatisfactory, the whole process was awful, my only regret is that I let things get to the stage of formal capability, I wish I had resigned at that point. My new job is at a school I did a long term placement at a few years ago and I have been doing day to day supply teaching there since my placement finished. The head teacher approached me and asked me to apply for the maternity cover position, so I am feeling confident about the placement. I was worried that my past my ruin my future.

Wishing you all the best for the rest of this academic year and many more to come. x

Actually that information from the union is quite out of date. The school aren't even required to give a reference if they don’t wish to do so so there is no requirement to inform anyone regarding capability.