References? Last head no longer teaching

[Nocalmwaters]

Just after some advice. Looking to apply for jobs coming up in Sept, 10 years teaching experience in Primary.

So, I’ve always just put my current Head and the most recent Head I’ve worked for as my referees. (We moved around a bit so I haven’t kept a job for more than three years!)

But, my most recent Head has left teaching since I left my last school (I took a fixed term contract to be PPA cover for the year before my 2nd DD was born in Dec 23). Do I contact the no longer in teaching Head to be my ref, and the current Deputy of my most recent school who I worked closely with?

Also, do I HAVE to reach out and ask them or can I just put down the current Deputy and the head from the school I worked at in 2022? Basically, I don’t want to reach out and contact them about this.. is that bad?

You'll need your current/most recent head for safer recruitment practices, not the deputy. All that will happen is the current head will send the reference to your old line manager, but it will have to go to the head first. You can use the deputy as a second reference however.