Job application - no second reference

[MolkosTeenageAngst]

Hello, hoping somebody can help me as I am applying for a teaching role but am stuck as I only have one reference, my current headteacher. I don’t know who to put as my second reference; I have been in my current school about 12 years, prior to this I spent 3 years at a school where I started as an NQT. The headteacher and deputy from my previous school have both since retired and I’m not in contact with anybody at the school, I’m not even sure anybody from my time would still be there.

My current school is an independent school and there is a policy that staff are not to write references for each other, only the head may provide references. I know none of the leadership team are likely to go against this rule and provide me with anything, in which case who would I use as a second reference? My understanding is that personal references from friends etc aren’t typically accepted in teaching? Can anybody advise? Thank you.

Could you explain the situation to your current headteacher at the independent school, and ask if they would allow you to put down the name of another (senior) member of staff as you need two references?

Alternatively, you can go to the website of your previous school, look up the staff and find out if anyone is still there from your time there. You could easily get a message to them by contacting the school.

A reference covering 12 years should be sufficient - I mean a lot has changed between 2009-2012 so a reference from back then wouldn’t really be useful and as a HT I wouldn’t waste my time with it.

Could you perhaps see if you can get a personal /character reference?

Thanks for the responses. Unfortunately from what I can see on the website there is only one teacher who was there when I was remaining at my old school and we worked at totally different ends of the school I’m not even sure if she’d remember me so I don’t think that’s really an option.

I think I could possibly get a personal/ character reference from a fellow teacher, I have a couple of teacher friends who previously worked with me at my current school who have now left my workplace, but my understanding is that non-professional references aren’t really accepted in teaching? They could vouch for my character but didn’t even line manage me or anything, would these be acceptable?

I’d just put down the Head of the previous school. All they’ll be able to do is comment on info from your file but that will provide a full cover of your teaching career for safer recruitment checks. The only valuable commentary on your teaching now will come from your current school’s reference so don’t try and duplicate. Good luck.