Informal support plan after appraisal concerns, worth challenging the process?

[Spoon2011]

Hi everyone!

Hope you are well
.
I'd like to pick your brains on the following: been working in a school for a few years now, got best GCSE results in department last few years, strong Alps progress and pay progression last July in my appraisal but found a comment odd and challenged it (I am meeting teacher's standards with a significant area to improve - contradictions). I asked for evidence for that comment and response was 'it's not because it's not on paper it does not exist'.

Following this scrutiny increased drastically with a lot more criticism.
Just before my mid year appraisal, got 6 dropins in 8 days with no feedback to be told in my appraisal that I was failing a teacher standard (following dropins and learning walks) but was meeting my target (not linking to that teacher standard) and would be put on a informal support plan...

Any thoughts? Worth challenging processes not being followed?

Firstly talk to your Union Rep and if that does not work go to region. Keep all e-mails and a diary of every interaction.

Secondly this I assume is SLT and not the HOD and to be honest a number of the SLT I have met would not know a good lesson if it came up and bit then. Was this just one member or a number ?

I wonder and I am being a tad cynical, if you are and experienced teacher then they are making life difficult so you leave as you are expensive.

They cannot use comments that do not exist.

I have been in similar situations myself. In 2 of the schools I left and went to better schools in the 3rd, well by this time I was old and really not fussed by them upstairs. I had an observations which could have been better but it was the end of the day and coming up to the end of the Year and the students and myself were tired. So the box ticking HOD told me I may have to go onto a competency. I then said "Do you want me to leave now of the end of the week" She looked at mean and I helpfully pointed out that there was and still is a Science teacher shortage and I would have no trouble getting another job.

Good luck and I hope that things improve and yes challenge it.

Hello,

Thanks for sharing this with me.

The dropins just before the appraisal were made by 3 different SLT including headteacher! No feedback given... So how can I improve or correct things?!

I am still climbing the main pay scale and actually the 'cheaper' one in the department.

It seems that they can move the goalpost whenever they want but the policies seems not to have been followed...

Union is aware but won't step in before becoming formal which in opinion is when it's too late.

The evidence I have points minors points such as 'a couple of students had their pen in their hands' but on the opposite says 'calm and engaging atmosphere '...

I genuinely don't mind to get support as I am not a perfect teacher but going straight on pre-capability seems quite 'fishy' right?!

How would you challenge it though as I feel that anything is deflected and turned in the way I am the problem!

I wanted to ask some questions to the teaching and learning SLT but suddenly did not have any time for me...

Thanks again

My honest advice is to engage wholeheartedly with their process. If they are going to put you into support, what does that look like? How are they supporting you?

My school would allow a union rep in at the informal stage but I know that one of the unions don't provide support at that stage.

Hello.

Thanks for sharing.

I don't mind getting support as I am not perfect... It's how I got there ... The lack of transparency, those very intensive short burst learning walks/dropins with no feedback, some feedback were not accurate or not taking context as less than 5 minutes (i.e. send needs),... It does not add up!

Policies contradict each other - one says learning walks are informal whilst another says the opposite. Would you consider 6 dropins in 8 days as 'supportive, developmental and proportionate' ? It's those kind of things that I tick on...

The issue you have is that your union isn't going to support you at this point. So you can challenge it but I suspect that won't help. Whereas if you engage with it, then they should be documenting everything - which makes it easier to challenge, if you see what I mean.