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Original poster

Is the School office open during 6 weeks holiday ?

35 replies

Tashcj · 30/07/2022 08:46

Hi

After what’s been an awful year for me I’ve recently been offered a job (that I really want and need) and all I’m waiting on is a reference from my last place of work which was at a school. It’s been nearly 3 weeks now and they haven’t returned the request they had it just before they broke up for half term. I only worked there for a year part time but left on good terms.

Ive emailed again and the company has chased them up but do you know if emails are opened during half term ? I’m so worried they will withdraw the job offer without this they have received my other two good references back but say they need the one from my last place of employment before I can start : (

Any advice appreciated thank you

OP posts:
welshpolarbear · 30/07/2022 08:48

No the office won't be open,

Can you email the heads work email directly? Probably the only way you're going to get through.

What a stress! Sorry op.

dementedpixie · 30/07/2022 08:48

I very much doubt that staff will be in when the school is shut

KangarooKenny · 30/07/2022 08:48

No. Someone is generally in the last week of the holidays.

KarrotKake · 30/07/2022 08:49

Go straight to the head. They almost certainly will be checking emails, but I wouldn't want to rely on the office over the summer.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 30/07/2022 08:49

It depends upon who you're emailing and if they still work there.

What might be a good idea is to email more than one person - the business manager and head, for example.

User135792468 · 30/07/2022 08:49

Whilst some office / admin staff are in, they are not the ones who would actually write the reference. They are there to cover emergencies and to have someone present, although it isn’t always throughout the holidays. In my school, every reference needs to be either written or approved by the head. Unfortunately, if I’m honest, I don’t think anyone will look at it until September as it’s not a safeguarding emergency. Could you speak to your new workplace and explain this?

Smartiepants79 · 30/07/2022 08:50

Not at my school.
What kind of school? Secondary schools will have people in over the exam results period but primary schools won’t.
Do you not have any other way of contacting the people you used to work for?? Personal email or phone numbers??

Original poster
Tashcj · 30/07/2022 08:54

Thank you for your replies, I don’t have the heads email it isn’t on the school website I’m not sure where I can go from here just hoping they can wait until they reopen x

OP posts:
hedgehoglurker · 30/07/2022 08:54

Not to be pedantic, but the summer holidays is not half term.

Emails may be monitored occasionally, but perhaps not by the person who would provide the reference.

I would probably just keep phoning the office at random times in the hope of catching someone in. Otherwise, if employed by the LA, can they help with a basic reference?

cliffdiver · 30/07/2022 09:00

Finance/facilities staff will possibly be working (depending on when they've chosen to take their annual leave).

Did you receive a staff email with school opening hours over the summer break? If so, could you pop into the school and see if anyone is about?

I very much doubt the head would look at their emails until the week before school restarts in September.

TeenDivided · 30/07/2022 09:04

The school my DH is a governor for was open earlier this week with admin/finance staff there. I'd try visiting in person mid morning if it was holding things up.

Original poster
Tashcj · 30/07/2022 09:07

It’s a junior school I didn’t receive any staff emails as I haven’t worked there for a year I have emailed the school business manager on Friday morning but I as yet I haven’t received a response.

xx

OP posts:
KarmaComma · 30/07/2022 09:08

Are you emailing the office or a person? In the schools I worked at, offices wouldn't be open over summer until results day (18th august this year) and most staff are back to work then, whether at school or at home, but definitely checking emails. Heads and SLT would usually be available/checking mail in case of something urgent. Do you have contact details for any of the staff who could tell you the head's work email? It's usually something generic like [email protected]

pastabest · 30/07/2022 09:08

If you have the office email address you can probably try and guess the head's email address from it.

e.g. If the office email is [email protected] then the head's email address is highly likely to be [email protected] or their name in whichever format was used by the school

NeverDropYourMooncup · 30/07/2022 09:09

Whose email do you have, then? Business manager? A particular teacher? Office@?

(Surprised to learn people are so certain I'm not at work, though. Could have sworn I'm there all summer with the SBM, Finance, exams, assistant heads, IT, site team and a rota of senior staff).

CornishTiger · 30/07/2022 09:11

Head and safeguarding usually look at their emails. Have a look on school newsletter for extra ones.

Muchtoomuchtodo · 30/07/2022 09:14

Is it a primary or secondary school?
if it’s a secondary there will definitely be people there for results days (18th and 25th August) but in primary even if teachers are there they may not check their emails.
I think I’d call in on Monday and explain to anyone who’s in and hope they can help.
Hope you get something sorted in time.

Original poster
Tashcj · 30/07/2022 09:15

I’ve contacted the school business manager on her direct email on Friday so hoping I might still get a response the only other email address I have is the school office one xx

OP posts:
StripesSpots · 30/07/2022 09:20

Business manager is a good shout. Only the Head and Bus Manager check emails up until about mid August at my school, when the rest of SLT and Safeguarding come back in. Office staff don’t start back until September.

JesusMaryAndJosephAndTheWeeDon · 30/07/2022 09:26

Is it an academy? Part of a multi academy trust?

I find most head teachers and business managers check their emails during the holidays, although response times are understandably slower.

If it is a multi academy trust try emailing the trust they tend not to work term time only and often HR functions are dealt with by the trust.

LyndaLaHughes · 30/07/2022 09:30

Are you in touch with anyone who still works there? Ask them to contact the head for your and explain that it is urgent and the head will sort it for you.
Failing that, do as PP is and email the head by guessing the email address as per what you have already for business manager.

HeyJackKerouac · 30/07/2022 09:39

Is it a Local Authority school? If so, you could maybe go direct to the HR dept for an employment reference.
(BTW, I'm a school business manager and I check emails all thru hols)

LittleBearPad · 30/07/2022 09:46

NeverDropYourMooncup · 30/07/2022 09:09

Whose email do you have, then? Business manager? A particular teacher? Office@?

(Surprised to learn people are so certain I'm not at work, though. Could have sworn I'm there all summer with the SBM, Finance, exams, assistant heads, IT, site team and a rota of senior staff).

Yes but a secondary will be very different to a junior school. No exam results coming in, vastly smaller and just generally much simpler to lock up and leave for longer

Original poster
Tashcj · 30/07/2022 10:03

It’s a federation so no hr department unfortunately, thank you Heyjack gives me some hope it may be read. If I don’t have a response by Monday I do vaguely know a teaching assistant at the school he might be able to advise me if anyone is in or give me the heads email fingers crossed xx

OP posts:
honkeytonkwoman38 · 30/07/2022 10:15

They are in for A level exams and GCSEs