During term time you may have to request leave from school due to exceptional circumstances. This may be due to a range of reasons from attending jury service, going to a graduation ceremony to attending a wedding.
Author Archives: Andrew Lifford
You may be invited to attend a professional conduct panel hearing by the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) if you have been alleged of serious misconduct at your school. This will most likely be a very distressing time and you might be unsure of what professional conduct panels actually are. This article outlines what you can expect at a professional conduct panel and where you can look for additional information on this topic.
You may feel like you are being bullied or harassed by another teacher, your head of department or headteacher. All teachers have the right to work in a safe and secure environment free from intimidation, harassment and fear and where they feel valued and respected.
There may come a time during your teaching career when you feel forced to leave your position because of your school’s unreasonable or unlawful conduct. You may feel forced to resign because you consider there is no other alternative. This is known as constructive dismissal.
You may be suspended from your school when you are being investigated for a disciplinary issue. You should normally be paid during this period and you should be told why you have been suspended. However, in some rare cases you may be suspended without pay if your employment contract says that this can happen.
Reasonable force in the classroom can be a subject which may cause confusion. You may be involved in situations where you have to physically move pupils due to safety concerns for yourself and others. You might be apprehensive to do so and might be unsure about what you are allowed to do.
Accompaniment at your disciplinary hearing is crucially important. During your teaching career you may be invited to attend a formal disciplinary interview, either following a period of formal investigation or due to misconduct.
We frequently get asked questions about what a school reference looks like. We look at a few practical examples in this article.
If you have accepted a job offer to work at a different school or workplace your new employer will make a request for a reference. In the vast majority of cases there is nothing to be concerned about and your reference should highlight your successes in the classroom.
In the unfortunate event you have been physically assaulted by a pupil you will want to know how to proceed at your school. You will most likely feel shaken and may be apprehensive to continue teaching the same pupil, class or to return to teaching. Your school should have policies and procedures in place to ensure that you can teach safely and not be at risk of assault or intimidation by pupils.