Pre-PGCE School Experience (Programme).

Darren08

Hello all,


I've recently had some bad experiences with a school and it's left me feeling quite angry and frustrated. I am out of pocket as a result of the schools actions.


I arranged a formal 10 day placement with a school a few towns over from me via the School Experience Programme. Getting to and from would have required three buses and a 1.5hr commute each way, or a £15 cab and 20 minute drive.


Due to the distance, I asked a local school if they would let me come in and do the 10 day placement there with them as a private arrangement outside of the SEP. The school is a member of the Carmel College conglomerate.


The local school agreed and I cancelled the placement booked via the SEP. They agreed in writing and verbally that I could come in for the ten days. I therefore cancelled the formal SEP placement on the understanding that I had an agreed placement.


I went into the school to meet the head of department and we discussed how everything would work. I was told I could still visit once per week after the 10 day placement if I wanted. I was told I had to attend in formal attire. They agreed to sign the School Experience Programme forms even though it was privately arranged outside of the SEP.


The school asked me to arrange my own DBS check which they would pay for. I therefore booked an appointment and took time out of my busy schedule to go into the local council to have the DBS forms completed.


The school asked me to conduct some online training prior to agreeing to me going into lessons. It took me and entire afternoon and evening to read all of the material on child safety and the likes and to do the test.


I then had to go into the school a second time with signed forms (declarations, references, personal info etc).


The school did not get back to me and left me chasing them for a number of weeks. Eventually they replied that they had swapped heads of department and that I could go in again to set up the ten days.


I purchased a suit, ties, belt and shirts which came to around £65.


I went into the school (for the third time) and met the new head of department. We sat down and agreed ten dates that were agreeable to us both and she told me she would send me out a formal timetable. I was told I could even get proper school lunches on the days! I was told I could stay that day, so I stayed and observed one class.


I did not receive a formal timetable as promised so I chased the school up yet again.


I got a response saying that they were too busy and could no longer offer me the ten day placement.


This came completely out of the blue and there were no more formal placements available via SEP.

So now I am sat with £65 of formal gear in the wardrobe which I no longer need, no placement, no alternative placements to pick from, no observations/experience, and a lot of time wasted going to the council and into the school three times.


I advised the school I intended to file Small Claims for the formal clothing as I no longer need them and their solicitor responded that the claim would fail because there was no contract between the school and myself for the placement.


I have all of the e-mail correspondence proving they agreed to the 10 day placement, including the training and DBS check correspondence. The school just keeps coming back with 'we can revoke placements at our discretion' but surely they must be at fault for doing it after the first day of and agreed 10 day placement.


It seems really unfair that I have lost any chance of a placement until October, money and a good deal of time because of their disrespectful, disorganised, actions. Do I have a claim?


Thank you for your time!

bellaboo86

I'm not sure why you would cancel your formal SEP to do an informal one? It seems a really stupid thing to do in my opinion. I can appreciate being messed around is frustrating but if you has stuck with your SEP it wouldn't have happened.
Do you drive? If you don't you are limiting your choice of teaching jobs. Also, I would hate to have to carry my marking on to a bus. Staying late at school to get your marking done isn't always option so you might want to consider learning if you haven't got a license.
I also fail to see how you have wasted money on clothes. If you are set on a career in teaching then you need smart clothes so you will have ample opportunity to wear your purchases even if it isn't straight away. Alternatively take the clothes back and get a refund.
What is it your wanting to make a claim about? I'm not sure you have any grounds for one really.

FutureGirl

Your claim for the £65 for the clothing will fail. You state in your OP that you've lost the chance of placement 'until October' - so you would have had to buy the clothing then anyway, so it isn't a waste, and therefore you've not lost anything financially.

I can't see anything for you to claim for.

Andypandyboy

This is why there are organised and regulated placements.

If you had gone with the first one all of the onus to organise and sort out the detail would have been taken from you. You would also have been in a school that was approved and vetted for such placements. Vetting covers reliability, supervising staff, breadth of exposure to curriculum etc.

With regard to the clothes, just save them for when you do go on placement. A voluntary agreement with the school is not binding so you have no redress I am afraid.

missbiggles1

Darren08 wrote: »

Bit rude. Why would it be stupid when the school offered me the 10 day placement and agreed to sign all of the SEP forms?





I'm a few weeks off from my practical.





I can't take the clothes back, I bought them months ago, it took that long for the school to sort out the DBS and get me in. I won't be doing the PGCE/ITT/SCIT until September 2017 so I won't need the formal gear until then, unless I can secure a placement from October, which there is no guarantee of.

Then they'll just sit in your wardrobe until you need them, surely?

Andypandyboy

Perhaps, but I assume they thought you would realise doing that had inherent risks.

Schools are rapidly changing workplaces and that means that when circumstances change; new HOD, sickness, Ofsted pending etc, they often cannot make good on informal agreements.

I think you are just going to have to chalk (!) this one down to experience and let it go. Suing a school in the local area is really not a good move, your reputation will precede you if you apply for jobs locally. Teachers talk....

Take a deep breath and move on!

bellaboo86

Darren08 wrote: »

Bit rude. Why would it be stupid when the school offered me the 10 day placement and agreed to sign all of the SEP forms?

Schools are under no obligation under an informal route which is why it doesn't make sense to do it, especially when you had the option of a formal one.



I can't take the clothes back, I bought them months ago, it took that long for the school to sort out the DBS and get me in. I won't be doing the PGCE/ITT/SCIT until September 2017 so I won't need the formal gear until then, unless I can secure a placement from October, which there is no guarantee of.

If you get a placement then you will need the clothes won't you? I haven't been in a school yet where men aren't expected to wear a shirt and trousers.

Andypandyboy

Up to you, you really don't have any claim on the school, so why bother to rock the boat?

FutureGirl

Darren08 wrote: »

There's absolutely no guarantee that I will get a formal SEP placement. From January 2016-present, there have been no local SEP placements within a workable distance. The nearest was the one I originally booked - which was still a considerable distance. The next closest was a 40 minute train journey away, with a 90 minute walk from the station. Not practical at all. There's also no guarantee that formal attire will be mandatory at other schools, they might accept smart-cas.

I see the lost time and the clothes as being what I can claim for, as I am out of pocket because of both.

I don't think you can rely on this, as the placement you were going on wasn't an SEP placement.

You can't claim for lost 'time'. How are you out of pocket for your time?

Are there no other schools in your area you can do an informal placement with?

Bare in mind that if you're now going down the 'the clothes don't fit' route, you can't claim for the ties or belts as they'd still ft. It's only be the suit and shirts. You will have to pay the fee for claiming against the school and, if you lose which I feel you will, you then also have that cost to fork out as well.

silvercar

Your DBS will still be valid.

You can use the clothes for other events. You won't win a claim.

Move on.

Andypandyboy

Darren08 wrote: »

Unfortunately not


I might, -might-, be able to get into my local Primary School, as the 10 days requirement applies to any teaching level, I can observe a primary school but apply for secondary teaching.


That primary school accepts smart-casual attire, so again, the suit is useless.

You can wear the suit pants and a shirt. The suit will be useful to have for weddings, interviews, etc and can be altered easily if you lose weight.

I hope you are sucessful wth the Primary school. A word of advice though, when you approach them do not slag off the Secondary school.....;)

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