Teacher - leaving job after accepting

Golden_Glow90

So my school has now closed for good so I needed a job for September. I secured a job in April for a September start and signed a letter of acceptance. Since then I’ve been teaching there a couple of days for transition and have also been to staff meetings. I’ve now realised that this is not a school I want to work in. I’ve been asked to take on a head of department role outside my comfort zone for no extra pay and have just found out that the head has now left and they do not have a new one come September so I’m concerned about the leadership and support I’ll get. My wife has recently had a baby too so home life is very full on. Where would I stand on leaving this new job? I know it’s unethical but I was the only applicant so they wouldn’t have been able to offer it to someone else but I’ve signed an acceptance letter but not a contract.

pinkshoes

You can't leave until Christmas anyway, and have until 31st October to resign, so why not just give it a go until half term then make your decision then?

nicechap

Golden_Glow90 wrote: »

So my school has now closed for good so I needed a job for September. I secured a job in April for a September start and signed a letter of acceptance. Since then I’ve been teaching there a couple of days for transition and have also been to staff meetings. I’ve now realised that this is not a school I want to work in. I’ve been asked to take on a head of department role outside my comfort zone for no extra pay and have just found out that the he’s ha now left and they do not have a new one come September so I’m concerned about the leadership and support I’ll get. I’ve recently had a baby too so home life is very full on. Where would I stand on leaving this new job? I know it’s unethical but I was the only applicant so they wouldn’t have been able to offer it to someone else but I’ve signed an acceptance letter but not a contract.

Does your current employer know you’re working elsewhere?

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/75755604#Comment_75755604

lincroft1710

Golden_Glow90 wrote: »

but I was the only applicant so they wouldn’t have been able to offer it to someone else

Didn't that start alarm bells ringing?

Golden_Glow90

pinkshoes wrote: »

You can't leave until Christmas anyway, and have until 31st October to resign, so why not just give it a go until half term then make your decision then?

This is what I’m trying to find out, since I have only accepted but not been given a contract to sign does this mean I have to still work a term or can I refuse the job?

Golden_Glow90

nicechap wrote: »

Does your current employer know you’re working elsewhere?

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/75755604#Comment_75755604

That was for a friend of mine who works at a different school. She doesn’t have a MSE account so I posted on her behalf to save her having to sign up. It was my idea to post on here as it’s a great forum for getting good advice.

The days I’ve been teaching at my new school were agreed transition days between both employers which is common practice in teaching.

Golden_Glow90

lincroft1710 wrote: »

Didn't that start alarm bells ringing?

Yes but I needed a job for September and I’d already been unsuccessful at 2 interviews. Circumstances have changed and a friend of mine has offered me a job outside of teaching. I know the offer would still be there after Christmas but I’d like to avoid starting at this school as I will have to rewrite the schemes of work for subjects I’ve never taught which I wasn’t told at the time of accepting the job. This is a lot of work for a job I’m planning on leaving and will need to spend a lot of the summer holidays doing it.

[Deleted User]

Verbal acceptance is normally still considered acceptance of a job.

You can leave when you want, you just have to remember if it is not in accordance with the usual teachers terms and conditions than you are breaching your contract and can therefore be sued.

[Deleted User]

Golden_Glow90 wrote: »

This is what I’m trying to find out, since I have only accepted but not been given a contract to sign does this mean I have to still work a term or can I refuse the job?

Tell them you've had a change of heart. You have another job offer.

I accidentally resigned from an agency job 6 weeks ago and to go back on it would have been perjury or would not have changed the outcome as you can bet your boots the 2 that interviewed me didn't really want me, it ended up alright 1 weeks notice become 1 day.
If I had still been there, I would have been finishing in two weeks time as the ad said two months assignment.

I don't know schools but be honest now x

Dox

Golden_Glow90 wrote: »

Yes but I needed a job for September and I’d already been unsuccessful at 2 interviews. Circumstances have changed and a friend of mine has offered me a job outside of teaching. I know the offer would still be there after Christmas but I’d like to avoid starting at this school as I will have to rewrite the schemes of work for subjects I’ve never taught which I wasn’t told at the time of accepting the job. This is a lot of work for a job I’m planning on leaving and will need to spend a lot of the summer holidays doing it.

If they are paying you for your summer holidays, what's the issue? If they aren't paying you, what's the issue (you don't do the work)?

Ja7188

From what I understand of references in the teaching profession, you may never get another job if potential future employers find out that you accepted a job and then refused to go back after the first few transition days. Also, if you take another job outside of teaching and then want to go back into it, be prepared for some tough questions around the change of heart.

Could you give it a go for a term, see how it pans out and then resign if it's really not for you...?