We have been sent a screenshot of this review by a teacher from a school in the UK (!).
It was published on the International Schools Reviews. This is a sample of the basic reviews that can be posted. A full review is also possible with a paid membership. We will publish other 'sample' reviews when we receive more.
Some comments from reviewers:
Riding on a good reputation from times past. Almost half of leadership group seem to have gotten their jobs through default, not a selection process. Staff appear overworked, underappreciated and fearful of speaking out. Micromanaged by unprofessional leadership group.
The school has moved into a new campus. Unfortunately this has been the main focus of the Principal for the last two years so his leadership team have been fumbling around trying to run the school which has reached a peak this year when they have handed out disciplinaries and non-renewals of contracts to experienced staff like hot dinners. It is a shame because when I joined the school was friendly and had a strong community feel. It was not about exam results alone. The staff mattered as much as the students. CPD is rare and wellbeing is uncatered for. The website says everything you need to know if you read between the lines. it is all about marketing and looking smart and there is very little about the staff and teaching. Should that come second? *Country* is a nice place to live and I have made lots of friends so I am pleased that I arrived all those years ago but the school needs a real shake up. Make sure you read between the lines before applying for this HPL school, it was going so well and then 2018...
Working at *Name of the school* used to be wonderful. Before the days of the current principal (2020), the previous principal used to write hand-written thank you notes for your efforts towards the school, pupils and community. The previous principal valued all staff, and any extra time they gave up for the school. If he asked you to attend a school function everybody went, he wasn't perfect, no one is, however, he was a humanitarian. The current principal, has delusions of grandeur, rules the school like a dictator and hands out disciplinary meetings, written warnings and seems to have started culling staff by means of final written warnings and non-renewal of contracts based on rumour and unsubstantiated claims.
*Name of the school* was not a nice place to work when I left and I chose to leave because the school did not deserve my quality of teaching and passion for education. I have heard now (2020) that it is much worse. 'I felt compelled'* to write this review to save any wonderful teachers from having episodes of depression, mental health issues and unhappy home/family life which will be caused by *Name of the school*.
The school is NOT the place it used to be.
* One of the principals most favourite sentence starters.
British Curriculum but not British values.
New building, new tighter budgets, micro managed and bullied by leadership group. Staff left to find own CPD. Not a nice place to work.
Additional reviews:
Management style is authoritarian and devious. He claims he is supporting the staff but, in fact, he threatens staff with disciplinary actions, negative feedback, threatening with 'Gross Misconduct' statements on teachers' record and occasionally involving the police in the internal affairs of the school when he feels criticised. An anonymous blog by -presumably- a member of staff justified him not renewing contracts of suspected teachers who are known to be excellent educators and without any personal or professional blemishes. When confronted, he claims it was not his decision but his VP's.
He understands the academic intricacies of examinations and boards but he is proven incapable of any empathy when teachers are harassed by his leadership group. The Human Resources Department is very keen to please him and they have conducted interrogations of members of staff who were suspected of criticising the school and all this based on suspicion or false excuses of 'unprofessional' conduct. Later, these decisions were overthrown by the board of governors and teachers' record cleared of any disciplinary actions.
The hiring process is rigorous but it has been known that members of staff were 'lured' into accepting contracts and then when they arrived at the school, the promises were not fulfilled.
School contracts change every year as they are annually renewed but every contract comes with changed clauses and conditions. Work day changes length and titles/functions/roles are added or subtracted as management sees fit leaving the teachers in very difficult position whether to stay or leave and displace their families again.
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Did this director keep to the schedule or were you kept waiting? All good.
Was an invitation to interview in your candidate's mailbox? Yes
Did the interview focus on your teaching skills or was it a casual conversation with the intent to see if you would be a good "fit"? Both
If you won the position, did you find the school and school community as described by the director? NO. I was mis-sold the school. The atmosphere was electric as it was apparent that the teachers were very unhappy with the way they are treated by the management. A lot of work and unproductive procedures. The school is NOT really academic although the students are good students and discipline is almost never an issue.
I am not sure the school will be worth moving your family to as things are changing to the worse and the staff are very unhappy. If you are new and single, you have the chance to earn good money - but provided that you keep your head down.
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