capability --- can anyone explain it please

Hi i am not facing capability but i wondered what would be the procedure to put someone on it ...i mean can they get you for one incident..or has it got to be ongoing ?
what sort of evidence would be put up against you and wouldn't they have had to have intervened and supported you to improve before going to capability ?
is it based on performance management ? or attendance ?
Is it easy for amember of staff to be put down that route or is it quite a lenghthy procedure /
Just curious and like to have this sort of information to my finger tips.
Thanks

 

Hi i am not facing capability but i wondered what would be the procedure to put someone on it ...i mean can they get you for one incident..or has it got to be ongoing ?
what sort of evidence would be put up against you and wouldn't they have had to have intervened and supported you to improve before going to capability ?
is it based on performance management ? or attendance ?
Is it easy for amember of staff to be put down that route or is it quite a lenghthy procedure /
Just curious and like to have this sort of information to my finger tips.
Thanks

 

Your school will have a policy. It should eb one adapted from a model Local Authority Policy. They vary so it would be best to ask for a copy.

 

It's a bit obvious walking up and asking for the capability policy isn't it ?

Can anyone copy the documents off the school network for an example ?

Ahren

 

As we're not in your school, how could we answer that?

 

maybe this might be of help


http://www.dfes.gov.uk/publications/guidanceonthelaw/dfee...

 

It's very easy for a member of staff to be put on capability. All that needs to happen is for your face not to fit, so to speak, or for you to speak out, even if what you say is logical and prove-able.

It is often a tool for removing teachers that heads don't like.

I recall being put on "informal capability" (not told it was, of course) because of a bad observation - an observation that I knew went bad, and went forward to rectify the problems, which had been caused by a previous teacher NOT teaching the required content (my fault for not doing an evaluation of the skills beforehand, I'll freely admit!!). The observation was carried out by a member of SLT who was in league with a bully in the school (at the time).

YES, it was a poor obs and, imo, rightly so, and I was not unaware of where it went wrong. Did I deserve what happened afterward? No, I don't think so, but took it as an opportunity to get some much-needed professional development that I'd been denied for 3 years by a previous head. Of course, I needed further development even more desperately in a different area, as well, but never got that!!

Was sent to see a lead teacher, who was shocked to see me sitting in his classroom, as we had both taught a specialised programme the summer before - only teachers of higher caliber (or were confident in that arena, actually) generally did that programme, you see. I told him what happened and he was very sympathetic.

LA inspector came in to see a lesson after all this and I was pronounced good. Had the head or DH done it, I suspect I would not have been passed. Head did one obs but admitted that he didn't even know how to grade the lesson, despite the fact that the pupils made immense strides in learning, because it was a CAME lesson (thinking skills and process were the key, not an end result).

My coordination of the subject, which I must admit had NOT been under fire despite the fact the best efforts of a teacher the school, was also pronounced good by Ofsted later that year.

However, that didn't stop the bullies in the school from trying and finding any angle to drag me down. They managed it, but it came back and bit them in the bum.

So, yes, anything can spark off capability if you have a vindictive SLT, Head, or even an "underling" teacher.

Sorry for the ramble....

 

wow slieber ! it is exactly that sort of thing i am worried about ! so if put on route of capability smt do have to try and support you and help you improve dont they ? cant just sack you straight away ? i mean if you have been at a school a long time or just come through an ofsted with good wouldn't it be hard to suddenly say you are rubbish get out ?
And would they if you had already lodged concerns about intimidation with your union surely putting you on capability would look like a witch hunt ?
My ramble over now !

 

"It's very easy for a member of staff to be put on capability. All that needs to happen is for your face not to fit, so to speak, or for you to speak out, even if what you say is logical and prove-able."

Slieber24 - Thank you for your honest and informative story about your own experiences. I think that is exactly how capability procedures are being used at my own school. As Union rep I'm having to deal with more and more of these situations. many never develop into full blown competency procedures, they are just being used to bully when faces don't fit and are being used pressure teachers who won't conform to various "mad cap" policies.

You are not alone !

Ahren

 

cAnt something be done to stop this ? Or am i just niaive

 

My head wanted to put me on capability 5 days after finding out I had filed a grievance against him.

I read the document and he had gone straight to stage 3.

The system is too open for abuse. I think that if they have concerns someone from the outside should come and have an informal look at the situation.

 

Sorry to hear about this Torey - I assume that you have got full Union involvement and backing?

 

There is a large percentage of good teachers in our school who are on capability. What really upset mme was being told that there were worse teachers in my school that should have been on capability but I was just unlucky enough to be observed.

 

Perhaps the system is abused in some cases, but there are teachers who are simply not good enough and need the extra input in order to improve. Let's not kid ourselves that all teachers on capability are hard-working, skillful and dedicated souls. If, after receiving the extra help, they cannot meet the requisite standard then they will lose their job, just as in any other walk of employment. Of course, once the capability is underway most unions advise the teacher go on sick leave. Not exactly wonderful for students in exam years who go from having a poor teacher to having none at all.
All very unpleasant for all concerned, though there are teachers out there who are desperate to improve, grasp the support with both hands and end up happier and more successful as a result. Sadly, that isn't a common enough outcome.
Kev

 

How do you know that they are 'poor teachers'. I have seen many examples of HT's using capability to further their own persecution of staff.
Capability can be brought on by almost any trumped up charge by poor HT's.