Hi,

First time I've used this so please forgive if I'm in the wrong place.

I have been working in a school for 7 years, in the past year I have been the HLTA and I have never received any complaints about my work.

In September our school was taken over by an academy and all temporary contracts were terminated.

In February, I had my appraisal and I was deemed inadequate. As such I was placed on a six week training programme that met the HLTA standards. I asked my head 4 times to offer examples of where my short-fallings were, so I could improve. I was told only to look at the standards, no actual work or evidence was produced. I have spoken all the teaching staff and no one has spoken badly of my teaching.

I undertook the six week training, visiting other schools, speaking to staff from other schools about marking and assessing work, they indicated that my work is good. No other HLTA I met planned lessons except phonics lessons.

For week six, I had to plan and deliver a lesson to a class of year 2’s. Before I went for feedback, I realised that there were a couple of areas I had missed, which the head agreed. I was told that the lesson failed to extend learning and as such was insufficient.

The next day I had to take in evidence of planned work, recording of evidence and marking. On the following Monday I was told it was insufficient and I was now being placed in capability proceedings which would start with a meeting the following week. I asked the head if she could give me her opinion or examples on the work and marking I had submitted, she just said no!

The next day I went to the doctor and have gone off sick, and have been for 4 weeks. I am about to undertake treatment with the local mental health department for stress and depression. In the past few days I have been receiving texts and letters from the academies HR department saying they want to meet to discuss my return. Last year I was severely ill for 7+ weeks and HR never got in touch once (but at this point we were still under local authority control)

I and my colleagues at school all feel that this is just a way of cost cutting, without having to pay redundancy. If I go back, I go into capability proceedings and my work record gets a black mark , which clearly I don’t want.

I have never been in a union in the 26 years I have worked with children. I have spoken to the local CAB, who said I should talk to the school, but not to agree to anything, yet. And talk to a legal team.

I’m really not sure how to proceed. Can they force me in to meeting with them? Go back to work? Is what they’re doing harassment? Does my sanity or my teaching reputation count for anything?