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Teachers going for Induction Days at a new school - who pays?

I just wondered what everyone's general experience was on this. As far as I understand it, all teachers are routinely allowed to take time out of school to attend interviews for new jobs, largely because the interviews normally require them to teach a lesson, therefore requiring them to attend the interview during a normal school day. However, once the teacher has been offered, and accepted, a new job, what is the general etiquette regarding a new staff induction day at their new school, if this takes place during the previous term for example, thus necessitating them to take a day off from their current school? We have just had such an incident where one new member of staff's current school is making it difficult for her to come to our induction (which takes place on a Friday and Saturday in June, ie in term time) and requesting that we pay the costs of any cover that is required for her current role. 

I was wondering if this was quite common, or whether her current school are being a bit unreasonable? Anyone had any experiences of this and what did you do?

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  • When i worked with schools, it was fairly common for the 'new' school to pay the cost of a supply teacher in the 'old' school, if they wanted the Teacher to attend induction or meetings before they started. The alternative is likely to be that the 'old' school will just refuse the time off and they will be unable to attend the induction
  • Our absence policy allows for one day leave to attend an induction day but know this isn’t the case for all schools. The invoice should come from the school itself and I’d want confirmation of exactly how much cover is required. Potentially if it’s secondary study leave would normally have commenced and actual classroom requirements may be reduced. You could always compromise and offer half a day.
  • Hello
    It is common to offer to pay for supply teacher costs to release teachers from their current school to attend their new one.
  • In reply to Lucy:

    Don’t have any specific education sector work experience, but would also have thought that other things being equal it’s up to the new school that’s deriving all the benefits of this to compensate the current one for having to buy extra cover.

    But if there’s eg a local head teachers forum, it may be worth their agreeing between themselves a protocol for releasing staff for the purposes of selection and recruitment processes between schools. For the good reason that iit happens all the time and helps a lot and avoids bickering and inconsistencies if there’s an agreed set of rules.