I have been appalled by the destruction of morale of excellent new teachers caused by the current crazy interview and job allocation process.
In my authority, probationers at the end of their induction year all go for an initial interview. The details of the successful ones are put on a list which may or may not be full and accurate. The headteachers who know they have acancies look at the list and select candidates to interview.
They don’t appear to consider the location environmental considerations are not top of anyone’s priorities. Some teachers then turn up for interviews, perhaps at a distance from their homes, and sometimes it is evident they are making up numbers.
Afterwards, some go through gruelling feedback sessions where they are told time and again that they were the second best, or should have gone into more detail, or mentioned this or that initiative, or maybe talked more.
Then, after accepting in desperation 0.3 here and 0.2 there, in order to pay their mortgage, they hear that someone who was unsuccessful in four other interview panels is offered a full-time position after an informal chat.
Some of these people have left secure jobs to follow their vocation. They are committed, enthusiastic and creative teachers. This process leaves them feeling unvalued and second-rate.
Archimedes