Q: We found out just before half-term that the local authority plans to close our primary school next year. This is my first term in the job and I’m devastated. Should I start looking for a new job immediately or do the usual rules about resignation and notice apply?
A: I’m sorry you’ve walked into what is often a very emotional situation.
However, just because a school is being closed, presumably because of falling rolls, the normal rules about resignations still apply in the run-up to the closure. Hopefully, you should expect sympathetic treatment if you start looking for a new post immediately. If you can see the year out and finish your induction in one school, then so much the better. Also, jobs for primary teachers are scarce at the moment and you may not find another one until next September. Ask what arrangements are being made for staff to apply for other posts. Some authorities are more helpful than others in this respect.
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