story 49

Age: 25

Teaching Experience: 0-1 years

Contract Type: Unemployed due to no jobs

I completed my NQT year in SLC 23/24. I worked my socks off and got amazing feedback all year.

I interviewed for a permanent post, and thought my interview went quite well. I was absolutely gutted when I received an email at the end of April saying I will not get a permanent post. I got this email during the school day, cried in my class on my lunch break, then had to hide my emotions from the children. It  was hell and one of the hardest moments of my life.

I contacted my interviewer who gave me great and constructive feedback, I felt like there wasn’t much else I could have done.

I contacted recruitment to see if I can be contacted again or if I could be considered for the supply list.. who told me that to be considered for a job permanent or supply, you need to score 13. I got 12… part of my interview feedback was ‘if you had said “I use E’s and O’s to plan” you would have got another point’ … I had focused on benchmarks. I still think my interview was good. My mentor gave me amazing feedback all year and helped me interview prep, I was positive in my interview, gave examples, shared my experiences and it lasted about half an hour, I left quite confident.

I finished up for the summer going into unemployment and still have absolutely nothing … I feel like the only one who doesn’t even have supply! I am so embarrassed and my confidence has been absolutely shattered. (I am trying to apply for any teacher role I can on my job Scot – obviously there is little to nothing). At university you are sold the dream, ‘this is the best job in the world’… which it is, if you are lucky enough to be enabled to do it.I absolutely adore teaching and have such a positive and passionate attitude. This situation is so mentally draining and disappointing… I don’t know what else I can do.I have so much experience, I have volunteered in primary schools, I was support staff, I worked at a summer hub, I’ve worked in a nursery.

My passion is children and learning. And I don’t mean to sound big headed, but I am excellent at it!I feel frustrated that councils are allowed to treat people like this, it feels like my whole life is up in the air and out of my control. I have a mortgage (luckily my partner has a good job)… I want to continue with my life, bigger home, start a family one day, and I feel like I can’t have anything.I will not give up, I LOVE teaching, I am such a positive and goal oriented person, I am just feeling so down and angry… I have emailed everyone I can, and I aim to continue to shout as loud as I can about this issue.

Government and councils are jointly to blame, and people outside the profession don’t seem to know this is going on. 5 years of uni + NQT year paid for by the government for NOTHING? Surely people outside of teaching care about that?I  am a heartbroken teacher and am desperate to be in the classroom.