I was approached by a recruitment agency regarding this position and initially pursued the opportunity with genuine interest, given the school’s strong reputation.
However, during the interview process, I felt that the organisation of the visit and lesson observation did not reflect the level of structure or preparation I would normally expect. For example, despite having requested to use mini whiteboards in advance, these were not available on the day, and the handling of the lesson materials I had provided felt somewhat uncoordinated. This gave me the impression that the process was not as well aligned or planned as I had hoped.
I also noted that the interview panel included another candidate for the same role, which was unexpected given my own background in middle leadership. While this is, of course, entirely the school’s prerogative, it contributed to a sense that the recruitment process was not structured in the way I would normally anticipate for a post of this level.
After leaving the interview, I felt uncertain about whether the school would be the right professional environment for me. Later that same day, a further concern arose when the school contacted my current workplace directly to request references, without going through the agency first and without my prior agreement. My understanding with the agency had been that my current school would only be contacted if I had decided to proceed with an offer, precisely to avoid unnecessary complications or difficult conversations at work.
Taken together, these experiences led me to conclude that the school would not be the right fit for me, and I therefore informed the agency that I did not wish to pursue the opportunity further.
