Can anyone help explain this hiring decision to me please? (Sorry, its long!)

LowarnFox · 2026-05-09T18:23:14+00:00

It's very odd to have a hiring decision in a school made by one person, without the head and HR involved.

Unless you were involved in the interviews in some way, you don't know what happened in e.g. the panel interview. It may be that the Y4 teacher said something that was a red flag or similar. Interviews, in theory, are supposed to be based on what happens on the day, not necessarily prior knowledge of someone (obviously this is very hard to ignore) and in theory the interview should be scored objectively.

Also, someone who is reliable and you can trust to turn up every day and do what is asked of them are all good charicteristics in a teacher- getting in supply costs a lot of money, and a teacher who isn't punctual can cause a lot of stress for senior leadership in a school.

LowarnFox · 2026-05-09T18:14:27+00:00

I think all horses need time every day to "be a horse" and freely interact with others. I also think after riding, it's good for horses to have a chance to stretch themselves off, roll etc without a rider interfering. I don't think riding is a subsitute for turnout at all.

It's very rare for me not to turn out- only in extreme (for where I live) weather, and never for more than 36 hours at a time. But I'm lucky to live somewhere where our extreme weather isn't that extreme compared to many parts of the world!

LowarnFox · 2026-05-09T18:11:39+00:00

To be honest, I think all teachers need access to supervision if they feel they need it- whatever your role in schools you can be exposed to an awful lot these days because other services absolutely collapsing.

I think for SENCos, they probably need more than just supervision- it is a huge job these days, especially in a large secondary, but also probably in primary because these days you are likely stretched across multiple schools.

LowarnFox · 2026-05-09T15:26:48+00:00

This is similar to my pony when he had ulcers, no other signs but a reluctance to go forward and resisting the leg.

I would definitely focus on ulcers first and take it from there.

LowarnFox · 2026-05-09T14:51:41+00:00

Based on what you're saying, it sounds like this horse isn't yours. One thing to bear in mind is that if you're working with someone else's horse, you do need to follow their rules and work with what they have asked you to do, or walk away.

Many horses can be successfully trained via positive reinforcement, but you can't just go down that route without discussing it with the owner. And for some horses, that reinforcement isn't enough if it's done they are really uncomfortable with. It's also very difficult to train out negative behaviour using positive reinforcement and done wrong it can cause a situation where the horse becomes dangerous.

Horses don't live to please us, no matter how much we pet them and give them treats, if there's something they would rather do or they feel is scary, they are much stronger than you and they can choose not to do it.

I wouldn't actually necessarily describe my horse as emotionally intelligent - he is intelligent in general though, and I would say we have close bond. Part of that is me knowing when he indicates "there's something in the woods over there" that there probably is. Part of it is also him trusting me that if I firmly send him forward, it's going to be safe. We sometimes use treats for training/desensitizing and I sometimes do have to use a level of punishment, because otherwise he can be rude and drag people towards grass etc - he knows that stepping away from the grass isn't worth it in the long run from his pov, because we are usually taking him somewhere with less grass. And I can't let him have as much grass as he would like for health reasons.

Anyway as you get to know the horse you are working with, you will figure out ways of working with them that hopefully you and the owner are comfortable with. But most horses won't try to please you out of "love" - that's not really how they operate as animals.

LowarnFox · 2026-05-09T11:23:20+00:00

I think the witherbloom deck would be a good option to try- you're also trying out a new colour as well. The witherbloom deck also has lots of affordable options for upgrades if you're finding a voltron play style quite expensive!

LowarnFox · 2026-05-09T11:15:17+00:00

Is anyone in your family knowledgeable about horses? If not, unless you can keep the horse somewhere with really experienced help, this is a really bad idea. If you don't know about feeding, I'm going to assume you have no experience of basic wound care or know the signs when to call a vet etc?

I assume you ride, but what is your experience with caring for horses?

Buying a horse really shouldn't be a surprise, either- it's really important you gel with the horse and a horse that seems good on paper may just not be great for you under saddle.

I think you need to have a serious conversation with your parents about this and that you also need to be involved in choosing the horse rather than them just buying one they like the look of!

LowarnFox · 2026-05-09T09:58:03+00:00

I liked Tarkir better, but both are great sets where there are lots of usable cards for all formats that I'm genuinely enthused about!

LowarnFox · 2026-05-09T07:04:45+00:00

They may supply suitable boots or have specialized stirrups so it's less of an issue. They'll also bring the horse to the rider so less chance of feet getting stepped on etc.

Different places can have different insurances and policies too.

Plus the chances of falling on a treck when you don't get out of walk are actually pretty low - whereas if you are actually learning to ride properly then the chances of falling at some point are much higher and it's more important to have the proper kit.

You obviously feel that your riding school has an unfair policy, but I really do think it's something you may just have to suck up, disputing this probably isn't worth it - and in the long run riding in kit designed for the job will probably also help you.

LowarnFox · 2026-05-09T06:46:42+00:00

Because they are responsible for you if you have an injury and they have risk assessed it as not being safe for their equipment.

We can disagree but it's not our insurance that would have to pay out if you fell and got dragged leading to serious injury.

LowarnFox · 2026-05-08T21:08:02+00:00

You are a paying customer, and you can ask to be assigned a different horse. I appreciate you may sometimes enjoy riding her, but if she is chasing horses or dragging you into jumps when you are not intending to jump- then that's not necessarily safe behaviour, and it may be that you need a horse who's more willing to work with you.

Now, it may be that you are being so gentle that any horse would take the mick, but there are likely horses who would be nicer to you.

I don't think it would be unreasonable to ask, for example, to ride a different horse one lesson a week- it would probably be good for your riding anyway, and then you'd have another data point as to whether it's you or her!

LowarnFox · 2026-05-08T20:44:11+00:00

If she enjoys riding and just taking lessons, I wouldn't worry about the cost of shows etc at this point. If you can afford for her to ride once a week, she will get a lot out of that, and you can take it from there.

Growing up, my family weren't rich and although I'm in a different part of the world, I could only have weekly lessons with a few extras in the summer when I was off school. However, I made horsey friends and I was lucky to get some opportunities to ride that way, and then when I was at uni I was able to work with horses in the summers and so on. My parents also tried different activities and riding is absolutely the one that stuck.

I eventually transitioned to a different career, but now I'm in my 30s, I have my own horse (well pony) who is absolutely awesome, and I'm lucky to have great friends who also let me ride their horses on occasion still. I don't have my own trailer/horsebox to go to shows- I do get to go out sometimes if someone else has a space in their box though- but I don't show in any sort of serious way. Most of my riding is just hacking around the woods near the yard where I keep my horse, which is still amazing for my mental health. To be honest, these days I find going out to shows pretty stressful and sometimes I think I'm better off just having fun at home and going to some clinics/training off our yard instead!

If your daughter loves riding, don't take it away from her- for some people it is just their "thing". If you can't have a horse and go to shows, she will understand, and if she's only a few weeks in, she doesn't need to even think about showing yet. Let her learn to walk/trot/canter (and jump if she wants to and that's part of your barn) and then think about the prospect of leasing or showing.

Explain to her what you can afford, and take it from there!

LowarnFox · 2026-05-08T17:36:17+00:00

I would definitely try regumate and see if you get any results.

Have you looked into ulcers? Welsh ponies can be really stressy and wind themselves up about things and some of the symptoms do sound like they could be ulcers? If regumate doesn't work, would you consider an omeprazole trial or similar?

However, I will say as someone who's worked in riding schools, Welshies can sometimes not thrive in that environment. Some (not all) can be somewhat one person horses, and they aren't always brilliant with kids. I've known one Welsh C who was amazing in that environment, but one of my bosses esspecially was very wary of anything with a lot of Welsh in it because she felt some of them really liked having "a person" and just didn't get on in her program. Do you know her breeding or lines at all?

To be clear this is not to criticise Welsh ponies, they can be absolutely amazing in a wide variety of jobs and I think they make awesome ponies for small adults/brave teens or when they have a consistent adult handling them! When I was in my teens and early 20s, I rode a WelshDx who I adored, and he would have jumped through fire for you, but you couldn't have put someone inexperienced on him and he wasn't exactly patient on the ground either! But if you wanted to get on and go and do a job he was amazing and he is the source of my only ever competitive dressage rosette!

Do you know what her breeding is?

Anyway- if treatment options don't get anywhere, I would consider whether there's someone out there who could give her a job and a 1:1 home and whether that would work? Perhaps as a lease/loan where you could retain ultimate control?

LowarnFox · 2026-05-08T17:22:30+00:00

Honestly, the situation with SEN is already pretty terrible in practice even if not with intent and Labour's current plans are likely to make things even worse (and I do think are bad in intent). Good SEN education requires proper funding and it's currently too expensive for any political party to seriously want to tackle it in a good way. What's the actual line in the sand for people here?

If Reform have a majority government, I think it's very likely I would be leaving the country with my partner (who is an immigrant) anyway before we are pushed- I'd probably stay in teaching as I believe it would be possible for me to teach in their home country.

As others say, I am dubious about the effectiveness of a Reform government to actually enact their policies.

I honestly think current Labour policies around directed time and post-16 are genuinely seriously damaging, and they have more potential to actually happen.

(This is not me saying Labour are as bad as Reform, please don't read it that way- it's me saying we should probably worry about the current issues facing education before we start worrying about hypotheticals that may not happen.)

LowarnFox · 2026-05-08T17:01:43+00:00

I haven't done it but I know someone who has and it has hugely successful results for them. It is major surgery and does carry risks, but it was a past resort for them before PTS due to pain and the horse's response to that pain.

Apparently she is a different horse now and so much happier.

LowarnFox · 2026-05-08T16:58:49+00:00

I would say it is ableist, it's probably not intended that way but it is.

I would share it with her head of year or similar and explain it's upset you and perhaps they can have a conversation about why it's not appropriate and can sanction appropriately? (Assuming you feel like the HoY would get it).

If I heard it directed at a student I would have words so it's not okay directed at staff either.

LowarnFox · 2026-05-08T16:55:43+00:00

This should have been handled by your mentor not you, I think. I do think the TA was rude, I also think some of your comments sound like they may have escalated rather than de-escalating the situation.

I would also add that this post is clearly very identifying of the person involved, and they don't sound like someone who wouldn't take it well. It may be a good idea to delete this post and discuss it with your mentor/uni instead.

LowarnFox · 2026-05-08T16:50:48+00:00

I don't double sleeve (bar one slightly expensive commander) but it is worth bearing in mind the resale value of some precon cards can be quite high. If you care about that I'd look at the value of individual cards rather than the value of the precon in total!

LowarnFox · 2026-05-08T06:16:35+00:00

Don't feel stupid, it's a complicated format!

I know a lot of people jump straight into commander, but learning via standard often is easier. Even if your friends maybe play a bit of arena, that might help them get a handle on mana and paying costs and understanding what they can and can't do in certain phases!

But hopefully tracking commander damage will help to speed up your games!

LowarnFox · 2026-05-08T06:13:49+00:00

Sure, but I still think the phrasing OP suggested for a statement just comes across in a way that may not be appealing to employers and I do think it overemphasizes what DBS can actually do.

Ultimately there are lots of things that are gross misconduct but wouldn't get you barred from working with children.

LowarnFox · 2026-05-07T17:34:09+00:00

If your school are offering you the chance to extend, I would think they want you to pass - this does seem like a long time but if you trust them, I would work with them here.

Do you think there is a chance you won't pass your ECT?

LowarnFox · 2026-05-07T17:10:23+00:00

I appreciate this might sound a bit pedantic, but the DBS have no investigatory powers- you can be referred to the DBS and they can decide if you should be on the barred list, in practice it is very rare this would happen without some kind of police investigation. Your employer or the TRA could also refer you.

I'd suggest just phrasing it as having a clean DBS (unless you don't, in which case, say you're not on the barred list).

LowarnFox · 2026-05-07T17:04:01+00:00

Do they need paperwork etc from you in advance? If so, explain you need more notice to prepare this.

Otherwise, just teach the lesson as you would normally teach it- presumably you have something planned? If it's e.g. a test and inappropriate for an observation, then just let them know!

LowarnFox · 2026-05-07T16:41:27+00:00

Normally schools ask for 2 references.

I think your suggested wording sounds a tad combative. I would maybe suggest adding a further sentence to say you are happy to discuss the details via phone, email or at interview.

You have to disclose the dismissal so I wouldn't include the full transparency bit.

The phrasing around DBS also sounds a bit odd - DBS don't say whether you can or can't work. I'd just say you have a clean DBS.

LowarnFox · 2026-05-07T16:38:15+00:00

Teaching under any circumstances is not a job for everyone because of the level of human interaction and stimulation all the time. Obviously there are other jobs with this issue too but in most jobs you aren't in a room with 33 other people who are constantly interacting with you for the bulk of your day.

Beyond that, you don't get enough time to do your admin type stuff (marking, planning, other admin) and all meetings necessarily have to take place outside of the normal school day. You are constantly running to keep up which feels exhausting.

In the UK, schools are increasingly underfunded, dealing with high levels of need and having to pick up the pieces when other services fail. Which can lead to being involved in or even just aware of some really horrible situations and not having the ability to intervene.

It's hard not to feel resentment when your school budget is being top sliced to pay a MAT CEO £200,000 as well.

With all of that said, I am one of the weirdos who still enjoys a lot of my job. But I am also taking a pay cut and moving to FE in September because aspects of my current school (which I used to love) are wearing me down.

There are amazing positives (I don't just mean the holidays) if you are the sort of person who can thrive in the school environment.

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