Does anybody know the chapter and verse with regard what rules are applicable to the advertising / creation of a job vacancy in a Local Authority funded School?
I ask because my wife works part-time in a school and recenty enquired about more hours but was told there weren't any. Recently an elderly retired lady began voluntary work at the school helping children with their reading. A couple of weeks ago a colleague of my wife left the school (she was employed to assist a child with special needs). My wife is suitably qualified to assist a special needs child. The position that had become vacant was never advertised and the next thing that my wife new was that it had been give to the elderly lady who had come to do voluntary work. This lady is neither a qualified teacher, teaching asistant or has any special needs training.
Things have been brought to a head in last day as staff at the school have discovered the elderly ladies husband is a close personal friend of the assistant head teacher. This smells of blatant nepotism and my wife, along with other colleagues, is very annoyed. It is also not the first time a job vacancy has either been 'created' or never advertised - only to be filled by a family member (the daughter of the head, daughter-in-law of the assistant head and both their husbands).
Perhaps this is all legitimate but it all seems a little too close to home for my liking.