Received job offer but checked out ISR. Loads of bad reports focused on management, work culture and package. Anyone any insight? Edit, this is about secondary.
No specific information to share here, but with ISR reviews, volume is usually telling. If it’s just one or two, it’s easy to write off as a person with a bad experience and an axe to grind. If there are several of them, over years, in different voices, and they tell a similar or consistent story, there’s fire beneath that smoke.
Several reviews can be written by the same teacher, so you are correct in pointing out that they have to be written over the course of multiple years to make them more credible. Even then it can still be the same (very persistent) teacher determined to tarnish the school's reputation.
That being said, for a teacher to do all that, either the teacher is overreacting (I know an example of someone like this, who was fired with very good cause but wanted to destroy the school because they thought they did nothing wrong), OR the school is so bad that the teacher feels they need to make sure nobody will apply to this school and have the same horrible experience that they had.
Definitely true — there’s someone who works or worked at Sacred Heart in Tokyo who seems like the Proust of miserable international school teachers, recording the minutiae of their grievances every few weeks — but it’s also easily identifiable as the work of one author. Everything should always be taken with salt, but patterns over time are generally indicative of institutional problems. Six in a few weeks is pretty suspicious, though…
Yes, sometimes it's very clear that it's the same person, but with ChatGPT it's very easy to have a different tone of voice for each review.
Sadly ISR doesn't show when a review was posted, which would make it easier to spot if a school received lots of a reviews in a short time. Only the years covered in the review are listed, but that only helps a bit.
Definitely going to read the Sacred Heart reviews now.
Going back a few years, I’m aware of one individual who posted reviews very regularly, sometimes monthly. This continued even after they had moved into a new role, with reviews still being left about their previous school.
One thing worth bearing in mind is the unusual nature of school contracts compared with other sectors. If a contract isn’t renewed, an individual may remain in post for six to nine months, often at a time when their emotions are running high.
Reviews are frequently written around renewal periods or when the individual leaves and can reflect experiences from nine to twelve months earlier.
At that time, a school may have undergone significant changes, so reviews don’t always accurately reflect its current state or any progress it may have made.
Well, there have been many unhappy parents and teachers there. However, the location is very good. The schools in Penang aren’t great about teacher wellbeing. SCIPs might be the best one.
Volume of negative ISR reviews or patterns in those reviews sadly isn't a conclusive indicator.
Some disgruntled teachers just post a bunch of reviews about the same school to damage that school's reputation. Sometimes the school deserves it, sometimes it doesn't, but multiple reviews doesn't always mean multiple (ex-)teachers.
If you regularly check out 'Most recent' section on ISR then you start to notice that some school get a very high amount of reviews in a short period of time, which is highly unusual and will likely mean the reviews are a coordinated effort to have it appear that many teachers are unhappy with the school, where in reality it could very well be that it's just one teacher who has an axe to grind (sometimes with good reason).
For example, MISK, Haileybury Almaty, Riverside Phnom Penh are three schools that have received a suspiciously high number of negative comments on ISR within a short timeframe. No doubt none of these are stellar schools, but I'm just not sure if they deserve the hate they ave received in those reviews, and I suspect some reviews and comments have been written by the same person.
I had a quick look, and recently Prince of Wales has received 6 reviews in two weeks, which makes me think that these were not written by 6 different teachers.
The best thing you can do is try to contact a Secondary teacher (ideally more than one) who is currently working at the school and ask them some questions about the school. You could try to do this via LinkedIn, Facebook, or ask in a Penang subreddit or Facebook group. Sometimes the school's website has the teacher's names on it. Find one that has a very unique name, see if they have a social media profile, and send them a polite message, possibly using an anonymous account (perhaps you'll accidentally approach an admin cheerleader, who will inform admin of your doubts).
To be honest, you'll likely find out it's not a great school, but don't be discouraged based on ISR reviews alone. Asking your question here like you did is a great way of finding out more. I hope it turns out to be a decent place to work. Penang is great, so your time outside of school will certainly be enjoyable. Good luck!
There might be an element of validity here, but I checked neighbouring schools and not muchz appreciate your insight. A teacher there contacted me which helped me a lot! Thanks!
I meant to say your comments are valid. Meanwhile three different people from the school have personally messaged me. I looked back at the reviews and they unfortunately go back several years. When the head interviewed me I asked about the package on the HR handout she brushed it aside.
My current school had a negative post. Within two days there were three! I think sometimes, especially at the end of term people vent their frustrations and get on the bandwagon. Often you just need one person and then the rest vent legitimate grievances. But this place seems to not be well run and it's head has a negative elephantine footprint on ISR
Or it was the same person posting multiple reviews every few days. Or it was indeed multiple people. Sadly it's hard to tell.
Also, I wish more people who are happy (or neutral) at their school would post reviews.
Possibly! Quite a few places have positives. None at all is a good sign too I guess. People far more likely to make an effort to post the bad. For all I know you could be a member of SLT there! 😆
No specific information to share here, but with ISR reviews, volume is usually telling. If it’s just one or two, it’s easy to write off as a person with a bad experience and an axe to grind. If there are several of them, over years, in different voices, and they tell a similar or consistent story, there’s fire beneath that smoke.
Several reviews can be written by the same teacher, so you are correct in pointing out that they have to be written over the course of multiple years to make them more credible. Even then it can still be the same (very persistent) teacher determined to tarnish the school's reputation.
That being said, for a teacher to do all that, either the teacher is overreacting (I know an example of someone like this, who was fired with very good cause but wanted to destroy the school because they thought they did nothing wrong), OR the school is so bad that the teacher feels they need to make sure nobody will apply to this school and have the same horrible experience that they had.
Definitely true — there’s someone who works or worked at Sacred Heart in Tokyo who seems like the Proust of miserable international school teachers, recording the minutiae of their grievances every few weeks — but it’s also easily identifiable as the work of one author. Everything should always be taken with salt, but patterns over time are generally indicative of institutional problems. Six in a few weeks is pretty suspicious, though…
Yes, sometimes it's very clear that it's the same person, but with ChatGPT it's very easy to have a different tone of voice for each review.
Sadly ISR doesn't show when a review was posted, which would make it easier to spot if a school received lots of a reviews in a short time. Only the years covered in the review are listed, but that only helps a bit.
Definitely going to read the Sacred Heart reviews now.
Going back a few years, I’m aware of one individual who posted reviews very regularly, sometimes monthly. This continued even after they had moved into a new role, with reviews still being left about their previous school.
One thing worth bearing in mind is the unusual nature of school contracts compared with other sectors. If a contract isn’t renewed, an individual may remain in post for six to nine months, often at a time when their emotions are running high.
Reviews are frequently written around renewal periods or when the individual leaves and can reflect experiences from nine to twelve months earlier.
At that time, a school may have undergone significant changes, so reviews don’t always accurately reflect its current state or any progress it may have made.
That shows commitment. Sadly the wrong kind. I wonder what the school (supposedly) did to them.
My thoughts too. Thanks!
Well, there have been many unhappy parents and teachers there. However, the location is very good. The schools in Penang aren’t great about teacher wellbeing. SCIPs might be the best one.
Thanks!
I looked at ISR admin review and Dianh Hawtree has 5 bad reviews from teachers in 5 different schools. I am going to give it a miss.
Volume of negative ISR reviews or patterns in those reviews sadly isn't a conclusive indicator.
Some disgruntled teachers just post a bunch of reviews about the same school to damage that school's reputation. Sometimes the school deserves it, sometimes it doesn't, but multiple reviews doesn't always mean multiple (ex-)teachers.
If you regularly check out 'Most recent' section on ISR then you start to notice that some school get a very high amount of reviews in a short period of time, which is highly unusual and will likely mean the reviews are a coordinated effort to have it appear that many teachers are unhappy with the school, where in reality it could very well be that it's just one teacher who has an axe to grind (sometimes with good reason).
For example, MISK, Haileybury Almaty, Riverside Phnom Penh are three schools that have received a suspiciously high number of negative comments on ISR within a short timeframe. No doubt none of these are stellar schools, but I'm just not sure if they deserve the hate they ave received in those reviews, and I suspect some reviews and comments have been written by the same person.
I had a quick look, and recently Prince of Wales has received 6 reviews in two weeks, which makes me think that these were not written by 6 different teachers.
The best thing you can do is try to contact a Secondary teacher (ideally more than one) who is currently working at the school and ask them some questions about the school. You could try to do this via LinkedIn, Facebook, or ask in a Penang subreddit or Facebook group. Sometimes the school's website has the teacher's names on it. Find one that has a very unique name, see if they have a social media profile, and send them a polite message, possibly using an anonymous account (perhaps you'll accidentally approach an admin cheerleader, who will inform admin of your doubts).
To be honest, you'll likely find out it's not a great school, but don't be discouraged based on ISR reviews alone. Asking your question here like you did is a great way of finding out more. I hope it turns out to be a decent place to work. Penang is great, so your time outside of school will certainly be enjoyable. Good luck!
There might be an element of validity here, but I checked neighbouring schools and not muchz appreciate your insight. A teacher there contacted me which helped me a lot! Thanks!
I don't fully understand the second part of your first sentence in your reply, but I'm glad you got contacted by someone who helped you.
You got me reminiscing about my visit to Penang, and all the wonderful restaurants there. Best of luck in your future!
I meant to say your comments are valid. Meanwhile three different people from the school have personally messaged me. I looked back at the reviews and they unfortunately go back several years. When the head interviewed me I asked about the package on the HR handout she brushed it aside.
I had two more messages / DM which made my mind up!
My current school had a negative post. Within two days there were three! I think sometimes, especially at the end of term people vent their frustrations and get on the bandwagon. Often you just need one person and then the rest vent legitimate grievances. But this place seems to not be well run and it's head has a negative elephantine footprint on ISR
Or it was the same person posting multiple reviews every few days. Or it was indeed multiple people. Sadly it's hard to tell.
Also, I wish more people who are happy (or neutral) at their school would post reviews.
Primary or secondary?
Secondary!
Possibly! Quite a few places have positives. None at all is a good sign too I guess. People far more likely to make an effort to post the bad. For all I know you could be a member of SLT there! 😆