Hey Guys,

I am responding on this thread and this thread only, as it seems to actually have a degree of sanity to it. I have read the thread started by Sparrow, and just shook my head in bemusement:(

Again, I can only comment on my time as DOS of the school, and not what is current practice. However, no one and I mean absolutely no one was refused a reference during my time at Shane (I left at the end of March). I have a folder with about 20 references given over 3 years (mainly for university places), so if Sparrow asked me before 29th February for a reference - he would have got one, but he didn't ask so he didn't get one. Like I said, after that I can't comment.

I absolutely did not write letters of recommendation and stand by that policy to the end. References are for between two employers and are a confidential objective report on an employee's performance (though the Freedom of Information Act in the Uk now allows the employee to request a copy of the reference AFTER it has been sent, but not before). Open reference letters are often nowhere near objective enough, as they are being handed directly to the teacher. Secondly, they can easily be edited/doctored, and thirdly can be wildly out of date/context.

Please try and at least keep this part of the thread rational people. I would gladly give Sparrow a reference, based on his work performance during my time there and like all references will contain the good, the bad, and the ugly you just gotta ask man. But please let me state it as fact NO ONE HAS EVER EVER BEEN REFUSED A REFERENCE IN THE LAST 3 TO 4 YEARS FROM SHANE ENGLISH SCHOOL KUNMING UP TO 29TH FEBRUARY 2012 - I HAVE THEM ALL HERE ON RECORD.