A SCHOOL racially discriminated against a maths teacher with more than ten years experience by refusing to consider her for a job.

Perena Polius-Curran, 42, took Basildon Acadmies to an employment tribunal after they failed to interview her properly for a head of department role and instead gave the job to a newly-qualified teacher.

Judge Julia Jones upheld her discrimination claim, and found Ms Polius-Curran, who is of black Caribbean origin, was treated unfairly “not because of her lack of qualifications or lack of ability, but the difference in her race.”

Basildon Academies is planning to appeal the decision.

The hearing, which took place in Stratford, east London, heard Ms Polius-Curran first applied for a job at the Upper Academy, in Wickford Avenue, Pitsea, through an agency at the end of 2011.

She stated she wanted a more senior role and was particularly interested in the head of maths vacancy, but went on to accept a job as a £40,000-ayear teacher in April 2012.

Bosses at the Academies felt she was unsuitable foramanagement role because she had taken a five-year break to have a child, but failed to give her any formal feedback.

The senior team also promised to give her training to become an advanced skills teacher, but later back-tracked on this, saying her performance was not good enough.

It turns out there was no funding available for the role.

The tribunal heard the head of department job went to Will Coombs, a newly-qualified teacher of white British origin, who did not have to go through the formal application procedure.

Another junior teacher, who Ms Polius-Curran had helped mentor, went on to become deputy head of department.

Judge Jones said: “It is our judgment that Mr Coombs was appointed without interview, without any objective assessment of his suitability for this post and without responding to an advert. Mr Coombs was effectively ‘tapped on the shoulder’ and invited to apply.

“This is totally different from the claimant’s situation where her agency had put her CV forward and asked that she be considered for the post.”

Ms Polius-Curran, who gave up a job at Westcliff High School for Boys to join the Upper Academy, is set to be awarded compensation, but at a future hearing.

'I now doubt if I will ever teach again', says Perena

PERENA Polius-Curran said she is unsure she will ever return to teaching following her treatment at the Basildon Academies.

She handed in her notice at the end of February 2013, and left the next month.

Despite being offered jobs at schools in Cambridgeshire, where she now lives, Ms Polius-Curran has struggled to face work.

She said: “I’m very pleased with the judgment, but sitting though the hearing it has bought it all back.

“I’m not sure I will ever teach again, and it’s made me think what I’m going to do with my life. It was an awful experience, and one which I’m terrified of going through again.”

Mr Polius-Curran, who was born in Dagenham, but moved to Basildon while she was working at the Upper Academy, also made a complaint of harassment, but this was thrown out.

She felt her bosses failed to support her, and undermined her in front of a class by failing to help her discipline pupils.

During her time at the £50million Basildon Academies, which opened in 2009, it was put in special measures because of poor management, inadequate teaching, failing results and safety concerns.