Help Needed Please! I Am Applying For

[scruffbag]

a Teaching Assistant position in a Primary School. References are taken up on short listed applicants before interview. This means, my present employer could be approached before I have chance to tell her. I do not want to inform my employer before I am short listed.
Do you think it would go against me being short listed, if I put a note on my application form stating, 'please could you contact me before my present employer is approached. Many thanks.'
What is the best way to handle this situation please?
I would appreciate your advise on this matter. Thank you in advance! x

[boxtops]

I think that would be perfectly OK. On our application forms, there is a box to tick "may we contact your present employer before a job offer is made?" which seems ideal to me. We never take up references until we have made the initial job offer - the offer is made "subject to satisfactory references".

[frugalfred]

Consider carefully
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2334853/Army-teaching-assistants-faces-axe-Education-department-attempts-save-4billion-cost-year.html

[MARJORYGOOD]

Good luck with this worthwhile job.