Moving school at the end of your induction
Some teachers are happy to stay at a school for some years, whereas others feel the urge to move on at the end of their induction.
If you are thinking about a change, it’s worth taking some time to think about things – it could be that you want a new start in a different school or, in some cases, you may be weighing up whether you want to remain in teaching…
Hopefully, this article will help make your decision-making process easier.
After you have completed your induction, you will have a good ‘feel’ for whether the school you are currently working in is right for you; however, it is important that you know the difference between the general feeling of tiredness that all teachers get at the end of the school year and the desire or need to change schools or careers.
There is no point going through all of the processes that come with applying for jobs (including applying to the Teach Lambeth Qualified Teacher Pool) if that new job in that new school isn’t going to change anything for you.
You might want to visit schools of interest close to where you are, particularly if you know that there are vacancies that will need filling.
Remember that no school can be perfect – you should work out whether the things that are good or work well in your current school outweigh the more negative aspects.
In addition, if you stay at a school for a number of years, it may then be ‘easier’ for you simply not to move – but should the familiarity that comes with ‘knowing the ropes’ be enough of a benefit for you or the school to stay.
Management
- Are the school’s Senior Management Team (SMT) approachable?
- Do they support and develop their teachers?
- Do they understand what it means to teach?
Staff
- Do the staff work well together and support one another, or are they a group of individuals, ground down by the pressures of the job?
- How do they talk about the school?
- How do you get on with the staff? Do you have positive working relationships with them?
Your department
- If you work in a secondary school, how well does your Head of Department manage their staff?
- Are you getting the experiences you need to develop? Do you teach a broad cross-section of classes or are you left with the ‘problem classes’, for example?
Pupils
- Are the pupils respectful and get along with each other?
- Are the pupils interesting and challenging to teach? Would moving to a quieter school, with fewer behavioural issues, leave you unfulfilled?
Curriculum
- Does the school deliver a fun, up-to-date curriculum to its pupils, or is it stale and uninspiring?
- Does your subject/age range get its fair share of priority and resources?
- Is there ‘joined-up’, cross-curricular collaboration or is it every person for themselves?
School administration
- Does the school allow you to concentrate on teaching, or are you expected to do all the administrative tasks as well?
- Are meetings constructive, giving you the chance to contribute to the school and its ‘direction’, or do they pay ‘lip service’ to the decision-making process?
Environment
- Are the school buildings clean, tidy and ‘fit for purpose’, or are they run-down and lacking equipment?
- Does the school environment have an impact on the pupils and how they regard learning?
Extra-curricular activities
- Are there a range of well-supported activities?
- Are a variety of staff involved, or is it always the same teachers?
- Is there an active PTA, with parents getting involved?
If, after weighing up all of these considerations, you do decide that you may need either a change of environment or career, then you’ll need to consider the following:
Changing School
- Hopefully, you will have kept a list of the ‘extras’ that you’ve done – it will make writing Personal Statements easier if you know which Shakespeare play it was that you were involved with or which working group you were on; this will allow you to demonstrate to prospective schools that you have enthusiasm and are happy to get involved with all aspects of school life.
- Will the fact that you’re applying for alternative employment, or going for an interview somewhere else, lead to offers of professional development or promotion at your current school? Will the SMT be keen to try to keep you? How might this affect any decision you make?
- Be realistic about the types of position you apply for – don’t go for positions wildly above your current level, or positions in schools with impossible commutes, just to get away from your current school.
- You’ll need to have referees in place – usually Headteacher and direct manager
- Prewarn them that their services may be called upon – it’s a matter of courtesy, and may mean a better reference
- Make sure they have your ‘extras’ list
- Let them know the type of position you’re applying for, so they can write an appropriate reference
Changing Career
It may be extremely tempting, given that you will have either completed a degree leading to Qualified Teacher Status, a degree and then teacher-specific training or left a profession to retrain as a teacher, to remain in the job – even if you’re not sure that it’s for you.
By the end of induction, you’ll at least have some experience to draw on when making this decision.
The first years of any teacher’s career, no matter how high-flying and destined for greatness they are, are difficult, and the job does become easier with more experience.
You may simply be in the wrong school, or teaching the wrong pupils, for you – would a change of environment be a better decision than leaving the teaching world entirely?
The rewards from teaching include:
- Teaching is as creative as you want to make it
- You can make a difference to lives
- If you are a good teacher, pupils will remember you
- It is a good job for those with, or thinking about, families
- The amount of time not spent in the working environment is good, compared to those with four weeks’ annual leave each year
- It is a physically and emotionally tiring job
- You will have to work late during term time to do a good job
- As you become more experienced, and progress up the Pay Scale, you may become too expensive for some schools
Hope fully, this article has given you some food for thought about making such a big decision.
