I'm quitting teaching, I've decided, AIBU?

Well the school could offer to reduce the notice period.

You are not being unreasonable. Quit and get your life back.

Speaking as a teacher, and someone who has been involved with contract disputes as a union rep I would give your options careful consideration, this is how I see it...

1/. you go off sick, upside is you get out, downside is you potentially have 4 months of sick absence on your record, caveat is many non teaching employers understand the stress aspect of teaching. It will however make any return to teaching difficult.

2/. You give notice, leave at Christmas, this is the best and cleanest option, its entirely above board, no bad feeling, you can go back to teaching if you ever wanted to and will get a good reference, downside is unless you have found something, your pay stops at Christmas.

3/. Quit with immediate effect, a lot is talked about the notice periods, but in reality they are difficult to enforce, leaving early puts you in breach of contract, its highly unlikely they will come after you for money, but can go through a disciplinary process in absentia and bugger up your reference.

4/. You work on, look for a job outside of teaching, when you find one you give the school as much notice as possible, preferably full notice. This quite often happens when people leave teaching for a job outside, and its best to be upfront and negotiate a release from the contract.

They're not 'crafting a plan'; they're already sick.

Going into work in that state helps nobody.

Is that a good move?

It could impact on what you want to do next- your medical record.

If you feel you're being bullied, take the appropriate action through formal channels.

I taught for decades and simply don't recognise the way you describe the school or your colleagues.

I think you should stay till Christmas and, as you love teaching but not that school, look for another teaching job.

I was in a similar position September 2022. Nervous all summer; got back and it was clear my name was on ‘the list’. Luckily it was a long list so I had time to get out but at 45 I was worried I was too expensive to move to a teaching role and get rid of my leadership responsibilities.
I was wrong. It wasn’t easy but I have found a teaching job where I, and my experience, are valued. And it’s like night v day; a different job.
You have the option to go off sick whenever, and use it if you need to, but if you can I would suggest going back in September with the one goal of being out by Christmas and try to apply for different jobs. It will be easier to get one if you are not off sick. And hopefully you will discover that you don’t hate teaching, you just hate your school.
Good luck.

It isn't bullying to question someone choosing that they are going to 'go off sick' for 3 months.
When you are truly sick you don't know the duration of your illness. OP might feel better by oct half term, and able to return and finish her notice period. Except we all know she won't, because she has already decided she isn't going to - and that isn't sickness thats taking advantage of the sick pay in her contract because she doesnt want to go back.
Its no wonder schools are in a mess when people choose to do stuff like this. Schools have sod all money - so this term OP's school will try and muddle through with a mix of supply and her former colleagues will get dumped on and end up feeling extra stressed themselves.
Whenever anyone knows in advance how long they are 'going to be sick' for, you know straight away they aren't truly sick.

I totally understand that she feels bullied, and it must be awful.
I don't know if that length of time 'sick' is reasonable or indeed viable.
I also hope she gets a chance to maybe use her teaching skills some more, as she's said she does enjoy aspects.

I worked in a toxic school for six years, and kept hoping it would get better. It didn’t. It got to the point where I felt sick every day. I lost interest in my teaching. I took circuitous routes around school to avoid walking past the headteacher’s office, in case she called me in for one of her famous ‘chats’ where you’d get shouted at for something random you’d supposedly done wrong. I dreaded opening my emails. I never knew what shit was coming my way from SLT (I was a head of faculty) on a day to day basis. The uncertainty and fear were dreadful. I had wonderful colleagues and I loved my students but I couldn’t thrive in an environment that felt like the stasi. So I quit at Easter, felt an enormous sense of freedom, and worked the summer term not giving a shit about any of the head and her team of cronies’ nonsense. The day I walked out of that school, it was like a weight had been lifted. I had no idea how stressed I had been until I wasn’t anymore - I had been a frog in boiling water for so long. I thought I wouldn’t be able to cope with that final term, but knowing I was leaving made it manageable.

I thought it was teaching that I had had enough of and so I left for a couple of years and did other things. But I missed the kids and the creativity and the sheer fun and laughter of teaching bonkers teenagers, as well as teaching my subjects which I love so much, so I went back last year. My new school has its problems - as a PP said, the management team are all mediocre teachers promoted out of the classroom who have no idea how to manage adults and are laughably useless - I’d love to write a sitcom about them - and there is some toxicity and favouritism as a result. But I can handle it because I’ve been here before and I now just focus on the kids and having fun with them, and being the best teacher I can be. My colleagues are incredible and I feel inspired by them. I’m happy and I enjoy my work. I won’t stay here forever, but it has made me realise that teaching is what I love doing and I am hopeful that I will get to a school with decent management eventually. If you love the act and art of teaching, then you need to find a school where you can thrive. There will be one out there. It’s the school that’s the problem, not teaching. Good luck
and take as much time out as you need to recover. Teaching is tough and no one gets it unless they’ve done it x

Well there is a lack of age diversity in schools which does not help with the toxicity.Lots of Wes Streeting type men with pointy shoes and Rachel Reeeves type deputy heads.

Not wholly material but the school is most likely an academy funded directly from Whitehall. However, the absence of oversight from an LEA and its Inspectors together with proper HR etc support may play a part in the toxicity of the place. It certainly did in our local comprehensives.

It's the school's management that's allowed the situation @thequickbrowndog describes. The fact that teaching generally has pretty good sick pay is one of its redeeming features. If using it 'screws over' the school that's left them in their current health condition then there's a bit of Karma.

If they go back next week to 'see how it goes' they'll still off sick within a fortnight anyway. My DP was a supply teacher and it was only the first week or two of the Autumn term that was quiet. By week three schools were scrambling for cover as their staff's Mental Health went into a tailspin.

I left last summer. It has hit me this summer holidays how much of the summer break previously would be filled with anxiety and dread about the year to come. I supply teach now. Awful money, so I've had to cut back, but it's completely worth it for the freedom! Good luck to you, there is life after teaching!

Well a doctor will sign the sick note so as they are the professional who makes that decision maybe we should leave it up to them?

You should hand your notice in ASAP. Schools can let you leave earlier than Christmas amd it would ge best all round if they did rather than you going off " sick ".

No. Life is too short to stay in a rubbish job with toxic colleagues.
Leave, write your resignation today ready for next week x

As a PP pointed out 4 months sick leave will be a huge red flag to a prospective employer.

I explained in my interview at the next school that "the school and I just weren't suited and I found it difficult to work there". The reply came back from the teacher on the panel "it's ok. We've seen which school you've come from. We're not surprised"

Stand by all you like, it doesn't change what it is.
A boys secondary could be private or LA, either way the main points stand.
Let's ignore each other from now on, best all round.

I agree with you, you feel stuck when you’re in that position. Sometimes you don’t realise how bad the bullying culture is in a certain school until it’s too late and you can’t do anything except ride it out or go off on the sick.

@thequickbrowndog Please ignore @Werweisswohin they are clearly on one this fine Sunday morning

I'm asking genuine questions meanwhile the one accusing me of bullying called me a 'sad, sad cow'.

I’ve also left teaching 🎉 so I don’t blame you one bit.

I wouldn’t have gone sick for a whole term, though. That seems wrong. I have been signed off before, but that was for four weeks in the middle of a summer term when I was really, really unwell.

🙌🏼🙌🏼 People who are happy in their life don’t spend Sunday mornings on here tearing people down

I wasn't asking you.
Perhaps read your words before accusing others of bullying.

Have you considered contacting your school and saying that due to a change in personal circumstances you are unable to return for the autumn term?
People negotiate early leaving dates or leaving without notice all the time.

As a PP pointed out 4 months sick leave will be a huge red flag to a prospective employer.

As you are leaving teaching you'll be looking at going into a new area where you're likely to need training and mentoring. As we all know recruitment and onboarding new staff is costly so employers will want to minimise that risk.

Can I suggest you ask your GP about self referring for counselling. I know you are feeling overwhelmed at the moment but you can be supported through this as you look for another post.