To ask any teachers/deputies/heads (still in education or left) if/what job they moved on to?

[therewillbetime]

Basically that really.

I am a senior leader in a primary school. I teach in the conventional sense sporadically (joys of being management). I have at time (due to leave taken by the Head managed the entire school for periods of time). My close colleagues almost expect me to want to go into Headship. I'm not at all sure that is what I want. I feel at a crossroads. It's a tough job although there are parts of it that are rewarding. I have been at my school for several years but just feel incredibly 'stuck'. I don't know what to do.
Do I look for a job that puts me back in the classroom full time?
Different school?
Different industry? If so, what? (My degree and MA are in English).
Any change is a big decision for me. I have a mortgage etc that I pay completely myself so I do need a certain income level. There is also the (boring) stuff of pensions if I leave teaching. I know my current pension would be frozen but it is just deciding what is best. I know also that it is only myself who can work out what I want to do.

However, I would really, really appreciate hearing about the experiences of anybody who left working in education and what they went on to, or anybody who is in a similar position to me. Thank you so much.

By the way, I am early forties and have been education for 15 years.

Thank you both. That’s really helpful.

Hi @sarahC40 and @wildbhoysmama I work at a university helping lecturers to structure their courses. I also write online courses and lead workshops about Technology Enhanced Learning. Sometimes I help with the planning and design of entire courses, whereas at other times I just help to tweak existing modules.

I have a Civil Service role now. I know of a few former teachers who have done this. I have no regrets.
This is interesting reading. But so sad so many looking for an escape. How do you get into the civil service?

I'm one of those.
I was a Curriculum Manager (HoD) in a VI Form College - me plus one p/t teacher and around 90 kids enrolled across the 2yr a-level. I did GCSE Eng resit classes too.

My VI Form shrank as local feeder schools set up their own VI Form consortium, and I ended up redundant. I looked for other teaching roles, but heart wasn't in it by then (VI Form was also way troubled, falling from 1 to 3/4 on OFSTED with super-hostile management).
I went p/t to do the A2 year for the final cohort (course was cut in downsizing); which suited as DS was starting reception year at school.

Mum worked for HMRC, so I dabbled with applying for HEO level roles (approx equivalent salary); but competency-based applications are a dark art and it took me longer to grasp. I was attempting to get quals and experience in the IT sector, but it was slow going. By chance, DW saw an advert for DWP staff. Turned out to be call centre for Universal Credit. 2 grades lower than I was at, but paid the bills. I took this as 'easy' work whilst looking for something better. Got promoted to team leader, then moved to Business support. My time there got me eligable for promotion to UK Visas and Immigration (oh yeah, another happy sector of public service to go with UC) to HEO level. I also had an application in for the Fast Stream (Digital leadership fast track programme); which I go onto last year. I'm now in year 2 of 4 of that programme and never looked back.

A couple of bits of guidance for entry into Civil Service....

1. Find someone who knows about competency applications, and seek their advice. This is a proper those-in-the-know type thing, that over-rewards correct formatting of responses. I've been both sides of the interview desk on this, so feel free to ask me (as I can also relate to what you did as a teacher)

1. When looking for a role in CS, think more about skills needed in teaching that are used elsewhere, as opposed to 'what is similar to teaching'. For instance, a scheme of work is how you plan to move citizen A from start to finish of a qualification. This is the same basic skill you use in service design - citizen comes to your service wanting X, you move the thru stages A-Z until X is achieved; with an ability to track performance en-route.

2 sounds easy. It really isn't. It takes a very obscure way of looking at your role to understand how it is done above what is done; especially if you want nuance. Delivering a lesson needs 'good communication skills'. Actually, it needs skills in understanding and reading the pitch of an audience, information architecture skills, continuous self-reflection and re-iteration of delivery, etc, etc. These are the same skills as other (non-teaching) roles.

AdamNichol that is really interesting. I'm about to give notice after 16 years of teaching and am currently writing my CV. Its more difficult than it seems to write about skills used in teaching that are comparable to skills used in other industries x

I went back to education. Completed an MA and I’m now applying for a PhD in education. Not sure what I’m going to do after that though I’m thinking of going into teacher training, using my research to deliver lectures to trainees, host INSET sessions, that kind of thing.

@RabbityMcRabbit - what sort of things are you looking at heading into?

DH tried a different school for a year before he retained. He is now a software developer. He did a course specifically for career changers but had an interest is coding anyway.

AdamNichol not sure. The plan is to send my CV out to good agencies and see what they can match to my skills. I speak 2 European foreign languages fluently and have had management experience in schools as well as having had 10 years experience in the private industry sector prior to becoming a teacher so there a quite a few things to go with (hopefully). Finances are an issue, so I can't retrain for anything without having an income. My rationale for going to agencies is that they may be able to give me access to roles that I hadn't necessarily thought of. Any advice would be very gratefully received x

Rabbity:

Management (leadership) is a boon, as is European languages. Department for Exiting the EU (DExEU) is on a perma-hunt for policy staff, which'd play to your language skills. Don't worry about politics knowledge - the role tends to be about writing briefs, summarising documents, research, etc. There are a lot of CivServs being seconded by DExEU, so their roles need backfilling too. Register with Civil Service Jobs to get local opportunities. For reference, you'd be looking for these approximate grades of job:
HEO - Teacher with additional responsibility / head of a small dept
SEO - Faculty head of a larger centre / Assistant Principal of a smaller centre
Grade 7 - Deputy Head
Grade 6 - Head of a big centre or MAT

After G6 comes the 'Senior Civil Service' (SCS) roles. These are roles like 'Universal Credit Operations Director' - sizeable leadership roles and far from the trenches.
Fast Stream employs you at HEO with a view to G7 in 4yrs. All the roles pre-SCS are available at direct entry too. SCS is a bit of a different kettle of fish.

Other thing's I'm seeing from your overview are line management, consensus building, conflict resolution - all with specific instances not just a general/implicit skill.

I got a job as a barmaid. Anything was better than continuing to teach! Drunk people were more polite and respectful than students ever were, and attacked me less frequently. Yes, I went onto min wage and no pension. But I no longer woke up feeling panicked and nauseated by the thought of going to work.

@mortifiedmama that's interesting, what sort of course was it? How long did it take and what was the cost like? How easy was it for him to find work?thanks

AdamNichol this is really helpful, thank you so much. What you mention is something I'd not thought of x I shall look into it asap x

It was a masters from our local uni. Specifically designed for those switching career, took a year 2 days a week. DH worked as a teacher part time (PPA cover) whilst doing it. It was 4.5k for the year & years ago. Think the same course is 6k now.

Thanks @mortifiedmama

Thank you all for your suggestions. It has given me plenty of food for thought.

For those wondering about why people are coming out of teaching - it is just very tough and relentless and things do not seem to be improving in the education sector (IMO). If my career path WAS to be a head, then I'm on the right path, but my feeling deep down is that this is not the way to go. Of course there are lots of other options (other schools etc) to consider but it is also interesting to see the career changes and what previous teachers have moved on to

The psychology conversion route sounds interesting although I have only just finished an MA in Modern Literature (done more for my own passion of literature) rather than anything else. I'm not sure I can justify another PG qualification. Have started to look into the civil service route - again a really interesting suggestion.

therewillbetime maybe just look for a job in education that excites you more? Would you like to be involved in opening a new school? Part of a specialist service? Become an Inspector?

Perhaps look at 'alternative' jobs within education to see if anything lights the flame.

I love browsing the other workplaces section of the TES!

For those wondering about why people are coming out of teaching - it is just very tough and relentless and things do not seem to be improving in the education sector (IMO)

That's what drove me away. The 60 hour weeks could be coped with, along with the 'sudden' insistance that Easter was turned into semi-mandatory revision classes for the kids that didn't pay attention the first time. But, when paired with a culture that saw every failure as a product of bad teaching alone - it became untennable. And results day had members of staff literally shaking. Staff - not students - shaking.
In my college, there was a 60% staff turnover in 3 years, with about half of the departures abandoning the industry altogether.

There are, of course, happier climes within the teaching realm than mine.

AdamNichol that is exactly why I'm going. That, and dealing with poor behaviour day in and day out x

I was a secondary physics teacher. I retrained (5 years inc maternity) and am now a medical physicist in the NHS.
Pay cut but infinite improvement in quality of life.