To ask if all schools are unfriendly to work in?

[Ohdearitscrap]

I was in my last role as a TA for 5 years and SMT were awful - would walk past you, would only speak to you if something negative was to be said, teachers all sat together in the staff room and didn’t speak to TAs - I finally decided once my kids went to secondary school I may as well go back into teaching ( qualified ) but will do it at another school.

So, now I’m a teacher in a school with a very different intake, far more EAL and diversity generally which I thought would make the whole place feel less insular but apart from SMT being much more friendly and approachable which is great, the other staff are somewhat hostile, barely an acknowledgement even though I’m new and have tried hard to make conversation -
is this just schools generally where everyone is so stressed or morale is so low that people have become insular and actually quite rude?

It’s not my experience of schools at all. I’ve worked in 5 different schools and visit lots as part of my role now and have always found people friendly and welcoming in general. Of course there’s often the odd clique but that happens anywhere lots of people work together.

SLT make or break a school though…I suppose I’ve always chosen places to work where I’ve got good vibes from the senior leaders (& now I am one myself I hope people feel the same about me!)

This was very much my experience in my first school. Weak leadership, a real them and us between teachers and support staff and a "witches covern" of long standing TAs who did nothing but bitch about each other and others.

My next two schools have been completely different though, with the pressure everyone's under also leading to close knit support. They both have excellent heads who lead by example and that's not a coincidence.

I’m just really down about it as I only moved from the last place as SMT were so so bad, I felt worthless and invisible and hated solely relying on the teacher I was paired with to feed back anything positive.

I hoped by being in a different role with really good SMT I would feel so much better but the other teachers and the TAs just seem completely disinterested in getting to know me at all or even just being polite

I worked in several secondary schools. All were happy even fun workplaces, teachers by nature love people! Obviously the odd Grinch, but I ignored them. I loved my teaching career, best job in the world! A privilege to look after teenagers and send them off to uni, training or employment.

I did a 12 year stint in a SEN school the SLT were far from good. Then did 2ish years on supply in 3 different schools, the one with the best SLT did have issues around teachers and TAs mixing.
I now work in a one form entry CofE primary school, with a lot of social need but also some very affluent families. Our SLT is brilliant, so supportive and everyone from the cleaner to the head all talk and socialise with each other. I absolutely love it.
I think it depends on the personality of everyone to how well everyone gets along. I knew straight away that my current school was the right fit for me just from going for a visit before applying.

I don’t find that at all, I love it! I’ve been at TA, cover supervisor and now in a pastoral role and I’ve always found SLT supportive

I'm retired now, but my last school (special ed) was the opposite of that. No social barrier at all between teachers and TAs (I was a teacher, my closest work friends were TAs) and a really friendly and supportive environment.

How long have you been there? It can take quite some time to get to know people. I am a very smiley, approachable person who will talk to anyone, but it can be exhausting breaking into the established groups. Should happen though. Keep smiling, make small talk, go to school events etc. Good luck x

No. I work in a small primary (albeit private) and it’s very friendly.

SLT are nice, approachable, and professional. Head is pleasant. Bursar is great (he’s my boss) and I go out of my way to be pleasant to everyone.

It can take time to find the people you gel with in a workplace and you've only been there a short while.

the school I work in is the complete opposite, incredibly friendly and supportive, no cliques and SLT are wonderful, muck in with everyone else.

My first school SMT were awful, unfriendly, unsupportive and, in hindsight, not very well equipped to do their job. The Head especially was very unprofessional (she ended up being suspended a few years after I left)

My school now is the opposite. Friendly, approachable and experienced. Particularly the Head and Deputies. I've been there 8 years now.

I bloody hope not as my new job is in a school , will be SLT and I'll certainly not be walking past people rudely

Thanks for the replies
I regret leaving so much now
At least I knew the job inside out and teachers were pleased when they got me in September as I’d been there a while etc
Now I’m the newbie and people are unfriendly so it’s really depressing

No, not at all. I left 3 years ago. I still miss my work family who made me howl with laughter every single day.

Have to disagree. My last two schools and my current one have all been lovely places to work. Current head teacher makes a point of visiting staff in classrooms and seeing how they are. They thank support staff regularly and are really personable. The SLT are also lovely and I feel valued as a teacher and a person.

I’m dreading tomorrow
they just completely ignore me