Overreacting? Not in the SLT clique, now getting the cold shoulder

[Mamma246]

I’m a teacher. I lead curriculum areas across the MAT, run whole-school projects, write policies, handle Ofsted-linked work, plan Collective Worship, do safeguarding bits… basically everything short of actually running the place. I’m professional, I get the job done, I’m polite, popular with children and parents — but I’m not the type to gush about someone’s “amazing vision” every five minutes.
The result? I’m not on SLT despite formally asking for the last 4 years. No meetings, no say in decisions, no official recognition… just the workload of leadership without the pay or benefits.
And lately, it’s not just being left out — some of them have started being outright horrible. Passive-aggressive comments, freezing me out of conversations, giving me the awkward jobs nobody else wants. It feels like they want to put me back in my box for daring to do leadership-level work without being in their little club, or ‘gang’, as the HT describes it.

I’ve raised it with my headteacher — more than once — and get the same “we value you so much” spiel, followed by absolutely nothing changing. Meanwhile, I get to watch others with less responsibility but more… let’s call it schmooze factor… get promoted.
Anyone else worked somewhere like this? Did you:
a) Perfect your brown-nosing and join the club,
b) Keep your head down and seethe quietly, or
c) Jump ship to somewhere that actually values competence over coffee-room politics?

Personally if that was the way I was being treated i’d do the jobs I’m contracted to do , I wouldn’t go above and beyond, and would be looking for a new job.

Leave
They won't change their approach. Seems like you are seen as someone who will go above and beyond and never leave so they have no reason to promote you.

Leave!

it won’t be better when you’re in the club either.

Find a school that values you.

Do you mean SLT positions come up and you apply for them and don't get them, or other people are getting promoted to SLT without the positions being advertised?

Leave. I worked for a MAT and it was definitely whether you were in the special club or not how you progressed.
and you know they could do it easily if they wanted to…

Stop doing everything you’re doing over and above your current role until they’re willing to promote and pay you commensurately!

Sadly i think being an excellent 'do-er' often precludes you from joining the thinking/visioning ranks. It sucks but it's how most management structures are designed or develop naturally.

If you were fannying about with strategies and such, who would pick up your work?

If it's any consolation, I was in the SLT in my last role and became soooo bored just fucking about with strategy, planning, circular discussions about how to run the company. I left for a more junior leadership role in a bigger org (less ££) and am really enjoying being back to getting tangible shit done.

When I hear SLT are off for a strategy away day, I pity them ;)

Since when do you formally ask for a promotion and just get one? Is there capacity in the leadership structure, as in a vacant position for you to fill? What would it be? Assistant Head in charge of planning collective worship and 'doing safeguarding bits' There's no policy writing role, various policies will apply to different elements. I'm guessing someone else is in charge of each area and you're contributing, gaining experience to apply to specialise in one way when a role comes up.

What's your job title? Have you voluntarily gone above and beyond in the hope of an Slt position coming up? I sympathise because I am lucky to be in a school where commitment is recognised and everyone is valued. However, not everyone can be on the SLT and actually it sounds like a change in job title wouldn't change the unpleasant attitudes. I'm assuming your CV is strong so looks elsewhere.

Have you formally applied for SLT roles?

Don’t wait around for them to notice you and praise you and reward you. Apply elsewhere. It’s often the only way.

I find this in education and fluffy middle class spheres generally. They’d rather have the style over substance and the smoke blown up their arses than just good old fashioned competence. As a hard working conscientious WC person it still shocks me all the time. If I were you I’d look for another MAT - I’m sure there is some who would really value your talent and expertise.

C

This is the difficulty of working above your pay grade. Everyone gets used to it and yes, say the right words but don’t want to compensate you for it.

Check your job description and stick to it. Next time you’re asked to do an additional job ask that someone else takes it. Then apply for SLT if and when you want to. Do you actually want to?

Do what is needed. Don’t do anymore. Ask for your job description and stick to it. Did them. I am a teacher retiring this new academic year and I don’t do anything above and beyond unless I want too.

Are you primary?

You have too many 'hats' to be secondary. I'd suggest specialising

It sounds like it won;t change. But give them one more chance - ask for a one to one and explain your ambition and ask what theu can do. If nothing happens soon take your expertise and look for a new job where your talents will be appreciated.

Back to doing what your job description is. And look for a new role.
It's not going to get better.

Are there any SLT jobs available in your school? Quite a lot of the things you listed aren’t done by SLT in the schools I’ve worked in. They are shared out to different teachers and HODs. I think you need to learn to say no because it sounds like you are been landed with the boring admin heavy jobs that no one else wants to do. You also need to look for SLT jobs in other schools. Bear in mind that the ability to work well with others is generally valued more highly than things like writing policy docs though.

LEAVE. SIMPLE

Writing a policy document doesn't even need a person nowadays.

If Trust isn't giving SLT a policy and insisting they follow it, all that's needed is to upload 2 or 3 PDFs of other school's policies that you like, tell Claude.AI what you like and don't like about them, and ask it to write you a new policy, checking it against national guidelines.

Takes about 30 mins work.

Without knowing anything about you, I would be wondering if you have actually pissed some people off or there is some reason the others actively don't want you as part of the team. Like they find you difficult to work with, bossy, something else.

That may be totally barking up the wrong tree but that was my thought when you said they had started to give you the cold shoulder.

You have three choices

carry on as you are
stop doing any extra work
leave and find a job elsewhere, hopefully promotions because of what you have done

i I would go for the latter, and I would not let them know until the jobs secure then give them the minimum notice I can get away with

...basically everything short of actually running the place...

In my 27 years as a primary school teacher I've met quite a few teachers that, for no reason I can work out, willing do way more than they are paid to and then they moan about it endlessly.

I can't be certain that you are one of these OP but when I read your post, it did remind me of certain teachers I've work within the past.

C would be my strategy and has been in previous jobs.

There's a huge recruitment crisis in teaching at the moment.
Look for a new job where you'll get paid for the work you do & get recognition.

Your current employers are showing you that they are happy for you to do the work without the pay or recognition - from their pov, why would they change? You're doing loads without costing them anything.

The alternative is that you stop doing all the extra work.