Deputy head considering leaving teaching for better work life balance

[Soapandglory123]

I am a deputy head with a one year old and hoping to have another child. I can’t handle the workload and I want to see my child more but I’m the breadwinner. Are there any mums that were part of senior leadership that left teaching to find a job with a similar salary? We have bills to pay so I can’t take a big pay cut :(

I feel your pain as I worked all the hours that God sends in corporate. (Have recently stepped back a level and while still full time it is manageable.)

The one thing I would say is that if there is a way to lessen the workload so it is manageable but stay in teaching that will be a godsend when your children go to school. It is so, so hard working full time when your children are on school holidays, especially the summer. It is a priceless benefit of working in a school or other term-time job to be able to spend that time with them, not stuck in an office wishing you were with them while the nanny gets to have the fun days out or feeling guilty they are in a summer sports club when they don’t much like sport :-(

Also remember that it gets easier as they get older, and once you lose that 2 hour bathtime / bedtime rigmarole it feels like you’ve regained so
much freedom! Obviously that’s a few years away but all I’m saying is it may be worth taking a long view… best of luck with everything.

Not a deputy head but I was working 60 hours a week in a corporate role (with only 25 days a year annual leave) and I had to take a backwards step when I had kids. I took a big pay cut and we had to cut our cloth accordingly. It was daunting but i couldn’t carry on as i was.

I know its hard but many senior roles are with children.

I was in private practice as an accountant and remember going into my business partner and asking to be bought out because I couldnt cope. He agreed....but only if I took some time off first and saw a doctor....I ended up returning and worked over 30 years alongside him - until we both sold and retired at the same time.

Just be careful you arent jumping ship to face a different fire. At least in a role you know, you maybe able to find some workarounds, or options - so changes are made but perhaps not as drastic as leaving what you know, and are great at, completely.

Good luck

Could you afford to step back into middle management? Fewer before and after school duties, fewer meetings. Bit easier to manage your own workload outside of work rather than being on set's beck and call.

I considered it (when I was seriously considering if 17.30 was too early to put my children to bed, because I didn’t have the energy to speak to them). However, with some research about local jobs, realised that I would have to work full time to be anywhere near matching three days as SLT(primary). Full time and lower earnings seemed the worst of all, so I put in a flexible working request instead. This was successful.

Once my DC’s were a little older I went to work for the LA, but had to take a pay cut and accept less promotion/pay progression (and being led by others!). The role had no flexibility, huge expectations and lots of travel expected. This could be up to two hours travel, to arrive at a school for 8.30am. Not great.

Could you think about a role in education but not in the classroom? Something advisory?

Please read my post above….(I can add, it is ‘advisory’).

There maybe more roles with trusts as advisory staff with LA’s are rare and limited in number. Many, many jobs lost during Conservative government budget cuts and the favoured academy programme. My LA has reduced the advisory team from about 110 to 12 and cut support officers too.

I’ve done this with a young baby. Deputy head to academia. It wasn’t just about the hours, but the culture and lack of flexibility. I had a flexible working request refused but even if it had been granted, the relative inflexibility of the role overall would never have gone away. I had to ask myself if I wanted to remain in such a harsh culture and continue on a promotion track, or keep doing that same kind of role - neither of those options would’ve given me enough time to raise my child how I wanted to.

It was hard as I’d had relatively fast career progression and had been successful in a few different leadership roles. I also still found my job somewhat rewarding despite it being unreasonable in many ways, plus I took a considerable salary cut.

On the plus side, I’m still in a role that I find stimulating, it’s been a total refresh and a new challenge, but without the culture being as harsh or combative, and with significantly greater flexibility in my working week.

@Soapandglory123 - this is a very active group, with loads of advice (in files) and lots of information regarding options other than teaching. Many teachers in the same situation as yourself.

https://m.facebook.com/groups/LifeAfterTeachingExitTheClassroomAndThrive/?ref=share

I cut down on bills.
It can be done.
Good luck.

Would your partner be able to reduce their hours to help out more?

Also someone previous mentioned flexible working request whilst it was refused would that be an option to explore whilst you look into other things?

What about teacher training or education research at a local university?

I left for exactly that reason took a non leadership role which was still a heavy workload but less plate spinning
I only found a real week life balance when I left teaching althougher if im honest

The problem with teaching is that it is well paid generally compared to what else you might be able to get. My friend who has been teaching 30 years was shocked how little other jobs pay, and has decided to stick it out. She was department head but stepped back into classroom teaching.

Not me but my sister, headteacher in a primary school. Got out 2 years ago took a pay cut, but now works in higher education teaching apprenticeships/ university students etc…. Never been happier and can fit everything in her allocated hours at work. If she has to do open days etc she gets the time back!!

Yes, and you’d also have to factor in childcare costs over school holidays.

It depends on primary or secondary for leadership with levels of pay being further up the leadership scale and whether it is compared with other professions or the OP taking ‘another job to get out of teaching’.

Leadership salary in primary starts at £53,585. Given the degree background, level of responsibility and hours required and additional work during the evening, weekends and holidays, I’m not so sure that this is paid comparatively well to other professions. Yes, I agree, if the OP is looking at ‘another job’ as I found when I wanted to make a change.