AIBU to have never done more than 2 years at a school?

[poppyeleanor]

Wondering about this.

School 1 (NQT) - 2 years

School 2 - 2 years

School 3 - 1 year

School 4 - 1 year 1 term

School 5 - 1 year 2 terms

School 6 - 2 terms

School 7 - 2 years

School 8 - 1 year

School 9 - 1 year

School 10 - 1 year 1 term

(Took 2 years out between schools 9 and 10.)

So I suppose I’m wondering about this. For the most part, there haven’t been sinister reasons.

My NQT school was really bad, and I stuck it out for two years but it became unbearable. I left and got a job in a better school but it was a long way from home, so my next role was closer. However, I didn’t enjoy it and it did have ver high staff turnover.

I then applied for a promotion and got it, and then another promotion. The second promotion was just not a good fit for me at all. I got another promotion then, very rapidly. Stayed for two years then had a big relocation and family and then my current role ... and now I’m going to move on again.

Has anybody else moved around lots?

School 1 - 4 years
School 2 - 3 years
School 3 - 2 terms
School 4 - 2 years
School 5 - currently 1 1/2 years and have promised to stay at least until the next summer

According to my previous head (who has suddenly walked out about 6 weeks ago now), moving jobs too often looks suspicious. Another told me that staying too long at a school means that you get stuck in that school and de-skilled. Can't win, I guess.

School 1 - 5 years
School 2 - 2.5 years
School 3 - 4 years
School 4 - been there since September.

One of my very good friends had moved almost as much as you, but 8 years of that was one or two year international contracts, she’s remained in the same place for about 6 years since returning to the UK.

As a governor if I was reviewing you for a Dht or HT post I would question your reliability and whether it was worth our effort to see you. (The recruitment process isn't quite like that but you know what I mean).

By the same token , though, mum (I do tend to agree with your concerns) would you also not want to interview someone who had spent 24 years in the same school?

That seems a lot of moves to me. As others have said, anyone looking at your CV before deciding to interview would probably question your reliability - plus it just seems odd never to stay anywhere long enough to see through the consequences of anything you've done! Good or bad, other staff are left to deal with them while you swan off

One of the things I love about my current job is that "part of the furniture" feeling. The kids know me and what to expect, and I get to know them.

Well, I’ve never not been shortlisted.

That isn’t to say I’ve always been offered the posts - I haven’t - but I’ve got a pretty much 100% record of applications to shortlisting stage.

Blimey : are you in a deprived area? Low recruitment zone? Coastal?

Are you a maths teacher? Do you have a first class degree or Oxbridge or something?

I am an English teacher and , although we have recruitment issues, it is only recently that we have begun recruiting people with slightly 'unusual' employment records.

@poppyeleanor, that does sound exhausting! I know if you in London, secondary posts are really hard to fill, especially if you are STEM, so plenty to choose from when you want to move on. I wonder if you are easily bored/not bothered about making longstanding relationships with staff and pupils or are you aiming to "get to the top" asap?

My career is the opposite! Primary though.

School 1 - 4Yrs - NQT to Maths Coordinator. Left for promotion/different challenge
School 2 - 13 yrs - English Coordinator to Dep Head (6yrs) Left when new Head wrecked the school
School 3 - 15+ yrs - Specialist Setting - will prob stay till I retire

In all schools, having great colleagues, feeling part of a team and enjoying the challenges that particular setting brings have been key for me.

I think that is quite rare, yes. Do you not feel like the ‘new person’ all the time? I’ve put CVs like that in the ‘no’ pile because recruitment and induction is expensive and I’d be worried I’d be doing it all again the following year.

Mine is pretty average I think: 6 years, 5 years, 18 months (not the right school for me!), now at school 4 and a very wise headteacher has advised me to stay here for at least three years before even considering moving on. Frankly, I might be here for the rest of my career. I love it.

I wouldn’t waste time interviewing you. You have a pattern that you follow and so I wouldn’t waste time recruiting you for you to then leave in 1 or 2 years time.

Err no piggy

Genuinely surprised at the reactions here! I’m late thirties, I’ve moved, I’ve had a family, life has changed hugely, so obviously my employment reflects this.

I honestly think some of you think it’s a hugely big deal when actually it isn’t. I’m not in London or the SE and I don’t teach Maths.

Tilly, I have worked in a couple of schools where I just thought it really wasn’t right for me - one where the head was a really odd woman, she suspended a member of staff (not me!) for shouting at a kid, I got out of there after two terms! But mostly it’s either been that my life has changed, meaning the school is no longer suitable, or there’s something better!

But you did ask the question OP and you must realise that (in any job!) this is a very unusual pattern of employment.

Obviously the moving bit is part of the factor.

I think women who have families are statistically less likely to chop and change employment, as it goes!

English teacher like me then! You must be somewhere with a large pool of schools , though. Round my way there aren't all that many schools to move to, without changing phase, sector, or commuting nightmares.

I'm surprised you're surprised OP.

I've worked places where there's been rapid turnover of leaders and I don't honestly think it's best for the students. Each new person comes in, picks and area, throws their effort at change and initiatives at whatever their pet area is (usually that involves classroom staff doing more), gets their brownie points and leaves, grass is greener somewhere else/more money/wants to move up quickly etc. Next year, someone else comes in and does the same thing.
I've been in my post 5 years now, and sure i don't have the quick fix headline data (well what I've got is the ability to talk confidently about how what worked in some cohorts didn't in others, the challenges of sustaining different initiatives, how my initiative worked/didn't with another colleague's area etc. I don't think you get that overall when moving leadership posts every couple of years.

@poppyeleanor I have a similar history to you but shorter can't be helped though all my posts are agency/temporary illness/maternity covers. I didn't stay at my NQT school once I had passed because the mentor was horrid...Hopefully one day I'll find somewhere what suits me and my values for now just gaining as much experience as I can and biding my time.

I should have said, that wasn't being critical of you OP. I went away and worried it might seem that way.
It's more my feelings on lots of quick moves, especially in leadership roles where promotions are scored based on short term success.

I think moving often can be a way to ensure rapid career progression. An ex colleague of mine who I trained with moved for a promotion every two years or so and was a deputy head within 8 years. I'm not sure such rapid promotion is best for the wider school and students though.

piggy, you keep implying that schools must be desperate to employ me.

I don’t think that’s the case. I don’t think moving has harmed my career, although I would now like to do a four/five year stint at a school. I won’t be crapped on, though, and if avoiding being crapped on means moving schools then I’ll do it.

I don't think that was me! That's a lot of other posters...I have just said it's unusual and trying to understand the availability of do many jobs!

As I said you asked whether this was an unusual profile and we have all said yes...

Come on piggy, you KNOW that’s what the inference was with ‘are you a maths teacher ... coastal ... low recruitment zone’

It’s absolutely fine, but own it!

I have found it fascinating, though, as it is actually one of my regrets in my teaching life thus far. I hope to remedy that now. But it doesn’t seem to have harmed my career anything like as much as staying in one place does.

I honestly think some of you think it’s a hugely big deal when actually it isn’t

But some of us have also told you we’re involved in shortlisting and it would be a problem. If it’s working for you, great, but (if others are reading who might also consider moving schools regularly) it’s important that some of us point out that staying put for a while is generally better for career progression and job satisfaction.

No, it really isn't! I am genuinely interested in where there are do many jobs available, which also happen to be promotion because it juxtaposes with my own experience of never getting shortlisted.

Honest.

I get that, Jane, but then it really, honestly hasn’t stopped me moving forwards. Obviously we all have our own experiences and this is mine. OTOH, it does seem to be the case that a long, long stint in one school is prohibitive to moving on, which is a pity.

I’d be delighted to help piggy, if you want me to glance over your application.

Feel free to remove anything identifying from it of course.

Whereas I think an important part of leadership is working through the tough parts and navigating tricky situations. The "I don't want to be crapped on" is understandable, but (in a general non poster specific sense) then I'd question ever couple of years whether they're all actually being crapped on or whether that's someone giving up with the challenges and saying "fuck you I'll take my 2 years data and move... I'm great".

I've worked with people at different levels who've moved lots and usually have a series of reasons why thrir last schools weren't right, were bullies, were unreasonable. To be honest, most of the time working with them suggested they were a key player in all those situations.

I've moved sideways because I've chosen to leave a certain environment, but moves every two years would leave me with questions about someone, especially as a leader.

I stand with ValancyRedfern's view. Moving regularly can be a way to get promotion rapidly (especially in the current climate where short termism is promoted, it's all about the latest quick fix for a cohort / ensure we get a spike in results for Ofsted, an almost football manager style approach where you do a season and move on).
But I'm not convinced it makes for high calibre leaders, nor to I think it's in the best interests of schools and students.

Again, I should add that's nothing against you OP, just general observations and reflections.

Personally I think, extenuating circumstances aside, 3-5 years with more closer to 5 than 3 is a short but reasonable stint in leadership posts before moving up/on.