Moving jobs mid year?

[Windmachine1]

A bit of a WWYD, I would be really grateful for any advice!

I currently work at a state secondary school and this will be my 4th year. I like my department, and my colleagues and I have a good working relationship. Outside the department, the atmosphere at the school is a bit stressful - the HT is permanently stressed and it pervades through SLT and filters down. I don’t really like working for them and there are some school policies I don’t particularly like either.

The problem is that I am “just” a subject teacher and there is no opportunity for me to progress to a HoD or gain any further responsibility. I’ve worked really hard to improve things in the department but the changes I’ve made tend to be acknowledged as being down the the HoD “and their team”. I’ve been a teacher for 20 years so I’ve got a lot of experience which has helped to put the department on the right track but isn’t always acknowledged. I took this job as it was advertised as being THE subject specialist school in the area, but it just hasn’t transpired to be that at all…

Anyway, a HoD job has come up this week at a private school local to me. The start date is given as April or ASAP! So I’m guessing they would prefer a January start which in principle I could do, though April would be better. I have experience of running a department previously and also working in private schools and it sounds like an interesting and challenging job. On the other hand, starting a new HoD job halfway through the year would be tough (and I do wonder what’s happened to the current HoD?!)

However, I’m worrying about a few things…

Firstly, my HT is really not approachable and I will have to ask them for a reference. I’m worried they’ll tell me I’m letting everyone down by considering a move mid year. Also, they hold grudges against staff and my card will be marked forever!

Secondly, I worry about my students, who’ve had such a rough year last year and I would be leaving in the middle of the year. Our department is slightly over staffed so I think they could probably just about cover it or look to employ someone else themselves… I would of course make sure I did a comprehensive handover but I know it would be disruptive. I think my colleagues would be disappointed too.

Thirdly, I worry people would think i was selling out by going into a private school. I’ve worked so hard to try and get access to my subject for as many of my students as possible, regardless of their backgrounds, so I can understand the contrast of working with students who are more privileged.

The deadline is a week tomorrow so I would have to ask my HT for a reference literally on the first day back! I’ve emailed the school to ask if it was possible to look round or speak to someone about the position this week which might help me to make more of a decision, but I guess I’m asking … WWYD?!

Hello @Windmachine1

I can't promise I have the answers to all of your questions / worries, but I am a HOD in an independent school and have moved job mid-year - on two occasions! I will be honest and say it isn't ideal, but it is perfectly possible, and having to give one term's notice (I was moving from one independent to another on both occasions) meant that a January / April start was a necessity.

So in terms of your anxieties about going for this HOD job:

• sorry to hear that your current HT doesn't sound especially approachable. However, in my experience, however difficult / unapproachable a HT is, they ultimately have to be professional in situations where colleagues are considering moving on, for whatever reason. It probably is easier said than done, but ultimately you need to prioritise yourself and your professional needs: as long as you can explain this to your HT, they ought to be (I hope) supportive. Ultimately, you would be giving the school ample notice in order to appoint your successor, should you land the job, so it's not as if you are broaching your employment contract with the school. On both occasions when I applied for / got the jobs to start in January / April, my HTs at the time were supportive and never gave me the impression that they were frowning on me for leaving mid-year

• re. leaving your students: yes, I know how this one feels, especially when you have exam groups. However, this is also a time when you need to prioritise yourself. It sounds like you are an excellent teacher who has worked extraordinarily hard at your present school: in my experience, nobody - not colleagues or students - is going to think badly of you for wanting to move on. Maybe it's a reflection of my inadequacies as a teacher, but what I found (from keeping in touch with former colleagues) was that my former teaching groups very quickly moved on. In fact, before I even left at the end of term, all they seemed interested in was who would be teaching them next! This is one of those "harsh but true" realities of teaching: ultimately, to the pupils, we're one small cog in a much bigger system. The pupils will move on. Your colleagues will move on. You will move on!

• I appreciate your anxiety about moving from state to independent, but honestly: try not to worry what your current colleagues think. With no disrespect intended to anyone, but any stigma about teaching in independent schools is their problem: not yours. To repeat: you should do what feels right for you, and not allow others to dictate your decision-making! When I moved from a state to an independent school early on in my career, my colleagues in the state school were very encouraging - if they did have any negative thoughts about me moving to the independent sector, they certainly didn't express them to me. In fact, they were all commenting how lucky I was!

I think ultimately, you should put yourself first. You sound like you'd be great for the job you've spotted. My advice? Go for it.

Good luck, whatever you decide.

Hi op. You are worrying too much about everyone else and not own career and general happiness.
Teachers move on all the time to better their careers or for loads of other reasons- your HT will have to write you a decent reference and he will get over you leaving quickly enough. It sounds like a great opportunity.
I have moved schools mid year twice, once to take over as HoD. It was a bit chaotic for a couple of weeks while I found my feet but otherwise fine. If you get it, just follow the old HoDs plans and schedules for the term then you have the summer to think about any changes you would like to make.

Ps working in a private school is not settling out. I've worked extensively in both sectors - kids are kids and they all deserve an education no matter what choice of school their parents have made for them.

Hi @CJFJ1 Thank you so much for your reply - I really appreciate your thoughts on the matter and you’ve made me feel much better about it all!

I think you’re right that at the end of the day, my current HT will have to accept me wanting to move on. As you say, it’s not like I would be breaking my contract. It’s just that it feels very awkward to go in on the first day back and ask for a reference. Unfortunately she really is quite a bully (I can see underneath it all that she’s just very stressed and overworked but she takes it out on her staff) But I think I will just have to bite the bullet on this one and get it done!

It’s very reassuring what you say about my exam classes in particular - I have already got them to a reasonable place in their courses and could probably get their coursework completed by Christmas so it was only exam prep left to do. After such a difficult year last year for them, it does feel like I’m letting them down a bit, but I can do my best to get them as far through the course as I can.

I’ve probably over thought all of this as it’s always daunting to consider changing jobs in teaching - it impacts so many people, even though really I’m only a tiny cog in a big wheel! But you’ve made me feel much more confident about giving it a go. The new job does look really exciting and I would probably be foolish to pass it by just because I was worrying about what other people think! Thank you again so much for your amazing reply - I am feeling much better!

Hello @Windmachine1

I really do think you should go for it - you can spend too much time worrying about others in teaching, but this sounds like one of those times when you need to put yourself first.

I didn't mean to sound rude / dismissive when I said that we are one small cog in a wider system for our pupils, by the way - I went through similar feelings to yours when I was abandoning my exam classes mid-year, but as you said in your first post, I ensured that the handover to my successor(s) was smooth. I also did as much as I could to get the pupils to a point in the exam syllabus so that, by the time I left, they were feeling pretty confident - which is as much as you can do.

I also didn't mean to sound harsh about pupils moving on quickly after we leave, but in my experience, that is what they do! (Although this may reflect on me as a rubbish teacher who my pupils want to forget!!!!!). Your colleagues, your department, your school's SLT will all move on too. That's the nature of schools. Therefore, you shouldn't feel guilty about wanting to move on.

Ultimately, go for it - it sounds like a good opportunity. I also agree with JuliaBlackberry above - a mid-year move is always going to be disruptive / disorientating, but it isn't impossible, and with the right help and support at a new school, you will find your feet.

Very best of luck with whatever you decide!

@JuliaBlackberry

Ps working in a private school is not settling out. I've worked extensively in both sectors - kids are kids and they all deserve an education no matter what choice of school their parents have made for them.

I whole-heartedly agree with this!

Hi @JuliaBlackberry Thank you for your reply - you’re quite right, I’ve been too busy worrying about everyone else and how they would react! The HT will not take it well, even though I know I’m well within my rights to apply, but I just have to be brave and get on with it. To be honest, the fact that I feel that way about the Head is probably a good enough reason to consider going anyway!

Thank you also for your advice about moving mid year. It was also a concern of mine that I would only have the Christmas holidays to plan for teaching entirely new classes and schemes but I do have an armoury of tried and trusted schemes that I’ve used over the years so I can either stick to their existing material or be safe that I have resources to fall back on.

You’re also quite correct that kids are kids - I feel that way myself, having taught in both sectors and having attended private school myself. Again, it’s me worrying about what other people think, which I need to stop doing!

Thank you for your encouragement - I shall start polishing my CV!

@Windmachine1

Hi *@JuliaBlackberry* Thank you for your reply - you’re quite right, I’ve been too busy worrying about everyone else and how they would react! The HT will not take it well, even though I know I’m well within my rights to apply, but I just have to be brave and get on with it. To be honest, the fact that I feel that way about the Head is probably a good enough reason to consider going anyway!

Thank you also for your advice about moving mid year. It was also a concern of mine that I would only have the Christmas holidays to plan for teaching entirely new classes and schemes but I do have an armoury of tried and trusted schemes that I’ve used over the years so I can either stick to their existing material or be safe that I have resources to fall back on.

You’re also quite correct that kids are kids - I feel that way myself, having taught in both sectors and having attended private school myself. Again, it’s me worrying about what other people think, which I need to stop doing!

Thank you for your encouragement - I shall start polishing my CV!

Hi @Windmachine1

With the planning for a January start - yes, it's a bit time-pressured because you only have a fortnight or so over Christmas / New Year, and you certainly don't want to be working all the way through that! As you say, if you have existing schemes of work that you can draw upon, that's great. You'll also be able to draw upon existing schemes of work, I suspect, in the new department.

If I recall correctly, when I moved schools mid-year, I spent my preparation time over the holiday genning up for the new exam classes I was taking over - I had to familiarise myself with exam board specifications I hadn't taught before, and I was helped by existing planning in the school / department I was moving to. Whereas I tended to use my own, existing schemes of work for Key Stage 3 classes - there is time to think more radically about doing new and exciting things with Key Stage 3 groups further down the line once you have your feet under the table, so to speak.

Good luck!

@Windmachine1 good luck! In the nicest possible way who cares if the HT will not take it well- I'm sure he has moved several times in his own career to better himself or go somewhere that suits him more. He sounds like an idiot which is a good reason to move on!
I agree with pp about kids moving on quickly, they do. Your job is to nurture them while you are there and do your best by them. You are allowed to move on- whenever you do move on you'll be halfway through some exam group or another. There's never a perfect time, but the best time is when you see another job that you think suits you!
Time to focus on yourself and not get caught up in everyone else's thoughts and feelings too much.

I've done mid-year moves (within the independent sector) and while not ideal it is fine once you're settled. I would echo everything above - go for it!

@Windmachine1 I've moved to two different HOD positions mid-year. It's a challenge picking up classes and getting to know the school however, I found that it was valuable time that I could use to assess the strengths and ares of development and then make a plan for how to move forward.

In terms of worrying about leaving your students in the middle of the school year. You have to remember that they will move on soon too. Some of them may make comments about you abandoning them but at the end of the day it is their responsibility to get through their exams, and it's the HT's responsibility to ensure that they are being taught by a subject specialist.

I hope that you decide to apply as it sounds like it is the job for you. Good luck

@WayDownInTheHole that’s really good to hear, thank you! I’d expect it to be quite tough in the first few weeks settling in, but I quite like a challenge! I worry about the disruption I would cause my students by moving on, but I guess the students in the new school will be going through a similar situation. At least the advert has come up early enough that if I did get the job, my current school would have time to advertise for a replacement. Thanks for your encouragement!

@niclw Thanks for your comments. It’s nice to hear that it’s not all that unusual to move mid-year! It is definitely something that’s “frowned upon” in my current school (and the Head will certainly make an issue of it) but I think I just need to be brave and get on with it! I would love the challenge of building my own department, I feel I’ve got the experience and expertise to do it now, so even if it was hard going in the first instance, I reckon long term, I’d be a lot happier!

With regard to leaving my students, that’s probably the hardest thing, but I reckon I can get get them to a reasonable place in the course before I moved. I don’t think they’d blame me at all, but I care that they do well, and just hope whoever takes over works as hard for them as I do! But I guess, as I said upthread, there will be students in the new school who will need me just as much.

Thank you again for your support - it’s really helped me to organise my thoughts!

I hope you do go for it and I honestly don't think your Head will be as difficult as you fear. You have a perfect reason for leaving: as you said in your OP and there is no opportunity for me to progress to a HoD or gain any further responsibility. ** Best of luck!

Don't know what happened to my bolding on the quote but you get what I mean