Changing school and role or staying and dropping management role

[moonlightandsunbeams]

I'd love some advice or feedback, please, especially if you have either changed to work in a different school setting or dropped management role and worked as a p/t teacher.
I am a pastoral manager, overseeing 2 year groups (secondary) as well as teaching (and am now in my 29th year in the profession).
I am finding it a bit much tbh, especially with the two roles combined - last year was hideous, with a greater number of high level issues to manage and unpleasant encounters with parents. I am already starting to dread going back, and the onslaught that will be waiting.
I am not sure if I am feeling like this because it is the holidays, but I feel I have had enough.
I have the choice - financially - to drop to a classroom teacher 4 days p/w and drop the management role, staying in the same school. I have been there quite a while and am not sure if this is part of the issue or not.
Or, I could move to being a SEMH teacher, ft, different school.
Has anyone done similar and have any advice or insights?

I was in management but dropped to do just teaching and now I love my job. I just have to think about the lessons and the students and it is so much easier to plan. No unexpected incidents or reports to write etc.

As finances are alright I would return to the classroom in a new school.

I think a lot will hinge on whether or not you like your current school. As you've said you're not sure if the issue is your school, that suggests a change might be for the best. Where does your passion lie? Classroom teaching? Working with SEMH students? Use that to inform your decision. Might a role with a different responsibility be appealing? Maybe a curriculum TLR? I can understand how a pastoral role alongside teaching is a special kind of difficult. Imo it's not possible to do both, and in my school at least the curriculum TLR holders find their job much more manageable than those with pastoral responsibilities. In your shoes, unless you're really not bothered about any responsibility, I'd be tempted to look for a different middle leadership position. Stepping down completely can work very well for some, but for others it can come with it's own frustrations.

Thank you all for your responses, really helpful to hear your points of view and experiences.

I dropped down from HoD of a core subject to 0.8 classroom teacher and have found it a lot better. In the same school. The school is pretty pressured and fast-paced so I found it much better though I sometimes feel a bit frustrated and think I should be doing more at times (but other times really really don’t! 😆) so overall very happy with my ‘downward’ move. There are many ways of measuring success but In my opinion and if you can financially afford it, it may be a good move. I feel like my lessons are much more consistently of a higher quality now! I may look for something else in a year or two though. All the best, op.

i dropped down from SMT to a different whole school role, and honestly it is so much better for my workload and my life in general
However, i am often tasked with/approached about things outside of my remit because of my previous role and it gets very demoralising to have to say no all the time. I ended up taking on far more than i should have in the first couple of years. On the other end of the stick, i still get very frustrated that im not "in the loop" on big decisions even though that was the choice i made! And i often feel im not pulling my weight when in reality im doing my job but am used to being busier and i need to have a word with myself and stop beating myself up about choosing a "lesser" role

I dropped from management back to class teacher.

Best thing I ever did

The head space it freed up was huge.

Thank you all for replying and for sharing your experiences.
I have taken the plunge and resigned from my management role, as of Jan, and feel a huge sense of relief. I will now have time to consider whether to stay as a teacher there or look elsewhere.
i feel I can exhale now 😊