Would moving sideways to another HoD role be viewed poorly?

[PumpkinPie2016]

I'm currently a HoD in a core subject (secondary) and this is my 4th year at current school.
I like being a HoD though of course it has its challenges and I still love being in the classroom teaching.

I am not particularly happy at my current school - the kids are great, it's other stuff which I can't really go into on here as it might be outing.

So, I am looking for a move. For a while, I thought about going into SLT but recently, I'm really not sure I want an SLT role. The workload is heavy as it is being a HoD and I have a young son to think about. I am therefore thinking of seeking another HoD role in a different school, at least for the next few years.

Would it be viewed poorly by perspective schools if I looked to move sideways rather than up? I'm conscious they will question why and I will have a suitable explanation prepared but I worry it will put them off.

Has anyone done it successfully? Or stayed at HoD because they don't fancy SLT? I'm late 30s so have a good few years of working left to go 🤣

The last school I was in as a Teacher, the kids were great but it was the other stuff of which there was a lot and all ridiculous and just lots and lots of box ticking and filling in of spreadsheets.

So you are not happy there and you do not want to go into SLT so realistically there is only 1 option. It may look bad if you then go back to being a teacher. but it may not.

So I suggest that you start applying for posts and as for reasons, if you move to single gender or Grammar (or vice versa) then you wish to expand you experience or take on fresh challenges. If the school is closer to you home then you wish to take a more active role on parenting.

There seem to be lots of HODs being advertised. So you have nothing to lose.

I've never known it to be a problem- people relocate, family priorities change, I've also known people being honest and say they just want a new challenge without moving up. I also think it's beneficial to get experience at middle leadership in a few different schools before moving up and I'm sure I can't be the only one who thinks like that.

I moved 'down' from middle leadership to the classroom for a bit after we relocated and that was absolutely fine too, they knew what they were getting! I think going to interview as an experienced HoD would be an advantage against candidates taking their first steps up the ladder in many schools.

Thank you both 🙂 I am pleased to hear it hasn't posed problems.

I am hopeful that I will have an advantage as an experienced HoD if going for another HoD role.

I will just have to explain it as wanting a new challenge in a different environment.

I don't think it matters but I would also consider that a new school wouldn't necessarily be any different. It depends on what the problems are with the school - but the grass is not always greener and I think it takes at least a year in a new job to start to feel comfortable...!

I left my HoD and became a teacher, and now am a Lead practitioner. I left purely because of children and needing to be closer to home and I like my job now but I hated it when I first moved to my current school.